This weekend Israel will celebrate Purim, a special holiday which recalls the time the Jewish people were delivered from a great threat in ancient Persia. The events surrounding Purim are recounted in the biblical Book of Esther, named for the beautiful Jewish Queen who helped save her people from annihilation at the hands of the evil Haman. It is an especially joyous occasion for Jewish children, who get to dress up in colorful costumes and eat special Purim pastries. Now the story of Purim ends with a great deliverance of the Jewish people, but the threats and enemies they faced back then never seem to truly go away. In fact, the Jews have always been on the lookout in every generation for the rise of new Hamans seeking to plot their destruction. This is true for our day as well, as an existential danger against Israel is arising in the same land of Persia in the form of the Iranian nuclear threat. So why were the Jewish people targeted for destruction by Haman? How did God deliver them from his evil plan? And what can we learn from the story of Purim to help us combat the hatred of the Jewish people today? The Lessons of Purim! That’s our focus this week here on Front Page Jerusalem! We’ll look at the story of Queen Esther and how she was able to deliver the Jewish people from certain destruction in the days of the Persian empire. Plus, we’ll explore the lessons that can be drawn from the holiday of Purim in order to confront the many threats facing Israel today. Our special guest will be the very popular Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.
On today’s program we’re looking at the holiday of Purim, which is being marked this weekend by the Jewish people worldwide. Purim recalls the time when the Jewish people were delivered from a vicious plot to exterminate them in ancient Persia. To learn more about this holiday and the lessons it holds for us today, we turned this week to Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. He is a popular and widely-read Orthodox Jewish figure who serves as Chief Rabbi of the city of Efrat. Front Page senior producer David Parsons spoke to Rabbi Riskin this week and brings us this interview from Jerusalem…
Word From Zion
In today’s Word From Zion segment, we continue our look at the holiday of Purim and the lessons it holds for Christians who want to help defend the Jewish people from grave threats in our day. Today’s teaching in brought by our own Front Page senior producer David Parsons, who is an ordained minister with the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.
Join hosts Earl Cox, Ben Kinchlow and David Parsons for this week’s Front Page Jerusalem, on a radio station near you or visit our website to download the MP3 and to subscribe to program podcasts
For years now, a group of hardcore activists within the mainline Protestant churches have been targeting Israel by promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign within their respective denominations. And while they have made a lot of noise, they have always met with resistance from other church leaders who see no reason to single out Israel for punishment. But now, there are worrying reports about a new anti-Zionist movement gaining steam within Evangelical circles. Now most Evangelical Christians have traditionally been very supportive of Israel based on biblical grounds and shared democratic values. But there has always been a small number of anti-Israel activists in the Evangelical ranks, especially among those involved in missions in Arab and Muslim countries. Yet if some of the recent reports are to be believed, there is concern that young Evangelicals in particular are not accepting the pro-Israel positions of their parents and are siding with the Palestinians in the name of “social justice.” So is there really a growing wave of anti-Israel sentiments among Evangelical Christians? How is it being manifested? Is it just among Christians in Western countries? And what’s the latest on the anti-Zionist efforts in the mainline Protestant churches? Are Evangelicals Turning on Israel?That’s our focus next week here on Front Page Jerusalem! We’ll look at the recent reports that some Evangelical Christians are abandoning the movement’s traditional stand with Israel and siding with the Palestinians. Our special guest will be Dexter van Zile, who serves as Christian media analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. Plus, our weekly Word From Zion segment will look deeper into this issue, and how those of us Christians who are defending Israel can be better advocates in making her case.
On today’s program we’re looking at the holiday of Purim, which is being marked this weekend by the Jewish people worldwide. Purim recalls the time when the Jewish people were delivered from a vicious plot to exterminate them in ancient Persia. To learn more about this holiday and the lessons it holds for us today, we turned this week to Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. He is a popular and widely-read Orthodox Jewish figure who serves as Chief Rabbi of the city of Efrat. Front Page senior producer David Parsons spoke to Rabbi Riskin this week and brings us this interview from Jerusalem…
For years now, a group of hardcore activists within the mainline Protestant churches have been targeting Israel by promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign within their respective denominations. And while they have made a lot of noise, they have always met with resistance from other church leaders who see no reason to single out Israel for punishment. But now, there are worrying reports about a new anti-Zionist movement gaining steam within Evangelical circles. Now most Evangelical Christians have traditionally been very supportive of Israel based on biblical grounds and shared democratic values. But there has always been a small number of anti-Israel activists in the Evangelical ranks, especially among those involved in missions in Arab and Muslim countries. Yet if some of the recent reports are to be believed, there is concern that young Evangelicals in particular are not accepting the pro-Israel positions of their parents and are siding with the Palestinians in the name of “social justice.” So is there really a growing wave of anti-Israel sentiments among Evangelical Christians? How is it being manifested? Is it just among Christians in Western countries? And what’s the latest on the anti-Zionist efforts in the mainline Protestant churches? Are Evangelicals Turning on Israel?That’s our focus next week here on Front Page Jerusalem! We’ll look at the recent reports that some Evangelical Christians are abandoning the movement’s traditional stand with Israel and siding with the Palestinians. Our special guest will be Dexter van Zile, who serves as Christian media analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. Plus, our weekly Word From Zion segment will look deeper into this issue, and how those of us Christians who are defending Israel can be better advocates in making her case.
