ARTICLES

Married just one month, Yovel planned to relax over the October 7 weekend with her new husband Mor. It had been a hectic season of wedding events and Jewish holidays. Instead, friends insisted they all go together to a music festival in southern Israel. That decision would alter Yovel’s life forever.

Ten minutes after they arrived, rockets flew overhead, and they jumped back in the car and sped north. Believing they were out of harm’s way, the road was suddenly blocked by a white Hamas truck. Mor decided to go around it, telling them to “duck and start praying.” As he swerved, bullets pounded their car. Tragically, a bullet hit Mor’s head, as the car flipped into a ditch.

When Yovel regained consciousness, asking who in the car was alive, she panicked when Mor didn’t answer. Trying in vain to revive him, she screamed, “It can’t be that you’re dead! It can’t be. We just got married—there’s no way!” And then, they realized that Hamas terrorists were roaming nearby, shooting anyone in the vehicles they had struck, and finishing off any survivors.

So for five hours, they pretended to be dead, as they heard the horrific sounds of abductions, rapes, and executions. Finally, the army arrived, and got them to a hospital. Yet now, Yovel, who is 26, is dealing with severe anxiety attacks and nightmares, and can’t go back to work.

But through CBN Israel’s partnership with the Jewish Agency, friends like you gave Yovel financial assistance to help support her until she is able to work. Donors also offered her trauma care and counseling, as she starts her life over. She says, “Thank you for opening your hearts, so that we can smile and laugh again… It is not taken for granted how you are standing with us.”

And your gift to CBN Israel can offer compassionate relief to hurting Israelis in other ways, including hot meals, shelter, and basic essentials.

Please help us bring healing to those in crisis! 

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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. On the first day of the appointed month in early autumn, you are to observe a day of complete rest. It will be an official day for holy assembly, a day commemorated with loud blasts of a trumpet. You must do no ordinary work on that day. Instead, you are to present special gifts to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:23-25).

Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year,” marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Yet in Scripture it is more than a date on the calendar. The book of Leviticus calls it Yom Hateruah, the Day of Trumpet Blasts. On this day, the piercing cry of the shofar, the ram’s horn, fills synagogues and streets, calling hearts to attention.

The sound of the shofar is more than ritual. Its sharp and haunting notes awaken the soul and stir listeners to repentance and reconciliation. Ancient rabbis taught that when God’s people return to Him and to one another, the enemy is confounded. The ram’s horn recalls the story of Abraham and Isaac, when God provided a ram in place of Abraham’s son. Out of reverence, a cow’s horn is never used, so that the golden calf of Israel’s rebellion will not be remembered before God.

In many traditions, the shofar is blown each morning for a month leading up to Rosh Hashanah, giving worshipers time to search their hearts and lives. Families gather for festive meals that include apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year, pomegranate seeds for fruitfulness, round challah bread to symbolize life’s circle and God’s kingship, and fish or a ram’s head as a sign of being the “head” and not the tail in the year to come.

This feast is also tied to creation itself, celebrating the day God brought Adam and Eve to life and crowned Himself as King. The blowing of the shofar once announced the coronation of Israel’s earthly kings. Today it points forward to the coming of the true King. For Christians, it carries prophetic meaning. Jesus spoke of a great trumpet that will gather His people at His return (Matthew 24:31). Paul described the moment when “the last trumpet is blown” and the dead in Christ are raised (1 Corinthians 15:52). The book of Revelation also speaks of seven trumpets that will sound as God completes His plan for the world.

Rosh Hashanah begins the Ten Days of Awe, a sacred period leading to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During these days, Jewish people reflect on the past year, repent of sin, and seek reconciliation. One beautiful tradition is Tashlich, the casting away of sins. Standing beside a river or stream, worshipers toss small pieces of bread into the water as a physical reminder of Micah 7:19: “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

For followers of Jesus, the Feast of Trumpets calls us to similar readiness. It reminds us that the King is coming and that today is the day to repent, forgive, and live awake to God’s voice. The trumpet blast is both a warning and an invitation to return, to rejoice, and to prepare for the eternal kingdom that will never be shaken.

What trumpet call is God sounding in your life right now? Is He calling you to repentance, reconciliation, or a deeper walk with Him? Take time to listen, for the King is coming.

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

By Stephen Faircloth

The Ivy League has long been regarded as a cradle of future leaders, shaping both minds and culture across the nation. In recent years, however, these campuses have also become contested spaces where Jewish students increasingly encounter antisemitism in the form of harassment, exclusion, and silence from those in authority. In response, The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Regent University have joined with JewBelong to launch a billboard campaign that refuses to remain quiet.

The effort features JewBelong’s signature pink and white billboards placed in prominent locations at Harvard, Yale, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania. These signs are not simple advertisements. They are public declarations that antisemitism has no place in institutions that claim to foster intellectual freedom and moral responsibility.

Each billboard delivers a clear message about the dangers of silence. Choosing not to speak against hatred is itself an act of complicity. The goal is to spark conversation, challenge apathy, and embolden students, faculty, and administrators to stand as visible allies with their Jewish peers.

Although antisemitism is a national concern, the Ivy League carries unique symbolic weight. These universities are incubators of cultural influence, and the ideas formed there often ripple outward into American society. When antisemitism festers unchecked in such settings, it shapes not only the immediate campus climate but also the perspectives of future leaders who carry those attitudes into wider spheres.

By bringing these messages directly into the Ivy League, the campaign speaks to the next generation of policymakers, educators, and cultural voices. It underscores the truth that moral courage is essential to genuine leadership.

JewBelong has used bold public messaging in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles, yet this Ivy League initiative is about more than geography. It is about addressing silence where it is most damaging. On campuses that claim to uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion, the lack of strong responses to antisemitic incidents undermines those very principles.

The partnership with CBN and Regent University expands the campaign’s reach through television and digital platforms, ensuring that its impact extends far beyond the billboards themselves. This effort is an invitation to Christians and Americans everywhere to recognize that standing against antisemitism is not a partisan or sectarian matter. It is both a human responsibility and a spiritual calling.

Though the Ivy League campaign is central, it is also part of a wider movement. With parallel outreach in the South through Southeastern Conference universities, the campaign seeks to build a coalition of students and alumni united in rejecting hatred. Each new campus engaged adds strength to a growing chorus of voices calling for courage, solidarity, and love of neighbor.

The message is urgent and unmistakable. Silence is no longer an option. In the face of rising antisemitism, particularly within institutions charged with shaping the leaders of tomorrow, communities must choose action over complacency. Every billboard stands as a reminder that defending the Jewish people is not only a moral duty but also a reflection of God’s call to love and protect our neighbors.

If you are a Christian who believes in standing with Israel and the Jewish people while confronting antisemitism, lies, and misinformation, we invite you to join CBN Israel in making a meaningful difference today.

GIVE TODAY

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

Just as Israelis were finally emerging from the trauma of COVID, they were suddenly thrust into the horrors of the October 7 terrorist attacks—and the war with Hamas and Hezbollah. Since then, the nation has been running on adrenaline, with families still in shock and survival mode.

And with the war winding down, most Israelis will face complex emotional, psychological, and financial challenges in adjusting to a “new normal.”

Thanks to caring donors, CBN Israel is addressing the nation’s need for healing by opening a “resilience center.” Manager Yonathan Ameida, who is also a clinical psychologist and pastor, observed, “Many resilience centers exist around the country. But we understood that after the war, the need for these was going to skyrocket.”

The CBN Israel Resilience Center will serve as a hub that matches patients’ needs to a pool of counseling professionals, including psychologists for both adults and children, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, and financial and parenting coaches.

While the government does provide therapy for direct victims, often the victims’ family members, such as the families of hostages, are outside the loop. The Resilience Center can fill that gap for them, by reaching people who are not eligible for government therapy programs.

And since the war began, donors have already created trauma recovery groups through CBN Israel, and offered courses and private counseling. The Resilience Center will be doing that same work, but on a much larger scale, as well as offering support for the therapists themselves.

Plus, Almeida plans to assist the faith community, saying the war brought up spiritual questions for everyone about why this happened—even many believers, whose faith has been shaken.

He sums up the center’s mission, saying, “People can begin to think coherently again….We are here to help them find an explanation that will give them peace, and give them new tools.”

And your gift to CBN Israel can offer compassionate relief to hurting Israelis in other ways, including hot meals, shelter, and basic essentials.

Please help us bring healing to those in crisis! 

GIVE TODAY

This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Eikev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25). Read on Shabbat, August 16, 2025 / 22 Av 5785. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

As Moses spoke to the people on the edge of the Promised Land, he reminded them that every step of their journey had purpose. The wilderness was not wasted time; it was the training ground for faith.

God provided manna when they were hungry, water when they were thirsty, and forgiveness when they strayed. Every hardship was an opportunity to see His steadfast love and to shape their hearts for the life ahead.

The wilderness, in biblical language, is more than a place of trial; it is the classroom of God. It strips away the comforts and distractions that often dull our awareness of Him.

In the silence of the desert, the Israelites could no longer rely on Egypt’s provision or their own strength; they had to learn dependence on the One who sustained them. This is why Moses calls them to remember, not just the miracles, but the tests, the hunger, and the daily dependence on bread from heaven.

In our own lives, wilderness seasons may come in the form of uncertainty, loss, waiting, or unanswered prayers. We may be tempted to see them only as obstacles to overcome.

Yet often, these are the seasons where God does His deepest work, shaping our character, refining our priorities, and revealing whether we truly trust Him when the road is long and the destination unclear.

The absence of quick solutions forces us to look to His daily provision. And when we remember these seasons after they have passed, we see how His faithfulness never faltered.

If you are in such a season now, take heart. God is not absent. He is teaching you something about His nature and your heart that you could not learn in the abundance of the Promised Land.

And if you are walking in a time of blessing, do not forget the lessons of the wilderness. Gratitude and humility are the companions that will keep you steady when blessings increase.

In your own life, think about a time when God led you through uncertainty. Perhaps you did not see the full plan, but in hindsight you can trace His hand in the small provisions and unexpected turns.

The lesson of the wilderness is that God’s faithfulness does not depend on our comfort; it is constant whether the landscape is fertile or dry.

This week, look for ways to remember God’s past care. Write it down, share it with someone, or speak it in prayer. Gratitude will anchor your heart when the path feels unclear.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for leading me even when I do not understand. Help me remember Your goodness and trust You in every season. Amen.

By Stephen Faircloth

In response to a troubling surge in antisemitism across the United States, The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), CBN Israel, and Regent University have partnered with JewBelong, a New York-based nonprofit known for bold public messaging, to launch a powerful nationwide awareness campaign. The initiative features visually arresting pink and white billboards delivering a simple but urgent message: standing against antisemitism is standing with America. More than a public display, this campaign is a call to action for Christians, students, alumni, and communities across the country to unite in solidarity with the Jewish people.

The campaign begins August 11 in Virginia, with three prominent billboards positioned along major thoroughfares near the CBN and Regent University campus in the Tidewater area. These messages are intended not just to inform, but to spark conversation, reflection, and ultimately, action. The billboards will remain in place through September 29. CBN will amplify the campaign’s reach through its influential television and digital platforms, engaging audiences nationwide.

Following the Tidewater launch, the campaign expands to four key Ivy League campuses: Harvard, Yale, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania. These universities, long esteemed for their academic distinction, have increasingly become challenging environments for Jewish students. The Ivy League campaign aims to confront this reality with bold, unapologetic messaging. By bringing the conversation directly to these campuses, the effort seeks to break the silence that often follows antisemitic incidents and to encourage students, faculty, and administrators to stand as allies against hate.

At the same time, the campaign will engage students and alumni across Southeastern Conference universities through a coordinated strategy of billboard placements and digital outreach led by Regent University. This SEC-focused initiative invites campus communities throughout the South to take part in a growing national movement that refuses to look away from antisemitism and instead embraces shared responsibility and moral courage.

This campaign is driven by alarming data. The Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents ranks Virginia among the top ten states for such activity, with 266 incidents reported last year alone, representing a 19 percent increase from 2023. Nationally, antisemitic incidents have surged by 893 percent over the past decade. These are not isolated occurrences. They are part of a persistent and intensifying pattern that must be addressed with urgency and resolve.

College campuses, in particular, have become flashpoints for antisemitic rhetoric and behavior. Jewish students have reported harassment, exclusion, and threats, often met with silence or inaction from university leadership. That silence not only fails to protect, it emboldens those who propagate hate. This campaign seeks to challenge that silence and to empower campus communities to speak out in defense of their Jewish peers.

Gordon Robertson, President and CEO of CBN and Chancellor of Regent University, emphasized the moral and spiritual significance of this initiative. He said, “It is vital that Christians in Virginia and across the country stand in solidarity with the Jewish community. Antisemitism is not just a Jewish issue, it is a human issue and a spiritual one. We are called to stand against hatred, to defend our neighbors, and to reflect God’s love through our actions. This campaign is one important step in that direction.”

This effort builds upon JewBelong’s previous campaigns in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, and near academic institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. With this expansion and collaboration with faith-based and academic organizations, the campaign marks a growing movement determined to challenge antisemitism wherever it takes root.

The message is clear. In the face of rising antisemitism, especially on the campuses shaping the next generation, silence is no longer an option. Every billboard, broadcast, and digital message is a call to choose courage over complacency, to reject hate, and to stand unwaveringly with our Jewish neighbors. Christians and Americans alike are urged to raise their voices, because defending others is not only right, it is at the very heart of what it means to love our neighbor.

If you are a Christian who believes in standing with Israel and the Jewish people while confronting antisemitism, lies, and misinformation, we invite you to join CBN Israel in making a meaningful difference today.

GIVE TODAY

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians round the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

When she was just 13, Natalia had to flee her home in Ukraine to escape the Nazis. As World War II raged, this young Jewish girl survived by working in a factory that supported the war effort. She eventually returned home.

In 2022, as Russian missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities and families were torn apart by violence, Natalia faced the unthinkable. After a lifetime spent recovering from the trauma of World War II, she was once again forced to relive its horrors as war returned to the very place where she had rebuilt her life.

She recalled, “A rocket hit our neighborhood in the middle of the night. The explosion killed over 30 people in my community.” Terrified, this elderly woman sought refuge in Israel, making Aliyah to become an Israeli citizen.

Yet as a frail senior who arrived with nothing, Natalia has had other battles to fight. At age 95, she must use a wheelchair to go outside. Because of her handicap, she had to find another apartment with an elevator. And in addition to needing help getting enough to eat, she also lacked basic furniture. Alone in a different country, where could she get help?

Thankfully, friends like you came to her rescue through CBN Israel. Caring donors are there delivering nutritious food, and she says these visits from our team mean as much as the aid itself. Donors also provided her with a special bed and essential furniture, to make her apartment feel like home.

Natalia exclaimed, “Thank you so much for your generous help. I have been overjoyed to receive the regular provisions of food and groceries, and I am so grateful for the furniture… Your kindness means more than you know!”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can be a blessing to Holocaust survivors like Natalia, and to refugees, single moms, terror victims, and others struggling to survive in the Holy Land.

And you can make a tremendous difference for those in need by providing hot meals, safe housing, necessities, and financial assistance.

Join us today in sharing God’s love and compassion with those who are hurting in Israel!

GIVE TODAY

By Stephen Faircloth

High above the Mediterranean coastline, the limestone ridge of Mount Carmel stretches like a natural stage, connecting the highlands of Samaria to the eastern sea. Fertile and green, it receives generous rainfall most of the year and has long symbolized agricultural abundance in the Bible.

But Carmel is remembered not just for its beauty. It is remembered for a decisive moment when God’s people were called to choose.

“If the Lord is God, follow Him. But if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

Elijah the prophet stood on this very ridge and called for a confrontation. The people of Israel had turned away from God during the reign of King Ahab. In their fear of drought and desire for prosperity, they sought help from Baal, the Canaanite storm god, hoping he would bring the rain.

The fertility, precipitation, and location of Mount Carmel play a key role in the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Agriculture in the land of Israel proved difficult in the ancient world. The people depended solely upon God for rain to water their fields and crops due to the topography of the land (see Deuteronomy 8; 11:10-20).

Mount Carmel was a fitting battleground. It was not only a high place often associated with pagan worship, but it also sat near the Phoenician region where Baal worship was born. The land itself, lush and well-watered, seemed to testify to Baal’s influence. But God was about to set the record straight.

The drought had not been an accident. According to God’s covenant in Deuteronomy, Israel’s disobedience would result in the heavens being shut. Their spiritual dryness was reflected in the parched ground beneath them.

Elijah proposed a simple test. The god who answered with fire would prove himself to be the true God. Baal’s prophets called on him all day, but there was only silence. Then Elijah called on the Lord, and fire fell from Heaven. The sacrifice was consumed completely. The people fell face down and cried out, “The Lord, He is God.”

Shortly after, the skies broke open and the rain returned.

This moment on Mount Carmel was not just about power. It was about loyalty. The setting, the drought, the silence from Baal, and the fire from Heaven all pointed to one truth. Only God is worthy of trust and worship.

Are there areas in your life where you are looking to something other than God for security or provision? Elijah’s question remains for each of us. If the Lord is God, will we follow Him?

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.