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At 84 years old, Golda has endured a lifetime marked by hardship and loss. Born during World War II, she lost her father in the battle for Leningrad and barely survived the chaos that followed. Her mother, sick and destitute, carried two small children through hunger, bombings, and the devastation of war.

“The sadness of war never really left us,” Golda recalls. “My mother was always worried about how to feed us. She lost everything, even the photographs of my father.”

Years later, Golda immigrated to Israel, hoping for a new beginning. Life was difficult, but she found strength in her faith and her new home. “In Ukraine, I was bullied for my name, Golda,” she says softly. “Only in Israel did I finally feel I could be myself.”

Now a widow living alone, Golda’s challenges have only grown with age. Her small apartment was once flooded, leaving her without a working washing machine for years. She washed her clothes by hand, struggling daily with loneliness and physical pain.

When CBN Israel learned of her situation, friends like you made it possible to bring help and hope. Through the support of generous donors, Golda received a new washing machine and essential repairs to her apartment. “I’m so happy,” she says with a smile. “It’s wonderful. Something so simple has made such a difference.”

Today, in a nation still recovering from war, Golda treasures the kindness shown to her. “It is very hard to be alone,” she says. “At my age, attention and kindness mean everything. Thank you for caring.”

Through CBN Israel, you can touch the lives of elderly Holocaust survivors and widows like Golda. Your gift provides food, home repairs, and comfort to those who feel forgotten. Together, we can remind them that they are loved and never alone.

Please stand with the people of Israel today and bring hope to those in need.

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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! 

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Life in Israel can be difficult, especially for vulnerable elderly citizens who struggle just to get through each day. For many, the burden of aging is made even heavier by the reality of not having enough to eat.

Nearly one in four seniors in Israel faces food insecurity. Without access to regular, nutritious meals, many experience a decline in health that leads to additional medical expenses. These added costs only deepen the hardship for those already living on the edge.

Many of these individuals are elderly immigrants or Holocaust survivors, living alone in low-income housing. Some are disabled or isolated, with no family nearby to support them. Their government stipend often barely covers rent and medication. Food becomes one of the first things they are forced to sacrifice.

Thanks to compassionate friends like you, help has arrived. Donor support of CBN Israel allows us to work with trusted local partners to deliver hot, nourishing meals directly to elderly men and women who need them most. Prepared meals are collected from kitchens that would otherwise discard the leftovers. After being safely stored overnight, they are delivered the next day to senior centers and residential facilities across the country.

The generosity of caring donors has made it possible to serve thousands of meals each week, four days a week, throughout the year. These meals provide more than nutrition. They offer comfort, dignity, and the reassurance that someone cares.

Your support can also reach others in crisis across Israel. Jewish families returning to their ancestral homeland, single mothers raising children on their own, and those recovering from the trauma of war and terror are receiving critical help because of your compassion. 

Please join us today in bringing hope to those who need it most.

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Luba had high hopes for a better future, as she and her husband Yevgeny left Ukraine and immigrated to Israel in 2010. This fitness trainer and mother of two had overcome a number of challenges to make a home for her family. And then, Yevgeny relapsed back into drug addiction.

It took its toll on her kids. “He was very aggressive, and would verbally attack me and my children,” Luba recalled. “My youngest started having hysteria attacks, where he would become unresponsive. My oldest was constantly stressed—she didn’t want to see or talk to him.”

Soon, Yevgeny’s addiction worsened. When he lost his job, he deserted his family, taking whatever items he could. “He started taking things from home—my jewelry, even my wedding ring,” Luba cried. “With the war, I couldn’t find work.  It got so bad, I didn’t have enough money to pay for electricity or buy food.” Feeling alone and ashamed, she struggled for months.

Yet when a church friend pointed her to CBN Israel, friends like you were there for her. “I felt like I did not deserve it—but they helped me, and it was quick,” she exclaimed. “I could finally pay off debts, and they brought us food. It’s winter, and I couldn’t dry the children’s clothes. To my surprise, they bought me a dryer!” She added, “Your organization makes a big difference. You don’t leave people behind, or leave people hungry. Now I know everything will be alright!”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can help so many desperate Israelis survive and move forward with emergency aid, food, housing, and finances. You can extend hope to thousands!

And your support can offer life-giving assistance to more single moms like Luba, as well as Holocaust survivors, terror victims, and refugees.

Please join us in blessing Israel’s people today!

GIVE TODAY

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27). Read on Shabbat, December 27, 2025 / 5 Tevet 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself” (Genesis 44:18).

Parashat Vayigash opens with a courageous moment of approach. Judah steps forward, no longer speaking with fear or resentment, but with responsibility and humility. He offers himself in place of Benjamin, willing to bear the cost so his brother and father may be spared. This act of self-giving love marks a turning point in the story of Joseph and his brothers. What was once marked by betrayal now becomes shaped by repentance and mercy.

As Judah speaks, Joseph can no longer restrain himself. The walls of secrecy fall, and reconciliation begins. Joseph reveals his identity and speaks words that reshape the past: God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. In that moment, years of suffering are reframed within God’s greater purpose. Pain is not denied, but it is redeemed. God’s hand is seen not only in rescue, but in the long road that led there.

This portion teaches that reconciliation often begins when someone chooses to draw near rather than withdraw. Healing requires honesty, courage, and a willingness to take responsibility for others. Judah’s transformation shows that people can change, and that repentance opens the door for restoration. Joseph’s forgiveness reminds us that God’s purposes are larger than the harm done to us, and that grace can rewrite the story.

Many of us carry unresolved tension, broken relationships, or lingering guilt. Vayigash invites us to step forward rather than hide. God meets us when we approach with humility and truth. Drawing near does not erase the past, but it allows God to bring healing into what was once fractured. Even long separated family members can find reunion when hearts are softened.

Those who are in positions of strength or authority can learn from Joseph’s response. He chooses mercy over revenge and provision over punishment. Those who feel burdened by regret can learn from Judah, whose willingness to sacrifice becomes the pathway to forgiveness. God honors both repentance and grace, using them to bring life out of brokenness.

As this Shabbat arrives, consider where God may be inviting you to draw near. Perhaps it is toward a difficult conversation, a long-avoided apology, or an act of forgiveness. Trust that God is present in these moments. Let your approach be marked by humility, truth, and hope, believing that God still works through reconciliation to preserve life and restore relationships.

PRAYER
Lord, give me courage to draw near where I have held back. Teach me humility, compassion, and truth. Help me trust that You are at work even in painful histories, bringing healing, reconciliation, and new beginnings. Amen.

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!

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This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Miketz (Genesis 41:1- 44:17). Read on Shabbat, December 20, 2025 / 28 Kislev 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. And behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass” (Genesis 41:1-2).

Parashat Miketz opens with a sense of timing that belongs to God alone. Joseph has waited in prison, forgotten by those he helped, until suddenly everything changes. Pharaoh dreams, and Joseph is summoned. What feels like delay is revealed to be preparation. God brings Joseph forward at precisely the right moment, not early and not late.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams with humility and clarity. He does not claim wisdom for himself but gives credit to God. Years of suffering have shaped his character, sharpening his discernment and strengthening his trust. In one day, Joseph moves from confinement to leadership, entrusted with responsibility over Egypt’s future. God uses hardship not to diminish him, but to prepare him for service that will preserve life.

This portion teaches that waiting seasons are not wasted seasons. Times of silence, obscurity, or frustration often shape us in ways that abundance cannot. Joseph’s faithfulness in hidden places becomes the foundation for his public calling. God sees what is unseen, and He remembers what others forget.

Life often brings moments when hope feels postponed. Prayers linger unanswered. Efforts seem unnoticed. Miketz reminds us that God is working even when nothing appears to be happening. He is arranging circumstances, shaping hearts, and preparing outcomes beyond our sight. Trust grows when we learn to wait with faith rather than despair.

Those experiencing blessing or success are reminded by Joseph’s story to remain humble and dependent on God. Wisdom and provision come from Him alone. Those in seasons of lack or uncertainty can find encouragement in knowing that God has not overlooked them. The same God who lifted Joseph from prison is able to bring clarity and restoration at the appointed time.

Take time this Shabbat to reflect on where you may be waiting for God’s timing. Offer Him your impatience and your hope. Look for ways to remain faithful in small responsibilities, trusting that God honors integrity wherever it is found.

Let your trust in His timing shape your actions and strengthen your sense of peace.

PRAYER
Lord, please teach me to trust Your timing even when I do not understand the delay. Help me remain faithful in every season and to recognize Your hand at work in my life. May my heart rest in Your wisdom and care. Amen.

By Stephen Faircloth

“It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade” (John 10:22-23).

Each winter, Jewish families around the world gather to light candles that tell a story far brighter than their flames. For eight nights the glow of Hanukkah fills homes and streets, reminding people everywhere that God sustains, preserves, and strengthens His people in their darkest moments. Though Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Old Testament, the New Testament records Jesus Himself in the Temple during this festival, honoring a moment of rededication and hope.

The celebration of Hanukkah reaches back to the second century B.C., when Judea was under the control of the Syrian Greek Seleucid Empire. Their ruler, Antiochus IV, attempted to force pagan practices on the Jewish people. Sabbath observance was forbidden, reading the Scriptures was outlawed, circumcision was banned, and the Temple in Jerusalem was defiled and dedicated to the Greek god Zeus. The people of Israel faced severe pressure to abandon the faith of their fathers.

In the village of Modiin, a priest named Mattathias refused to bow to these demands. He and his sons fled to the Judean hills and began a small but determined resistance. Before his death, Mattathias appointed his son Judah as their leader. Judah came to be known as “Maccabee,” drawn from the Hebrew phrase that means, “Who is like You, O Lord?” It was a declaration of trust in God’s power and a reminder that He fights for His people.

The Maccabees were greatly outnumbered, yet they won one victory after another. They eventually reclaimed Jerusalem and purified the desecrated Temple. On the twenty fifth day of the month of Kislev, in 139 B.C., they rededicated the sanctuary to the God of Israel. This act gave the holiday its name. The word Hanukkah means “dedication.”

According to a beloved tradition, the priests found only a single small container of consecrated oil, enough to keep the Temple menorah burning for just one day. Yet the oil lasted for eight full days, long enough for new oil to be prepared. For this reason, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights. Each night an additional candle is lit on a nine branched menorah called a hanukkiah, until by the final evening all the lights shine together.

The story of the Maccabees also held meaning for early Christians. Archaeologists have found evidence that believers in the Byzantine period honored the memory of these Jewish heroes. The books of the Maccabees, preserved in the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canons, reflect this early Christian respect for their courage and devotion.

Today, families celebrate Hanukkah by lighting the hanukkiah, eating traditional foods fried in oil such as latkes and jelly doughnuts, and giving gifts to children. These customs recall the miracle of the oil and the joy of rededication.

Yet the heart of Hanukkah carries a deeper message. It speaks of perseverance, faithfulness, and trust in the God who keeps His promises. It reminds us that even when the world feels hostile and uncertain, the light of God continues to shine.

As Jerusalem resident Rebecca Spiro reflected, “Civilizations have risen and fallen, yet the Jewish people are still here. No matter what happens, our candles burn bright.” The Festival of Lights assures us that God’s light has never been extinguished, and it never will be.

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.

Luba had high hopes for a better future, as she and her husband Yevgeny left Ukraine and immigrated to Israel in 2010. This fitness trainer and mother of two had overcome a number of challenges to make a home for her family. And then, Yevgeny relapsed back into drug addiction.

It took its toll on her kids. “He was very aggressive, and would verbally attack me and my children,” Luba recalled. “My youngest started having hysteria attacks, where he would become unresponsive. My oldest was constantly stressed—she didn’t want to see or talk to him.”

Soon, Yevgeny’s addiction worsened. When he lost his job, he deserted his family, taking whatever items he could. “He started taking things from home—my jewelry, even my wedding ring,” Luba cried. “With the war, I couldn’t find work.  It got so bad, I didn’t have enough money to pay for electricity or buy food.” Feeling alone and ashamed, she struggled for months.

Yet when a church friend pointed her to CBN Israel, friends like you were there for her. “I felt like I did not deserve it—but they helped me, and it was quick,” she exclaimed. “I could finally pay off debts, and they brought us food. It’s winter, and I couldn’t dry the children’s clothes. To my surprise, they bought me a dryer!” She added, “Your organization makes a big difference. You don’t leave people behind, or leave people hungry. Now I know everything will be alright!”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can help so many desperate Israelis survive and move forward with emergency aid, food, housing, and finances. You can extend hope to thousands!

And your support can offer life-giving assistance to more single moms like Luba, as well as Holocaust survivors, terror victims, and refugees.

Please join us in blessing Israel’s people today!

GIVE TODAY

For former hostages and their families, the nightmare began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel and abducted dozens of innocent civilians. In the days and weeks that followed, their lives were consumed by fear, anguish, and desperate hope.

Some families received the heartbreaking news that their loved ones had been killed and their remains discovered in Gaza. Others experienced the emotional return of relatives through hostage releases, but even in those moments of joy, the pain and trauma remained.

Today, many of these families continue to face an uphill battle toward emotional recovery. But thanks to friends like you, they are beginning to find comfort, support, and a path forward. Through the generous giving of valued donors, CBN Israel and our trusted local partners are providing therapeutic retreats for former hostages and their loved ones, giving them space to breathe, reflect, and begin healing.

In the quiet beauty of Eilat, surrounded by desert mountains and the Red Sea, these families are welcomed into a safe and nurturing environment. With the help of professional therapists, trauma counselors, and social workers, each retreat offers guidance and care for 25 to 30 participants at a time. Away from the pressure of daily life, they are able to process their experiences and connect with others who understand their pain.

Along with emotional support, these retreats also provide practical assistance, including legal guidance, financial advice, and career support. These vital resources help families navigate the challenges they now face, while working to prevent a widespread mental health crisis across the country.

Because of the compassion of caring friends like you, these survivors and their families are finding light in the darkness. One father, his voice filled with emotion, shared, “This retreat has been so meaningful. I am so grateful to those who helped make it possible.”

Your support of CBN Israel can bring hope, healing, and tangible help to many still recovering from the trauma of that tragic day. Thank you for standing with the people of Israel when they need it most.

Please join us today in bringing healing, help, and hope to those who need it most.

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