ARTICLES

Hunger makes everything harder. It robs people of energy, health, and the ability to thrive. Yet today in Israel, nearly one in five people faces nutritional insecurity. Among the most affected are children, the elderly, at-risk youth, and single-parent families, many of whom live below the poverty line.

For these vulnerable individuals, daily life means making impossible choices. It may involve skipping meals, going to bed hungry, or relying on cheap, processed foods filled with sugar and unhealthy fats. The consequences are severe: malnutrition, obesity, diabetes, and other long-term health issues. Access to fresh, nutritious food like fruits and vegetables is often out of reach.

At the same time, the country wastes an estimated 2.2 billion pounds of edible food each year. More than 35 percent of the nation’s food supply is discarded, even though it could help feed those in need. This waste not only deepens human suffering but also places a heavy burden on the environment.

Thankfully, a smart and sustainable solution is already making an impact.

Through a strategic partnership with one of Israel’s largest food banks, CBN Israel is working with generous donors like you to help change this reality. Together, we are rescuing surplus produce and wholesome food that would otherwise go unused and bringing it directly to families in need.

This effort brings together thousands of volunteers, professional pickers, and dedicated transport teams. They collect excess food from fields, orchards, and packing houses, then deliver it to trusted local nonprofit partners. These organizations distribute the food, free of charge, to households that are struggling to put meals on the table.

This is just one of the ways your support of CBN Israel brings practical help and lasting hope. Your generosity also makes it possible to provide groceries, housing assistance, and vital care to refugees, Holocaust survivors, and victims of war who are trying to survive during these extremely difficult times.

Now more than ever, your partnership matters. Together, we can turn what would be wasted into life-giving provision and help restore dignity to those who need it most.

Will you join us today in reaching the people of Israel with compassion and care?

GIVE TODAY

By Stephen Faircloth

Nestled along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the ancient village of Capernaum was once a quiet fishing town that became a pivotal center for Jesus’ ministry, where He taught His fellow Jews and performed many remarkable miracles.

Although largely unknown in earlier historical records, Capernaum bursts onto the biblical scene in the Gospels as a place of extraordinary significance. Apart from Jerusalem, no other location is mentioned more frequently. Referred to by Matthew as Jesus’ “own city” (Matthew 9:1), it became His home base during His Galilean ministry, a hub for healing, teaching, and transformation.

Here, Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the paralyzed, and restored the broken. He taught in the synagogue, even honoring the faith of a Roman centurion who had helped build it (Luke 7:5). In Capernaum, divine power met human need on a daily basis.

Modern archaeological discoveries have brought new depth to our understanding of this sacred village. Excavations have revealed first-century homes built in a clustered courtyard style known as an insula, where multiple generations lived and worked around shared space. These homes help us visualize Gospel scenes: friends lowering a paralytic through a roof, neighbors crowding doorways to hear Jesus speak, meals shared in intimate settings.

The synagogue standing today, made of bright limestone, was likely constructed centuries after Jesus walked its streets. But beneath its foundation, black basalt stones hint at an earlier structure, possibly the synagogue where Jesus Himself once read and taught. Nearby, under a modern church, lie the remains of an ancient house that transitioned into a place of worship by early Christians, possibly the very home of Simon Peter.

While time has worn away the original walls, the message of Capernaum remains: God stepped into ordinary places. He didn’t choose temples of grandeur, but village homes and fishing docks to unveil His glory. He moved into the rhythms of daily life, healing, teaching, forgiving, and calling people to follow Him.

Capernaum invites us to see our own spaces, our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods, as potential places where heaven still touches earth. The same Jesus who walked through its dusty paths walks with us today, desiring to heal, to teach, and to dwell among His people.

Where has Jesus made His home in your life? Are you open to Him working through the everyday spaces around you? What would it look like for your home or community to become a modern-day Capernaum, a place of healing, hope, and holy presence?

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

Tucked into the rugged cliffs on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, the ruins of Qumran overlook a landscape that seems barren and forgotten. But beneath its dusty surface, this region once held one of the most extraordinary archaeological treasures in biblical history: the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Discovered by Bedouin shepherds in 1947, the first scrolls were found in a cave near Qumran, launching a discovery that would eventually yield fragments from over 1,000 ancient manuscripts in eleven nearby caves. These scrolls included portions of nearly every book of the Old Testament, every one except Esther, as well as other ancient Jewish writings that shed light on faith and life in the time of Jesus.

The Qumran community, widely believed to have been a sect called the Essenes, lived intentionally and communally in this dry, remote place. Their lives centered on Scripture, purity, discipline, and spiritual devotion. They carefully copied sacred texts in a scriptorium, gathered daily in a long dining hall, and ritually immersed themselves in specially constructed mikva’ot (ritual baths). Even in the wilderness, they were determined to preserve the Word of God and live according to it.

What makes Qumran so compelling isn’t just the incredible preservation of the scrolls, but the example of a people who valued God’s Word above all else. They understood that the Scriptures were not just texts, they were life, identity, and covenant. And so, in the harshest of environments, they chose to live faithfully and preserve truth for future generations.

Centuries later, their devotion still bears fruit. The scrolls discovered in these desert caves have deepened our confidence in the reliability of the Old Testament and opened a window into the spiritual world of first-century Judaism—the same world into which Jesus was born.

As we reflect on Qumran, we’re reminded that God often hides His greatest treasures in unexpected places. He honors those who hunger for His Word, even in the wilderness. The Essenes may never have imagined that their quiet labor would bless millions, but their faithfulness was not in vain.

Are you treasuring God’s Word in your own life? Are there “desert places” where He is calling you to be faithful, even when the fruit is not yet visible?

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.

Have you ever paused to consider why God moved Abraham from the bustling cities of Mesopotamia to the relatively undeveloped land of Canaan? Or why the prophet Samuel always returned to Ramah to judge Israel? Or why Paul remained in the pagan city of Ephesus for more than two years during his missionary journeys?

There’s a common thread woven through these stories—geography. All of these places were positioned at strategic crossroads of the ancient world.

Canaan, for example, wasn’t just a piece of land; it was the land bridge connecting Africa and Asia, situated between the superpowers of Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was the physical and cultural intersection of nations, commerce, and influence. To live there was to live where the world passed by.

Samuel’s hometown of Ramah was another strategic location—set at the junction of key trade and travel routes through the hill country of Israel. By basing himself there, he remained accessible to the people. Israel could hear the Word of the Lord at the center of their daily movements.

Paul chose Ephesus, a major city in the Roman Empire and home to the famous Temple of Artemis. Positioned along critical trade routes, it welcomed merchants, travelers, and worshipers from across the empire. Instead of avoiding the cultural noise of a pagan city, Paul met it head-on—with truth, boldness, and the gospel of Jesus.

These were not random places. God’s positioning of His people was deliberate. He placed them at physical and cultural intersections—crossroads—so their lives could influence as many others as possible. Their mission was not only to obey Him, but to reflect His glory in full view of the world.

That calling hasn’t changed. God still places His people at crossroads today—places of influence, connection, tension, and opportunity.

Maybe your crossroads is a busy workplace, a diverse neighborhood, a university campus, or an online community. Wherever He has placed you, your presence has purpose.

You are not where you are by accident. The question is—will you live obediently at your crossroads? Will you be faithful where the world intersects with your life, shining His light and declaring His kingship?

PRAYER

Father, open my eyes to the places where You’ve positioned me. Help me not to shrink back from influence, but to live boldly and obediently, reflecting You in the crossroads of my life. Amen.

By Stephen Faircloth

Perched in the hills just north of Capernaum, the ruins of Chorazin overlook the Sea of Galilee. Though this ancient village is mentioned only briefly in the Gospels, it holds a sobering place in the story of Jesus.

Jesus once pronounced a severe rebuke over Chorazin, along with Bethsaida and Capernaum, because despite witnessing His mighty works, the people refused to repent (Matthew 11:21-24; Luke 10:13-16). It is a reminder that spiritual privilege does not guarantee spiritual transformation. The land between these villages formed the heart of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, where miracles and teachings unfolded almost daily. Yet familiarity bred indifference.

Unlike Capernaum and Bethsaida, Chorazin sat back from the shoreline. While it was removed from the fishing trade of the lake, it was renowned for producing exceptional wheat—a detail preserved in ancient rabbinic writings. Archaeological discoveries confirm that Chorazin was a vibrant Jewish community, beginning in the first century A.D.

Most of the ruins visitors see today date to later centuries. The basalt synagogue at the village center, possibly constructed by the third century, reflects the classic Galilean synagogue style seen in places like Capernaum. Worshippers would ascend a broad southern staircase, facing Jerusalem, to enter the hall. Inside, benches formed a U-shape around the room. Carved basalt stones, though difficult to shape, were decorated with symbolic motifs.

Among the most striking finds is a basalt chair called the “Seat of Moses.” According to tradition, this was where teachers of the Law would sit to instruct the people (see Matthew 23:1-2). The chair bears an Aramaic inscription honoring the benefactor who donated it and praying that he would have a share among the righteous. Beneath the later synagogue floor, archaeologists have uncovered signs of an earlier public building—perhaps the synagogue where Jesus Himself taught.

In homes nearby, excavators have found ritual baths, stone vessels, and other artifacts that reveal a community concerned with purity and devotion. And yet, Chorazin still fell under Jesus’ judgment. The people saw, heard, and experienced much, but their hearts remained unchanged.

Chorazin warns us that it is possible to be surrounded by spiritual opportunity and still drift into complacency. It challenges us to consider: Are we responding to what God has shown us, or merely observing it from a safe distance?

Where has God been at work in your life? Have you grown familiar with His blessings without letting them transform you? What would it look like to respond with repentance and renewed faith 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.

By Dani Naveh, President & CEO, Israel Bonds

A few weeks ago, as I was in New York, Facetiming with my three children in Israel—our family routine whenever sirens go off alerting people to rush to nearby bomb shelters—our worst fear came true. An Iranian missile struck our family home. Through the phone, my wife and I heard an explosion too loud to be in the distance. Our children, though shaken, survived, but as they left the shelter, they witnessed our house and yard engulfed in flames.

It is during these challenging times that I am reminded that true friendship is not merely spoken, it is demonstrated. Soon after I made my way to Israel to be with my children, I received meaningful messages from my friends at CBN—phone calls and emails of support. My family’s home was in ashes, but our spirits were intact.

The bond between Christians and Jews, forged through spiritual kinship, is more vital today than ever before. Israel is facing a battle on multiple fronts, but in our darkest hours following the horrific day of October 7, we have also seen the brightest lights—many of them coming from our Christian brothers and sisters across the United States.

As the President and CEO of Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand this outpouring of support not only in words and prayers, but in meaningful action. Since the attacks of October 7, individuals and institutions have invested over $5 billion globally in Israel through Israel bonds. And a growing share of these investments has come from Christian supporters who understand that supporting Israel economically is one of the most concrete ways to stand with the Jewish people, and secure Israel’s future.

On May 10, 1951, in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion launched this extraordinary initiative with a simple but powerful idea: allow friends of Israel, wherever they may live, to invest in her future. Seventy-four years later, Israel Bonds continues to offer that same opportunity—not just to invest in a bond, but to invest in a nation, a people, and a promise. Since that historic day, Israel Bonds has generated over $54 billion in sales from around the world.

For many Christians, this commitment to Israel stems from deeply held beliefs. As Psalm 122:6 commands, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure.’” But prayer must be accompanied by action. In the Book of Ruth, we find a moving declaration of loyalty from Ruth, a non-Jewish Moabite woman, recently widowed, to her mother-in-law Naomi: “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” That enduring message of solidarity has echoed across generations and faith traditions. Today, it resonates once again.

I write not only as the leader of a financial institution but also as someone who has lived through decades of Israeli history. I served in government as an Israeli cabinet minister during years when peace felt within reach and during times when war knocked on every door.

In recent months, I’ve traveled across the United States, meeting with Christian pastors, lay leaders, business executives, and families. Many have asked me: What can we do for Israel right now? My answer is always the same—continue to pray, continue to speak truth, and when you are able, invest in Israel’s future. Buying an Israel bond is not only a smart financial decision—it is a deeply spiritual one. It is a tangible declaration that you stand with Israel not only in words, but in deeds.

Israel Bonds is not a charitable contribution. It is a smart financial investment, backed by the full faith and credit of the State of Israel. But more than that, it is a moral investment—one that allows individuals to stand on the side of life, democracy, and shared values. As talks of ceasefires and peace unfold, the fight for Israel’s future continues, supported by communities around the world.

Let us walk this path together, in covenant and in courage. Join us. Invest in Israel. Not for politics. Not for headlines. But for hope, for peace, and for a future rooted in shared faith.

As Psalm 133:1 says: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” May our unity be not only in spirit, but in action.

Dani Naveh is President and CEO of the Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds. Since 2021, Mr. Naveh has steered the organization to record-breaking sales. Under Mr. Naveh’s leadership, Israel Bonds has brought in unprecedented support, raising over $5 billion in investments since October 7, 2023. Mr. Naveh previously served in various governmental roles including as Israel’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Minister of Health and Cabinet Secretary. After his tenure in government, Mr. Naveh transitioned to the business sector, leading major financial groups like Clal Insurance and founding ventures in medtech, insurtech, and fintech.