Winter 2017

Will you help the elderly stay warm this winter?

Did you know that the winter can be a particularly challenging time for the elderly? Heating during the winter months is crucial, literally a matter of life or death for the Elderly. The harsh cold can put them at risk for disease and other complications. Heating prices in Israel have risen, and it is not unusual to meet senior citizens who do not heat their home because they simply cannot afford to. Some are even without proper clothing or blankets to offer extra warmth during this harsh season. For several years now the Samaria Regional Council has turned to CFOIC Heartland to help the elderly population of Samaria get through the cold winter months. Throughout the years your assistance has provided blankets, radiators, and heaters to those who need it most. This year is no exception! Please join us in helping the elderly of Samaria stay warm this winter!

Request a free copy of the Winter 2017 Nahala

Stand up for Israel!

Brenda and Phil Lewis

Brenda and Phil Lewis are the most pleasant people you’ll ever meet. Bren, as she calls herself, is so sweet, and Phil has a great sense of humor, but that does not detract from the importance of their mission. The Lewis’ relationship with CFOIC Heartland began not long after their first trips. In May 2004 they were on a trip to Israel with Revelation TV and CFOIC Heartland’s Israel Director Sondra Baras spoke to their group. “It was before the Gush Katif Disengagement and Sondra spoke about the dangers of pulling out of the region,” Brenda recalls. “Sondra is very dynamic, but it’s what she was saying. A light went on. I had a moment where I realized this was important.”

Pioneers in our day

Mali and Yaakov Sztrigler: It’s a Family Affair!

The Sztriglers do not have special-needs children of their own, but the Heart of Benjamin children became a part of their family. Yaakov volunteered whenever he could, spending time with the children and their families. And as soon as she was old enough, the Sztrigler’s eldest daughter became a Heart of Benjamin volunteer. “These children are special, not because they have special needs, but because their happiness and love is so pure,” explains Yaakov. Mali believes that Heart of Benjamin’s location in Ofra is what has enabled it to flourish. “Just as we believe having a strong sense of community is important for raising our children, the spirit of community cooperation in Ofra has been essential to the success of Heart of Benjamin.”

Give Thanks!

We would like to thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for the generous donations you continue to contribute for the “Heart of Benjamin.” Your friendship and the deep concern for the children you help are warmly felt by us here. Your most recent donation is yet another example of your continuous dedication and support for our work over the years. Thanks to you we have been able to provide countless activities for the special-needs children from all over the Benjamin Region suffering from chronic and genetic diseases, brain damage and paralysis, and a host of other physical, educational and social challenges. It is a real privilege for us to be able to accomplish all this, and it is, in large part, thanks to your wonderful donors.

With all our heart,

Shlomit Kahn Yehuda Dinar

Director Chairman of the Board

An Eye on Zion: Kochav Yaakov

Just over a century later, a group of devout pioneers sharing the same love and passion for the Land of Israel, founded a new community just north of Jerusalem. Drawing their inspiration from Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira, they named it “Abir Yaakov,” the same venerated title that was used to address the late Rabbi during his life. Subsequently renamed “Kochav Yaakov,” (“Star of Jacob”), the community has absorbed many Jews who, like Rabbi Abuhatzeira, left their respective countries of birth to live in the Land of Israel.

Mar 3, 2025

The Evil That Surrounds Us

As we watched the return of what we thought were the bodies of four beautiful Israelis, we wept with the families and with all of Israel. Shiri Bibas and her two gorgeous red-headed children, Kfir and Ariel — their story and their pictures traveled the world and became the symbol of the evil and cruelty of the Hamas terrorists.

Feb 25, 2025

An Eye on Zion: Kiryat Arba

On April 4, 1968, Rabbi Moshe and Miriam Levinger, a visionary couple, registered themselves and dozens of others to stay at Hebron’s Park Hotel. Just ten months after the People of Israel liberated Hebron and the rest of the Biblical Heartland during the Six Day War in 1967, this dedicated group excitedly planned to hold the city’s first Passover Seder in several decades.

Feb 17, 2025

The Price We Pay for Caring

What an emotional roller-coaster! Last Sunday and again this past Saturday, we waited with baited breath to see which hostages would be released and what they would look like. It had been more than a year since the last hostage release, and no one knew what their condition would be.

Jan 28, 2025

A Week in Washington D.C.

The experience of participating in what could be one of the most pivotal moments for Judea and Samaria left an indelible mark on me. I want to share with you, my friends, the highlights of this extraordinary journey.

Jan 23, 2025

An Eye on Zion: Yakir

The pioneers named the nascent community “Yakir,” meaning “precious,” the precise Hebrew word used by God to describe His “son,” Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:19).

Jan 13, 2025

Life in a Villa in a Jungle

It is hard to believe that another year has gone by—another year of seemingly unending war, tragedy, loss. There are still 100 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. While at least 36 have been murdered, it is not clear how many of the remaining 64 are still alive.

Dec 31, 2024

An Eye on Zion: Avigayil

Drawing their inspiration from the Biblical figure Avigayil (Abigail), Elisha and his friends decided to establish a new community in the southern Hebron Hills. They parked an old bus on a plot of land facing Maon, the ancient Biblical site where Avigayil lived.

Dec 9, 2024

Israel Welcomes Trump

What an astounding result in the US elections! While this regime change will have significant effect on many issues in the US, as an Israeli, I want to share with you my thoughts, which reflect the thoughts of so many in Israel, on how this change will affect Israel.

Nov 19, 2024

An Eye on Zion: Bet Hagai

On Friday evening of May 2, 1980, a group of students from Nir Yeshiva, located on the outskirts of the Biblical city of Hebron, excitedly headed to the Cave of Machpelah. There, they joyfully welcomed in the Sabbath with uplifting prayers.
That evening, however, terrorists threw grenades and fired bullets in the direction of the students, murdering three of them.

Nov 11, 2024