Staying in Touch: Sunday Morning

There is Anti Zionism masked as anti Semitism on our university campuses. Our kids will be bombarded with these messages as they are sent off to campus. Our kids must learn to advocate and understand the facts. We visited the Begin Center to learn more and were spoken to by Zeev Ben Shahar - a master educator in Israel affairs. He works at Jerusalem University making films to engage and connect people to israel and the Jewish people through inspirational and educational films. You need to have both to be effective - inspiration and education.

We saw this video about motivation - was beyond touching and spoke to the heart of motivation and was inspiring.

Check it out: https://youtu.be/ZKSWXzAnVe0

Inspiration doesn't always last forever. Are there moments that forever change us? How do we sustain the fire? What's one thing that we can keep doing to bring Israel home?? Jerusalem U makes films for these purposes. We can watch them at home - and I posted links below.

After the second intifada from 2000-2004 Israel became a start up nation because no one was there to help Israel as it was suffering. People don't recognize Israel's contribution to the world. Also, there is bias in how terror is reported in Israel. The media may show one picture of one bomb in Gaza but not the thousands of bombs Gaza - thousands thrown towards israel. One person dies and it's a touching story. A million people die and it's a statistic.

Note to self! Look up film called crossing the line by Jerusalem u on BDS.

Jewish students are on the front line of negativity on campus. Students are afraid to support Israel on campus. A detachment from Judaism creates a detachment from Israel. Young people didn't see supporting israel as an essential part of being Jewish. Support for israel is down 37% among millenials. So finding short videos on social media are impactful. Share and spread. There is apathy and bias on US campuses toward Israel.

There is a way to identify anti Semitism using Sharanskys 3D test. NOT every critique of Israel is anti Semitic. Sometimes need to see whole picture and not zoom in on one little thing. When the media looks at the Middle East they focus on israel but doesn't zoom out at look at problems else where - there is so much conflict elsewhere IN The Middle East that has nothing to do with israel. The world believes that if issues with israel are resolved then Mid East peace is achieved. But how does this resolve issues between shiites and sunis? Or Iraq and Iran?

You need to do your research. Why is israel here? Because of the Holocaust? It is not the sole reason why we're here. Divine right, history, ancient history. Israel spent very little time in ancient history being ruled by the indigenous people. It was not an empire - they ruled over themselves. There has always been Jewish continuity in Israel. Jews are the only people who worship, speak, use same currency as last 3000 years. Continual connection. Show another people who have done this and will be hard to find.

In the west it is much easier to criticize those that are like us then those that are developing when everyone should be held to equal standards. To be pro israel is to have truth and justice on our side. Israel isn't always right but need to hear the truth and still beyond don't buy the history.

Action. How do you take action?? How do we bring Israel home?

What can you do to keep the fire going about Israel?

Watch films? Stepupforisrsel.com/JWRP

Coupon code sufijwrp

Podcast on Jerusalem u website

Download AP about israel news. Times of Israel. Ha'aretz etc

Come back with family. Come see it.

Share the story

To connect with israel have to connect to the gut.

The closing quote by George Bernard Shaw about sharing your story was essentially stop complaining and start doing.

He will email us the presentation ben4488@gmail.com.

Links he shared: