Podcasts about Western Wall

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Chasing Shadows: The Mystery of Jerusalem's Sacred Artifact Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-06-04-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: השמש החמימה של האביב ליטפה את פארק המתפתח ליד הכותל המערבי בירושלים.En: The warm spring sun gently caressed the developing park near the Western Wall in Jerusalem.He: פריחת האביב צבעה את הנוף וציירה ריח נפלא באוויר.En: Spring blossoms colored the landscape and painted a wonderful fragrance in the air.He: תיירים מכל קצוות עולם ביקרו במקום הקדוש, שיכור מההיסטוריה והמשמעות התרבותית העמוקה שהשתררטה בו.En: Tourists from all corners of the world visited the sacred site, intoxicated by the history and deep cultural significance that permeated it.He: בין האנשים, שניים בלטו.En: Among the people, two stood out.He: נועם, היסטוריון מתחיל עם תשוקה לשימור המורשת, טיפטף זיעה על מצחו בעודו אוחז בדוח על חפץ עתיק שנגנב - חפץ הקשור, לפי הערכות, לאירוע מקראי חשוב.En: Noam, an aspiring historian with a passion for heritage preservation, was dripping sweat from his forehead while holding a report about a stolen ancient artifact—an item believed to be connected to a significant biblical event.He: מנגד, שירה, שוטרת מוכשרת ודבקה בצדק, עקבה אחריו בעיניה.En: On the other hand, Shira, a talented police officer committed to justice, watched him intently.He: היה חג שבועות, וחגיגות ואירועים מילאו את הרחובות.En: It was the festival of Shavuot, and celebrations and events filled the streets.He: נועם חשש.En: Noam was worried.He: הרשויות התמודדו בספקנות עם בקשתו להחזרת החפץ.En: The authorities were skeptical about his request for the return of the artifact.He: עבורם, היו מקרים חשובים יותר לטפל בהם.En: For them, there were more important cases to handle.He: שירה גם היא חששה - מצד אחד, היה עליה לציית להנחיות מקיראוסיה, אך בתוכה פעם חזק תחושת הצדק.En: Shira also had her fears—on one hand, she needed to follow her superior's directives, but within her stirred a strong sense of justice.He: בתקופה זו, נועם החליט שאין לו ברירה אלא לפעול בעצמו.En: At this time, Noam decided he had no choice but to act on his own.He: הוא התחיל לאסוף ראיות, לכתת רגליים אחרי כל פיסת מידע.En: He began collecting evidence, walking tirelessly in pursuit of every piece of information.He: למרות שבו נעזר באמצעי העתק של שירה, היא הבינה שהוא זקוק לעזרה בפועל.En: Despite using Shira's resources, she realized he needed actual help.He: כך, בסתר, היא עזרה לנועם, אף שלמעשה העמידה את משרתה בסיכון.En: Thus, secretly, she assisted Noam, even though she was putting her job at risk.He: הפעם המכרעת הגיעה בערב מקבוץ בפארק, כאשר כל הממצאים הובילו את נועם לשם.En: The decisive moment came during an evening gathering in the park, when all findings led Noam there.He: במחסה העצים והצמחייה הירוקה, נועם ושירה מצאו את החשוד.En: Among the sheltering trees and green vegetation, Noam and Shira found the suspect.He: במבטי עיניים לחוצים הם התקרבו, דרוכים למאבק בשיחה שיכולה ללכת לכל כיוון.En: With tense glances, they approached, prepared for a confrontation that could go any direction.He: אחרי תחילת השיחה, התגלה החשוד כבלתי יעיל בניסיון להסתיר את האמת.En: Shortly after the conversation began, the suspect proved ineffective at hiding the truth.He: לבסוף, לאחר רגעים של עימות ומתח, החפץ נמצא - שלם וללא פגע.En: Finally, after moments of confrontation and tension, the artifact was found—intact and unharmed.He: בזכות אומץ ליבה של שירה, הסיפור האמיתי והתשוקות של נועם זכו להכרה.En: Thanks to Shira's bravery, the true story and Noam's passions gained recognition.He: התקשורת דיווחה על הארוע, ושירה נושמת לרווחה קיבלה הכרה במלוא מובן המילה.En: The media reported on the event, and Shira, breathing a sigh of relief, received acknowledgment in every sense of the word.He: נועם, עם כבוד חדש וביטחון עצמי, הרגיש שהצליח להעביר את המסר הנכון על חשיבות שימור ההיסטוריה.En: Noam, with newfound respect and confidence, felt he had successfully conveyed the right message about the importance of preserving history.He: בהתאם, נועם הבין את הכוח שבשיתוף פעולה והחל להאמין עוד יותר בעצמו.En: Consequently, Noam recognized the power of collaboration and began to believe in himself even more.He: שירה, מצידה, למדה לאזן בין חובה למוסר ולצדק אישי, ושניהם עמדו ביום ההוא כגיבורים.En: Shira, for her part, learned to balance duty with morality and personal justice, and both stood that day as heroes.He: הצוהר של יום זה למדני, היה יותר משעה אחת של הישג; היה זה שחר של תובנה חדשה וחברות אמיצה.En: The insight of that day was more than an hour of achievement; it was the dawn of new understanding and a profound friendship. Vocabulary Words:caressed: לטפהdeveloping: מתפתחblossoms: פריחתlandscape: נוףintoxicated: שיכורpermeated: השתררטהaspiring: מתחילheritage: מורשתartifact: חפץskeptical: התמודדו בספקנותdirectives: הנחיותstirred: פעםtirelessly: לכתת רגלייםevidence: ראיותconfrontation: מאבקsheltering: במחסהtension: מתחintact: שלםbravery: אומץ ליבהrecognition: הכרהconfidence: ביטחון עצמיcollaboration: שיתוף פעולהmorality: מוסרinsight: תובנהachievement: הישגdawn: שחרprofound: עמוקהfragrance: ציירה ריח נפלאgathering: מקבוץunharmed: ללא פגעBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Jerusalem's Secret: Archaeological Discovery That Changed History Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-05-30-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: אבני העתיקות של ירושלים לחצו על קירות המנהרות של כותל המערבי.En: The ancient stones of Jerusalem pressed against the walls of the Western Wall tunnels.He: ריח ההיסטוריה ליווה כל פסיעה של אליאנה ורפי.En: The scent of history accompanied each step of Eliana and Rafi.He: האביב בירושלים היה מלא חיים, וקרני השמש הגיעו אל עמקי מנהרות האבן.En: Spring in Jerusalem was full of life, and the sun's rays reached the depths of the stone tunnels.He: אליאנה, ארכיאולוגית נלהבת, התמקדה בממצא המסתורי שנמצא בתוך המנהרות.En: Eliana, an enthusiastic archaeologist, focused on the mysterious artifact found inside the tunnels.He: הארכיאולוגים חשדו כי מדובר בפריט חשוב מהעבר הרחוק.En: The archaeologists suspected it was an important item from the distant past.He: על פי שמועות, הפריט יכול להיות קשור לאירוע תנ"כי משמעותי.En: According to rumors, the artifact could be linked to a significant biblical event.He: בימים אלו התקרב חג השבועות, וההמולה סביב החג נסכה בעיר אווירה מיוחדת.En: During these days, as the festival of Shavuot approached, the bustle around the holiday imparted a special atmosphere to the city.He: רפי, היסטוריון מקומי, ליווה את אליאנה בחיפושה.En: Rafi, a local historian, accompanied Eliana in her search.He: עם כל ידיעתו על ההיסטוריה של ירושלים, עדיין היה ספקן לגבי הפריט.En: Despite his extensive knowledge of Jerusalem's history, he was still skeptical about the artifact.He: אליאנה רצתה לאשר שהפריט אמיתי ובעל משמעות.En: Eliana wanted to confirm that the artifact was authentic and meaningful.He: היא נאבקה בשאלות האמונה שלה, בתקווה שמציאת האמת תחזק את אמונתה.En: She wrestled with questions of faith, hoping that the truth of the discovery would strengthen her beliefs.He: סמכויות התרבות רצו לשמור את הממצא בסוד, כדי להימנע מהלהיטים ציבוריים.En: Cultural authorities wanted to keep the find a secret to avoid public uproar.He: במרכז המנהרה, אליאנה גילתה כתובת עתיקה על הממצא.En: In the center of the tunnel, Eliana discovered an ancient inscription on the artifact.He: היא ידעה שהכתובת יכולה לשנות את הנרטיבים ההיסטוריים.En: She knew that the inscription could alter historical narratives.He: הלב שלה פועם בחוזקה, עמוס בהערכה להיסטוריה ובחששות מהשפעות הגילוי.En: Her heart pounded strongly, filled with appreciation for history and fears of the discovery's implications.He: היא התלבטה: האם לחשוף את גילויה למען האמת או להיכנע ללחצים ולשמור על שקט.En: She was torn: Should she reveal her discovery for the sake of truth or yield to pressure and remain silent?He: לבסוף, האמת גברה על החשש.En: Ultimately, truth triumphed over fear.He: אליאנה בחרה לחשוף את הממצא.En: Eliana chose to reveal the artifact.He: התגליות הובילו לסערה בציבור, ואליאנה חווה בעיות אישיות.En: The discoveries led to a public uproar, and Eliana faced personal challenges.He: אך מתוך הכאוס היא מצאה מטרה חדשה ואמונה מחודשת.En: Yet, out of the chaos, she found a new purpose and renewed faith.He: בעיניה נראו נחישות ואור חדש, כאילו מנתבת את חייה ומפנה אליה דרך חדשה.En: Determination and a new light were visible in her eyes, as if charting her life and forging a new path.He: בסיומו של המסע, אליאנה הפכה לסמל של אומץ לב וחתירה לאמת.En: By the end of the journey, Eliana had become a symbol of courage and a quest for truth.

Yonit and Jonathan discuss a week brimming with unresolved questions. Did Benjamin Netanyahu really travel to the UAE during the war with Iran? Why would he leak it now, and what led the UAE to issue such a quick denial? After a trip to China, where is Donald Trump heading on Iran? And inside Israel, as the political drama intensified with United Torah Judaism threatening to break ranks with the coalition over the draft bill's failure, could elections be held in September? And what role could be played by a possible plea bargain for Netanyahu? Finally, there's a crowded field for our mensch award this week – who will come out in front: a 100 year old international treasure or a newborn baby? Watch us on YouTube:  ⏱ CHAPTERS: [00:00] Intro — Netanyahu, Trump, and the week in news [00:43] Yonit's book in Hebrew — "Don't Feed the Lion" lands in Israel [05:13] Jonathan's Jewish tour of Porto — and the cross that means Jewish house [09:29] Netanyahu's secret UAE visit — what really happened [13:10] The UAE denial — implausible deniability explained [15:10] Iran ceasefire suspended animation — everyone preparing for the next round [16:01] Trump in China — could Beijing unlock the Iran deal? [17:20] Lebanon vs. Iran at the UN — the embryo of a new Middle East [20:13] Israeli elections — United Torah Judaism breaks with Netanyahu [22:36] Will Netanyahu even run? The plea deal question [24:10] Western Wall bill — criminalizing non-orthodox practice [27:15] Gaza: Hamas not disarming, humanitarian aid down 37% [33:38] Nick Kristof's NYT piece — the controversy explained [40:40] Chutzpah: Miki Zohar blames October 7th on Bennett-Lapid [43:02] Mensch: Tom Holland on antisemitism [44:20] Mensch: David Attenborough turns 100 [46:48] Mensch: Abe Foxman, the last Jewish pope [47:30] Baby Aviv — Unholy's first baby

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Whispers of Hope: A Mother's Journey to the Western Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-05-11-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: ביום בהיר בשלהי האביב, מרים פסעה אל עבר הכותל המערבי.En: On a bright day in late spring, Miryam walked towards the Western Wall.He: הרחבה הייתה מלאה באנשים שהתפללו ולחשו תחינות לשמיים.En: The plaza was filled with people praying and whispering supplications to the heavens.He: האוויר היה חם ומלא בתקווה ודבקות.En: The air was warm and filled with hope and devotion.He: מרים הביטה סביב, מחפשת מקום לעצור ולהתפלל.En: Miryam looked around, searching for a place to stop and pray.He: יוסי, בעלה המיטיב, ביקש להצטרף אליה, אבל מרים הרגישה שביקור לבד יאפשר לה לבטא את רגשותיה הכנים ביתר שאת.En: Yossi, her kind husband, wanted to join her, but Miryam felt that visiting alone would allow her to express her true feelings more intensely.He: היא נשאה איתה כובד לב, בנה האהוב דוד חולה, והיא חיפשה אות של תקווה או עידוד לתפילותיה לשלומו.En: She carried with her a heavy heart; her beloved son David was ill, and she sought a sign of hope or encouragement for her prayers for his recovery.He: כאשר מרים הגיעה אל הקיר, היא הניחה עליה את אצבעותיה ורעד קל עבר בגופה.En: When Miryam reached the wall, she placed her fingers upon it, and a slight tremor passed through her body.He: היא הרגישה את חזון הדורות ואת משקל הבקשות שרוחות הזמן החזיקו.En: She felt the vision of generations and the weight of the requests held by the spirits of time.He: עיניה הוצפו דמעות, והיא עצמה אותן, לוחשת את תחינותיה בקול שקט אך ברור.En: Her eyes filled with tears, and she closed them, whispering her pleas in a quiet but clear voice.He: "אלי," היא פנתה בלחש, "אנא, רפא את דוד שלי.En: "My God," she murmured, "please, heal my David.He: חזק את ליבו ואת לבנו.En: Strengthen his heart and our hearts."He: "במקום לשים פתק, כפי שתכננה, ההתרגשות גברה והיא בחרה להוציא את תחושותיה בקול.En: Instead of placing a note, as she had planned, her emotions overwhelmed her, and she chose to express her feelings aloud.He: היא דיברה על הפחדים שלה, על התקוות ועל ההודיה על התמיכה מבעלה ומשפחתה.En: She spoke of her fears, her hopes, and her gratitude for the support from her husband and family.He: קולה כאילו נישא על הרוח, נוסק אל השמיים.En: Her voice seemed to be carried on the wind, soaring to the skies.He: לאחר שהרגישה מיצוי רגשותיה, משהו בתוכה השתנה.En: After she felt her emotions were spent, something within her changed.He: שקט נעים ושלווה ירדו עליה, והבינה שהדרך לעתיד אינה ידועה, אבל היא אינה לבד.En: A pleasant calm and tranquility descended upon her, and she realized that the path to the future was unknown, but she was not alone.He: היא שוב פקחה את עיניה, מלאת הכרה ועוצמה.En: She opened her eyes again, full of awareness and strength.He: ברגעים אלה, מרים חשה אור והשראה חדשים.En: In these moments, Miryam felt a new light and inspiration.He: היא חשה כוח בלתי ניתן להסברה, כוח שינחה אותה בדרכה ובמשפחתה.En: She felt an inexplicable power, a force that would guide her and her family on their journey.He: בחזרה הביתה, היא הייתה שלמה יותר, מוכנה לחבק את הקושי ואת התקווה כאחד.En: Returning home, she was more whole, ready to embrace both the hardships and the hope.He: כששבה אל משפחתה, ההתרגשות הייתה בעיצומה.En: When she returned to her family, excitement was at its peak.He: היא הבינה שחייהם, למרות האי ודאות, הם שלמות של תלאות וברכות.En: She understood that their lives, despite the uncertainty, were a tapestry of trials and blessings.He: מרים למדה לחזק את האמונה שלה תוך שהיא חיה בכאן ובעכשיו, מצטרפת למשפחה באהבה ובתמיכה בכל לבה.En: Miryam learned to strengthen her faith while living in the present, joining her family with love and support with all her heart. Vocabulary Words:supplications: תחינותemotions: תחושותtrials: תלאותdevotion: דבקותplaza: רחבהwhispering: לחשוfingers: אצבעותtremor: רעדgenerations: הדורותtears: דמעותmurmured: פנתה בלחשheal: רפאgratitude: הודיהsoaring: נוסקawareness: הכרהhardships: הקושיhope: תקווהnavigating: להנחותtranquility: שלווהtapestry: שלמותhard: כבדvision: חזוןweight: משקלspirit: רוחותinspiration: השראהstrengthen: לחזקembrace: לחבקuncertainty: אי ודאותjoined: מצטרפתwhole: שלמהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Uniting Echoes: A Journey at Jerusalem's Western Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-05-11-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: אביטל, מרדכי ושירה הגיעו לכיוון הכותל המערבי ביום האביב היפהפה.En: Avital, Mordechai, and Shira arrived at the direction of the Western Wall on a beautiful spring day.He: החומות הקדומות זהרו תחת השמש, וניצוצות של תקווה ואמונה הציפו את המקום.En: The ancient walls gleamed under the sun, and sparks of hope and faith filled the place.He: זה היה יום העצמאות, והאוירה הייתה של חגיגה, מלאה בדגלים כחול-לבן ואנשים רוקדים ברחובות ירושלים.En: It was Independence Day, and the atmosphere was festive, full of blue-and-white flags and people dancing in the streets of Jerusalem.He: אביטל, היסטוריונית בנשמתה, חיפשה את הרגע הזה במשך זמן רב. לעמוד מול אבני הכותל ולהרגיש את העולמות הקדומים והשורשים שהובילו אותה לפה.En: Avital, a historian at heart, had been seeking this moment for a long time—to stand before the stones of the Kotel and feel the ancient worlds and roots that led her there.He: היא חשה שזה יותר מסתם טיול; זה היה מסע אישי שלה להכיר את עברה.En: She felt it was more than just a trip; it was her personal journey to connect with her past.He: מרדכי, אחיה הצעיר, הצטרף אליה לא בגלל ההיסטוריה, אלא בגלל ההרפתקה.En: Mordechai, her younger brother, joined her not because of the history, but for the adventure.He: הוא היה הרפתקן וצעק מהתרגשות כל פעם שגילה משהו חדש.En: He was an adventurer and shouted with excitement every time he discovered something new.He: ושירה, חברה נאמנה מילדות, תמיד ראתה את התמונה הגדולה ודאגה לכולם.En: And Shira, a loyal friend since childhood, always saw the bigger picture and cared for everyone.He: כשעמדו מול הכותל, אביטל הרגישה פתאום חולשה.En: As they stood before the Kotel, Avital suddenly felt weak.He: היא ניסתה להתעלם מהתחושה ולמקד את עצמה, אבל הכאב התגבר והיא התיישבה בזהירות ליד הכותל.En: She tried to ignore the feeling and focus, but the pain intensified and she sat down carefully by the Wall.He: שירה, תמיד ערנית, שמה לב מיד. "את בסדר, אביטל?" היא שאלה בדאגה.En: Shira, ever alert, noticed immediately. "Are you okay, Avital?" she asked with concern.He: "לא יודעת... אני מרגישה חלשה," לחשה אביטל.En: "I don't know... I feel weak," Avital whispered.He: מרדכי הבין שצריך לפעול. "אני הולך למצוא עזרה," אמר ורץ בין הקהל.En: Mordechai understood that action was necessary. "I'm going to find help," he said and ran through the crowd.He: שירה נשארה עם אביטל, לוחשת לה דברי עידוד ומנגבת את מצחה הרטוב.En: Shira stayed with Avital, whispering words of encouragement and wiping her damp forehead.He: הלב שלה פעם בחשש, אך היא לא נתנה לו לשלוט בה.En: Her heart pounded with worry, but she didn't let it control her.He: בינתיים, מרדכי איתר צוות רפואי באזור, שחזר איתו במהירות.En: Meanwhile, Mordechai located a medical team in the area, who returned with him quickly.He: כשהרופאים בדקו את אביטל, המתח התפוגג מעט.En: When the doctors examined Avital, the tension eased a little.He: היא חיכתה במתח רב לתוצאה, ונשמה בהקלה כשהרופאים הרגיעו אותה שזה רק תשישות לרגע ושכדאי לה לנוח.En: She waited anxiously for the results and breathed a sigh of relief when the doctors reassured her it was just momentary exhaustion and she should rest.He: לאחר שהוקל לה, אביטל ישבה בשקט והתבוננה בקיר האבנים הקדום.En: Once she was comforted, Avital sat quietly and observed the ancient stone wall.He: היא הבינה שזה לא רק הסיפור של ההיסטוריה שלה חשוב, אלא גם האנשים שסביבה כאן ועכשיו.En: She realized that it's not only her historical story that matters but also the people around her here and now.He: מרדכי החזיק את ידה ושירה חייכה ברוגע.En: Mordechai held her hand, and Shira smiled calmly.He: המקרה הזה חיזק את הקשרים ביניהם.En: This incident strengthened the bonds between them.He: אביטל הבינה שעליה לחיות ברגע הנוכחי ולא רק בעבר.En: Avital understood that she must live in the present moment and not just in the past.He: מרדכי למד לחשוב על האחריות שלו, ושירה הבינה שיש לה יכולות טיפול ודאגה עצומות.En: Mordechai learned to consider his responsibilities, and Shira realized she has immense caregiving and concern abilities.He: הם המשיכו את יום החגיגות עם הערכה מחודשת לחיים ולחברות האמיצה ביניהם.En: They continued the festive day with newfound appreciation for life and their strong friendship.He: הכותל נשאר כתזכורת חיה לעבר, והם, כקבוצה מלוכדת, המשיכו לבנות את סיפורם האישי.En: The Kotel remained a living reminder of the past, and they, as a united group, continued to build their personal story. Vocabulary Words:gleamed: זהרוsparks: ניצוצותfaith: אמונהfestive: חגיגהhistorian: היסטוריוניתroots: שורשיםjourney: מסעadventurer: הרפתקןshouted: צעקexcitement: התרגשותbigger picture: התמונה הגדולהalert: ערניתwhispered: לחשהintensified: התגברcarefully: בזהירותconcern: דאגהaction: לפעולcrowd: קהלencouragement: עידודwiping: מנגבתdamp: רטובpounded: פעםexamined: בדקוtension: המתחmomentary: לרגעexhaustion: תשישותreassured: הרגיעוanxiously: במתח רבimmense: עצומותcaregiving: טיפולBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

2432-26 - The pinnacle moment that shook the nation! In the midst of reforms, the last Torah scroll is discovered, and the words written therein change everything. The Bearded Bible Brothers travel from atop the Temple Mount, to the depths of the Western Wall tunnels revealing Josiah's ultimate decision of humility that moves God's heart.

Chapter Timestamps00:00 — Homeless at 26, $100M exit at 32 02:22 — Building Mutesix: one of the first productized Facebook ad agencies 09:39 — The 2019 sale and what Steve actually took home 11:52 — The wire hits — at the Western Wall in Israel 14:46 — "The money didn't change my life": post-exit identity crisis 16:31 — How Steve actually spends: the chef, the donations, the Birkin he never bought 19:55 — Why he's obsessed with insurance (and what he tells founders) 23:18 — Post-exit on a Tuesday: the daily search for meaning 25:07 — Did the $100M exit actually make him happy? 32:03 — Looking back 15 years — and what the next 5 look likeAt 26, Steve Weiss was homeless in Los Angeles, sleeping in his car in a 24 Hour Fitness parking lot with $200 to his name. Six years later, his Facebook ads agency Mutesix sold for $100 million to Dentsu. The day the money hit his account, he was standing at the Western Wall in Israel — and got a phone call that made him realize money doesn't fix what's broken inside you.In this episode of MoneyWise, host Daniel Berk sits down with Steve Weiss to walk through the parts of a nine-figure exit nobody puts in the press release: how much he personally took home, if the wire made him happy, and what post-exit life actually looks like on a random Tuesday when you've already "won."In this conversation:How Steve built Mutesix from 4 clients in 2013 into one of the first productized Facebook ad agencies — and sold it to Dentsu in 2019 for $100MThe emotional moment the wire hit at the Western Wall, and the tragedy that hit the same dayHis real spending today: a private chef 3–4 days a week, why his wife asks for nonprofit donations instead of Birkin bags, and the cause they're fundingWhy he over-indexes on life and health insurance — and the advice he gives every founderThe post-exit purpose vacuum — what he calls "almost impossible to replicate" — and how he's filling it now with family, angel investing through SGD, his podcast, real estate, and possibly politicsWhat he'd do differently if he could rewind 15 yearsThe honest answer to the question every founder secretly asks: did $100 million actually make him happy?If you've ever wondered whether the exit really fixes anything, this is the episode.MoneyWise is the personal finance podcast for high-net-worth founders. Hosted by Daniel Berk and produced by Hampton — a private, vetted community for founders and CEOs running businesses doing $2M+ in revenue. Apply at joinhampton.com.Sponsors:Daily Body Coach - achieve your dream body with https://moneywise.dailybodycoach.comOceans - Hire incredible talent for marketing, ops, sales, and more, and even have them build out all your AI workflows for you. Go to https://www.oceanstalent.com/moneywise now.

2431-26 - From the Western Wall to the ruins of Tel Dan, Joshua and Caleb explore the bar mitzvah tradition and Josiah's emergence of authority in the kingdom. Without the law as a guidebook, King Josiah begins transforming the country within his scope of knowledge. The brothers' teaching concludes with a dramatic disruption as they experience the horrors of October 7th, the morning of Hamas' attack.

The Western Wall  Part 26:  Who Is At The Wall And Where Are You? -  English only.  When visiting the Kotel, we can see men from many different sects of Judaism. Is there a lesson here for followers of Yeshua?  Recorded January 8, 2026.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Political correspondent Sam Sokol joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. Following an interim High Court order allowing a larger gathering despite wartime restrictions for Saturday night's antiwar protest in Tel Aviv, Sokol reports on the backlash from the Knesset coalition and religious parties demanding similar treatment for the traditional Passover mass prayers at the Western Wall. Sokol also discusses the passage of the 2026 budget, the government's largest budget to date, due to increased defense spending and billions of shekels in ultra-Orthodox educational expenditures following an unexpected political maneuver during a long night of voting. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Cops violently disperse protesters at Tel Aviv anti-war rally, after court raised attendance cap Flouting wartime restrictions, over 1,000 men gather for address by top Haredi rabbi High Court raises wartime limit on Western Wall, Temple Mount access from 50 to 100 Levin says government should ignore High Court ruling allowing wartime protests AG halts transfer of budget funds for Haredi institutions after contentious vote Opposition MKs voted to allocate NIS 800 million for Haredi schools. How did that happen? Knesset approves 2026 budget, Israel’s largest ever, sending billions to Haredi institutions Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. IMAGE: Israelis attending anti-war protest take shelter in Tel Aviv's Habima parking lot as alert for Iranian missile sounds on April 4, 2026 (Miriam Alster/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four bodies recovered from wreckage of Haifa residential building hit by Iranian missile. US, Iran reviewing proposal for immediate ceasefire. High Court approves framework to allow up to 100 worshippers at a time at Western Wall due to security situationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Seeking Heritage: A Passover Journey Through History Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-04-03-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: באורו הרך של אביב בירושלים, יעל, נועם ורינה צעדו יחד בין הסמטאות הצרות של העיר העתיקה.En: In the soft light of spring in Yerushalayim, Yael, Noam, and Rina walked together through the narrow alleys of the Old City.He: התחנה הראשונה שלהם הייתה רחבת הכותל המערבי, שם אלפי אנשים הגיעו לציין את חג הפסח.En: Their first stop was the plaza of the Western Wall, where thousands of people had gathered to celebrate Passover.He: הבדים הצבעוניים והקישוטים החגיגיים עטפו את העיר באווירה של שמחה.En: The colorful fabrics and festive decorations wrapped the city in an atmosphere of joy.He: יעל, היסטוריונית צעירה, הייתה מלאה רצון לגלות את סודות העבר המשפחתי שלה.En: Yael, a young historian, was eager to uncover the secrets of her family's past.He: "נועה," היא אמרה בשקט, "אני חייבת למצוא את החפץ העתיק שמספרת עליו סבתא שלי.En: "Noa," she said quietly, "I must find the ancient artifact that my grandmother talked about.He: הוא קשור למשפחה שלנו.En: It is connected to our family."He: "נועם נאנח קלות, אך היה נחוש לתמוך בחברתה.En: Noam sighed slightly, but was determined to support her friend.He: "יעל, זה לא יהיה פשוט.En: "Yael, it won't be easy.He: העיר מלאה באנשים ובאירועים היום," אמר בעוד הם ממשיכים לצעוד.En: The city is full of people and events today," he said as they continued walking.He: רינה, מדריכת הטיולים המנוסה, הובילה את הקבוצה דרך תכניתה, מלאת רצון לספר את הסיפורים המסורתיים.En: Rina, the experienced tour guide, led the group through her plan, eager to share the traditional stories.He: אך גם היא הרגישה משיכה להרפתקה מעבר למסלול הקבוע.En: However, she too felt drawn to an adventure beyond the usual route.He: "בואו נעשה עצירה קטנה בשוק," הציעה.En: "Let's make a small stop at the market," she suggested.He: השוק היה מלא בריחות תבלינים, קולות של מוזיקה מסורתית, וניחוחות מאכלים טריים.En: The market was filled with the smells of spices, the sounds of traditional music, and the aromas of fresh foods.He: יעל, שלא רצתה לוותר על המשימה שלה, לחשה לנועם שזה הזמן להיפרד מהקבוצה לנסות את מזלה.En: Yael, not wanting to give up on her mission, whispered to Noam that it was time to separate from the group to try their luck.He: כך, השניים חמקו מהקהל ופנו לדרכם בין הדוכנים הצרים.En: Thus, the two slipped away from the crowd and made their way between the narrow stands.He: בלבה של הסמטה החבויה, מצאו דוכן עתיק שבו היה פריט שנראה בדיוק כמו שתואר באגדות המשפחה.En: In the heart of the hidden alley, they found an antique stall where there was an item that looked exactly like what was described in the family legends.He: התרגשות מילאה את עיניה של יעל, אך רגע לפני שנגעה בו, רינה הופיעה מאחוריה.En: Excitement filled Yael's eyes, but just before she reached for it, Rina appeared behind her.He: "יעל, צריך להיזהר," אמרה רינה, "הפריט הזה הוא חלק מתצוגה משותפת לכבוד החג.En: "Yael, you need to be careful," said Rina, "that item is part of a joint display for the holiday."He: "יעל הבינה שזו לא ההזדמנות לקחת אלא ללמוד ולכבד את ההיסטוריה המשותפת.En: Yael realized this was not the opportunity to take but to learn and respect the shared history.He: היא חייכה בהתבוננות חדשה בחייה.En: She smiled with a newfound perspective on her life.He: "המשפחה שלי היא חלק מסיפור גדול יותר," אמרה בעדינות, "וחשוב לי שהסיפור הזה מורגש לכולם.En: "My family is part of a bigger story," she said gently, "and it's important to me that this story is felt by everyone."He: "בהמשך, חזרה לחברה של חבריה והצטרפה לאירועים החגיגיים בשמחה מחודשת.En: Later, she returned to her friends' company and joined the festive events with renewed joy.He: היא הבינה שהמוזיקה והמנהגים הם חלק ממה שמחבר את כולם, והחליטה לשלב את אהבתה להיסטוריה עם המחויבות לעתיד של הבנה משותפת.En: She understood that the music and customs are part of what connects everyone, and she decided to combine her love for history with a commitment to a future of shared understanding. Vocabulary Words:soft: רךalley: סמטהplaza: רחבהdecorations: קישוטיםhistorian: היסטוריוניתeager: מלא רצוןartifact: חפץquietly: בשקטslightly: קלותdetermined: נחושexperienced: מנוסהtraditional: מסורתייםadventure: הרפתקהaromas: ניחוחותseparate: להיפרדstall: דוכןantique: עתיקlegends: אגדותexcitement: התרגשותperspective: התבוננותjoy: שמחהrenewed: מחודשתcustoms: מנהגיםcommitment: מחויבותshared: משותפתuncover: לגלותsupport: לתמוךdisplay: תצוגהopportunity: הזדמנותrespect: לכבדBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Soulful Pilgrimage: A Purim Journey in Old Yerushalayim Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-03-14-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: רחובות העיר העתיקה של ירושלים רחשו חיים.En: The streets of the old city of Yerushalayim buzzed with life.He: היה זה יום פורים באביב, והאוויר היה מלא בשמחת החג.En: It was Purim, a spring day, and the air was filled with the joy of the holiday.He: רונן, יעל וליאור טיילו בין הסמטאות הצרות, נדהמים מהאנשים הצבעוניים ומההתרחשויות שמסביבם.En: Ronen, Yael, and Lior strolled through the narrow alleys, amazed by the colorful people and the happenings around them.He: רונן התבונן באבן העתיקה שסיבה אותה מותירה אותו בתחושה של חיבור עמוק למורשתו.En: Ronen gazed at the ancient stone, feeling a sense of deep connection to his heritage.He: הוא חיפש בתוכו התעוררות רוחנית, משהו שישיב את נפשו המתרגשת והמסתקרנת.En: He was searching within himself for spiritual awakening, something to revive his excited and curious soul.He: יעל, תמיד מלאת אנרגיה והתרגשות, רק רצתה לחוות את העיר במלואה, לחקור ולחגוג כל רגע.En: Yael, always full of energy and excitement, just wanted to experience the city in its entirety, to explore and celebrate every moment.He: ליאור, המעשית והמודעת, שהתה בין השניים, מתפקדת כמתווכת וכרוח מרגיעה.En: Lior, practical and aware, stayed between the two, functioning as a mediator and a calming presence.He: "אני רוצה רגע להיות לבד," אמר רונן, מנסה להסביר את רצונו לחבור למשהו עמוק יותר.En: "I want to be alone for a moment," said Ronen, trying to explain his desire to connect with something deeper.He: "אני חייב ללכת אל הכותל.En: "I must go to the Kotel."He: " יעל וליאור הסתכלו האחד על השני והבינו.En: Yael and Lior looked at each other and understood.He: הם הבטיחו להיפגש בהמשך והניחו לו ללכת.En: They promised to meet up later and let him go.He: בעודו הולך, העולם סביבו הפך לצמצם והדרן לתוך תחושתו האישית.En: As he walked, the world around him narrowed and tuned into his personal sensation.He: חיוכים הצללים והשמחות המגוונות נשארו מאחור, והוא הגעה אל ליבו של הכותל המערבי.En: The smiles, shadows, and varied joys were left behind, and he arrived at the heart of the Western Wall.He: מקום קדוש זה, מלא תפילות עתיקות ורוחניות רוטטת, העניק לרונן תחושת חיבור שלא חווה לפני כן.En: This sacred place, full of ancient prayers and vibrating spirituality, gave Ronen a sense of connection he had never experienced before.He: עמד שם, במרחק, עיניו סגורות וידיו מונחות על אדירים העתיקים.En: He stood there, at a distance, his eyes closed and his hands placed on the ancient stones.He: לבו התפעם, ותחושת חיבור הולכת ומעמיקה הציפה אותו.En: His heart was pounding, and a deepening sense of connection overwhelmed him.He: הוא הבין שהמסע האמיתי הוא חיפוש אישי אך גם שיתוף הרגעים עם יקיריו הוא חלק מהמסע.En: He realized that the true journey was a personal quest but also sharing the moments with loved ones is part of the pilgrimage.He: כשחזר לחפש את יעל וליאור, הוא מצא אותם מחכים ליד הכניסה לשוק.En: When he returned to find Yael and Lior, he found them waiting at the entrance to the market.He: פניהם אורו כשראו אותו חזור.En: Their faces lit up when they saw him return.He: "נו, איך היה?En: "So, how was it?"He: " שאלה יעל בחיוך גדול.En: Yael asked with a big smile.He: "חוויה מדהימה," ענה רונן.En: "An amazing experience," replied Ronen.He: "אני מבין עכשיו כמה חשוב לחוות גם לבד, אבל גם יחד.En: "I now understand how important it is to experience alone, but also together.He: תודה שהבנתם.En: Thank you for understanding."He: "הקבוצה המשיכה לטייל בעיר העתיקה, לבם פתוח ומלא הכרת תודה על כניסתם למסע זה שעורכם עמוקות.En: The group continued to wander through the old city, their hearts open and full of gratitude for embarking on this journey that deeply enriched them.He: רונן התקדם לראש הקבוצה, חיוך חדש על פניו, מרגיש חלק מהכל.En: Ronen moved to the front of the group, a new smile on his face, feeling part of it all. Vocabulary Words:buzzed: רחשוstrolled: טיילוnarrow: צרותgazed: התבונןheritage: מורשתוspiritual: רוחניתawakening: התעוררותcurious: מסתקרנתentirety: מלואהmediator: מתווכתcalming: מרגיעהpilgrimage: המסעsacred: קדושvibrating: רוטטתoverwhelmed: הציפהquest: חיפושgratitude: הכרת תודהwander: לטיילenriched: עורכםrevive: להשיבexplore: לחפשexperience: חוויהfunctioning: מתפקדnarrowed: הפך לצמצםsensation: תחושתוshadows: הצלליםpounding: התפעםawaiting: ממתיניםsmiles: חיוכיםentrance: כניסהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

For review:Operation Epic Fury / Roaring Lion Continues.1. Three American soldiers have been killed, and five have been seriously wounded in the ongoing conflict with Iran, the US Central Command said Sunday, announcing the first US casualties in the conflict.2. The United States and Israel clashed with Iran at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Saturday as the United Nations chief led calls for a halt to attacks by either side and a return to negotiations to prevent the conflict from spreading further.3. China, Russia and North Korea condemned the news that Iran's notorious strongman Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed an Israeli airstrike, as did Iranian proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.4. As outlined in its constitution, Iran on Sunday formed a council to assume leadership duties and govern the country, while the process to select a new Supreme Leader begins.The council is made up of Iran's sitting president, the head of the country's judiciary, and a member of the Guardian Council chosen by Iran's Expediency Council, which advises the supreme leader and settles disputes with parliament.5. Israeli and American authorities spent weeks tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sharing information that allowed the strikes to be carried out in a surprise daylight attack, according to an Israeli military official and a person familiar with the operation.6. US President Donald Trump threatened early Sunday morning to hit Iran with unprecedented force after Tehran warned it would step up attacks in retaliation for the killing of its supreme leader and fired successive volleys of rockets at Israel for a second consecutive day Sunday.7. Israeli Air Force fighter jets have dropped over 2,000 bombs in strikes against hundreds of Iranian regime targets and military sites since the start of the conflict with the Islamic Republic on Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.The amount of munitions dropped on targets in Iran over the first 30 hours of the conflict was around half of what the IAF said it used over the entire course of the 12-day war in June 2025.8. The warhead of an Iranian missile hit a site just several dozen meters from the Old City of Jerusalem, and just several hundred meters from the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, during the course of Saturday, police announced on Sunday.9. Lebanon's Hezbollah terror group claims responsibility for firing rockets at northern Israel tonight for the first time since the November 2024 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.10. Lebanese and Arabic news outlets report Israeli strikes in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, after several rockets were fired at northern Israel earlier tonight.Lebanese security sources tell Reuters that at least one target in Beirut's southern suburbs was hit in the strikes.There is no immediate comment from the IDF.11. US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would “be talking” with Iran's leaders at their request, even as he continued to call on “Iranian patriots” to seize the moment created by the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei the previous day and topple the regime.12. Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's National Security Council, is seeking to return to the negotiating table with the United States, less than two days after the start of a coordinated assault on Iran by the US and Israel, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing US and Arab officials familiar with the matter.According to the report, Larijani reached out to the US through Omani mediators to see about resuming negotiations.

A Place Where God Will Live Ephesians 2:11-22 by William Klock In today's Old Testament lesson we hear King Solomon praying at the dedication of the temple.  The temple was finally completed and Solomon gathered the elders of Israel at the tabernacle, where they offered sacrifices too many to number.  Then with the priests leading them with the ark of the covenant, they processed up the mountain to the temple.  When they'd placed it in the holy of holies, the presence of the Lord, the shekinah, the cloud of his glory descended to fill the temple as it once had the tabernacle.  And Solomon prayed.  He prayed for the new temple and he prayed for his people.  He prayed that they would be faithful.  And then, our lesson today, he prayed for the foreigners, for the gentiles who might come to the Lord's temple having heard of his great name, his mighty hand, and his outstretched arm—that coming to the temple, they would know his glory.  Solomon's kingdom was, however imperfectly, a fulfilment of the Lord's promise to Abraham to make Israel a light to the nations.  And the nations came to Israel and to Solomon, because they saw and because they heard of the Lord's reputation.  Not only had he blessed his people, but in him they saw a god unlike their own.  And so they came, and they saw for themselves the goodness of the Lord, the God of Israel.  And Solomon knew, too, that they would come to the temple that he'd built.  So he prayed that when these foreigners came and prayed, that the Lord would answer them, that he would make himself known to them, so that “all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel.”  Again, this wasn't some one-off prayer that Solomon came up with.  Solomon's prayer is rooted in the promises of God and in the story of his people.  Solomon knew that the world is not as it should be; Solomon knew the Lord's promises to set it to rights; and Solomon knew that God had given an integral role to his people to bring the fulfilment of those promises.  And Solomon great desire was for his people to be faithful to that calling, to that vocation—faithful to be a temple people. Now, this imagery and idea of the temple wasn't new with Israel; it goes all the way back to the beginning of the story.  The garden was God's first temple.  And the man and woman he created—he created them—us—to bear his image.  That means to be his representatives in the temple, to serve him, and steward his goodness to the rest of creation.  We rejected that vocation and the story ever since has been about God restoring his temple and his people.  Two weeks ago, when we looked at Ephesians 2:1-10, we saw how Jesus—the one in whom God and humanity have come together—represents God's work to restore his temple, but we also saw there that, as Paul stresses so much, what is true of Jesus is also true of those who are in him.  One day his people will be raised to be like him—heaven and earth people—but in the meantime, God has filled his church—filled us—with his Spirit as a foretaste and a down payment of that hope.  Brothers and Sisters, that means that we, purified by the blood of Jesus and filled with God's Spirit, we're now the temple—not a temple of bricks and mortar, but a temple of people filled with God's presence. Just as Solomon prayed that the nations would know the glorious reputation of the God of Israel through his people and come to meet him at his temple, our prayer, our desire, our commitment ought to be that the world will know God's glorious reputation through us and come to meet him here.  What God promised to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, to Moses, to the people through the Prophets is now reality in us.  The promise isn't completely fulfilled.  One day the knowledge of the glory of God will fill the earth.  On that day the new creation that began when Jesus rose from the dead will come to full fruit.  Creation and us with it will be made fully new.  God will wipe every last remaining bit of evil from the world and sin and death will be no more.  But, Brothers and Sisters, here's the really important thing here: The church—you and I and everyone else who is in Jesus the Messiah—we are God's vehicle to get the world to that point.  The church is God's means of making his glory known until it fills the earth.  And that ought to get us reflecting on how faithful we are to our mission.  When the world looks at the Church, when it looks at Christians, does what we say and do and live declare the glory of God: his great name, his mighty hand, and his outstretched arm?  (To put it as Solomon did.)  Does what we say and do and live give the world a desire to come to the church to meet God?  Do we at least make the world constructively curious?  If not, we need to reflect on our priorities and on what we're doing. And this is true of everyone who is in Jesus the Messiah, but Paul, writing to the Ephesians who were mostly gentile believers, wants to stress to them just how significant it is that through Jesus and the Spirit they have been made a part of this temple people.  Brothers and Sisters, this is something that we don't spend enough time talking about and reflecting on.  For Paul, the unification of Jews and gentiles in the Messiah was at the heart of the gospel.  It was the proof that God was fulfilling his promises.  This church, made up of Jews and gentiles, men and women, rich and poor, slave and free, all together, unified, one body was a testimony to the glory of God.  In fact, for Paul, it was the testimony of the gospel's power. And I don't think it's even on the radar for many of us today, because we've become so used to and even so complacent about divisions within the church.  Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Mennonites, Romans, and Eastern Orthodox—and those are just some older divisions amongst us before we got really split-happy in the last century or two.  And it's not just theology and polity.  I suspect Paul might have at least a little sympathy for those sorts of divisions, especially over serious, gospel-compromising theological matters.  But Paul would be furious to see how we divide over things like language and ethnicity.  The English are here and the Germans are at that Lutheran church and the Swedes at that other Lutheran church and the Italians and Spanish and Filipinos are at the Roman church and the Greeks at the Greek Orthodox, the Russians at the Russian Orthodox, the Ukrainians at the Ukrainian Orthodox, the Syrians at the Syrian Orthodox.  The Dutch are in their Reformed church and the Scots are in their Reformed church.  And there's a church just for Chinese-speakers and another for Afrikaans and so on and on.  And you've got Messianic Jews forming their own synagogues.  And Paul would be shouting at us and asking, “Haven't you read a single thing I've written to you?  Your divisions are undermining the very gospel you claim to preach!” Paul did not want this to happen in the Ephesian churches, but even more than that, he wanted the people in those churches, especially he wanted them to appreciate just what God had done for them in Jesus and the Spirit, because if we understand what God has done to make us one, we'll hopefully be far less likely to let it be undone.  So, Paul writes in Ephesians 2:11-12 and reminds them of what they used to be: “Therefore, remember this: In human terms—that is, in your ‘flesh'—you are ‘gentiles'.  You are the people whom the so-called circumcision refer to as the so-called uncircumcision—circumcision, of course, being something done by human hands to human flesh.  Well, once upon a time you were separated from the Messiah.  You were alienated from the community of Israel.  You were foreigners to the covenants of promise.  There you were in the world, with no hope and no God.” You were gentiles.  Of course, Gentiles didn't think of themselves that way.  They were just regular people; it was the Jews who were weird.  But the fact that Paul can say this to them, “You were gentiles” means that they've now been brought into the family of Israel.  And just in case they might have forgotten the significance of that, he describes them as having been outsiders with this string of descriptors that work up to a crescendo of alienation. First, they were separated from the Messiah—from the rightful King.  The Messiah was some weird thing the Jews were into.  What would Greeks or Romans—who were oh, so superior—want to have to do with him?  And even if they did, the Messiah wasn't part of their story.  Then second, Paul says that they were alienated from the community—the commonwealth as the King James puts it—of Israel.  They were foreigners.  Israel was not their nation and Israel's God was not their God.  Even if they did see something attractive in Israel and went to the temple in Jerusalem—think of Solomon's prayer for the foreign visitors who would come—there was a wall between the court of the gentiles and the court of the women.  In Paul's day there was an inscription on that wall warning that foreigners passed it on pain of death.  Gentiles could look from a distance, but they were cut off from the living God.  And third, they were foreigners to the covenants of promise.  Most of them had never heard of Abraham or Moses, but if they had, that simply wasn't their story and it certainly wasn't their family.  They didn't belong there.  Whatever promises the God of Israel had made, those promises were not for the gentiles.  And Paul then sums it all up and says: You were in the world without God and without hope. I think Paul intends a bit of irony there.  When he says they were without God he uses a word that essentially means they were atheists.  And “atheist” is exactly what the gentiles called Jews and the first Christians.  Because Jews and Christians worshipped only one God and one God might as well have been no god to them with their vast pantheons.  And Jews and Christians refused to take part in the pagan worship and festivals that ran all through gentile life and society.  And so Paul flips it around.  “No, it was you gentiles, separated from the Messiah, alienated from Israel, foreigners to the covenant promises—it was you who were the atheists.  You were the ones without God.  And because of that you had no hope.  And if being called atheists didn't make an impact, I have to think this would have.  Because it's not that the Greeks and Romans didn't understand the idea of hope; it's that they had no reason, no grounds to live with hope.  No one in their world believed in progress the way people do today.  That idea is rooted in our biblical heritage.  They thought things just went round and round in cycles—forever stuck.  And while their philosophers might talk about life after death, it was all very vague and not hopeful at all.  Hesiod imprisoned hope in the bottom of Pandora's box, lost forever.  Aristotle and others wrote about hope as fickle and treacherous—a foolish thing to trust in.  Things could go wrong just as easily as they could go right.  Hope just wasn't a big deal for the Greeks.  But in stark contrast, hope was at the centre of the whole Jewish and early Christian worldview.  As I said last time, no one in the pagan world would have ever dreamed that the gods loved them or even really cared about them, so why would anyone in the pagan world have reason to hope?  So Paul sums it all up: Without God and without hope, the gentiles were alone and lost in the world.  Paul reminds them just how bleak things were for them before they were captured by the gospel.  I think it's a good thing for us to reflect on this ourselves and if we did, I think we would have a greater appreciation for what God has done for us and for what he has made his church. So after painting this bleak and pitiful picture of where these people were before Jesus, Paul cuts through the hopelessness and despair.  Like he did with that great, “But God!” in verse 3, now in verse 13 he practically shouts out, “But now!” “But now, in Messiah Jesus, you who used to be far away have been brough near by the Messiah's blood.  He is our peace, you see.  He has made the two to be one.  He has pulled down the barrier, the dividing wall, that turns us into enemies of each other.  He has done this in his flesh, by abolishing the law with its commands and instructions.” Paul wrote about the Messiah's blood back in Chapter 1.  Jesus' blood is the means through which God has accomplished redemption and forgiveness.  This was the great, once-and-for-all-time sacrifice that the Old Testament sacrificial system was pointing to all along.  In the Old Testament, sacrificial blood was like a disinfectant.  It cleansed the tabernacle and later the temple; and it cleansed the people of Israel so that the holy God could come to his people and dwell with them.  Pagan sacrifices were all about killing valuable animals to placate the gods.  In Israel, the sacrifices were all about the blood—a symbol of God-given life—and that blood was shed to wash away the stain of sin and death so that God could come and dwell and fellowship with his people.  Brothers and Sisters, the blood of Jesus, shed at the cross, has fully accomplished once and for all and for everyone what the Old Testament sacrifices did partially and temporarily.  And in doing that, God has abolished the law. You see, the law was the thing that set Israel apart from the rest of the world and Paul saw that wall in the court of the gentiles as symbolic of it.  The law, like that wall, kept the gentiles out of God's people, out of his covenant, and out of his promises.  The law marked out the gentiles as idolaters and as unclean—unworthy of God's presence.  But Jesus' blood has washed us clean—Jew and gentile alike—making both the law and the wall that kept the gentiles out irrelevant.  In Jesus, God had brought these Greek believers into the family—fully and no longer aliens and foreigners.  And why?  Paul goes on in the second half of verse 15: “The point of doing all this was to create, in him, one new humanity out of the two, so making peace.  God was reconciling  both of us to himself in a single body, through the cross, by killing the enmity in him.” Do you remember the first thing the risen Jesus said to his disciples when he entered that locked-up house where they were hiding after he'd been crucified?  It was “Peace”.  Shalom.  Peace is what the world looks like set to rights.  And so it makes perfect sense that “Peace” would be the first thing Jesus would say to his disciples after rising from death and inaugurating God's new creation.  He'd just begun the work of setting the world to rights.  And for Paul, this new humanity—Jews and gentiles, once divided by the law, but now brought together—this new humanity, the church, is the first sign of God's peace breaking out into the world.  The church is the sign of the new age.  As I've said before, we are God's working model of his new creation.  Jesus has killed the enmity that was once between us and he has reconciled both to God and, through that, to each other.  Jesus' blood as washed us clean and Paul stresses regularly to his fellow Jews, this means there's no longer any reason to consider gentile believers in Jesus to be unclean.  We gentiles, with hearts renewed by the Holy Spirit, have turned away from our idols to serve the living God and by the blood of Jesus he has washed us clean.  And if there's any doubt, Paul would point to the fact that the same Spirit has come to fill the gentile believers who first filled the Jewish believers.  So he goes on in verse 17: “So the [he Messiah] came and proclaimed peace, to you who were far off and to those who were near.  Through him we both have access to the Father in one Spirit.”  Again, it's all the fulfilment of God's promises.  In Isaiah 57 God had promised that he would heal the broken and humble in spirit and give peace: peace for those far off and peace for those who are near.  He's now done that in Jesus and the unity of the church—these people who were once separated, these people who once hated each other—their unity in the Messiah as one people is the proof, the testimony, the witness of God's faithfulness and the power of the gospel. And Paul, again, wants to drive this home.  Look at verses 19 to 22: “So then [—this is the result—] you are no longer foreigners and aliens.  No, you are fellow citizens with God's holy people.  You are members of God's household.  You are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Messiah Jesus himself as the cornerstone.  In him the whole building is fitted together, and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  You, too, are being built up together, in him, into a place where God will live by the Spirit.” The point of all this is that through Jesus and the Spirit, the living God has welcomed us into this amazing story.  We've been adopted into a family that was not ours.  We were poor, dirty refugees without hope, but God has washed us clean in the blood of Jesus, he has made us welcome members of his family, and most importantly, he has come to dwell with us.  He has filled us—aliens, foreigners, strangers, gentiles—with his Spirit—the presence that he had promised to his own people and in doing that he has made us holy.  And just just because.  God has a purpose for us.  He always has. And this is where Paul stops hinting at things with temple language and imagery and comes out and says it: God has done this in order to establish a new temple.  For centuries the Jews had been waiting for God's presence to return to the temple, not that unlike the way so many Jews today go to the Western Wall and pray for a new temple and God's return.  Brother and Sisters, Paul's stressing that God has, in fact, returned, that he has built a new temple, and that he now dwells with his people.  But not in a stone building on the mountain above Jerusalem.  He has built is new temple and returned to live with his people through Jesus and the Spirit. And, again, that means that we—the church—are God's ongoing means of fulfilling his promises to set creation to rights.  God's presence with us is the sign that one day his presence will fill all of creation.  We are the temple, the working model of new creation.  As we proclaim the gospel, we proclaim the glories of God to the world.  As we live the gospel, we put on display the glories of God to the world.  And our unity in Jesus and the Spirit—something we've often forgotten—is one of the most important ways we ought to be living out the gospel.  Just as there was one temple in Israel, there is only one church.  By our divisions and schism and arguments, by our elevating language and race and nation over the gospel, we've often obscured this reality, but Brothers and Sisters, there is but one church and the unity of that one church across our natural divisions of language and race—and class, and status, and every other way the world divides and separates us—that unity is meant to be a witness.  A witness to the power of the gospel.  A witness to the power of Jesus and the cleansing power of his blood.  A witness to the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer.  And most of all, witness to the faithfulness of God, who has been true to his promises.  And through that, our unity becomes a witness to a bleak and hopeless world of God's coming new creation—not just of the world set to rights, but of humanity set to rights within it: one people, renewed and purified, in fellowship forever with the living God. Let's pray: Gracious Father, you have purified us by the blood of your Son and filled us with your Spirit to make us your temple.  Pour out your grace that we might be faithful stewards of the gifts you have given us.  Teach us to guard the unity of your church, so that the nations will see in us a witness to your mighty hand, your outstretched arm, and your great name.  And when they draw near, hear their prayers, we ask, that they might know your great name as we have, through your Son and through your Spirit.  Amen.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Negotiators resumed US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, hours after senior American officials made the case that Iran poses a major threat to the United States and is actively working toward a nuclear bomb. Horovitz updates us on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance's statements and describes the intense US military buildup in the Mideast. He then assesses the Israeli public's willingness to join in on any eventual strike against Iran and how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could leverage the crisis in this election year. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday and Thursday, where he pledged to work in lockstep with the Jewish state to confront Islamist terrorism. In what Horovitz describes as a regrettably rare sentiment from world leaders, the Indian premier told the Knesset that his nation stands “firmly” with Israel. We learn what else happened behind the scenes. In an effort to circumvent a Supreme Court order to expand egalitarian prayer access at the Western Wall, lawmakers voted 56-47 Wednesday afternoon in favor of the preliminary reading of a bill giving the Chief Rabbinate full control over prayer at all parts of the holy site -- not just the Orthodox prayer plaza. It has drawn harsh condemnation from progressive Jewish groups, which condemned the controversial legislation as “patronizing and antisemitic.” Horovitz weighs in. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Facing Trump, Hamas bet on survival and is being vindicated; Iran’s regime has the same game plan As talks resume, Rubio, Vance accuse Iran of trying to restart its nuclear program Iranian FM arrives in Geneva for talks as US demands any nuclear deal last indefinitely F-22 jets deploy at Israeli Air Force base as US builds up forces for Iran strike In the Knesset, Modi says India stands firmly with Israel ‘in this moment and beyond’ MKs approve preliminary bill cementing Orthodox control over entire Western Wall Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: A Valar Atomics microreactor is seen on a C-17 aircraft, without nuclear fuel, at March Air Reserve Base, California, February 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthew Daly)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government on Feb. 19 to complete long-delayed renovations to Robinson's Arch, the official egalitarian prayer section just south of the main Western Wall. For years, it's where non-Orthodox Jews, including women, can pray together, and also read from a Torah scroll. But what began as a ruling about construction permits has quickly become something bigger. Members of Israel's governing coalition are advancing legislation this week that would effectively bring the broader Kotel site, including Robinson's Arch, under the authority of the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. The law could mean prison terms of up to seven years for anyone deemed to be desecrating the holy site — and observers fear the new proposal could ban any alternative forms of Jewish prayer around Judaism's holiest place. This raises a deeper question: where does that leave millions of Jews, especially outside of Israel, who are not Orthodox? On today's episode of The CJN's “North Star” podcast, Toronto Rabbi Elyse Goldstein joins host Ellin Bessner to explore what's at stake. The Rabbi is a longtime advocate for pluralistic prayer, for women's place in Judaism, and a supporter of the Women of the Wall movement's decades-long struggle for equality at the Kotel. Related stories: Read about the Israel Supreme court decision on Robinson's Arch Feb. 19, 2026, and reaction, in The CJN Learn more about what Rabbi Elyse Goldstein experienced joining the Women of the Wall's 25th anniversary prayer service in 2013, in The CJN . Hear what it was like in July 2023 at a Women of the Wall prayer service in this eye-witness account by The CJN's producer Zachary Judah Kauffman , who was studying in Israel and produced this podcast for The CJN's North Star Podcast. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner ) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director) Music: Bret Higgins Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to North Star (Not sure how? Click here ) Watch our podcasts on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCJN Help others find this podcast by leaving us a review for “North Star” on Apple Podcasts via your iPhone or iPad device, or with your Android. (Spotify allows only starred ratings but you can do that, too!)

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Walls of Wisdom: Friendship and Discovery in Jerusalem Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-02-23-08-38-20-he Story Transcript:He: השמש הייתה מוחבאת מאחורי עננים כהים בירושלים החורפית.En: The sun was hidden behind dark clouds in the wintery Jerusalem.He: הקור נגע בלחיים ופזר טיפות גשם קלות על אבני הכותל המערבי.En: The cold touched their cheeks and scattered light raindrops on the stones of the Western Wall.He: יהודית, יהודית, על ראשי החג.En: Yehudit, Yehudit, on my head the holiday.He: היו אלו ימי פורים, וצלילי החג וריחות הסופגניות הציפו את אוויר העיר.En: These were the days of Purim, and the sounds of the holiday and the scent of sufganiyot filled the city's air.He: יעל עמדה מול הכותל עם ספריה ומחברת, שניסתה לסדר ברוח הקרה.En: Yael stood in front of the wall with her books and notebook, trying to organize them in the cold wind.He: יעל הייתה נחושה.En: Yael was determined.He: היא רצתה להכין את הפרויקט הכי טוב לכיתה על משמעות התרבותית של הכותל המערבי.En: She wanted to prepare the best project for class on the cultural significance of the Western Wall.He: אבל היא לא לבד.En: But she wasn't alone.He: לצדה עמד אברהם, עם חיוך רגוע על פניו.En: Beside her stood Avraham, with a calm smile on his face.He: אברהם הציץ מסביב, מתבונן במתחפשים ובשמחת החג.En: Avraham glanced around, watching those in costumes and the joy of the holiday.He: קולות הפורים הסיחו את דעתו מהמטרה המרכזית שלהם.En: The sounds of Purim distracted him from their main goal.He: "יעל, תראי את התחפושת הזו," הוא צחק.En: "Yael, look at that costume," he laughed.He: יעל גילגלה את עיניה אך חיוך קל הופיע על פניה.En: Yael rolled her eyes, but a slight smile appeared on her face.He: "אברהם, חשוב לנו לסיים את הפרויקט," היא אמרה בעדינות אך בתקיפות.En: “Avraham, we need to finish the project," she said gently but firmly.He: אברהם נאנח וביטל את ענייניו החיצוניים לרגע.En: Avraham sighed and dismissed his external interests for a moment.He: "אני יודע, זה חשוב," השיב לבסוף.En: "I know, it's important," he finally replied.He: כך ישבו שניהם מול הכותל, כשאברהם מנסה להתרכז.En: So, they both sat in front of the wall, with Avraham trying to concentrate.He: הם הבינו שצריך גם לשתף ולא רק לעבוד.En: They realized they needed to share, not just work.He: חילופי סיפורים התחילו במקרה - אברהם הזכיר את סבא רבא שלו שפעם עלה לרגל לכותל, ויעל סיפרה על התפילות שהיא אומרת שם בכל שנה ביום כיפור.En: Their exchange of stories began by chance - Avraham mentioned his great-grandfather who once made a pilgrimage to the wall, and Yael spoke of the prayers she says there every year on Yom Kippur.He: בעודם מדברים, הם מצאו עצמם נוגעים באופן אישי יותר בהיסטוריה של המקום.En: As they talked, they found themselves becoming more personally connected to the history of the place.He: הם קלטו שהכותל הוא יותר מאבן עתיקה, הוא מייצג זיכרונות, חלומות ותקוות.En: They realized that the wall is more than an ancient stone; it represents memories, dreams, and hopes.He: הדיון הפך לחברות, להפחתת המתח ולעבודה משותפת.En: The discussion turned into friendship, reducing tension and leading to joint work.He: כשהגיעו לבית הספר והציגו את הפרויקט המוגמר, הוא היה שילוב של עובדות היסטוריות וחוויות אישיות.En: When they arrived at school and presented the completed project, it was a combination of historical facts and personal experiences.He: לימודם לא היה רק על כותל, אלא גם על חשיבות האיזון בין עבודה לחיים, ועל ההקשבה זה לזה.En: Their learning wasn't just about the Kotel, but also about the importance of balancing work and life, and listening to each other.He: יעל הבינה שבזמן שהמטרה חשובה, גם החברות וההבנה חשובים.En: Yael understood that while the goal is important, so are friendship and understanding.He: ואברהם גילה שהיכולת להתרכז ולתרום משמעותית מובילה לתוצאות מרשימות.En: And Avraham discovered that the ability to focus and contribute meaningfully leads to impressive results.He: יחד, הם הראו שלפעמים החגיגות יכולות להעשיר את הלימוד, ולא רק לשבש אותו.En: Together, they showed that sometimes the celebrations can enrich the learning, not just disrupt it. Vocabulary Words:hidden: מוחבאתwintery: החורפיתcheeks: לחייםscattered: פזרdetermined: נחושהcultural significance: משמעות תרבותיתconcentrate: להתרכזpilgrimage: עלה לרגלancient: עתיקהmemories: זיכרונותdreams: חלומותhopes: תקוותdiscussion: דיוןfriendship: חברותtension: מתחjoint work: עבודה משותפתbalance: איזוןlistening: הקשבהimpressive: מרשימותcelebrations: חגיגותenrich: להעשירnotebook: מחברתexternal interests: ענייניו החיצונייםgoals: מטרהexchange: חילופיpersonally connected: נוגעים באופן אישיcombination: שילובmeaningfully: משמעותיתdistracted: הסיחו את דעתוfirmly: בתקיפותBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon and religion reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. On Sunday, the cabinet approved the opening of a new land registration process for Area C in the West Bank, some 60 percent of the territory, which it and critics said would enable the state to declare large swaths of land in the territory as available for public development, meaning the creation and expansion of settlements and settlement infrastructure. Sharon weighs in on the trend of increasing Israeli civilian control of the territory, or de facto annexation, and Tercatin brings the example of legislation that would give the State of Israel control of archaeological sites in territory currently administered by the Palestinian Authority. Yesterday, for the first time in three years, representatives of the state and the Jerusalem municipality explained to the High Court why there is a delay in implementing a 2016 government-mandated upgrade to the egalitarian prayer section at the Western Wall and restoring its direct access to the wall itself. Tercatin updates us on the ongoing saga and Sharon weighs in with the potential legal outcomes. We finish the program with a new reading of the New Testament's cleansing of the Temple, which brings out Jesus's more human aspects. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Cabinet OKs new West Bank land registration process, critics decry ‘de-facto annexation’ Local and state government trade blame over delays upgrading Western Wall egalitarian plaza Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. IMAGE: Palestinians visit the Roman historical site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, November 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF paratrooper mortally wounded in tragic friendly fire incident in Gaza Strip, Heightened security as Ramadan begins, Women of the Wall assaulted and pushed out of Western Wall plaze See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Ushers once again prevented Women of the Wall from reading from the Torah at plaza in honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar. The ushers refused to allow the women to bring their own Torah scroll or use one of the scrolls offered to the public. The Women of the Wall were forced to hold the ceremony at the entrance to the Western Wall plaza amid shouting and pushing from rioters. At the end of the reading, police detained two of the women, claiming they were obstructing the emergency passage. Anat Hoffman, the chairperson of Women of the Wall, said rioters shredded and burned up dozens of their Jewish prayer books. “We wanted to read it (the Torah) by women, for woman at the woman’s section at the wall… the authorities are keeping us away from Torah,” she said. (photo: Chaim Goldberg/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Lost in History: Amit's Heartfelt Homecoming in Jerusalem Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-02-17-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: רוחות קרירות נשבו ברחובות הצרים של העיר העתיקה בירושלים.En: Cool breezes blew through the narrow streets of the Old City in Jerusalem.He: החורף באוויר והריח המתוק של אוזני המן פיזר תחושת קדושה ועושר בקרב הקירות העתיקים.En: Winter was in the air, and the sweet smell of ozney haman spread a feeling of holiness and abundance among the ancient walls.He: עמית, יונה וליאור צעדו עם אביהם ברחובות העמוסים, אוחזים במפת הירושה של ירושלים.En: Amit, Yonah, and Lior walked with their father through the crowded streets, holding the inheritance map of Jerusalem.He: עמית, נער עם חיבה להיסטוריה, ניסה להתחבר לחגיגות הפורים מסביב.En: Amit, a boy with a fondness for history, tried to connect with the Purim celebrations around him.He: הוא ראה אנשים מחופשים, ילדים צוחקים ומבוגרים נושאים שקיות ממתקים.En: He saw people in costumes, laughing children, and adults carrying bags of candies.He: אך בתוך כל ההמולה חש עמית מעט חיצוני.En: But amid all the commotion, Amit felt somewhat out of place.He: הוא ידע את הסיפורים וההיסטוריה, אך הלב שלו הרגיש ריק.En: He knew the stories and the history, but his heart felt empty.He: יונה וליאור הצביעו לכיוון כותל המערבי, אך עמית הרגיש שאולי היום ימצא משהו אחר, משהו שהוא לא ידע קודם.En: Yonah and Lior pointed toward the Western Wall, but Amit felt that perhaps today he would find something different, something he hadn't known before.He: הוא פנה ברגליים אל סמטה בלתי נודעת, חיפוש אחר מהות אמיתית.En: He turned his steps toward an unknown alley, searching for genuine meaning.He: הלמות הלב שלו הובילו אותו הלאה מהקול התוסס והאלכוהול של המסיבה הציבורית.En: His racing heart led him away from the lively and alcoholic sounds of the public party.He: בפינה נסתרת של העיר הוא מצא קבוצת מקומיים מתכוננים לחגיגת פורים אחרת.En: In a hidden corner of the city, he found a group of locals preparing for a different kind of Purim celebration.He: תפאורה פשוטה, נגנים וחבורה צוהלת.En: Simple decor, musicians, and a joyful gathering.He: הם לא נשאלו על זהותו של החוגג החדש שהגיע.En: They didn't question the identity of the new celebrant who had arrived.He: עמית נמשך אל תוך החמימות שלהם כמו מגנט.En: Amit was drawn into their warmth like a magnet.He: תוך דקות הוא מצא עצמו מרקד לצלילי החליל, נותן לעצמו לשחרר כל תחושה של זרות.En: Within minutes, he found himself dancing to the sounds of the flute, allowing himself to release any feeling of alienation.He: הלב שלו התרחב והתחושות חזרו.En: His heart expanded, and his emotions returned.He: בין חברים חדשים, סביב שולחן מלא בכל טוב, הרעידה הפנימית הפכה לשיר.En: Among new friends, around a table full of delights, the internal trembling turned into a song.He: עמית ראה עיניים מחייכות ופטפטים מלאים משמעויות.En: Amit saw smiling eyes and chatter full of meaning.He: הוא הרגיש חיבור עמוק לכל פינות המקום והאנשים שבו.En: He felt a deep connection to every corner of the place and the people there.He: כשהערב ירד על העיר העתיקה, הארות התחילו לנצנץ והשמחה הפנימית שלו בערה כמו נר חנוכה.En: As evening descended on the Old City, lights began to twinkle, and his inner joy burned like a Hanukkah candle.He: עמית לא הרגיש יותר זר.En: Amit no longer felt like a stranger.He: הוא היה אחד מהם.En: He was one of them.He: בפורים ההוא הוא הבין שהשורשים שלו הם יותר מסיפור היסטורי.En: On that Purim, he realized that his roots were more than just a historical tale.He: זה היה חיבור בלב.En: It was a connection of the heart.He: בלילה הזה, עמית באמת חזר הביתה.En: That night, Amit truly returned home. Vocabulary Words:breezes: רוחותnarrow: צריםholiness: קדושהabundance: עושרinheritance: ירושהfondness: חיבהcommotion: המולהalienation: זרותgenuine: אמיתיתlively: תוססalcoholic: אלכוהולcelebrant: חוגגmagnet: מגנטflute: חלילrelease: לשחררtrembling: רעידהchatter: פטפטיםexpanded: התרחבdelights: בכל טובdescended: ירדtwinkle: לנצנץstranger: זרroots: שורשיםhistorical: היסטוריconnection: חיבורsweet: מתוקfeeling: תחושהprepare: מתכונניםinternal: פנימיתjoyful: צוהלתBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Healing in the Holy Land: A Tale of Renewal and Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-01-25-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: הבוקר בירושלים התחיל בהמון רגש.En: The morning in Jerusalem started with much emotion.He: אריאלה ונעם עמדו מול הכותל המערבי, נשימתם נעתקה מהמראה המרגש של אבן העתיקה, עוטפת בזכרונות ותפילות.En: Ariela and Noam stood in front of the Western Wall, their breath taken away by the moving sight of the ancient stone, enveloped in memories and prayers.He: זה היה יום ט"ו בשבט, וחגג בטבע את ראש השנה לאילנות.En: It was the holiday of Tu Bishvat, celebrating the New Year for the Trees.He: אריאלה הייתה נרגשת במיוחד להשתתף בטקס הנטיעה.En: Ariela was especially excited to participate in the planting ceremony.He: היא הרגישה זיקה עמוקה לרוחניות של המקום והחג.En: She felt a deep connection to the spirituality of the place and the holiday.He: נעם, ידודה הטוב, היה לצדה כדי לתמוך ולעזור.En: Noam, her good friend, was by her side to support and help.He: הם הרגישו שהם חלק ממשהו גדול וקדוש.En: They felt they were part of something large and sacred.He: לפתע, אריאלה חשה בסחרחורת מוזרה.En: Suddenly, Ariela felt a strange dizziness.He: היא ניסתה להחזיק במקום, אך התחושות הלכו והתגברו.En: She tried to hold her ground, but the sensations grew stronger.He: "נעם, אני לא מרגישה טוב," לחשה עם דאגה בעיניים.En: "Noam, I'm not feeling well," she whispered with concern in her eyes.He: נעם הביט בה בחשש, "אולי כדאי שנחזור למלון?En: Noam looked at her worriedly, "Maybe we should go back to the hotel?"He: "אך אריאלה רצתה מאוד להשתתף בטקס הנטיעה.En: But Ariela really wanted to participate in the planting ceremony.He: היא אמרה לנעם: "אני חייבת לנסות.En: She said to Noam, "I have to try.He: אני מרגישה שזה חשוב.En: I feel it's important."He: " נעם הנהן, אך עדיין היה מודאג.En: Noam nodded, but was still concerned.He: באותו רגע הגיע אלעזר, מדריך מקומי עם חיוך חם.En: At that moment, Elazar, a local guide with a warm smile, arrived.He: הוא שם לב למצב של אריאלה ושאל אם הוא יכול לעזור.En: He noticed Ariela's condition and asked if he could help.He: "אני קצת מבין בענייני רפואה טבעית," הציע בעדינות.En: "I know a little about natural medicine," he offered gently.He: אריאלה ונעם הסכימו, והם מצאו מקום שקט לשבת.En: Ariela and Noam agreed, and they found a quiet place to sit.He: אלעזר בדק את אריאלה והציע לשתות מים ולקחת כמה נשימות עמוקות.En: Elazar examined Ariela and suggested drinking water and taking a few deep breaths.He: בעזרת הידע שלו, הוא הצליח להרגיע את תחושת הסחרחורת.En: Using his knowledge, he managed to calm the dizziness.He: כאשר התחיל טקס הנטיעה, אריאלה הרגישה טוב יותר.En: When the planting ceremony began, Ariela felt better.He: היא חפרה באדמה, נוטעת שתיל קטן, ובלבה תקווה והודיה.En: She dug into the earth, planting a small sapling, with hope and gratitude in her heart.He: התחושה המיוחדת של נטיעת עץ במקום הקדוש והתפילות שחברו לכל תנועה העניקו לה חווית התחדשות.En: The special feeling of planting a tree in the sacred place, and the prayers that accompanied every movement, gave her a sense of renewal.He: בסיום הטקס, אריאלה הסתכלה על אלעזר בענווה והודתה לו מכל הלב.En: At the end of the ceremony, Ariela looked at Elazar with humility and thanked him wholeheartedly.He: אלעזר הרגיש שחווית ההצלחה בריפוי אריאלה הדליק בנפשו את השאיפה להיות מרפא.En: Elazar felt that the success of healing Ariela ignited in him the aspiration to become a healer.He: בדרך חזרה למלון, אריאלה חשבה על מה שקרה ולמדה שאסור להתעלם מהסימנים שהגוף נותן.En: On the way back to the hotel, Ariela thought about what happened and learned that one should not ignore the signs the body gives.He: היא הרגישה מלאת אנרגיה ושמחה וידעה שתחזור לירושלים לעוד חוויות רוחניות.En: She felt full of energy and joy and knew she would return to Jerusalem for more spiritual experiences.He: ובין המאמינים הרבים שעמדו ליד הכותל, אלעזר הסתכל על ידיו ותהה על יכולותיו, מבטו הקדיש לא רק לאבנים העתיקות אלא גם לעתידו החדש.En: And among the many believers standing by the Western Wall, Elazar looked at his hands and pondered his abilities, his gaze dedicated not only to the ancient stones but also to his new future. Vocabulary Words:emotion: רגשbreath: נשימהenveloped: עוטפתmemories: זכרונותspirituality: רוחניותdizziness: סחרחורתwhispered: לחשהconcern: דאגהworriedly: בחששparticipate: להשתתףceremony: טקסcondition: מצבnatural medicine: רפואה טבעיתexamined: בדקaspiration: שאיפהhealer: מרפאignore: להתעלםsapling: שתילgratitude: הודיהrenewal: התחדשותhumility: ענווהsuccess: הצלחהpondered: תההdedicated: הקדישancient: עתיקsacred: קדושsensation: תחושהprayers: תפילותguide: מדריךjoy: שמחהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Don't miss a special mini-tour of Israel from September 2025 on Open Line with Dr. Michael Rydelnik. Join us around your radio kitchen table as he and Dr. Bryan O'Neal answer a few Bible questions. Then hear Michael teach on-location in Capernaum and at the Western Wall. We'll also hear the testimony of a Jewish tour guide named Shira. Be sure to join us for this special edition of Open Line. Learn more about resources mentioned:Future trips with MichaelOpen Line Live TourChosen People Ministries free giftFEBC podcastMoody Bible Commentary Open Line is listener-supported. To support the program, click here. Become a Kitchen Table Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/openline/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Herod (born 72; died 4 or 1 BC) was an infamous tyrant, but he was also known for his colossal construction projects throughout Judea. Among these works are the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the expansion of its base—the Western Wall being part of it. Ee86. Dan Snow's History Hit podcast available at https://amzn.to/48HlmtH Books by Seth Schwartz available at https://amzn.to/49US5vJ ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Mark's History of North America podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Dan Snow's History Hit podcast (Episode 1337: King Herod with Seth Schwartz, professor of Classical Jewish Civilization at New York City’s Columbia University). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, catch diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, while Berman was in Florida to cover the summit between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan invited senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur to sit in the hot seat and prepare five scenarios for Israel for 2026. Rettig Gur came prepared -- plus one -- and the two spend the first half discussing the three main fronts of the war, Lebanon, Gaza and Iran. In the second half, we learn about more domestic/political issues, including Rettig Gur's projection that Israel will begin to wean itself from US aid as the political winds shift in the States. Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. IMAGE: A man walks down to the Western Wall as the Dome of the Rock at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound appears in the background in the Old City of Jerusalem on December 4, 2025. (JOHN WESSELS / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Finding Light and Love: Ariel's Journey in Jerusalem Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-27-08-38-20-he Story Transcript:He: בירושלים העתיקה, בזמן החורף של חג החנוכה, אבנים עתיקות סיפרו סיפורים עתיקים וגשרים מוארים בחום זהוב הרגישו את שמחת החג המקיפה את הכול.En: In Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) of old, during the winter of Hanukkah, ancient stones told ancient stories and bridges illuminated in golden warmth felt the joy of the holiday that enveloped everything.He: אריאל, סטודנטית סקרנית ומחפשת משמעות, הגיעה לדרוך על האדמה הקדושה הזו כדי להרגיש חיבור עמוק יותר לשורשיה.En: Ariel, a curious and meaning-seeking student, arrived to tread on this holy ground to feel a deeper connection to her roots.He: בערב חגיגי של נרות חנוכה, אריאל נעמדה מול הכותל המערבי, מוקפת באנשים, במוזיקה ובשירה אשר מילאו את האוויר הקריר.En: On a festive evening of Hanukkah candles, Ariel stood before the Kotel HaMa'aravi (Western Wall), surrounded by people, music, and singing that filled the chilly air.He: היא רצתה למצוא משמעות ולהרגיש חלק מהחגיגות, אך גם היססה, לא בטוחה אם אכן זו מקומה.En: She wanted to find meaning and feel part of the celebrations, but she also hesitated, unsure if this was truly her place.He: בין ההמונים פגשה את דוד.En: Among the crowds, she met David.He: דוד היה מקומי חמים וקשוב, שהתנדב כמדריך והכיר בבקיאות כל אבן וכל סיפור בירושלים.En: David was a warm and attentive local, who volunteered as a guide and was knowledgeable about every stone and story in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).He: חיוכו היה מדבק, ונראה היה שהוא מאיר באור משלו בכל מקום אליו הלך.En: His smile was infectious, and he seemed to light up every place he went.He: הוא קרא לה להצטרף אליו לסיור מיוחד באזור הכותל ובירושלים העתיקה.En: He invited her to join him on a special tour around the Kotel and in old Yerushalayim.He: אריאל, שעדיין הרגישה קצת אבודה, החליטה לנצל את ההזדמנות, להיפתח למסורת המקומית ולחברות החדשה עם דוד.En: Ariel, still feeling a bit lost, decided to seize the opportunity, open up to the local tradition, and explore the new friendship with David.He: השניים הלכו יחד בסמטאות הצרות, שם דוד הדגים לה כיצד כל פינה מספרת סיפור משל עצמה.En: The two walked together through the narrow alleys, where David demonstrated to her how every corner tells its own story.He: הם עצרו מול חנויות קטנות, היכן שנמכרו סופגניות ולביבות, והאווירה הייתה שמחה ומזמינה.En: They stopped in front of small shops, where sufganiyot and levivot were sold, and the atmosphere was joyful and inviting.He: ככל שעבר הזמן, אריאל הרגישה איזה חום בלב שלא הכירה.En: As time passed, Ariel felt a warmth in her heart that she hadn't known.He: היא הרגישה שייכת, למרות הזרות.En: She felt belonging, despite being a stranger.He: כשהגיע הרגע לשיאו, נרות החנוכה הודלקו בכותל המערבי.En: When the moment reached its peak, the Hanukkah candles were lit at the Kotel HaMa'aravi.He: אור חמים ורך נשטף עליהם, ואריאל ודוד עמדו יחד, מוקסמים מהמראה.En: Warm, soft light washed over them, and Ariel and David stood together, mesmerized by the sight.He: אריאל הרגישה משהו שהיה חסר לה, משהו עמוק ובעל משמעות אמיתית.En: Ariel felt something she had been missing, something deep and truly meaningful.He: הייתה זו רגע קסום של חיבור ורגע של התרחבות הלב.En: It was a magical moment of connection and a moment of the heart's expansion.He: אריאל הביטה בדוד והבינה שהיא רוצה להישאר, להמשיך לחקור ולהעמיק את הקשר שנוצר ביניהם.En: Ariel looked at David and realized that she wanted to stay, to continue exploring and deepening the relationship that had been formed between them.He: היא הייתה מוכנה להישאר מעבר לתכניתה המקורית, ומצאה עצמה מביטה לעבר עתיד חדש ומבטיח עם דוד לצידה.En: She was ready to stay beyond her original plan and found herself looking towards a new and promising future with David by her side.He: כך, בין נרות החנוכה וצלילי החגיגה, אריאל כבר לא הרגישה כזרה.En: Thus, between the Hanukkah candles and the sounds of celebration, Ariel no longer felt like a stranger.He: היא מצאה מקום בליבה לירושלים ולחברה החדשה שהולידה רגעי קסם בבית אבותיה.En: She found a place in her heart for Yerushalayim and the new friendship that had birthed moments of magic in the home of her ancestors.He: חג החנוכה הפך עבורה לסמל של אור, חיבור וזהות מחודשת.En: Hanukkah became for her a symbol of light, connection, and renewed identity. Vocabulary Words:ancient: עתיקהilluminated: מואריםenveloped: המקיפהtread: לדרוךhesitated: היססהattentive: קשובvolunteered: התנדבdemonstrated: הדגיםnarrow: צרותinviting: מזמינהmesmerized: מקסמיםbeyond: מעברgateway: שערroots: שורשיהfestive: חגיגיcurious: סקרניתconnection: חיבורstranger: זרהidentity: זהותexpansion: התרחבותpromising: מבטיחsurrounded: מוקפתknowledgeable: מכיר בבקיאותbelonging: שייכתshop: חנויותsufganiyot: סופגניותlevivot: לביבותmagical: קסוםmoment: רגעwarmth: חוםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Top stories from 2025:1,000 pastors at the Southern Steps & the Western Wall w/renewed vision for supporting Israel. Eli Sharabi, held hostage in Gaza for 491 days. Fulfilling prophesy: two brothers growing grapes in Tekoa. Aaron Shust sings 'Zion.'

Top stories from 2025:1,000 pastors at the Southern Steps & the Western Wall w/renewed vision for supporting Israel. Eli Sharabi, held hostage in Gaza for 491 days. Fulfilling prophesy: two brothers growing grapes in Tekoa. Aaron Shust sings 'Zion.'

Top stories from 2025:1,000 pastors at the Southern Steps & the Western Wall w/renewed vision for supporting Israel. Eli Sharabi, held hostage in Gaza for 491 days. Fulfilling prophesy: two brothers growing grapes in Tekoa. Aaron Shust sings 'Zion.'

Top stories from 2025:1,000 pastors at the Southern Steps & the Western Wall w/renewed vision for supporting Israel. Eli Sharabi, held hostage in Gaza for 491 days. Fulfilling prophesy: two brothers growing grapes in Tekoa. Aaron Shust sings 'Zion.'

Top stories from 2025:1,000 pastors at the Southern Steps & the Western Wall w/renewed vision for supporting Israel. Eli Sharabi, held hostage in Gaza for 491 days. Fulfilling prophesy: two brothers growing grapes in Tekoa. Aaron Shust sings 'Zion.'

Top stories from 2025:1,000 pastors at the Southern Steps & the Western Wall w/renewed vision for supporting Israel. Eli Sharabi, held hostage in Gaza for 491 days. Fulfilling prophesy: two brothers growing grapes in Tekoa. Aaron Shust sings 'Zion.'

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Love and Light: A Hanukkah Journey Through Jerusalem Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-17-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: הרחובות הצרים בעיר העתיקה של ירושלים היו מלאים באור נרות החנוכה.En: The narrow streets of the Old City of Jerusalem were filled with the light of Hanukkah candles.He: ריח הסופגניות והלביבות התפשט בכל פינה ומילא את האוויר בניחוחות של חג.En: The scent of sufganiyot and latkes spread to every corner, filling the air with the aromas of the holiday.He: עונת החורף הוסיפה לקסם, עם קור נעים שמלטף את הפנים.En: The winter season added to the magic, with a pleasant cold gently caressing the face.He: עבור עזרא, זו הייתה הפעם הראשונה שהוא יצא לדייט עם מיה.En: For Ezra, this was the first time he went on a date with Mia.He: לבו היה מלא התרגשות וחרדה.En: His heart was full of excitement and anxiety.He: הוא היה סטודנט באוניברסיטה, ראש מלא בכל מחשבה על איך להרשים את מיה.En: He was a university student, his mind consumed with thoughts of how to impress Mia.He: מיה, לעומת זאת, הייתה נערה בטוחה בעצמה, חובבת היסטוריה שאהבה לגלות פינות נסתרות בעיר הקדומה.En: Mia, on the other hand, was a confident girl, a history enthusiast who loved discovering hidden corners in the ancient city.He: "כאן," אמרה מיה בחיוך קורן, כשהובילה את עזרא לסמטה קטנה.En: "Here," said Mia with a radiant smile as she led Ezra to a small alley.He: "זה המקום האהוב עלי.En: "This is my favorite place.He: יש פה חנות קטנה של ספרים ישנים.En: There's a small shop here for old books."He: "עזרא הסתכל מסביב בעיניים מרובן, מנסה להירגע.En: Ezra looked around with wide eyes, trying to calm down.He: הוא הבחין כיצד מיה מלהיבה ושמחה בכל פניה.En: He noticed how Mia was enthusiastic and joyful at every turn.He: האווירה הייתה חגיגית, והמוני תיירים ומקומיים זרמו מכל רחבי העיר לחגוג את החנוכה.En: The atmosphere was festive, with crowds of tourists and locals converging from all over the city to celebrate Hanukkah.He: "כמה אנשים," לחש עזרא כשהוא מנסה להסתיר את תחושות החרדה.En: "So many people," whispered Ezra, trying to hide his feelings of anxiety.He: "אני מקווה שלא אגרום לפשלה.En: "I hope I don't mess up."He: ""עזרא," ענתה מיה בעדינות.En: "Ezra," Mia replied gently.He: "פשוט תהנה מהרגע.En: "Just enjoy the moment.He: אנחנו כאן בשביל לגלות יחד.En: We're here to discover together."He: "הם המשיכו במסעם, עוברים דרך שער יפו אל רחבת הכותל.En: They continued on their journey, passing through Jaffa Gate to the plaza near the Western Wall.He: תחושותיו התחילו להירגע כאשר הוא ראה את הנרות הדולקים על המנורה הגדולה.En: His feelings started to calm when he saw the candles burning on the large menorah.He: מיה הציעה שיידליקו יחד נר.En: Mia suggested they light a candle together.He: בעודם עומדים מול החנוכייה, עזרא חש בפרץ של שלווה.En: As they stood before the Hanukkiah, Ezra felt a surge of peace.He: למראה האור המרצד והרגע הקדוש, הוא שכח מהלחצים והפחדים.En: At the sight of the flickering light and the sacred moment, he forgot about his stresses and fears.He: שניהם פלטו צחוק כאשר הנר הראשון ניצב והתלקח.En: They both burst into laughter when the first candle stood and ignited.He: "האור הזה מופלא," אמר עזרא.En: "This light is wonderful," said Ezra.He: "זה באמת מרגש.En: "It's truly exciting."He: "מיה חייכה אליו, ידיה אוחזות בעדינות בידו.En: Mia smiled at him, her hands gently holding his.He: "תודה שאתה כאן איתי," ענתה.En: "Thank you for being here with me," she replied.He: כשהלילה סגר על העיר העתיקה, שניהם הלכו יחדיו עד לשער העיר.En: As night descended upon the Old City, they walked together to the city gate.He: עזרא כבר לא הרגיש אותו הצורך להצטיין.En: Ezra no longer felt the need to excel.He: הזמן שבילה עם מיה היה מיוחד, וההנאה הייתה אמתית ופשוטה.En: The time he spent with Mia was special, and the enjoyment was genuine and simple.He: "נלך לאכול משהו בפעם הבאה?En: "Shall we go eat something next time?"He: " שאלה מיה בקריצה.En: asked Mia with a wink.He: "בהחלט," ענה עזרא בביטחון חדש.En: "Absolutely," replied Ezra with newfound confidence.He: הם נפרדו עם הבטחה לפגוש שוב, בעוד העיר העתיקה מוקפת באורות חג החנוכה.En: They parted with a promise to meet again, while the Old City was surrounded by the lights of Hanukkah.He: ואז, עזרא הבין שאם הוא רק יישאר נאמן לעצמו, כל פגישה תהיה מושלמת.En: Then, Ezra realized that if he only stayed true to himself, every meeting would be perfect.He: חנוכה בעיר הזאת תמיד תהיה בלתי נשכחת בזכות התחושות שהוא למד לשחרר ולחוות.En: Hanukkah in this city would always be unforgettable thanks to the feelings he learned to release and experience. Vocabulary Words:narrow: צריםscent: ריחcaressing: מלטףanxiety: חרדהenthusiast: חובבתalley: סמטהradiant: קורןgently: בעדינותconverging: זורמיםfestive: חגיגיתwhispered: לחשsurge: פרץflickering: מרצדsacred: קדושignited: התלקחgenuine: אמתיתsimple: פשוטהdescended: סגרplaza: רחבתpromise: הבטחהunforgettable: בלתי נשכחתrelease: לשחררexperience: לחוותcorners: פינותconsumed: מלאimpress: להרשיםenjoyment: הנאהcalm: להירגעfears: פחדיםconfidence: ביטחוןBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Subscribe for unfiltered analysis and on-the-ground truth from the Land of Israel. Turkey is signaling it is ready to send troops into Gaza as part of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), a move Israel strongly opposes, even as the United States pressures Ankara to take a leading role. Turkish and Egyptian officials argue the force should “separate” Israel and Hamas, not disarm the terror organization. a position Israeli leaders warn will guarantee failure. In this wide-ranging and urgent episode, the discussion explores: Why foreign troops on Israeli soil threaten Israel's security How Turkey's ambitions intersect with Trump's emerging “Board of Peace” Why the world is being whipped into a frenzy against Israel The return of Hellenism in modern form The spiritual meaning of Hanukkah, sovereignty, and inheritance of the Land And why Israel's survival depends on clarity, strength, and truth Powerful scenes unfolding in Israel today, from Haredi soldiers completing IDF training at the Western Wall to Levitical singing returning to the Temple Mount for the first time in nearly 2,000 years This is not just geopolitics, it's history, faith, and destiny unfolding in real time.

How can the ancient Hebrew language unlock a deeper way of listening to Christ with our whole heart, soul, and might?In this week's episode of Latter-Day Lights, Scott Brandley and guest co-host Emily Hemmert sit down with Dr. Trina Boice—university professor, longtime author, avid scripture educator, and Hebrew enthusiast—to explore the “Via Dolorosa,” more commonly known as the sorrowful path Christ walked from condemnation to crucifixion. Dr. Trina shares what it's like to trace the traditional stations through Jerusalem, why this journey can reframe the Atonement as more than a single moment, and how sacred spaces (even outside our own faith tradition) can invite powerful spiritual reflection. Together, these experiences point to a discipleship that is not only believed, but lived through both body and spirit.And, as we look ahead to the 2026 "Come, Follow Me" study of the Old Testament, Trina introduces a foundational Hebrew word, “Shema,” and how its layers of meaning (to hear, to hearken, to obey) can transform the way we approach scripture study and prayer. Along the way, she shares moving experiences from the Western Wall, insights into Jewish worship and devotion, and a renewed invitation to find Jesus Christ woven throughout the Old Testament.Ultimately, this conversation invites us to move beyond simply reading the scriptures to truly living them. Through language, history, and lived experience, Dr. Trina reminds us that discipleship is not passive, but a wholehearted response to the Savior's voice in every season of our lives.*** Please SHARE Dr. Trina's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***To WATCH this episode on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/ZsmC_RzdGeg-----To LEARN MORE about Dr. Trina, visit: https://www.TrinaBoice.comTo LEARN MORE about Dr. Trina's author coaching services, visit: https://www.frombook2business.com/To READ Dr. Trina's book, "The Language of Heaven," visit: https://a.co/d/4j5b4kXTo READ Dr. Trina's book, "Via Dolorosa," visit: https://www.cedarfort.com/products/via-dolorosa-christs-path-to-the-cross?srsltid=AfmBOoriQlGGDu7ngEuLrfu0GN38cg1FUe-z7ovPv7bYXO6i-NCc9pD6To LISTEN to Dr. Trina's podcast, "Daily Inspirational Quote," visit: https://open.spotify.com/show/17RPUlzByZQVu4zmqktoZ0?si=86c6033495a048f1To WATCH Dr. Trina's movie reviews, visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/MovieReviewMom To READ Scott's new book “Faith to Stay” for free, visit: https://www.faithtostay.com/-----Keep updated with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latter.day.lights/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latterdaylightsAlso, if you have a faith-promoting or inspiring story, or know someone who does, please let us know by going to https://www.latterdaylights.com and reaching out to us.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Illuminating Tradition: Finding Inspiration in Yerushalayim Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-12-08-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: ירושלים הייתה מכוסה באווירה ייחודית, מוזיאון פתוח של היסטוריה וחלומות.En: Yerushalayim was enveloped in a unique atmosphere, an open museum of history and dreams.He: הרחובות היו צפופים באנשים שבאו לחגוג את חג החנוכה, ואורות המנורה האירו כל פינה בעיר העתיקה.En: The streets were crowded with people who came to celebrate Chanukah, and the menorah lights illuminated every corner of the Old City.He: יונה ומרים הלכו יחד ברחובות הצרים.En: Yonah and Miriam walked together through the narrow streets.He: יונה היה אמן צעיר, המחפש השראה לציוריו.En: Yonah was a young artist seeking inspiration for his paintings.He: מרים, היסטוריונית, אהבה את ההיסטוריה העמוקה של עיר הבירה.En: Miriam, a historian, loved the deep history of the capital city.He: הם הלכו אל הכותל המערבי, המקום שבו הזמן עמד מלכת.En: They went to the Western Wall, the place where time stood still.He: יונה הרגיש את ההתרגשות, אבל גם את הלחץ.En: Yonah felt the excitement, but also the pressure.He: המוני התיירים חשפו אותו מכל צד, מהקשישים שהתפללו ועד הילדים ששמחו באורות החנוכיה.En: Crowds of tourists surrounded him on all sides, from the elderly who were praying to the children delighted by the menorah lights.He: הוא התקשה להתרכז בעבודתו.En: He found it difficult to concentrate on his work.He: "איך אוכל למצוא כאן שקט?En: "How can I find peace here?"He: ", חשב לעצמו.En: he thought to himself.He: מרים, מצד שני, נאבקה בתחושותיה לגבי המסורת.En: Miriam, on the other hand, grappled with her feelings about tradition.He: היא חשבה שנים רבות שהתפילות העתיקות אינן רלוונטיות לעולמה.En: For many years, she thought that the ancient prayers were not relevant to her world.He: אבל היום, בין האורות והאנשים, היא הייתה סקרנית לבדוק את רגשותיה.En: But today, among the lights and people, she was curious to explore her emotions.He: יונה ישב ליד הכותל.En: Yonah sat by the Wall.He: במקום לצלם, החליט לצייר.En: Instead of taking photos, he decided to draw.He: בלי לחשוב יותר מדי, נתן לידייו לרשום את מה שראו עיניו.En: Without thinking too much, he let his hands sketch what his eyes saw.He: הוא רצה לגלות יופי ופשטות.En: He wanted to discover beauty and simplicity.He: מרים הניחה נר על מקום מיוחד בקיר הנשים והדליקה אותו.En: Miriam placed a candle in a special spot in the women's section of the Wall and lit it.He: היא שרה כמעט בלחש תפילה שלמדה מאמה.En: She sang a prayer she had learned from her mother, almost in a whisper.He: הם חלקו את מחשבותיהם ליד הכותל.En: They shared their thoughts by the Wall.He: מרים ביקשה מיונה לתאר את מה שהוא רואה.En: Miriam asked Yonah to describe what he sees.He: היא שאלה אותו מה הוא מרגיש.En: She asked him what he feels.He: יונה הרים את מבטו מהדף והבין, דרך המילים של מרים, שהפשטות בעיניה היא היופי האמיתי של המקום.En: Yonah lifted his gaze from the page and realized, through Miriam's words, that simplicity in her eyes is the true beauty of the place.He: הוא יכול להרגיש את נשימתה הרכה של ההיסטוריה בכל אבן.En: He could feel the gentle breath of history in every stone.He: באותו רגע, מרים הרגישה משהו עמוק.En: In that moment, Miriam felt something profound.He: היא הבינה שהמסורת היא חלק ממנה, לא משנה כמה התקדמו החיים.En: She realized that tradition is part of her, no matter how much life has progressed.He: יונה גילה שההשראה אינה דורשת הרפתקאות, אלא ראייה חדשה של אותם המקומות והדברים.En: Yonah discovered that inspiration doesn't require adventures, but a new vision of the same places and things.He: בערב ההוא, כשהאורות כבו והקור התעצם, יונה ומרים עזבו את הכותל בהרגשה חדשה.En: That evening, when the lights dimmed and the cold intensified, Yonah and Miriam left the Wall with a new feeling.He: הם קיבלו את מה שחשקו בו.En: They got what they yearned for.He: יונה הבין את הערך של סבלנות והתבוננות, בעוד מרים התחברה מחדש לשורשיה.En: Yonah understood the value of patience and observation, while Miriam reconnected with her roots.He: החנוכיה שהאירה את הלילה סימלה להם התחלה חדשה.En: The menorah that lit up the night symbolized a new beginning for them. Vocabulary Words:enveloped: מכוסהunique: ייחודיתcelebrate: לחגוגilluminated: האירוnarrow: הצריםinspiration: השראהconcentrate: להתרכזgrappled: נאבקהtradition: מסורתrelevant: רלוונטיותcurious: סקרניתemotions: רגשותיהsketch: לרשוםsimplicity: פשטותwhisper: בלחשgaze: מבטוgentle: הרכהprofound: עמוקprogressed: התקדמוadventures: הרפתקאותvision: ראייהdimmed: כבוintensified: התעצםyearned: חשקוpatience: סבלנותobservation: התבוננותreconnected: התחברה מחדשroots: שורשיהmenorah: חנוכיהsymbolized: סימלהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Why are the Western Wall, the Garden Tomb, and the Garden of Gethsemane so important to Jews and Christians? Rabbi Schneider shares why people of the Jewish and Christian faith still revere the holy places, pray at the Western Wall, and look for Jesus to return. Learn how Jesus did not operate in His feelings. He operated in truth. Learn how to distinguish feelings from truth and obedience. Continue to choose truth and obedience even when you don't feel like it and you will be blessed. To get strong, you have to pray. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner  **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/02948c 

The Bible hits different when you walk where Jesus walked. Pastor Stephen Martin and Pastor Nate Brown just returned from Israel with 120+ believers—and what they experienced will change how you read Scripture forever.In this special episode, discover why every Christian should visit Israel as early as possible, not as a bucket list item in retirement. From standing at the gates of hell where Jesus declared "I will build my church" to touching the Western Wall where God's presence is undeniable—this isn't just travel. It's transformation.✅ Why Israel is the safest place on Earth for travelers✅ The supernatural reality behind the "gates of hell"✅ How geography confirms biblical prophecy✅ The Prodigal Son story you've been reading wrong

More than one thousand pastors and Christian influencers continue their trip to Israel as they plan to help strengthen and spread support for the Jewish state; the group visits the Western Wall, where the Rabbi commends them for their support; ...

More than one thousand pastors and Christian influencers continue their trip to Israel as they plan to help strengthen and spread support for the Jewish state; the group visits the Western Wall, where the Rabbi commends them for their support; ...

More than one thousand pastors and Christian influencers continue their trip to Israel as they plan to help strengthen and spread support for the Jewish state; the group visits the Western Wall, where the Rabbi commends them for their support; ...

More than one thousand pastors and Christian influencers continue their trip to Israel as they plan to help strengthen and spread support for the Jewish state; the group visits the Western Wall, where the Rabbi commends them for their support; ...

More than one thousand pastors and Christian influencers continue their trip to Israel as they plan to help strengthen and spread support for the Jewish state; the group visits the Western Wall, where the Rabbi commends them for their support; ...

Near the Western Wall, archaeologists found a small clay tablet from the King of Assyria demanding that the Kingdom of Judah pay tribute. It's the first time an Assyrian inscription has been found in Jerusalem, and it falls perfectly in place during the story of Hezekiah, who defied Assyria and stopped paying tribute in the late 8th century. Cole and Terry discuss this new discovery and other evidence that supports the veracity of Scripture. 

In this MUST-WATCH episode of Chicks on the Right, Josh Hammer—host of The Josh Hammer Show, Newsweek senior editor-at-large, and author of the new book Israel and Civilization—goes FULL SEND on the growing anti-Western, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic cancer infiltrating conservative spaces.  Tucker Carlson called Christian Zionists “the scum of the earth”—including Charlie Kirk, who prayed at the Western Wall quoting Genesis 12:3 just months before his tragic death. Candace Owens labeled Josh “subhuman filth” and twisted his words to smear him—is a defamation lawsuit coming? Nick Fuentes, Holocaust denier and racist, gets a friendly Tucker interview—while pro-Israel voices are silenced. JD Vance's inner circle raises red flags—but is he really a “crypto-groyper”? Josh weighs in.   Josh reveals never-before-heard details from his private group chat with Charlie Kirk—including the final Zoom call the night before Charlie's assassination, where they prepped pro-Israel talking points to fight campus anti-Semitism.   This isn't just drama. This is a battle for Western civilization itself. #TuckerCarlson #CandaceOwens #JoshHammer #CharlieKirk #NickFuentes #JDVance #ChicksOnTheRight #ConservativePodcast #Israel #Antisemitism #MegynKelly #BenShapiro #trump

What if everything we've been told about biblical archaeology is wrong? Former SWAT team member and FBI-trained investigator turned archeologist and author, Bob Cornuke, joins us to share his transformation from law enforcement to biblical archaeology. After a harrowing shootout that changed his life, Bob partnered with Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin and spent the next four decades following evidence that challenges centuries of tradition. In this explosive conversation, Bob reveals why he believes Mount Sinai is in Saudi Arabia, Noah's Ark rests in Iran (not Turkey), and most controversially—why the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, might actually be part of a Roman fortress while the real Temple lies in the City of David. Join us for a mind-bending journey through hidden history, archaeological cover-ups, and the dangerous pursuit of biblical truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Western nations recognize a Palestinian state, prayers at the Western Wall, Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC, and the music of Nathan Oglesby. Plus, the changing seasons, Katelyn Walls Shelton on infertility treatments, and the Tuesday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Dordt University, whose online MBA and MPA programs prepare leaders for lasting impact. Dordt University. Until All Is Made New.From His Words Abiding in You, a Bible memorization podcast designed for truck drivers. His Words Abiding in You … on all podcast apps.And from Cedarville University—a Christ-centered, academically rigorous university located in southwest Ohio, equipping students for Gospel impact across every career and calling. Cedarville integrates a biblical worldview into every course in the more than 175 undergraduate and graduate programs students choose from. New online undergraduate degrees through Cedarville Online offer flexible and affordable education grounded in a strong Christian community that fosters both faith and learning. Learn more at cedarville.edu, and explore online programs at cedarville.edu/online

Krystal and Saagar discuss the latest on the Charlie Kirk assassin, knives out for Kash Patel, cancel culture over Kirk responses, UK ambassador fired over Epstein links, Rubio prays at Western Wall as Gaza is destroyed. To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show AD FREE, uncut and 1 hour early visit: www.breakingpoints.comMerch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.