Listen as Batya breaks down the beauty of Parashat Yitro in Exodus 18:1-20:23. This section of the Torah speaks volumes about God’s love for his people, the miracle of Exodus, and how we came to receive the ten commandments. As a student of the Torah and a follower of Yeshua, Batya’s perspective provides new insight into our promises with God, and how to navigate hard decisions.

Parashat Yitro - Bible Teaching with Batya Segal

Are you willing to bless Israel, make a difference in the lives of people, and partner with God's plan for restoration of the land of Israel?

This section of the Torah speaks volumes about God’s love for his people, the miracle of Exodus, and how we came to receive the ten commandments. 

Where Did We Get the Ten Commandments? | Blog | Vision for Israel

Parashat Yitro: Where Did We Get the Ten Commandments? 

“A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak..”

There is a time and a season for everything. There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. In Israel on Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day, the entire nation takes two minutes to be silent. At 10 am, a siren rings throughout every city in Israel for two minutes. Israelis stop and stand in silence, and even pull over on the side of the road, to silently honor their fellow Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust and those who survived the horrors. If you have ever been in Israel during this time, it is truly a powerful moment of silence. 

This year, Holocaust Remembrance Day starts on April 23rd at sundown and ends on April 24th at sundown. Israel takes this day seriously and considers it a day of sorrow as they remember the 6 million Jews who endured such cruel torture and death during the Holocaust. Israel not only commemorates this day with a moment of silence but also with ceremonies of leaders speaking about the truths of the Holocaust.

The official national ceremony is held in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance center. Every year they choose 6 Holocaust Survivors to hold a torch to represent the memory of the 6 million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. There are also many ceremonies honoring the Holocaust Survivors still alive today. An estimated 123,000 Holocaust Survivors are living in Israel today. 

This year marks 80 years since the Nazi regime was defeated in April 1945. We mourn the devastation of the Holocaust, but we also rejoice that God established Israel as an independent Jewish state in 1948, three years after the Holocaust ended. This year Israel will celebrate its 77th Independence Day on April 30th. Even in all of this sorrow, let us remember that God is faithful to destroy Israel’s enemies and help the Jewish people possess the land of Israel!

“For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.” – Psalm 37:9

This year, just like last year, Israel is in a place of mourning and heartache daily due to the Iron Swords War that continues, with no end in sight. And, even still, the nation takes time to honor those that suffered during the Holocaust. All the more, it is vital for us to remember how these wicked ideologies rapidly escalated to mass murders. And we pray this will never happen again!

It is important to take time to be silent, to remember, and to pray, however, we cannot just remain silent. We need courage from the Lord to speak against antisemitism and speak up for the Jewish people.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” – Proverbs 31:8

Now more than ever, it is important to remember what happened during the Holocaust. But, what exactly are we remembering? We are mourning the innocent lives of millions of Jews and many others who were brutally and systematically murdered. We remember the unbelievable evil and hatred towards the Jewish people that we still see in the world today. 

We also remember the ones who risked their lives to save hundreds or even just one precious life. We remember the ones that bravely stood up against the regime, and fought for the innocent. And we pray that God will give us the courage to stand up for righteousness in the face of evil, especially during this current war Israel is in.

Antisemitism on the Rise Since October 7th

The hatred of Jews is not a new thing. We see it throughout the scriptures in the Bible, especially through Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus and Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews in the Book of Esther. However, God can give us the courage to stand up against the enemies of the Jewish people, just like He did for the people of Israel in Egypt, and Esther and Mordecai.

Israel has been battling in this current war for about a year and a half, and we have seen the hatred towards the Jewish people not only on Israel’s borders but all around the world. Since the war began, we have seen antisemitism increase around the world, especially in the United States. 

Antisemitic protests flooded college campuses around the USA, traveling Israelis encountered terror attacks and threats around the world, and much more. From October 7th, 2023 to October 2024, there were over 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the United States. This is the largest number of antisemitic incidents within one year. 

Another aspect of antisemitism is the very act of trying to deny or lessen the reality of the atrocities during the Holocaust. Today, many are trying to limit the amount of education about the Holocaust in schools by enforcing laws and fines. Political leaders are twisting the truth and changing what is communicated about the Holocaust at museums and exhibitions. And many political leaders are rejecting the importance of remembering what happened in the Holocaust. 

The very act of misrepresenting historical facts about the Holocaust and hindering communication and education about it is antisemitic. So, what can we do to help fight against antisemitism?

Our first response is to pray. Pray for the protection of the Jewish people around the world and the nation of Israel. Another way to take a stand against antisemitism is to speak the truth about what happened during the Holocaust. The systematic murder of 6 million Jews, which was about 1/3 of the Jewish population at the time, is incomprehensible. And yet, we need to comprehend that the Holocaust really did happen. 

Another way to fight antisemitism is to ask God for the courage to speak up when we see and hear hatred against the Jewish people. God may have placed you in a job, position, or place to be able to speak His truth, bring about change, and help protect his people. 

Another practical way to fight antisemitism is to stand with the Jewish people in their suffering. Let us mourn for the ones we lost, but also pray for those who have endured the Holocaust and are still alive today. If you have the opportunity, you should sit down with a Holocaust Survivor and serve them in some way. And maybe you will even hear some of their heart-wrenching stories and can comprehend just a small part of what they suffered. Many of these resilient Holocaust Survivors still have nightmares of the horrors they and their loved ones suffered through.

Let us express our love and support to the remaining Holocaust Survivors still with us today. VFI has been able to support Holocaust Survivors for many years hosting many special events for them to connect with other survivors, and just to bless them! If it’s in your heart to financially support Holocaust survivors, click here to donate.

Since the Iron Swords War began on October 7th, 2023, about 1,200 Israeli civilians died, 251 people were kidnapped, and over 800 soldiers and police have lost their lives. In this last year and a half, about 80,000 Israelis left Israel, and only 30,000 returned and another 30,000 were new immigrants. We can see there is a deep fear in the people for many reasons, but one could also be the trauma their ancestors suffered during the Holocaust. 

Today, the Jewish people are suffering from trauma along with economic difficulties due to the war. There are still rockets and missiles being fired at Israel on a daily/weekly basis from Gaza, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iran. 

So, this Holocaust Remembrance Day, let us take a moment of silence to honor those who have been lost in the Holocaust and those who have endured until today. And let us also remember those currently battling through the trauma of the war that Israel is still fighting. Take action today by standing with VFI as we support Holocaust Survivors and help Victims of Terrorism overcome trauma.

Let us not become weary in doing good to the Jewish people. Don’t give up standing with the Jewish people, especially during this war! And don’t give up praying for the people of Israel: Holocaust Survivors, October 7th Survivors, freed Israeli hostages and those still held hostage, Israeli soldiers and their families, and many more!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

God, give us the wisdom to know when to be silent and when to speak, and help us not give up fighting for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel!

This Holocaust Remembrance Day let us remember the horrors of the Holocaust, speak up against antisemitism and continue to stand with the Jewish people.

Never Again is Now: Holocaust Remembrance Amid Rising Antisemitism | Blog | Vision for Israel

Never Again is Now: Holocaust Remembrance Amid Rising Antisemitism

Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hasho’a in Hebrew) commemorates the genocide of six million European Jews at the hands of Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945 and is commemorated one week after Passover.

In Israel, a siren is sounded on this day throughout the country in memory of those who lost their lives. Cars stop in the middle of the highway, and bypassers stand still in solidarity so that the world will never forget or repeat the horrors of the Holocaust. 

Today, there are nearly seven million Jews who live in Israel. After World War II, many Holocaust survivors made Aliyah (immigrated) from Europe. With broken but hopeful spirits, they risked the dangerous journey through the Mediterranean Sea by ships to the shores of Israel as pioneers, rebuilding Israel as their new home. Even then, many ships were returned to Europe or refugee camps in Cyprus since Israel was under the British mandate.

Some might wonder why so many Jews stayed in Europe during the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933? And why, knowing persecution was imminent, did they not flee to Israel?

The Jews of Europe were stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the reality was much more dangerous and complex than one might assume. 

With the growing popularity of the Nazi party and the rapid increase of antisemitic crimes, the Jews in Germany feared for their safety. Although all would agree that their circumstances were dire, no one could have predicted the unimaginable terrors that lay ahead.

As racial tension and pressure in Germany began to mount, more than 90,000 German and Austrian Jews fled between 1933 and 1939 to neighboring countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, and Switzerland. For the most part, these countries opened their doors to fleeing Jews and brave gentiles hid Jews in their basements, attics, floors, and closets. 

In the aftermath of the Kristallnacht pogroms (pogroms against the Jews carried out by the Nazi party) on the 9th-10th of November 1938, more than 100 Jews were murdered, and 30,000 Jewish men were imprisoned in concentration camps. Thousands of Jews attempted to flee the very next day. With Germany stripping German Jews of their German citizenship in 1935, immigrating to different countries became near impossible without proper documentation.

Spain permitted entry to almost 30,000 Jewish refugees, primarily from 1939 to 1941. Approximately 300,000 Polish Jews, nearly 10% of the Polish Jewish population, fled German-occupied areas of Poland and crossed into the Soviet zone between 1939 and 1941.

Tens of thousands were deported to Siberia, Central Asia, and other remote areas. After the German attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, more than a million Soviet Jews fled eastward into the Asian parts of the country. 

Countries such as France, Belgium, and the Netherlands took in 30,000 each, and the United States accepted 102,000, the most of all countries. 

Although many Jews did make it to other countries, many were turned away at the border, and some who came by ship were not even allowed to dock. Imagine arriving at the border of a country that might be your only hope of survival, only to be turned back, doomed to almost certain death.

Jews looking for safety did not initially set their hopes on returning to Israel as one would expect. Israel, then ruled by Britain, took in 55,000 but limited the number of refugees they were willing to accept. 

In Europe, although close to 30,000 Jews were accepted into Switzerland, approximately 20,000 were turned away at the Swiss border.

The famous St. Louis ship carried 937 Jews seeking refuge in Havana, Cuba, but only 28 were allowed to disembark. The ship then tried its chances with the United States and Canada with no success, finally returning to Europe to disperse the people between the countries. 

At a certain point, escape became near impossible after the war began on September 1, 1939. With lack of funds, burdensome immigration bureaucracies, and lack of efficient communication or transportation - families were trapped and forced to watch as evil approached.

What transpired after these events was a nightmare no one could have foreseen. Millions of Jews were taken to ghettos, concentration camps, and death camps scattered on European grounds. The option of escaping was only by death.

Unfortunately, the world is nowhere near done with wars and persecution. Yeshua warns us that the end of days holds many challenges:

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name." (Matthew 24:6-9)

According to the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency's Antisemitism Report for 2021, the year 2021 was "the most antisemitic year in the last decade". The report found that the average number of antisemitic incidents reported in 2021 was more than ten per day, with approximately 50% of attacks occurring in Europe.

Unfortunately, antisemitism is not a thing of the past. As the world becomes progressively worse, Jews living in the diaspora will have to make the difficult – yet not unfamiliar – decision to flee again. 

Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, more than 3.4 million Jews have made Aliyah to Israel. 

With the recent Russia-Ukraine war, over a million Ukrainian refugees fled to neighboring countries, and thousands of Ukrainian Jews made an emergency Aliyah, seeking refuge in Israel. 

How can Israel prepare for the waves of immigrants bound to come from the nations when wars escalate?

New immigrants go through many hardships and challenges as they charge forward with courage to begin again in a different culture.

At Vision for Israel, we know just how important it is to receive our Jewish brothers and sisters with open arms. That is why we donate household goods such as fans to combat the Israeli heat and provide food baskets and backpacks for their children.

Acclimating to a different country is made easier when the local body of Messiah rallies around in support, practically and emotionally. Serving them allows us to hear their stories and hardships and encourage them along the way.

As believers, we should pray for the Jews whom God calls back to Israel to receive the grace to uproot and make their home in the land. Let us not forget to lift up the Ministry of Interior, which accompanies the families and aids them in the transition.

The first Holocaust survivors to make it to the shores of Israel could never have imagined that one day, millions more would follow in their footsteps. Their bravery and courage serve as an example for new immigrants to believe that they too will successfully triumph over the hardships of immigration.

Their testimony is a fulfilment of prophecy, as we read in Ezekiel 37:4-6:

“Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the survivors who journeyed to Israel and made it the incredible nation it is today.

Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hasho’a in Hebrew) commemorates the genocide of six million Jews and how Israel has rebuilt itself as a nation since then.

Holocaust Memorial Day - Always Remember, Never Forget | Blog | Vision for Israel

Holocaust Memorial Day - Always Remember, Never Forget

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place... Who knows whether you have attained royal status for such a time as this?” 

As the holiday of Purim approaches, all of us can relate to how the Jewish people must have felt during the time of Esther in the Bible. Haman and many others had planned to destroy the Jewish people, and this is exactly what Hamas, Hezbollah, and all the enemies of Israel want to do to the nation of Israel. And yet in the book of Esther, God had a sovereign plan to deliver His people and make a way for the Jewish people to fight and defeat our enemies. Today, all of us living in Israel and those praying around the world, are pressing into the Lord to see Him do it again. We pray, “Lord, come fight for your people, protect and shield them from the enemy, and deliver Israel and the Jewish people again!”

As the Jewish people celebrate Purim this month, on the 14th of Adar, we remember the story of God delivering the Jewish people from imminent destruction in the ancient Persian Empire. This holiday is named after the word "pur" (lots), for the lots cast by Haman who was the prime minister under King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), to determine the day he would exterminate the Jews. This story, encapsulated in Megillat Esther (Book of Esther), showcases themes of courage, faith, and God’s divine orchestration.

The Story of Purim: Courage and Providence

The Purim narrative highlights Esther, a Jewish girl who becomes queen and conceals her Jewish identity. Her cousin Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman, which incites Haman's wrath. Haman persuades the king to sign an edict to annihilate the Jews. The story unfolds as Mordecai discovers a plot against the king. Mordechai encourages Queen Esther to rise up to defend the Jewish people by telling her that she has come to her royal position for such a time as this. Esther bravely calls a fast for 3 days and risks her life to approach the king to expose the plot against the Jewish people. She reveals her Jewish identity, and God turns the story around. The story culminates with the king ordering Haman's execution, Mordecai being elevated by the king, and a new edict written, allowing the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies. In the end, God gave the Jewish people victory over their enemies, and they celebrated with great feasting and joy! 

“On the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.” - Esther 9:1-2

Traditions of Purim: Joy, Memory, and Generosity

Purim traditions are designed to celebrate God’s miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people and to instill the story's lessons throughout generations. Some of these traditions include:

Megillah Reading: During the public recitation of the Book of Esther in synagogues, it is customary to drown out Haman's name every time he is mentioned with noise made by groggers or boos. This symbolized the eradication of evil.

Mishlo’ach Manot: Sending gifts of food to friends and Matanot La'Evyonim (giving gifts to the poor) emphasizes the importance of community and charity during this holiday. One of the most iconic items that is included in the Mishlo'ach Manot is Hamantaschen, a triangular cookie that is typically filled with a sweet filling such as dates or poppy seeds. 

Purim Spiel: Theatrical presentations retell the Purim story, and often use humor and satire.

Dressing up in costumes and masks: The costumes symbolize the hidden miracles of the Purim story and Esther's concealed Jewish identity.

Tzedakah: The Essence of Purim and Vision for Israel's Work

“to have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” - Esther 9:21-22

Tzedaka, the act of giving to the poor and the less fortunate, is a Purim cornerstone. Vision for Israel extends this biblical principle throughout the year, providing essential aid to those in need across Israel. In light of this Purim, we invite you to celebrate this holiday by giving gifts to the poor in Israel. To learn more about our work visit our projects page.

Antisemitism Today: The Shadow of Haman in Modern Times

The eerie resemblance between Haman and Hamas is not lost on contemporary observers. Just as Haman cast lots to annihilate the Jewish people, Hamas launched an attack against Israel on October 7th, the day of Simchat Torah, seeking our destruction. 

But it didn’t end there. Following the attack and the subsequent war in Gaza, we are seeing a rise in antisemitism around the world today. This is a grave concern and we must learn from history.

This parallel highlights the enduring struggle against antisemitism and the importance of unity, resilience, and vigilance in safeguarding Jewish lives and heritage against modern threats. Let us raise our voices against antisemitism and stand together with our Jewish brothers and sisters.

God’s message through the Purim story is that when His people stand in courage and trust in Him, He will deliver His people from the hands of their enemies. This holiday also serves as a call to action in today's world, reminding us of the importance of standing against oppression, supporting one another, and fostering a community bound by generosity and love. God's message through the book of Esther remains ever-relevant, and now more than ever, for Israel as we find ourselves still at war.

Today, with many enemies surrounding Israel on all sides, we look to the Lord who is our deliverer and shield. He will protect and fight for His people. We expect to see Him do miracles and He will receive all the glory and honor for faithfully protecting His people and nation. 



Learn more about this joyful holiday in these blogs:
Purim—The Victory of God’s People

How an Orphan Turned Queen Saved a Nation

Explore the legacy of Purim, from its ancient origins and traditions to modern significance, The Jewish people’s resilience, and the fight against antisemitism. 

Purim: A Celebration of Deliverance | Blog | Vision for Israel

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Parashat Yitro: Where Did We Get the Ten Commandments?

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

The Miracle of Exodus

Are you willing to bless Israel, make a difference in the lives of people, and partner with God's plan for restoration of the land of Israel?

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