Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund

As a child growing up in the USA, Thanksgiving turkey and the family get-togethers were always looked forward to, but the deeper meaning was somehow obscured. Now, many years later, after experiencing and witnessing the pain of many terror attacks and war, I’m starting to grasp the meaning of thanks, which I believe we should all really think about this year.

First of all, we should put things in perspective. Yes, there are global economic challenges today, and the challenge of Islamic Terrorism has never been greater. Today’s massive attack in India was a bitter reminder of the global nature of our challenges. Even so, we should all be thankful for our health and that of our families; and if we are sick, we should be thankful for having bodies that can be healed. Secondly, we should remember that God gives us challenges that we can handle, even if we have to search for that inner strength that will help us through the trauma. The children in our Therapy Center here in Shiloh, Israel are proof of that.

Last but not least, we should remember who we are giving thanks to! The Almighty is the source of all goodness and the potential for goodness. When I give thanks, I don’t thank goodness. I thank the King of  the Universe who created that goodness, thereby giving us the ability to choose life and to surmount its challenges!

Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings from Shiloh!

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel

On my current media tour in the USA, many people have been asking my opinion about President-Elect Barack Obama and what exactly his election means for Israel. Sorry to disappoint all of you — I can’t yet give you a definitive answer. I am not a prophet, even though I do live in the same community where Samuel the Prophet grew up. Nonetheless, I can make an educated guess based on Obama’s past statements and associations, which are worrisome. These include, but aren’t limited to, his problematic flip-flop on united Jerusalem and his close associations in the mostly anti-Zionist American left.

In Israel, we religious Zionists say a special weekly prayer for the State of Israel, in which we pray that the Almighty will place his spiritual wisdom in the political leaders of Israel, even those who have supported misguided policies to divide the Land. May I humbly suggest that Americans say a similar prayer for the new president, that he will be given wisdom that will help him (despite his Muslim roots) to see the falsehood and danger of Islam, which is the most destructive force in the world today and is the leading and most violent opponent of Israel and the free world in our times. Only by standing with Israel, and specifically with the pioneering Jewish communities in the Biblical heartland of Israel, will soon-to-be President Obama succeed in bringing G-d’s blessings upon America (see Genesis 12:3).

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel

Shalom from the Biblical Heartland!

As most of you probably know, one of our key projects is the newly expanded (just completed the building!) Gush Shiloh Therapy Center, of which one of the key components is our Emotional Therapy Program that up to this point has used music, animals, and movement to help hundreds of children to overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and to move forward with their lives.

I’d like to take this opportuntity to proudly announce the addition of a new therapist, Batsheva Sadan to our team at the Center. Batsheva was raised by American-Israeli parents who were devoted to the mission of bringing people closer to God in the Biblical heartland of Israel. In 2003, during a relaxing Sabbath meal in their home near Hebron, a Muslim terrorist invaded their peace, shooting and killing both parents. Batsheva, traumatized after the sudden murder of both of her parents, soon began undergoing psychological treatments, with her therapist using art as a therapeutic tool.

After her recovery, Batsheva, then working as a hi-tech physicist, decided to make a dramatic career switch. Now certified and experienced in treating children with Art Therapy, we are happy to add her to our therapeutic team and we wish her great success!

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel