Remember with us

Tomorrow, the entire country of Israel will shut down to focus on prayer and purifying ourselves. There will not even be a car on the road as we reflect on our relationship with God. I wish you could fully experience this holiest day of the year in the Jewish faith.

Yom Kippur is a time of reflection and reconnection with God. It brings peace and calm, even in the midst of turmoil. Will you take a moment to remember with me?

Turmoil accurately describes what life has been like in Israel as we approach the two-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks on our homeland. We cannot reflect on our lives without remembering the tragedy and chaos that day brought to God’s people.

The attacks took loved ones, displaced families, and reduced communities to rubble. I think of the home of Yaakov and Bilha Yinon . . . or what was left of it.

Shortly after the invasion, I visited the burned-out wreckage to pay my respects with white flowers. But the thought of what happened to Yaakov and Bilha brought me to tears. Hamas terrorists surrounded the elderly couple’s home and set it on fire.

The wooden house burned to the ground within 10 minutes!

Yaakov died in the fire. But where was 76-year-old Bilha? She was the last person declared to be missing after the massacre. Did she make it out?

Family members lived with questions for nearly a year. Then, two teeth found in the charred wreckage were confirmed to be Bilha’s. That was all that remained of this beloved wife.

Senseless. Horrific. Inhumane. We must never forget for the sake of Bilha and so many more.

The aftermath continues from the horrific October 7, 2023, attacks. Israel continues to grieve. Shattered families try to pick up the pieces.

During this trying time, knowing people like you stand with Israel means the world to us. “Comfort, comfort My people” (Isaiah 40:1). This is more than a verse — it is a calling.

When you comfort God’s people, you become part of His plan. To stand with Israel’s weakest — the elderly, the poor, the displaced — is to stand for righteousness in a world desperate for hope.

I ask you to join me in reflection this Yom Kippur and remember people like Bilha and Yaakov. Reflect on God’s calling in your life. Learn more about the remembrance of October 7, 2023. Stand with Israel.