Bella, an 86-year-old grandmother, lives in Kibbutz Gvulot in Israel, on the border of Gaza. On October 7, her life was devastated when she lost her grandson, Yotam, who was kidnapped by Hamas. It was a dark day for thousands like Bella residing near Gaza.
Her kibbutz and others in the Eshkol region took the brunt of the Hamas attacks that day, and several of the kibbutzim lost a fourth of their residents in that horrific attack. The entire population of that region was traumatized. How could an elderly woman like Bella recover from such a tragedy?
Thankfully, you were there through CBN Israel’s partnership with Neve Eshkol—a center that gives care and support to seniors in the Gaza envelope region.
You are offering Bella and others a hot meal every day—plus financial help, post-trauma care, food distribution, and various activities. Although the center suffered casualties and was forced to close after the invasion, it reopened soon thereafter, providing hope and essential services for elderly evacuees.
With thousands of lives in crisis since the war with Hamas began, your continued support is
crucial in bringing food, housing, and emergency aid to Israelis in need. Thank you so much for your compassion.
“The October 7 invasion and massacre brought untold suffering to so many of us,” said Bella. “Knowing that Christians across the globe care this much for us in our time of need is truly a blessing beyond words. Thank you!”
Your gifts to CBN Israel are a blessing to many others in need as well, including Holocaust survivors, single mothers, war victims, and refugees. As Israelis struggle to survive this challenging time, your continued support is crucial in supplying groceries, shelter, and compassionate relief to thousands. Thank you for all you are doing!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE DIFFERENCE!
HUMANITARIAN WORK
Your support provides food, assistance, education, economic development, and hope to Israelis in need. You are blessing Holocaust survivors, victims of terrorism, single mothers, immigrant families, and others who desperately need our help.
BREAKING NEWS
Your gift allows us to produce unbiased, independent journalism through broadcasts, podcasts, and online media dedicated to informing the world about what is happening in Israel and the Middle East through our news bureau in Jerusalem.
TRAINING ISRAELI THERAPISTS TO TREAT VICTIMS OF WAR AND TERROR
Since Israel’s war began on October 7, living in a constant state of danger is the new normal for Israelis. But what happens to people when the war grinds on—and hope turns to despair?
Ukraine has lived through a 10-year war that has intensified in the last few years. Olya Zaporozhets, a Regent University professor who has counseled Ukraine war victims, believes the same waves of trauma she saw in Ukraine will wash over Israel if nothing is done to prevent it. And she says that through recently developed therapies, it can be prevented.
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Your support allows us to produce educational documentary films that tell the true history of Israel, its right to exist in the face of growing anti-Semitism worldwide, its innovative and entrepreneurial culture, and its commitment to helping others—even its enemies.
people know how to do them, PTSD and stress reactions go away—and PTSD does not develop.” This can be a vital tool in bringing war victims into a healthier, hopeful place.
Thanks to your support, these new methods were showcased in a workshop in Ramat Gan, Israel—featuring a collaboration with CBN Israel, Regent University, the Israel Trauma Coalition, and counseling institutions established by Regent University in Ukraine.
Unlike a single short-lived disaster with a relatively quick return to safety and recovery, living with the stress of a prolonged war can take a long-term toll, with people needing relief and hope. Zaporozhets explained, “I believe Ukrainian research and professionals now have these new experiences, new research, and new results that are very valuable in the Israeli situation right now.” She continued, “We have tools to bring healing and early intervention stabilization procedures. If
Although CBN Israel has hosted numerous trauma counseling seminars, this one was conducted exclusively in Russian. More than 50 Russian-speaking therapists from across Israel attended, since 1.5 million Israelis speak Russian—including refugees who escaped Ukraine’s war. Research shows that receiving counseling in one’s native language produces better results.
Your gifts to CBN Israel are also helping victims of war in many other ways—through evacuations, meals, lodging, and more—while providing compassionate relief to others in need across the Holy Land. Thank you for reaching out with God’s love to those who are hurting!
THE GENIUS OF ISRAEL
By Chris Mitchell, CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief
Recently, CBN Films released its latest documentary, The Genius of Israel, which was filmed on location in the Jewish state. CBN News discussed the movie with CBN President Gordon Robertson, along with CBN Films’ documentary producer and director, Erin Zimmerman.
Explaining why he felt it was important to tell this story, Gordon said, “Right after October 7, Dan Senor was interviewed about his wonderful new book [he coauthored with Saul Singer], The Genius of Israel. It’s based on a UN study showing that Israel is one of the happiest countries on the planet. The Scandinavian countries are very happy, but Israel is right up there with them—and the Scandinavian countries don’t have terrorism.”
The question is: Why are Israelis so happy?
Gordon said, “In The Genius of Israel, Senor investigates why Israelis have such a sense of community and why Israel itself is so often called a family—and everyone living there considers themselves family. Our new film goes into that in depth.”
Although the book was written before October 7, Erin says that the war substantiated the premise of the book’s authors. “They said we couldn’t have had a better illustration because their reasons for the happiness of Israelis boiled down to two things: community and sense of purpose.
“One of them is what we’re throwing away in Western society. We’re saying now, we don’t need the family; we don’t need a mother, father, children. We don’t need all this community. In America, you’re individualistic, you do things on your own. And it’s the exact opposite in Israel— which has low incidences of drug overdoses, suicide, and alcohol consumption.”
One reason for this sense of community is celebrating the Sabbath. Erin said, “Every Friday you have Shabbat, whether you’re religious or not. And you don’t just go see your parents; you may go see grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There’s this deep family tie so that you’re not alone.”
Another reason is the bonds that are forged in the Israel Defense Forces.
Gordon Robertson interviews Nadav Elkabets, whose sister was murdered at Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7.
Erin explained, “No one asks you what school you went to or what degree you have. They say, what unit were you in? That’s how they tell what your skill level is. And the army is where you find your friends, sometimes your spouse, sometimes your future business partners. These men and women who bond in the army are together for life.”
And the God of Israel is at the center of it all.
“God has kept the Jewish people down through the ages,” said Erin. “They say in every generation, someone rises up to kill us. This year it’s Hamas. But God is the one keeping them. Are they independent and defending themselves? And do they have resilience? Absolutely. They wouldn’t do it without God bringing back the Jewish people through 2,000 years of horror and Holocaust and war. So, He’s at the center of it, whether people want to say that or not.”
Gordon expressed his hope that the film will help combat anti-Semitism, as people on American college campuses and elsewhere around the world chant “From the river to the sea,” meaning that Israel should be wiped off the map. “They need to know what that means, and that the history of that phrase means genocide.” He added, “We need to say no, not on our watch.”
That’s why he feels that The Genius of Israel is a film for today. “Now more than ever, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We said ‘never again’ after World War II and we’ll say ‘never again’ today. Israel is a light to the nations. Let’s shine that light and tell everybody what the genius of Israel is and why it’s so successful. We need to stand with Israel, we need to pray for Israel, and we need to do everything we can to support Israel.”
Top: Home of those murdered at Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Second: Destruction at Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Third: Gordon Robertson tours the destruction at Kfar Aza. Fourth: Gordon Robertson interviews an IDF soldier. Fifth: Volunteers harvest oranges at Kibbutz Alumim, near the Gaza border. Sixth: Behind-the-scenes filming at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
CRIES FROM THE DEPTHS
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
–psalm 130:1-2
Have you ever found yourself in the depths of despair—where everything around you seems to be crashing down? Real despair, where the situation seems hopeless?
In those moments, our despair, circumstances, and pains seem draining, and crying out to God feels hopeless, exhausting, and worthless.
The psalmist was there: “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!” Being in the depths overwhelms us—our energy, our senses, our stability. And in those moments, finding the trust to cry out to God becomes our greatest act of faith. The cry from the depths to God assumes He is there to answer and will answer.
The question comes to us in a myriad of different ways, “Has God really said?” “Is He really there?” The depths of our despair amplify such questions. Yet will we trust God and cry out to Him in our moments of pain and struggle?
Job did not receive the answer to the question he asked of God. But God answered Job. That is what matters: that God answers our cries. The causes of our despair—the “whys” and the “how comes” of our despair—are rarely answered. But God answers. His ears are attentive to our cries.
Faith means trust. The author of Hebrews claimed that without trust we cannot please God. These difficult and agonizing moments in our lives give us the unique opportunity to trust that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
When we find ourselves in the depths of despair, trusting God seems impossible. Our circumstances may even challenge our trust in His existence.
Trusting God does not mean “we fake it until we make it” or put on our “happy, faith face.”
Trusting God is crying out to Him from the depths, pleading for His attention. These cries trust that there is One who listens and answers.
Circumstances may not immediately change. Yet, we trust a God who hears our cries and will not leave us in the depths forever. And we can never forget: He not only hears us in our depths, He hears the cries of others in their depths too.
Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version.
PRAYER
Father, we trust You to answer and hear our cries. Do not be deaf to our voice but hear us from the depths and answer. Amen.
PRAYER POINTS
Pray for the people of Israel as they reflect on the horrors on the anniversary of October 7.
Pray for comfort for all who lost loved ones on that day and those who have died on the front lines of the war or in terror attacks.
Pray that the film The Genius of Israel will inform, inspire, and educate many about what is really happening in Israel.
Pray for the healing of many in Israel from both physical and psychological wounds.
Pray that CBN Israel will continue to provide hope and help to the people of Israel.
Pray for the safety of the CBN News team as they continue to accurately report on what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.
DO YOU HAVE A PRAYER NEED?
Call CBN’s Prayer Center at 800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com/Prayer.
CBN F ILMS PRESENTS
GENIUS ISRAEL
Based on the New York Times bestseller by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, The Genius of Israel reveals why the Jewish state is largely immune to the social problems that plague many Western societies.
Filmed on location in Israel and hosted by Gordon Robertson, this new CBN Films documentary explores the unique religious and cultural traditions that make Israel one of the most innovative and resilient democracies on earth.
