Faith Journal interviewed Farrah Aviva, co-host of The Original Promise. It is 30 minutes, however an excellent video to watch – well worth the time…

Farrah Aviva, host of The Original Promise, is interviewed and talks about having to come to terms with her Jewish identity growing up in Canada, and how being in this film taught her so much of her heritage.

When we did our filming in Israel we filmed a music segment on Masada, in light of current events I thought I would publish this on our blog I wrote this as a close to the segment but because of time we were not able to film this closing, here is the written copy.

Never Again

It is very fitting that we end our discovery of Israel at this place called Masada.

This was the scene where the state of Israel came to an end for a period of 1900 years. Now we stand on this rock with the acknowledgment that Israel is now reborn and is a very young country with a very old history.

Masada is where Israeli soldiers have given their oath of “Never Again.” It is also a national symbol to the people of Israel of the cost of freedom. 960 men women and children held back the powerful Roman army for three years.

Elizar Ben Yair said to his followers the night before the final invasion, “we have within our power to die bravely in a state of freedom.” These amazing people chose to commit and act of self sacrifice depriving there enemies of a sure victory they chose death over slavery for the men and prostitution for the women.

The symbol is clear upon this rock we will choose to pay a high price for freedom. We are surrounded by our enemies but they cannot take away God’s most precious gift the gift of freedom…
I have traveled this country from one end to the other and I have asked the question to myself — what is it that makes this land and this people so unique?
The answer: it’s all to do with a promise of freedom. It is the idea that one day from around the world a people would be called home. Called to a place surrounded by enemies but like the psalmist David put it , even thou I walk through the shadow of death I will fear no Evil for you are with me.
I asked one of my close friends to put write a song as a gift from North America to Israel, the song Colin Wiebe wrote works for all mankind but it is extremely relevant for Israel… it is called Never Again…
This to me sums up the attitude and the spirit of the Israeli people. I would rather die than give up our land and our freedom…and we stand on the Rock of God’s promises and embrace our freedom for all eternity.
And I will choose not to live in fear but I will live with dignity and with great anticipation for the future. I am Israeli… I am Israel.

Prime Minister Netenyahu makes a fantastic speech. It is long, but well worth watching all the way through.

Doug Kooy shares some personal insight

Someone recently asked me why I am a supporter of Israel. I thought long and hard about my answer, and this is what I came up with:

I happen to like freedom and democracy. I love the idea that people who choose a certain religion can practice their religion without being persecuted. I like the idea of rule of law. I also like the idea of freedom of speech and that if I don’t like the way things are going; I can make my voice known and not be persecuted for it.

Somehow, the idea that dreaming and the concept of following your dreams is celebrated makes me feel good. I like a free market system that rewards hard work and imagination.

I like a society that values scientific achievement and looks for ways to cure the major medical problems facing society today. There is something great about a country that spends billions on medical research to find cures for the major medical problems that plague our planet.

I also like a government that protects its people and believes in a strong defense system. I also like a country that has a sense of destiny. I like the fact that young people are willing to serve their country and most do it with pride and dignity.

I like a country that has made something out of nothing and has made streams in the desert, a country that has taken a large wasteland and transformed it into a beautiful place to live.

Ok, I am not stupid; there are a lot of problems in Israel. They are a small country surrounded by people that would like to wipe them off the face of this earth. They have the same problems most countries do. They have some people who are bigoted and some in government who make some really bad decisions, and they struggle with their identity. That just about describes every Democratic country I know of.

Israel has been so misunderstood and so demonized by so many, that it is hard for people in this world to see what Israel is really all about. For me it is simple; I would have no problem living in Israel. The core values of this country line up with mine and I also feel that this country is God’s idea and it is meant to be. I am told in my faith to pray for Israel, and I do. I also feel I need some strong reasons for why I support Israel and I have shared them with you.

One last thing, if you have not seen our movie, “The Original Promise,” I would ask that you take a look at it. I believe that you will never see Israel the same way again.

Today in the Jerusalem Post, I read an article by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. It struck me that he has almost exactly the same perspective on Israel and the need for invention that has driven Israel to become the country it is today, as the story that we have told in The Original Promise.

He speaks specifically about how the lack of oil, and the incidental and almost limitless wealth that accompanies it, has actually been a blessing to Israel. It has forced the small country to work hard and to be inventive. The result is that today Israel is fortunate to be home to one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and one of the most technologically advanced populations in the world.

He ends with the observation that Israel still has many many challenges and many enemies, but that the time has come for the other story, the story of the success of Israel to be told.

This is exactly what The Original Promise does…

This morning I stumbled upon a list of 7 solar technologies, that were developed in Israel and that have the potential to change the world we live in today in a massive way.

I think this may originally have been published on Israel21c.org but I have not been able to locate it there.

The Israeli companies that have developed each of these technologies are definitely going to be attracting the attention of some large investors, as perusing this list, you can definitely see that there is potential for making a significant impact on world dependence on fossil fuels.

In the September issue of JVibe, Alisha Kinman writes an review entitled “The Promise of Home” about the film “The Original Promise”. Read her review which is thought provoking and interesting.

Alisha has never travelled to Israel herself, and thus her thoughts on the documentary are particularly relevant as they reveal the way she was impacted by watching the movie, and how she noticed her own perceptions of Israel are changed while watching the movie.

On an aside, we will start sales of the DVD on this site as well as on Amazon within the next two weeks or so. Drop us an email at sales@waterkoolerproductions.com to pre-order your copy and we will ship it out to you right away.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, delivered a speech for Israel’s 60th. It is so extraordinary that I must lead off with this today:

“All of my life, Israel has been a symbol of the triumph of hope and faith. After 1945, our battered world desperately needed to be lifted out of post-war darkness and despair. After so much pain and suffering, humanity needed comfort and optimism. After so much death and destruction, we needed the renewal of the dream of a better and more civilized world. In short, we needed to be inspired. It was the people who had suffered who most provided that inspiration. By their example, they led the world back to the light. From shattered Europe and other countries near and far, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob made their way home. Their pilgrimage was the culmination of a two-thousand-year-old dream; it is a tribute to the unquenchable human aspiration for freedom, and a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Jewish people.

“In the sixty years that followed, Israel blossomed into one of the most successful countries on earth; a land of ingenuity and enterprise, an oasis of agricultural genius, a wellspring of fine art and high culture, a model of democracy. Israel truly is the ‘miracle in the desert.’

“But the source of Israel’s strength and success, in my view, is its commitment to the universal values of all civilized peoples: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law…

“Unfortunately, Israel at 60 remains a country threatened by those groups and regimes who deny to this day its right to exist.. And why? Make no mistake; look beyond the thinly-veiled rationalizations: because they hate Israel, just as they hate the Jewish people. Our government believes that those who threaten Israel also threaten Canada, because, as the last world war showed, hate-fueled bigotry against some is ultimately a threat to us all, and must be resisted wherever it may lurk.

“In this ongoing battle, Canada stands side-by-side with the State of Israel, our friend and ally in the democratic family of nations. We have stood with Israel even when it has not been popular to do so, and we will continue to stand with Israel, just as I have always said we would…

“There will be many challenges along the way, but considering how far Israel has come in such a short time, in the face of such seemingly insurmountable odds, I can foresee no dark force, no matter how strong, that could succeed in dimming the light of freedom and democracy that shines from within Israel .”