ENHANCE - 2nd Quarter 2023

2 nd Quarter 2023 • No 215 

Christian Friends of Israel 

United Kingdom 

The Lord has promised 

good things for Israel 

Numbers 10:29 

INSIDE: EDITORIAL – Run with Perseverance • Jerusalem Forum • CHARITY FEATURE – Innovation Africa • HEBREW WORD FOCUS – Emunah 

Prayer Conference Report • King Charles III Profile • Back to Bagels • Political Crisis in Israel • Spring Harvest Report • RESOURCES

Christian Friends of Israel 

United Kingdom 

Editorial 

Run with 

perseverance 

About us 

CFI UK seeks to bless Israel through 

practical and moral support, and serve 

the Church in teaching about God’s 

purposes for Israel and the Hebrew 

heritage of our faith. 

CFI UK also produce a monthly prayer 

letter, a weekly audio Middle East report 

and distribute Haverim teaching. 

Please contact us for full details of 

projects in Israel and the teaching 

resources available. 

As an educational charity, we carry a 

variety of resources relevant to our 

purpose. We do not necessarily endorse 

every view expressed by our guest 

writers or authors. 

Encouraging understanding in the 

Church of Israel in context of the 

Bible, history and today. 

Challenging prejudice against Israel 

and antisemitism alongside the Jewish 

community in the UK. 

Assisting cross-culturally in Israel 

with charitable projects - medical, 

educational and social. 

What’s in a name? 

ENHANCE means to increase, or further 

improve the quality, value, or extent 

of, in our instance, Christian friendship 

of Israel. It also emphasises that when 

God’s faithfulness to Israel is included 

and understood by the wider Church, it 

truly is ‘faith enhancing.’ 

ENHANCE Magazine 

Published by: 

CFI Charitable Trust, PO Box 2687 

Eastbourne BN22 7LZ 

Tel: 01323 410 810 

Email: info@cfi.org.uk 

www.cfi.org.uk 

Registered Charity, No. 1101899 

Registered Office c/o 

Caladine, Chantry House, 22 Upperton Road 

Eastbourne, BN21 1BF 

Company No: 04984515 

VAT Registration No: GB678780275 

Front cover photo: 

Tel Aviv Towers, Israel 

Jacob Vince 

When reading the books 

of the Bible in the 

Jewish sequence, we 

might notice extra connections. 

Take for example the books of 

Judges and Samuel (the Book of 

Ruth being located with the Psalms). 

As the Book of Judges draws to a 

close, the last judge focused on is 

Samson. In the Book of Samuel, the 

next two judges are Eli and Samuel. 

So, we see that both Samson and 

Samuel are judges. In many ways 

they are similar in that they arise 

out of barren wombs in answer 

to prayer, they are both Nazarite, 

neither cutting their hair, and 

they both challenge the Philistines 

in their day. They are both also 

involved in physical warfare with 

their enemies, Samson on a much 

greater scale, though Samuel, as 

a result of King Saul’s failure to 

do so, carried out the judgement 

on King Agag of the Amalekites. 

Later in the Bible, as we come to 

the Apostles’ teaching, we find they 

both feature amongst those who 

exercised faith, towards the end of 

a long list found in the Letter to the 

Hebrews. Gideon, Barak, Samson 

and Jephthah feature from the Book 

of Judges. Then the list goes on to 

David and Samuel. 

Clearly there are also significant 

differences between them. Samuel 

perhaps better exemplifies the 

qualities of a judge; yet struggles 

with bringing up his own children, 

in a similar way to Eli and indeed 

Samson’s parents – who specifically 

asked for God’s help in that. Yet, 

despite their failings, God uses 

them both to further his purposes, 

with Samuel anointing David as 

Israel’s king, who unites the north 

and south of Israel as one nation, 

eventually bringing the Ark of the 

Covenant to Jerusalem. 

Shortly after the list of the judges 

and King David, followed by the 

prophets in general, we find it said 

that they, ‘through faith conquered 

kingdoms, administered justice and 

gained what was promised’ (Hebrews 

11:33) – presumably, at this stage, 

the ‘promised land’, as mentioned 

earlier where ‘Abraham made his home 

… like a stranger in a foreign country; 

he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, 

who were heirs of the same promise’ 

(Hebrews 11:9). 

Despite this there remained some 

unfinished outworking of the 

second part of the two-part covenant 

promise made to Abraham, this 

time not the promised land, but the 

hereditary line, which eventually 

continues through to Israel’s 

Messiah, and Saviour of the world, 

Jesus. 

Hence the writer continues, ‘these 

were all commended for their faith, yet 

none of them received what had been 

promised. God had planned something 

better for us so that only together 

with us would they be made perfect’ 

(Hebrews 11:39-40). 

Notice first, the word ‘together’. But 

how can this be that God ‘planned 

something better for us so that only 

together with us would they be made 

perfect’? Most, if not all, despite 

being ‘commended for their faith’ in 

the ‘hall of faith’, were far from 

perfect. But then neither are we. 

Even after professing faith in Jesus 

as God’s son, we cannot claim to 

be without sin, hence provision is 

made for its ongoing confession (see 

1 John 1:8-9). 

The next chapter begins, ‘Therefore, 

since we are surrounded by such a 

great cloud of witnesses’ (Hebrews 

12:1), with ‘therefore’, there for a 

reason. Here we find an analogy of 

2 ENHANCE • 2 nd Quarter 2023 

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an athletic sports stadium, as 

we are encouraged to run the 

race with perseverance. 

The race seems less a sprint 

and more a long distance 

one, perhaps a steeplechase 

with obstacles to clear at 

intervals along the way. 

At times we may need to 

speed up and at others slow 

down. 

Along with those who 

have gone before, we are 

representing a country 

and a kingdom that cannot 

be shaken – which Jesus 

refers to as the kingdom of 

heaven, or kingdom of God, 

in contrast to the kingdom 

of this world. Nonetheless, 

we must run the race on an 

earthly track, as did those 

who have gone before. So, 

it is how we run the race 

and what resources we draw 

upon that will count. May 

we then likewise, in the 

days God has chosen for us 

to live, ‘throw off everything 

that hinders and the sin that 

so easily entangles, and let us 

run with perseverance the race 

marked out for us’ And ‘Let us 

fix our eyes on Jesus the author 

and perfector of our faith’ 

(Hebrews 12:1-2). 

Israel Forum Conference Jerusalem 

At a conference held in Jerusalem at the end 

of February, the following six subjects were 

covered by expert panels. 

DEFENCE: The Iranian nuclear threat is high on the agenda. 

Iran requires three elements: (1) Material – uranium enrichment 

presently running around 60 percent, but briefly rose to around 

85 percent, close to the required level of 90 percent; (2) Warhead 

– essentially a ‘treadmill’ exercise estimated at 18 to 24 months 

for completion; (3) Missile – already tested. What are Israel’s 

options? There are no good options. Economic sanctions are 

entering the red zone for diplomacy but may give more time 

to plan. A military strike requires more in-flight refuelling 

aircraft. Israelis don’t want to act alone and feel the need for US 

involvement. They also desire a greater international consensus. 

There is some progress on this due to the war in Ukraine and the 

growing axis of Iran and China with Russia, and hence scope for 

an alliance of moderate European states with the USA and UK 

alongside increasing middle eastern support. 

DISCREDIT: Recent anti-Israel campaigns from companies 

such as Booking.com, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream were thwarted 

by legal means. The long-term campaign to discredit Israel 

was kicked-off by the notoriously erroneous declaration at 

the Durban conference in South Africa which falsely equated 

Zionism with racism. This was later rescinded, but the 

campaign continues, seeking to deny space or place for Israel 

academically, culturally and economically. This is high on 

Israel’s list of strategic affairs. 

DISTORT: There is a reassessment of the war on Jew hatred 

and its effectiveness. Despite immense effort to stem the flow, 

it continues to grow steadily and irrationally, even in western 

countries. Increasingly widespread Holocaust memorial events 

and monuments fail to influence campaigns against Israel, 

which are increasingly obvious and merging into Jew hatred. 

DEVELOP: Israel has progressed from its reputation for Jaffa 

oranges to a new national identity as a startup nation with its 

climate and ecosystem of innovation. Since the mid-eighties 

when fledgling fibre-optics were being developed and there was 

zero venture capital available, Israel has become the leading 

venture capital funder worldwide. A recent gathering in Israel saw 

over eighty countries represented by 9,000 delegates covering 

subjects from quantum computing to space, food and health 

technology. Fifty four percent of Israel’s exports now come from 

the technology industry. 

DIPLOMACY: Prior to the Abraham Accords some 200 Israeli 

businesses were already operating behind the scenes in the 

Gulf countries. Following their announcement, the growth of 

connections has continued exponentially, along with warmth in 

relations, running alongside mutual curiosity exemplified in the 

growth of Gulf tourism that led to the opening up of airspace 

over Saudi Arabia. The momentum has encouraged a warming in 

relations with long-term peaceable neighbours who don’t want to 

be left out or behind. 

DIASPORA: Presently challenged by the proposed laws for judicial 

reform. News from Israel increasingly has a direct impact on 

Jewish relations in the diaspora. There is a need for a better flow 

of accurate information – getting it out quickly. There is continued 

concern at outbursts and underlying anti-Semitism, particularly 

amongst students on campus and on the fringes of political parties. 

Jonathan Medved CEO of OurCrowd being interviewed at the Forum 

@christianfriendsofisrael_uk 

2 nd Quarter 2023 • ENHANCE 3

Charity Feature 

Innovation: Africa 

Bringing Israeli technologies to the poor 

Sivan Ya’ari founder and CEO 

An individual-inspired Israeli 

charity, Innovation: Africa, 

is a non-profit organisation 

that brings Israeli solar, water and 

agricultural technologies to rural 

African villages. 

Since 2008, using solar and water 

technologies, Innovation: Africa has 

provided access to clean water and 

light to more than 4 million people 

for the first time. They have done this 

across ten African countries: Tanzania, 

Malawi, Democratic Republic of the 

Congo, Senegal, Ethiopia, Zambia, 

Eswatini, South Africa, Uganda, and 

Cameroon. 

The charity has now completed 

over 700 solar and water projects, 

transforming the lives of some of the 

poorest communities in the world. 

With some 54 countries in Africa, 

which is twice the size of the United 

States, it seems to be left behind and 

forgotten. Around 620 million Africans 

lack access to electricity – many have 

never seen a lightbulb. 

The main challenge for them is the lack 

of energy. Because of it the people 

are still suffering with no electricity in 

medical centres and no electricity in 

schools. But most importantly, because 

there is no energy, there is no access to 

clean water. And yet the Sun exists, the 

water exists, and it is possible to make a 

change with just a few solar panels. 

Once Innovation: Africa bring clean 

water to a village, everything changes. 

Children now go to school, where 

there is better education, and fewer 

people are sick. But what inspires 

the charity the most is that, when 

they go back to a village, they see 

agriculture, brickmaking, and economic 

independence. Energy is key to 

breaking the cycle of poverty. 

Innovation: Africa raises funds through 

a variety of schemes. They give the 

opportunity to adopt a village. They 

have a long list of schools, orphanages, 

medical centres and villages that are 

waiting for their help to gain access to 

clean water and light. 

They encourage those who are not 

yet able to raise sufficient funds to 

transform an entire village, to start their 

own campaign in the confidence that 

100 percent of any amount raised will 

go toward villages in need. 

www.innoafrica.org 

4 ENHANCE • 2 nd Quarter 2023

Hebrew Word Focus 

Melissa Briggs MA 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem 

Melissa is an experienced Hebrew 

teacher with a desire to make the 

rich language of the Scriptures 

accessible to Christians. 

Visit: www.explorehebrew.co.uk 

Faith in 

Action 

אֱ‏ מּונָה 

Emunah 

“For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in Emunah.” (Psalm 33:4) 

According to the Disney princesses, if 

I believe in something… or desire it 

strongly enough… or wish upon a star, 

then it will come true. But is that how faith 

works in real life? 

The Hebrew word for faith is אֱ‏ מּונָה Emunah, which 

does not merely mean ‘a belief in anything’ or ‘a 

mental assent to a certain set of ideas’, as the word 

‘faith’ is so often used in English. No, this biblical 

word emunah speaks of something much more stable, 

beautiful and stronger. 

Emunah can be translated as ‘faith, faithfulness, 

truth, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness, firmness or 

stability.’ 

Emunah is trust due to proven actions which affirm 

the reliability of the trust. Emunah is not faith or 

belief alone, it is faith ‘completed’ or ‘demonstrated’ 

by works. So according to this biblical definition 

of emunah, our actions demonstrate our 

beliefs (see Hebrews 11 and James 2). 

Others in this family of Hebrew words, 

which share the same root letters and are 

interconnected topically, include: 

’Emet אֱ‏ – מֶ‏ ת a truth. 

’Amen אָ‏ – מֵ‏ ן so be it (an affirmation of truth). 

’Aman אֲ‏ – מַ‏ ן to be faithful and trustworthy. 

’Aman אָ‏ – מַ‏ ן to believe, doorposts/pillars, endure, 

establish, faithful, firm, fulfilled, guardians, has 

assurance, have faith, lasting, nurse, foster parent, to 

put your trust, reliable, verified. 

Do your actions line up with what you claim are your 

beliefs? If someone took an honest look at your daily 

schedule or your bank activity, would the way you 

spend your time and your money align with what you 

say is most important to you? 

In English and in our modern way of thinking, we 

can separate the ideas of ‘faith’ and ‘being faithful’ – 

but in Hebrew these two ideas are one and the same, 

encapsulated in the word emunah. This begs the 

question: 

“Are you really a person of faith if you are not a 

faithful person?” 

Are you faithful to God, your marriage, your family, 

the roles and responsibilities God has given you? 

All of these words around emunah represent the 

concept of something or someone that can be 

trusted because of doing things that prove they are 

trustworthy. And what an accurate description of the 

Great is your 

faithfulness 

character and nature of God! He is the only one who 

is always faithful, true, steady and trustworthy, 

And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord 

displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord 

and put their aman (trust/faith) in him and in Moses his 

servant (Exodus 14:31). 

Emunah means so much more than our western idea of 

‘faith’. For example, we can see the literal meaning of 

‘steadiness’ in the following passage, 

But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and 

put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur 

supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. 

Thus his hands were emumah (steady) until the sun set 

(Exodus 17:12). 

Biblical emunah is a stable thing – related to the word 

for pillar or support – and always based on reliable 

truth, as it is so closely related to the word ‘emet’. 

Therefore, if something is ‘amen-ed’ it is something 

that can be affirmed in reality, and not a random or 

baseless belief. 

The Hebrew word for ‘foster parent’, 

‘oman’, is also closely related to emunah 

and found in Isaiah 49:23. As foster 

carers, my husband and I had new 

opportunities to put emunah into action. 

We sought to be obedient to God’s voice and trust 

his character as we took emergency phone calls from 

social workers – sometimes late at night – asking if we 

would take new placements. 

Even now it sounds daunting to me the things we’ve 

said “yes” to welcoming into our home through 

foster care—a fragile newborn with severe medical 

conditions, sibling groups with diverse needs, babies 

withdrawing from drug exposure in utero, parents 

in prison or dealing drugs, teenagers with recent 

overdose attempts, etc. Each time we had to choose 

to believe God would faithfully guide us to say either 

‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the requests in faith. 

True emunah is to believe in the steadfast truth of God, 

and then be faithful, reliable, firmly holding onto that 

truth and acting on it, as led and empowered by the 

Holy Spirit. The focus is on the Lord, his reliability 

and steadiness. 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for 

his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; 

great is your Emunah (Lamentations 3:22-23). 

Contact Melissa to learn Hebrew at: www.explorehebrew.co.uk 

To learn more about what “Emunah” looks like outworked, check 

out the charity serving Israel’s orphans and most vulnerable 

children at: www.emunahisrael.org 


Special Report 

CFI UK PRAYER 

CONFERENCE 

Tuesday 21 st – Thursday 23 rd March 

By Julia Soakell 

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting. 

Let all the people say “Amen”, 

Praise the Lord. 

(Psalm 106:48) 

The theme of this year’s CFI Annual Prayer 

Conference was Everlasting to Everlasting. In 

‏.(אֵ‏ ל עֹולָ‏ ‏ֽם)‏ Hebrew the Everlasting God is El Olam 

The word ‘olam’ occurs more than 400 times in the Hebrew 

scriptures and is often translated eternal, forever, lasting, ever 

and ancient. Drawing aside from the chaotic days we are living 

in, we felt blessed to pray and spend time with the Lord when 

so much in the world seems changeable and shaken. 

More than fifty supporters gathered at Kings Park Conference 

Centre in Northampton in mid-March, keen to pray for Israel, 

her people and for CFI. Many felt as they left, that the time 

was well spent in being rather than doing, and allowing the 

Lord to prepare and strengthen them for the seasons ahead. 

One of the CFI Jerusalem staff always ends her emails with, 

“Before we can do what God wants us to do, we must first 

be who God wants us to be – being always precedes doing” 

David and I were blessed to host the group, many of whom 

hadn’t been to a residential prayer conference before, and 

with a higher proportion of men than in previous prayer 

conferences. In our preparations we felt it would be vital to 

‘hold lightly’ the sessions and their focus, allowing the Holy 

Spirit to lead us into the Lord’s focus and priorities. 

A good amount of time was spent in worship, especially in 

the first session. Prayer topics included our post-Christian 

nation and the church in the UK, as well as our leaders and 

government, asking the Lord in grace and mercy to lead our 

nation to become a greater blessing to the land and people 

of Israel. We also prayed about Aliyah and its counterpart 

Yeridah – the phenomenon of Jewish people leaving Israel to 

return to their previous countries and lives. That happens for 

various reasons, but economic factors are a current concern. 

CFI Jerusalem projects were considered and thanks offered for 

breakthroughs where new visas and staff recruitment have 

drawn seven new project coordinators into their roles. 

Praying for the younger generations was a major focus, 

appealing for them to better understand Israel as they become 

pastors, teachers, politicians and intercessors in the years to 

come. We included those generations in Israel itself, and also 

in the Arab Palestinian areas where hatred is promoted in the 

education system. These children and their parents can ask 

God to intervene and bring about supernatural change and 

restoration for all. The young people of the region have known 

tensions and traumas in life, with high levels of hatred and 

media bias against the Jewish people. 

We also considered that the Bible mentions there will be an 

accumulation of knowledge in later times. As the late Derek 

Prince once said, 

“Cleverness and education are no substitute for the 

moral foundation and understanding which are the fear 

of the Lord and obedience to his precepts.” 

David Soakell and Jonathan Holbrook led morning 

meditations based around scriptures about the everlasting 

God and living in his presence. David led a session on 

‘Comfort and keep comforting’ (see Isaiah 40:1), sharing 

personally on the difficulty of standing with Israel in 

connection with CFI’s ‘Forsake Them Not’ project. We also 

heard from Jacob Vince, our Chief Executive, about attending 

the Global Coalition for Israel Conference and hearing of 

some surprising nations that now work closely with Israel. 

And he shed light on praying for the UK church about pivotal 

issues raised lately in the Church of England’s General Synod. 

Looking back on the theme and on our time together we 

give thanks to the everlasting God we serve and in whom 

we can put our trust, even when we see the nations shake 

and tremble. We can be confident in him. He is powerful 

and productive in all he does, producing fruit in his perfect 

6 ENHANCE • 2 nd Quarter 2023 

@christianfriendsofisrael_uk

Psalms 90:2; 106:48 

Conference Feedback 

“All the glory went to the Lord. We 

were led step by step with our loving 

Shepherd. His heart was manifest. 

Unity was powerful. Praise the Lord!” 

“God revealed he is more glorious 

– more awesome – and I believe this 

time was so important too” 

“The truth is God can move 

mountains, he doesn’t need us – but 

entirely overwhelmed he wants us. 

Beautiful conference, good spiritual 

food and time set aside a blessing to 

see God’s hand at work and answers 

to prayer and motivating to see the 

work still to be done.” 

Julia Soakell 

Prayer Encouragement Philip Aitchison 

Liaison Support Jacob Vince 

Chief Executive Jonathan Holbrook 

Trustee 

timing, sowing seeds for times to come. He is impervious 

to distractions and the plans of the enemy, and always 

victorious. God and his purposes thrive in times of crisis, and 

he is able to bring good even when the enemy acts to harm. 

“We aren’t adrift in chaos. We are held in the 

everlasting arms” Elisabeth Elliot 

Finally, we focused on CFI UK, praying for our staff, trustees 

and volunteers. This is key and by bringing these roles to 

mind we could help further prayer in the future. David Greer, 

chairman of our Trustees, shared his heart for CFI UK in the 

current climate and the difficult days the ministry has faced 

recently, as well as breakthroughs in God’s provision since. 

David Greer 

Trustee 

“Excellent conference - a balanced 

mix, with worship, meditation, 

teaching and prayer, plus time for 

fellowship.” 

“Thank you - Everything was put 

together with prayer and it showed. 

It’s been so good to come apart and 

devote this time to the things that 

need prayers.” 

“I feel it was strategic spiritually 

to focus in and on the awesomeness 

of God.” 

In our hearts we really felt our time together was an essential 

way of supporting Israel strategically. We acknowledged the 

difficulty of continuing to stand for the whole word of God 

in a secular nation where Christianity is still the foundation 

despite the huge decline in the value placed on our Judeo 

Christian heritage. But in praying together with like-minded 

people, many felt stronger, more focused and returned home 

determined to continue to pray about key issues and share 

sensitively with others the needs we covered. 

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the 

everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27) 

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Feature 

The Coronation of 

King Charles III 

The 6 th May 2023 will mark the historic 

Coronation of King Charles III and of his 

wife, Camilla, as Queen. 

We give thanks for the life and Christian service 

of the late Queen Elizabeth II for whom many 

Christians prayed over the 70 years of her reign. 

Her values were clear for all to see - Christian 

leadership, family and a personal walk with 

God, a true woman of the Bible and of prayer. 

The Coronation is centred around a solemn religious 

ceremony and has remained largely unchanged for more 

than 1,000 years. For the last 900 years it has taken place 

at Westminster Abbey, London, and is conducted by the 

Archbishop of Canterbury. The Coronation in 2023 will 

differ from others to reflect modern times with ‘Coronation 

Big Lunches’ around the UK and Commonwealth, a 

spectacular ‘Coronation Concert’ at Windsor Castle with 

laser and drone displays, followed by an extra bank holiday 

on 8 th May. 

The Chrism oil which will be used to anoint the King 

has been consecrated in Jerusalem. It was created 

using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount 

of Olives, at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene and 

the Monastery of the Ascension. The Monastery 

of Mary Magdalene is the burial place of King 

Charles’ grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece. 

The olives were pressed just outside Bethlehem 

and the oil has been perfumed with essential oils 

– sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin 

and amber – as well as orange blossom. This 

oil is based on that used for the Coronation of 

Queen Elizabeth II – a formula used for hundreds 

of years. It will also be used for the anointing of 

Camilla as Queen. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Since beginning the 

planning for the Coronation, my desire has been for a new 

Coronation Oil to be produced using olive oil from the 

Mount of Olives. This demonstrates the deep historic link 

between the Coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land. From 

ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have 

been anointed with oil from this sacred place. As we prepare 

to anoint the King and his Queen, I pray that they would be 

guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.” 

In his first Christmas speech as King, Charles quoted the 

much-loved carol ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ and referred 

tenderly to his mother and her faith in God and in people. 

He spoke of his trip to Israel in January 2020 where he had 

met the then Israeli President 

Reuven Rivlin at his official 

residence in Jerusalem. He 

saw a model of the Second 

Temple of Jerusalem in the 

Israel Museum and the Dead 

Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the 

Book Museum. 

Later he attended the World 

Holocaust Forum at Yad 

Vashem and made a speech 

saying, “The Holocaust must never be allowed to become 

simply a fact of history. We must never cease to be 

appalled, nor moved by the testimony of those who lived 

through it. Their experience must always educate, and 

guide, and warn us.” 

On his second day in the Holy Land he visited the Mosque 

of Omar, the only mosque in the Old City of Bethlehem, 

heard about its history and signed the visitors’ book. 

He then visited the Church of the Nativity for an 

ecumenical service and later travelled to see the tomb 

of his grandmother, Princess Alice, at the Church of 

St Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives, near the 

Garden of Gethsemane. 

In his first New Year Honours List, King Charles 

knighted Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis in recognition 

of his services to the Jewish community, interfaith 

relations and education. It was one of the most 

extensive lists of honours for Jewish community 

leaders, Holocaust survivors and philanthropists in 

memory. 

Sir Ephraim told the Jewish News: “I am enormously 

honoured and deeply humbled by this award. It will be 

particularly moving for me to receive this award from His 

Majesty the King in his first year as our monarch.” 

We pray for the power of God’s love to strengthen all 

family relationships in the House of Windsor; in particular 

for reconciliation, humility, greater understanding 

and communication between them and for forgiveness 

where needed. As our nation continues to face economic 

downturn and civil unease, within a world often rife with 

conflict, we pray for God’s will to be fulfilled in members of 

the Royal Family, that they will stand up as people of strong 

Christian faith and serve our nation well, following in the 

legacy of the late Queen. 


Feature 

Hidden Treasures 

Back to bagels 

Traditional Jewish Kracover Polish bagels 

The bagel’s known history goes back at least six 

centuries. While we know them in 21 st century UK, 

the bagel’s appearance probably began in Poland. In 

her excellent book, ‘The Bagel: the Surprising History of a 

Modest Bread,’ Maria Balinska shares some theories of its 

origin. 

Balinska first suggests the possibility that they 

travelled East to Poland from Germany as part 

of a migration flow during the 14 th century. 

At the time ‘pretzels’, the thick bread of 

the German variety, moved out of their 

original home in monasteries to become 

readily available feast-day bread. German 

immigrants, brought to Poland to help 

build the economy, brought the ‘pretzels’ 

with them. In Poland, so the theory goes, the 

German breads morphed into a round roll with a 

hole in the middle that became known in Poland as an 

‘obwarzanek’ which means to ‘boil’ in Polish. Written records 

of them appear as early as the 14 th century. 

They gained notoriety when Queen Jadwiga, known for her 

charity and piety, opted to eat obwarzanek during Lent, in 

lieu of the more richly flavoured breads and pastries she 

enjoyed the rest of the year. While that might seem like quite 

a step in the context of Marie Antoinette’s later comment 

“let them eat cake”, note that, although Queen Jadwiga was 

apparently pretty down-to-earth as queens go, obwarzanek 

at that time wasn’t exactly the kind of inexpensive street 

food that bagels became a few centuries later. 

Lent, then as now, was a period during which devout 

Christians consciously chose deprivation - but what 

constitutes ‘deprivation’ is relative. What the queen chose 

for her daily bread was rather costly at the time, because 

wheat was not cheap. Most Poles in her day could barely 

afford the cheaper, coarser breads made from rye flour. 

So, obwarzanek was primarily the province of princes, nobles, 

and men and women of means, not the poor. 

A second theory dates the first bagels to the late 17 th century 

in Austria, saying that they were invented in 1683 by a 

Viennese baker trying to pay tribute to the King of Poland, 

Jan Sobieski. The king had led Austria and Poland in repelling 

invading Turkish armies. Given that the king was famous for 

his love of horses, the baker decided to shape his dough into 

a circle that looked like a stirrup – or ‘beugel’ in German. 

Bagels and the fight against bias 

A third theory suggests that, as Jewish food, the bagel really 

came of age during the era of Polish history known as the 

“Nobles’ Democracy.” While intolerance and conflict reigned 

elsewhere, Poland was probably the preeminent country 

for tolerance, acceptance, education, and understanding. 

Unlike almost every other country in Europe, Poles identified 

themselves as citizens of their country rather than of any 

divisive framework based on religious, ethnic, or 

linguistic origins. This mindset created the 

environment where Jews were first allowed 

the opportunity to bake and sell bread – of 

which bagels were an integral part. 

The shift started to take place in the 

late 13 th century. Balinska refers to the 

breakthrough ruling by Polish Prince 

Boleslaw the Pious in 1264 that said, “Jews 

may freely buy and sell and touch bread like 

Christians.” To quote Balinska, “This was a 

radical step, so radical that (in reaction) in 1267 

a group of Polish bishops forbade Christians to buy 

any foodstuffs from Jews, darkly hinting that they contained 

poison for the unsuspecting gentile.” At some point, the 

theory goes, Jews were allowed to work with bread that was 

boiled, and they created the bagel to comply with this ruling. 


News Feature 

Robin Lane 

Political Crisis 

in Israel 

In the previous edition of ENHANCE we wrote 

about the new Israeli government’s controversial 

start to its time in power and expected ‘much more 

controversy’ to follow. That expectation was exceeded 

when Israel ran into a full-blown political crisis in the 

last week of March. 

Early differences with the Supreme Court were 

highlighted late in January when Benjamin Netanyahu 

was forced to dismiss Aryeh Deri as Interior minister 

and Health minister because the court ruled those 

appointments violated the legal principle of estoppel – 

Deri had gone back on his word to the court in a hearing 

one year before. 

Growing protests 

Much of the news then focused upon increasing conflict 

with Palestinian terrorists, as Israel’s security forces 

continued their operation ‘Break the Wave’. However, 

a protest movement on the streets of Israel was growing 

steadily, opposed to the government’s plans to reduce the 

power of the Supreme Court. 

On 21 st February, the Times of Israel’s editor, David 

Horovitz, described the government’s plans as almost 

completely neutering the court’s capacity to oppose new 

laws – no matter how outrageous – and enabling the 

government to easily override any court decision to strike 

down a law. 

He explained the concern of many, that Israel has ‘no 

other brakes on abuse by the political leadership’ – no 

constitution, no bill of rights, no second parliamentary 

chamber, and no capacity in the Knesset to resist 

legislation advanced by a majority government, even if 

that majority is only one.’ 

Days of disruption 

By the beginning of March, the protests had grown from 

large-scale marches and setting up ad-hoc roadblocks 

into plans for a national ‘day of disruption’. The tensions 

in Israeli society even showed in Knesset committee 

meetings, where members shouted at each other so loudly 

that some had to be forcefully removed. 

In contrast to almost daily security raids against terrorists 

in towns like Jenin and Nablus – many of which led to 

violence and gunfights – the political protests on the 

streets of Israel were largely peaceful. Yet the government 

was so confrontational that some Israelis started voicing 

concerns that the dispute could lead to civil war. 

Part of the dispute focused on proposed laws that directly 

benefitted Benjamin Netanyahu and Aryeh Deri, as well 

as other proposals that suited the ultra-orthodox parties in 

the governing coalition. For a few days there was much 

international concern over a proposal to ban Christians 

from evangelising in Israel. But that proposal was quickly 

withdrawn. 

Protest - Tel Aviv, 28 January 2023 Photo: Oren Rozen 

Impact upon the military 

Nevertheless, some military reservists were so worried 

about the reforms they withdrew from training days 

and threatened to resign. With Israel’s enemies in Iran, 

Syria, Lebanon and Gaza issuing more threats, that was a 

significant problem for the new government. After days 

of trying privately to persuade Benjamin Netanyahu to 

slow the reforms down, Yoav Gallant, the Minister for 

Defence, made a public appeal for a delay on Saturday 25 th 

March. 

The crisis erupts 

That prompted Netanyahu to fire Gallant from his 

ministerial post through a statement on Twitter at 

around 10pm on the Sunday. This prompted massive 

spontaneous street protests which lasted through until 

4am on Monday 27 th March. 

Those protests snowballed into a general strike that 

closed Ben Gurion airport, shopping centres, banks, 

local councils and some schools. Much of the country 

ground to a halt and Netanyahu promised to speak to 

the nation in the morning. However, there followed a 

series of postponements before he finally made the public 

announcement of a delay in the judicial reforms late that 

evening. He was put under pressure by Itamar Ben Gvir 

not to delay the new laws; but quoted Solomon’s biblical 

wisdom in not cutting the baby in two. 

A way forward 

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog immediately urged the 

leaders to get on with negotiations straight away, and the 

first meeting took place at his home the following evening. 

However, increasing tension between the USA and Israel 

also emerged. On that same day, Joe Biden told reporters 

he hoped Netanyahu would “walk away” from his 

current judicial overhaul legislation, saying he was “very 

concerned” about the health of Israeli democracy, and that 

“They cannot continue down this road. And I’ve sort of 

made that clear.” 

Netanyahu reacted strongly, confirming that “Israel is an 

independent country that makes its decisions according to 

the will of its citizens and not based on external pressures, 

including from our best friends.” 

There quickly followed a series of public statements 

designed to play down that argument. But there is little 

evidence emerging from the negotiations within Israel 

as to the chances of reaching a suitable compromise 

regarding the power of the Supreme Court. However, 

Netanyahu did reinstate Gallant as Defence Minister on 

Monday 10 th April. 


Event Report 

From Monday 10 th to Friday14 th April Christian Friends of Israel UK 

exhibited for their first time at Spring Harvest Christian Festival held at 

Minehead, Somerset. The stall was attended by chief executive Jacob 

Vince, administration assistant Chantal Paskins and designer Steve Turnham. 

Despite blustery storm Noa, with 60 mile an hour winds, thousands attending 

were able to enjoy the features on offer inside the Butlins Minehead venue. 

At the centre of the Skyline building were the exhibitors, including the CFI UK 

Resources Stall with books, pamphlets, booklets, DVDs and music CDs, alongside 

free literature including our recently renamed ENHANCE magazine, which proved 

very popular. 

Our request for a corner stall was arranged by the organising team who were very 

accommodating. We were pleased to find an Israel tour company next to our 

stall. A whole new cross-section of Christians and the wider church showed great 

interest in developing their understanding of Israel in the context of the Bible, 

history and today, with many new enquirers signing up to receive our regular 

communications, particularly the quarterly ENHANCE magazine. 

We also had good engagement with other stall holders including the Release 

charity for persecuted Christians, and students from Moorlands College, where 

Chris Sinkinson lectures (he was one of last year’s CFI UK annual conference 

speakers). We managed to attend a few teaching sessions at Spring Harvest 

including a speaker from the Bible Society presenting an overview of Paul’s letter 

to the churches at Rome, with questions following. All in all, it was a thoroughly 

good start to the exhibition and festival season, with the Lord granting us 

travelling mercies, timely conversations and fellowship. 

Spring Harvest 2023 

A taste of Passover 2023 

L 

iaison support Philip Aitchison had good feedback from his ‘A Taste 

of Passover’ evening event on Tuesday 4 th April in the Scottish Borders 

and David and Julia Soakell held a Passover teaching at Spalding on 

Wednesday 5 th which was very well received. There was a wide range 

of generations present and they had good feedback. They were able to 

distribute CFI UK literature to many who hadn’t heard of the ministry and 

also give the ‘Festival of Freedom’ leaflet to all who attended. 

Jacob led a Passover evening in Basingstoke on Thursday 6 th April, at 

which the Mayor and Mayoress were present. His talk touched on many 

unknown aspects for those attending and was much appreciated. 

On Good Friday morning, Jacob was also able to share on Jesus at Passover, 

at Suncoast church Eastbourne, with active involvement of the kids church. 


Resources www.cfi.org.uk/shop.php 

YOU ARE HOLY 

JOSHUA AARON 

Joshua Aaron’s debut album, 

‘You Are Holy’, features his 

most timeless and classic songs, 

including the singles Hoshiana 

and Gadol Elohai. 

MC59 // 12 Tracks // £11.50 

(incl. UK p&p) 

For resources call: 01323 410 810 

Postal savings on multiple items 

MAGNETIC RELIEF MAP OF ISRAEL 

This educational souvenir from the land of Israel 

features modern day cities and nature reserves, 

biblical tourist attractions such as Tel Dan, Tel 

Megiddo, Caesarea, Shiloh, Qumran and Masada. 

Size: 8.5 x 4 inches (21 x 10 cm) Magnetic. 

Scale: 1 inch = 37 miles. 

MA2 // £4.50 (incl. UK p&p) 

THE LIFE OF SAMSON – (Glossy fold-out pamphlet) ROSE PUBLISHING 

Samson was a supernaturally strong man chosen by God to free the nation of Israel. A hero of the Old 

Testament, he was also plagued by personal failures and weaknesses that led to his demise. This fullyillustrated 

7 panel pamphlet gives great insight into the cultural background and history of the time of 

Samson, helping to understand his story, what the Nazarite vow was, the conflict with the Philistines and 

much more. 

BT129 // 7 Panel double-sided // £5.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

ASPIRATION, INSPIRATION, PERSPIRATION – SHLOMO MAITAL & RAFI NAVE 

How Technion Faculty and Graduates fuse creativity with technology to change the world. 

More than 100,000 Technion graduates over the years, and thousands of faculty members, past and present, have 

changed the world through effective creativity. This book tells the stories of 100 of them, and their innovations, in their 

own words. We focus here on technology-intensive and science-based innovation. Many of the innovations described 

are in use in our daily lives, often without the beneficiaries being aware of their Technion origin. 

B535 // 397 Pages // £12.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

EQUIP – Your Personal Journey to the Kingdom – PETER TSUKAHIRA 

“And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers, for 

the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:28) 

Take up the challenge of discipleship! This book is a series of 52 short teachings meant to equip men and women as 

disciples of God’s kingdom in our day. The teachings may be read one by one, or as a series of weekly studies for a single 

year. Each teaching is accompanied by several questions for reflection or discussion and a point of prayer. 

B534 // 400 Pages // £17.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

UK Events 

CFI UK will exhibit 

at the following live 

events in 2023 

Fochabers Village 

Aberdeenshire, 

Scotland, IV32 7PQ 

26-30 July & 1-5 August 2023 

Kent Event Centre, Maidstone, Kent 

CRE Midlands 8 – 9 November 2023 

Cranmore Park, Solihull 

Contact: CFI Communications, PO Box 2687, Eastbourne, BN22 7LZ 

Tel: 01323 410810 Email: info@cfi.org.uk YouTube: www.youtube.com/CFIUK Web: www.cfi.org.uk 

@christianfriendsofisrael_uk 

twitter.com/cfi_uk 

facebook.com/cfiuk 

youtube.com/cfiuk

ENHANCE - 2nd Quarter 2023

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