Syria is an interesting country. Her hatred for the Jewish State is legendary. It is national policy to hate Israel and the Jewish People. Horror stories have abounded for years, including a vivid description of how a Syrian soldier took a bound Israeli prisoner and publicly chewed him to death to the cheers of delighted onlookers. Hatred for Israel is taught in the schools and inculcated on the local media. Girl scouts in Syria are required, as part of their initiation rites, to catch a snake and kill it with their teeth. There is no shortage of examples of vicious hatred of Syrians for Israel. Yet, for some unexplained reason, it seems that Syria's president, Assad, has suddenly developed a desire to live in peace with Israel. President Clinton is ecstatic, as is the government of Israel.
WHAT DID ISRAEL GAIN FROM THIS TREATY? She gained more pressure from the United States to yield more of her homeland to her enemies. She contributed to the propaganda campaign which suggests that real peace can be achieved through Israeli retreat. And she enabled the Egyptian army to rebuild and greatly upgrade its military capacity . . . for peace of course. THE SECOND "BREAKTHROUGH" WHICH FOUND US SIGNING A "PEACE" TREATY WITH JORDAN, was really more of the same kind of fraud which only further lulled the Israeli people into feeling safer. What exactly was accomplished with this treaty? First of all, for the first time, the Israeli government overwhelmingly and officially recognized the legitimacy of Arab sovereignty over Jewish soil on the other side of the Jordan River. Secondly, diplomats were exchanged and borders opened. Thirdly, Israel agreed to supply water to Jordan, despite the fact that we have our own shortage of water. And, of course, as a result of this wonderful treaty, Jordan received increased financial and military aid from the United States. Israel also has opened trade with Jordan which increases that country's standard of living. Never mind the fact that seven schoolgirls were murdered on a class trip by a Jordanian soldier while visiting Jewish land under Jordanian control. AND WHAT DID ISRAEL GAIN FROM THIS TREATY? She gained increased pressure from the United States to yield more of her homeland for peace. She further contributed to the myth that real peace can be achieved by giving up more Jewish Land. And she showed the Arab world that they can defeat Israel far easier with "peace" than with war. Proof of the above premise was quick in coming. Yasser Arafat, whose PLO was created and exists for the sole purpose of destroying the Jewish State, has joined the procession of Arab terrorist murderers who stand on line waiting for their share of Jewish Land in return for "peace." Arafat has declared that he is not "asking for the moon." Actually I would prefer to give him the moon and send him and all of his PLO followers to live there. I would even be willing to recognize his terrorist state at that location. NO ONE WITH AN OUNCE OF INTELLIGENCE REALLY BELIEVES THAT THE PLO HAS STOPPED PLOTTING THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL. The government of Israel has set so many self-deprecating precedents that it is unthinkable for it to admit that the path it is on can only lead to its self-destruction. Whether or not Arafat declares his PLO state is a technical irrelevancy. The fact is that he already has his state on Jewish soil on this side of the Jordan River and his hand is stretched out waiting for Israel to enlarge it even more, for peace.
Is it not evident, from all of these precedents, that Israel is working,
together with her enemies, to weaken herself before them? It certainly
is evident to Assad. With all the Land that Israel has already given
away to Mubarak, Hussein, and Arafat, if he can convince the Jewish
State to give him the Golan Heights, the Arab nations will be that much
closer to achieving the peace they all seek . . . a Middle East without
a Jewish State of any size.
In his memoirs, Nikita Krushchev, the deposed Soviet chieftain, asked a question of lamentable pertinence now in post-communist Russia: Why does anti-Semitism persist "in our system?" Krushchev was writing his memoirs in the late 1960s after his ouster in October 1964. More than three decades later, what Krushchev called "the germs of anti-Semitism" are thriving in non-communist Russia, judging by media reports.
WITH THE BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION, ANTI-BOLSHEVIK ARMIES INSTITUTED POGROMS ANEW. With the accession of Josef Stalin, there was a recrudescence of anti-Semitism. Krushchev describes Stalin as "a dyed-in-the-wool anti-Semite." Leading Jewish intellectuals were imprisoned and executed. Stalin was planning to exile all Russian Jews, ostensibly at their request, to Siberia when he died in March 1953. Persecution of Jews continued under Stalin's successors who camouflaged their anti-Semitism by calling it anti-Zionism. Movies, TV documentaries, books and pamphlets by the millions were published denouncing "Zionism" as the most serious threat to the Soviet Union. The U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences established a commission to coordinate research dedicated to the exposure and criticism of "Zionism." These racist policies became a critical issue for the Reagan administration until Mikhail Gorbachev took the Soviet helm in 1984 and ended official anti-Semitism. So now with communism no longer a factor in the post-communist Russia, you'd imagine they'd leave the Jews alone and start rebuilding their country. But no. For many Russians, anti-Semitism is their living creed. Last May, leaflets with a photo of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov at a Moscow synagogue dedication wearing a skullcap were distributed all over Moscow and the city of Kirov. Under the photo was the legend, "And this man wants to become president of Russia!" Luzhkov is a potential candidate for president to succeed Boris Yeltsin in next summer's election. THE UNION OF COUNCILS FOR SOVIET JEWS, AS IT STILL CALLS ITSELF, HAS A WEB SITE TITLED "ANTI-SEMITISM AND EXTREMIST GROUPS." I downloaded their index page and found these reports between April and July 14: "Stabbing of Jewish leader in Moscow," "In Orel, it has become dangerous to study Hebrew," "Anti-Semitism, Xenophobia and Religious Intolerance in Kaluga Oblast," "Anti-Semitic articles from the Ukrainian press," "Anti-Semitism and Anti-Semitism in Belarus," "Anti-Semitism in the Russian cities of Saratov, Samnara and Kaluga," "Exodus as thousands flee from Russian anti-Semites," "Anti-Semitism continues to appear as theme in Russian media," "Police in Russia defuse bomb near Jewish theater in Moscow," "Moscow Jewish theater site of attempted terrorist attack." Those 11 are a selection from some 40 articles about Russian racism reported between April 20 and July 14. The germs of anti-Semitism, as Krushchev called them, are alive and well in the new Russia. PERHAPS THAT IS WHY, ACCORDING TO AN AP REPORT, BETWEEN JANUARY AND JUNE THIS YEAR, 12, 188 RUSSIAN JEWS CAME TO ISRAEL, AN INCREASE OF 129 PERCENT FROM THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. Some 800,000 former Soviet Jews have moved to Israel since 1989 when then-President Gorbachev eased emigration policies.
In a decade the new Russia may be, to use the Nazi German category,
"Judenrein," free of Jews.
In Lima, Oklahoma WTLW-44 now broadcasts our TV program Zola Levitt Presents on Sunday evenings at 7:00. For a free copy of our national television airing schedule, please call or write us or [click here]
Beginning on September 24, our ministry's new congregation will meet each Friday evening at 7:30 at:
For more information, please call our office at (214) 696-8844 during business hours. Please, no children under 5 years old. Though it's not required, it will help us have enough chairs, etc., if you RSVP. See you there!
Many people taking tours to Israel worry needlessly about the dangers of terrorism or unrest there. "Statistically it's a joke," says Rochelle Sobel of the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT)."In terms of personal safety you are far safer in Israel than in the States." ASIRT became appalled that most people who go abroad are totally unaware of what to be concerned about when travelling the roads of other countries. "One percent of people who die abroad die from a combination of terrorism and disease." Road accidents account for the vast majority of travel casualties. ASIRT offers Road Travel Reports (RTR) on roughly sixty nations, and you can request an RTR by calling (301) 983-5252 or visiting their web page at www.horizon-web.com/asirt. But Israel is one of the countries where Rochelle suggests you don't need an RTR if you're riding a bus, because Israel's buses are among the safest.
The kibbutz, a communal farm, was as important unit during the rebuilding of Israel as the family is to America. Our Kibbutz Israel Tour, November 19-28, gives you a chance to stay at an authentic kibbutz but also to enjoy the full-fledged itinerary of Zola's famous Bible sites tour. Our Two December tours include deluxe accommodations and depart on December 11. The Deluxe Tour returns on the 21st and the Grand on the 26th. Our color tour folder reflects the step-above quality that is Zola's philosophy in seeing the land of our Lord. Please call Diana at (214) 696-9760 for your brochure during business hours or 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377) anytime [or click here]. Dear Friends, I recently made a trip to California, and there I saw the Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. This magnificent building, started in 1854, has a tremendously impressive, very high facade on the front. But I was driving with a messianic friend down the street on the side of the church, and we could clearly see that that impressive facade was just that, a facade, like a Hollywood set. There was nothing behind it. The church was actually of only modest height, and the portico rose in front rather like in King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. My colleague, a well-known messianic leader, remarked in passing that he was turned down as a speaker at that church, and that really got to me. I, too, am turned down quite regularly as being "too controversial" or "too irrelevant" and never for being "too Jewish." You can hear several famous messianic speakers at our September 18-19 Prophecy Conference at the Biblical Arts Center in Dallas. I'm sure you have heard the publicity by now, but if this convinces you to come, call us immediately (assuming you read this letter in time) and we'll count you in. The policies of the new Prime Minister of Israel are becoming a bit clearer. As I supposed, he is not so very different from Netanyahu after all. Barak recently visited Washington, but he didn't give away the store as all the liberal press had hoped. Having fielded great armies against the very people who are trying to get the land in Israel, he is more cautious than to simply give it away. He began cordial but extended talks about withdrawals from the West Bank and so forth. We'll know more later. After all, Mr. Barak has a real problem. Giving the Palestinians West Bank land to quiet their murderous instincts would be like giving Timothy McVey 25 states so that he and his friends in the militias would behave themselves. Israel is in a constant struggle, and indeed, it's very name means "he wrestled with God." See Gary Cooperberg's excellent article in this issue for expert-on-the-ground commentary on the real situation over there. The Palestinians claim that the very Jewish West Bank was really originally their land because they go back to the Canaanites! This whopper of a lie is like saying that we white Americans go back to the Indians, but they say it with a straight face. Well, if they say it to you, confront them with Lev. 20:24 in which God Almighty, well aware of who owns what, gives "their land" to Israel for an inheritance! So even if Palestinians claim this incredible lineage back to peoples of no relationship to them whatever, God still knowingly gave the land to His Chosen People, Israel. For the moment, the violence has tapered off in Israel, and seems to have taken root in the United States. In this country, 474 different hate groups have been traced who target Jews, blacks, etc. The synagogue shootings, three in six weeks at the time of this writing, testify strongly to an End Times' phenomenon, the hatred of the Chosen People. "Ye shall be hated of all nations," Jesus told His disciples (Matt. 24:9) and that is certainly a very true and clear sign of the end. The real violence has always, frankly, been in this country rather than in Israel, even at times when Israel dominates CNN day after day. One only has to compare casualty rates in an Israeli bombing, usually less than five, with those rates in an American bombing, 268 in Oklahoma City, for example. But the media have to make a profit on something, and Israel-bashing sells. Also in California, I toured the Hearst Castle, a mansion of ludicrous proportions and a testimonial to how far people without God will go to seek pleasure in this life. We tourists were shown into a 2,500 square foot living room with walls three stories high covered with expensive tapestries and the like. We were informed that it was the largest of 14 living rooms in that mansion! Today there are multi-billionaires of Hearst proportions here and there in the world. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Paul Allen are said to control $156 billion between them. If I have my numbers right, that would be enough to cure four entire famines in Africa and feed all of the millions who would otherwise die. It is far larger than the gross national product of many nations. None of those men is particularly known as a charitable giver. It makes you almost want to get on to the next stage in God's plan, and we may well do that before long. I have a slight hunch that you won't even read this letter on Earth, because it will arrive after the Feast of Trumpets. But if you are reading it in your earthly life, then know that I still feel very strongly that the Lord is coming soon. Obviously, I lay particular stress on the Feast of Trumpets, but He can come on any day that He chooses. He even went to the trouble of telling us, "At such a time as ye think not." So, "look up, your redemption draweth nigh." In this country we are gearing up for another one of those embarrassing fiascoes known as an election. I shouldn't really criticize, since I am in favor of Arabs and others holding free elections as often as possible, but sometimes I am really amazed by what happens in our democracy. Not only is a professional wrestler the governor of a state these days, but Jerry Springer is being touted as a serious senatorial candidate. As commentator George Will says, if he leaves TV and enters politics, it ought to raise the level of both. And to me, most discouraging of all is the continual candidacy of Pat Buchanan, whose unkindness toward Israel and the Jewish people is legendary. Americans living under the present administration should certainly be cautious about who they vote for in our elections! Now, on to more pleasant subjects. We have two upcoming tours, and they are quite different. Our November Tour is a bargain kibbutz tour designed to allow teachers and students to miss as little school as possible (and other employees to miss as little work as possible) since it is a Thanksgiving holiday tour. Our dates will be November 19-28. We will stay in comfortable guesthouses on kibbutzim in the countryside. The itinerary is the same as our Deluxe tours, with such "desert extras" as camel rides and a visit to a Bedouin tent.
The December Grand tour (December 11-26) has an extension at a luxury resort at Eilat on the Red Sea. We will tour the Negev Desert, including En Gedi (where David hid from King Saul), Ashkelon (capital of Canaanite kings and harbor of the Philistines, the place where Samson slew 30 men), and Beer Sheba (birthplace of Jacob and Esau, where Joseph's dreams caused strife between him and his brothers). We will visit Petra, one of the world's great ancient attractions, the "rose-red" city carved out of a mountain. And we will spend Christmas Eve in the shepherds' fields of Bethlehem! As you are reading this, our crew has already taped footage for our newest series with a working title of "This Is Israel!" It will be a series of programs designed to show the modern, beautiful Israel that is really there, and not the one pictured all the time on the televised news. And remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! — Your messenger,
ZOLA'S PROPHECY CONFERENCE
First Christian Church
Tikvat Yisrael Messianic Synagogue
Dear Zola: I've been a follower of yours and a fan for years. I am a Messianic Jew, love the Lord, and have always respected your ministry . . . until now. Last Saturday on your show, you were answering listener letters. I was so shocked to hear your answers to questions. You put down every aspect of Judaism that Jews hold dear: Sabbath, feasts, kosher, red heifer, etc. Now, I have no problem with you not following those things, but you were so sarcastic and cynical, such as: "Well, if you want to keep kosher, that's okay, I guess . . . and Sabbath can be any day, etc." What got me was the tone, that "we all know the practice of Judaism is ridiculous." Now, I'm not Torah-observant either, but I highly respect Orthodox Jews' beliefs. How in the world do you expect Jews to come to Jesus with an attitude like that? And especially when you preach the well-known passages in Romans: The root supports. Do not be arrogant towards the branches, etc. That's exactly how you were on the show. Well, I could go on, but you were totally off, and I've lost quite a bit of respect for your ministry. Why be so interested in Jews and Israel, when you have no regard for what they believe?
Signed,
Dear EDWZ:
How can a messianic Jew misunderstand
me to this degree? Do
you really keep the Sabbath with
the hundreds and even thousands
of rules the rabbis have invented
for that? Do you think the Jews
are keeping the feasts correctly, in
view of them having changed the
names, gotten the dates wrong, and omitted one (First
Fruits since it so reminds them of the resurrection of
Christ)? Do you really keep kosher? Do you separate
milk and meat dishes? I don't know why, since the
Scripture doesn't say that. And do you honestly think
that the red heifer is of the importance given it by the
Jews (and the Christians) or is it just some distraction
invented to fascinate people and keep them from
performing the real Word of God?
I may be guilty of a sardonic
tone, having spent more than
half my life trying to keep
the cockamamie rules and
regulations invented by a
bunch of lawyers called rabbis
and then finally reading
a Bible seriously for
the first time. But don't accuse me of saying,
"The practice of Judaism is ridiculous." It is no
more ridiculous than the concoctions so-called
Christians come up with who also don't use the
Scriptures—amazing costumes, incense, worship of
saints, statues, veneration of goddesses, etc.
As to your final question above, I am interested in Jews
and Israel because of God's Word. The Jews are the
Chosen People of God and Israel is the Promised Land.
What misguided Jews believe is certainly problematic,
but they are still the Chosen People and they still have a
destiny with God. Israel is a terribly secular country
with many of the problems of America, but it is still the
home of the Kingdom to come and a land precious to
our Lord. I am interested in the Jews and Israel for
Biblical reasons. I wish they were interested in themselves
for the same.
Zola: I watched your show today and felt I must write in response to it. I respect people's beliefs and right to preach about their beliefs. However, I do not believe that includes spreading propaganda about other religions. Your show was an outright attack on Judaism. It was offensive, inflammatory, irresponsible, and nothing else but anti-Semitic. An effective way to tell a lie is to sprinkle it with a little truth, which is what your show did. That could be caused by a little knowledge, misunderstanding, mixed with bigotry. Citing an example of one Jew you know who does not follow Judaism, and condemning Judaism for it, is a tactic I would expect from the Ku Klux Klan or a Nazi, but certainly not from any ministry that has a true understanding of G-d. By the way, there is a difference between a fable and rabbinic law. — S.Z.
Dear S.Z.
I don't know any difference between a fable and
Rabbinic law. In fact, the term "Jewish fables" was
coined by a rabbi, Paul. If you believe that you may
wear a certain coat on Saturday but you may not carry
it on your arm, or if you believe that chickens killed by
one sect of Orthodox Jews cannot be eaten by a different
sect, or if you hold that women whose husbands
were missing in action in the 1973 war must still continue
to wait for them to come home and may not
remarry, and if you think any of those things are
Scriptural, then you are being led astray by the rabbis.
I believe that the takeover of Judaism by the rabbis
simply reflects what happens to a society whose lawyers
get control of it.
Rabbi means teacher in the sense of someone who elucidates
the Scriptures. But the rabbis are not teachers;
they don't know the Scriptures. I've never met a rabbi
with Bible knowledge equal to a church member who
had gone to Sunday school for six months. The typical
rabbi could not name the seven feasts of Israel nor say
an intelligent word on prophecy.
Now, admittedly, the rabbis are not
doing this on purpose, but like Catholic
priests or liberal Protestant ministers,
they simply lead congregations according
to some extraneous legal system,
not according to Scripture, and therefore,
they continually lead them astray.
My argument with all these sects (and
I'm glad you've pointed out that I criticize
the Jews as much as I do anyone else) is that people
who don't read God's Word don't know God, and
that's all there is to that. However well intentioned any
clergymen may be—and some of them are exemplary
community leaders, morally decent and deeply committed
to their ministries—they simply cannot get it
right or even close to right without consulting the
Bible.
And after spending a lifetime combating anti-Semitism,
I'm really discouraged to see someone call
me anti-Semitic. I'm not using tactics of the Ku Klux
Klan or the Nazis; I'm simply begging my people to
read the Word of God that they themselves wrote down
and published for the world.
— Zola
Dear Zola, I was scanning the TV the other evening looking for something good to listen to, and I came across your broadcast. You were answering questions that viewers had sent in to you, and you were taking your time with them and giving them real answers to real questions. I must say that in that short half hour I learned and had confirmed to me things I have believed in my heart for years. The churches don't really preach it like I understand it when I read, and I have had problems trying to find a church that does. I have said to people hanging a picture that they thought was Jesus in their houses, how did they know that is what He really looked like and only got dirty looks when I mentioned it. Many things you said really ministered to me, and I just wanted to thank you for speaking the truth and telling people like it is meant to be told. Thank you and God bless you as you continue to work for Him. If you have time or get a chance I would be honored if you would visit my web site and sign my guest book leaving any comments as to where I might improve in my teachings.
God bless, Dear Zola, Simon S. has been our guide on several tours to Israel. He was a devout Zionist. On our last tour led by him, he told us he had become a Christian. He said you had talked with him. Can you share what you said that caused him to accept Jesus Christ? Sincerely, — F.Y.
Dear F.Y.
I think it was more the influence of our repeated
groups of victorious and satisfied believers that led this
guide, like a number of others, to the Lord. Israeli
guides are in the unique position to compare groups of
pilgrims. They would certainly give born-again believers
the highest marks as happy, contented, and likeable
tourists, and probably give somewhat lower
marks to sacramental church groups, liberal
Protestants, and the like. Jewish tourists, with their
expectations of special treatment and so on, are
among those groups least preferred by Israeli guides
that I have talked to.
In any case, know that wherever you are, you are a witness,
and people are watching.
— Zola
Dear Zola: We enjoy and appreciate your ministry! Actually, we enjoy your solo shows better. You do a better job than any of your guests, except your associate, Tom. Please find my enclosed check for this fall's TV special. Looking forward to meeting you either HERE, THERE, OR IN THE AIR! With love in Jesus, — D.H. Christians aren't aware that a long time ago our Lord and our faith was noticed by an unbeliever who wrote a detailed paragraph that should be read aloud in every church. Dear Zola, Here is an idea for another study which could be interesting. Josephus, the Jewish historian, went to Rome and became a close friend of the Emperors Vespasian and Titus. He wrote the history of the Jews for Rome until his death in 100 AD. The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18/Chapter 3/section 3: Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principle men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.References are also made about: James, brother of Jesus, in Book 20/Chapter 9/section 1 John the Baptist in Book 18/Chapter 5/section 2 Shalom, Zola (as in goodbye) I have enjoyed your broadcasts, books and music for years, Zola, but after you said that God has changed, I won't be watching you any more. The Baptists have apparently gotten to you. I used to be a Baptist, but about 15 years ago, I found something which I wanted to explore further — the Jewish roots of my faith. I am not a Jew, but I am getting closer to Judaism. You, Zola, are going the other way. You said, in answer to one of the first few questions on a recent program, that only nine of the Ten Commandments are still in effect, and that the fourth was not mentioned in the New Testament. Maybe not explicitly, but if Rav Sha'ul would postpone setting sail in order to observe Shabbat, it is certainly implicit. God instituted that fourth Commandment. Where, WHERE is it stated that He CHANGED HIS MIND? Does the term "traditions of men," mean anything to you???
L'Chaim Olam b'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach — J.W.
Dear JW
I hate to say goodbye without answering your question. God "changed his
mind" in
Col. 2:16
which explains that the Sabbath in the Old Testament
was a picture of the Christ to come. We now have Christ with us, and so
can dispense with His picture. For the same reasons, the church doesn't
keep the seven feasts of Israel, the kosher laws, etc.
Rav Sha'ul (Paul) must have postponed setting sail since on Shabbat the
harbor would have been closed just as Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is
closed on every Sabbath. Besides, in Paul's case, he kept the laws in
order to "be as a Jew to the Jews" and not because he didn't understand
Scripture.
If keeping an abrogated Old Testament law is more important to you than
following a ministry that you have participated in for years, then
shalom (as in goodbye to you, Brother, but I feel bad about this).
— Zola
"I'd rather have Jesus," sang the inner city boys and girls, "than silver and gold." They weren't on pitch. They were nervous. But their teacher guided them lovingly— with a finger to the lips here and a hand under the chin there. A lifted chin is the perfect image for what the adults do for these children. The performance was part of a ceremony to honor faith-based charities sponsored by Empower America and the Manhattan Institute. The singers were from the Fisher School in Washington, D.C. It isn't really a school, but when you hear founder Tom Lewis describe it as a "safe haven," you begin to get the picture. The "school" is located in one of Washington's least desirable addresses. Just within the past several weeks, two of the teachers have been shot. One of them—who teaches rocketry to the children—is alive, but with a bullet lodged in his skull. The Fisher School is openly religious. Its name derives from the Gospel of St. John: "If you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will feed himself for a lifetime." At the Fisher School, the children get homework help, choir, drama and arts classes, computer training and more. But underlying all of it is spiritual sustenance. They are taught God loves them because they were made in his image— and, equally important, that God expects them to act honorably and help others. It's a powerful, two-edged message. The question as to whether religion truly inhibits deviance has been around forever. Dennis Prager, the radio philosopher and Jewish scholar, has summed up the common-sense response this way: "Suppose you see a gang of young men heading toward you in a dark alley. Would it affect your mental state to know that they were on their way home from a Bible study?" Yes, agrees John J. DiIulio, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, but we still need data. Mr. DiIulio is a rare creature: an Ivy League academic who also is a professing Catholic. He is a man with the heart of a crusader and the mind of skeptic. It's quite a combination. Mr. DiIulio, the criminologist who rang the bell loudly about the coming generation of "super-predators," is devoting much of his free time these days to helping the ministry of the Rev. Eugene Rivers, a black Pentecostal preacher from Boston. Charismatic, intelligent and passionate, Mr. Rivers (a gang member himself before a cleric rescued him body and soul) ministers to the most dangerous and seemingly lost young men on Boston's streets. His influence is profound—Boston has had only one gun-related youth homicide since 1995. But Mr. DiIulio and partner Bill Bennett cannot rest on hope or faith alone. And so, with a grant from the Manhattan Institute, they commissioned David B. Larson of Duke and Byron Johnson of Vanderbilt to systematically review the literature. They found that while religion has been slighted in social-science studies over the past several decades, its effects are overwhelmingly positive. Religious kids are less likely than their non-religious peers to take illegal drugs, engage in violence or flunk out of school. On nearly every measure of well-being, religion improves the chances of poor and disadvantaged children. Why? Well, to belabor the obvious, churches tend to offer better adult role models (though the Fisher School is careful to encourage filial piety—the school's creed reads, "I promise to honor God, honor my parents and guardians, wherever they are and whatever they do"), better peers and more wholesome activities than the streets provide. Further, one cannot measure, but neither can one discount the influence of you-know-Who.
The danger is that politicians will get hold of this data and spoil
everything. Faith-based charities are suddenly all the rage. Both Al
Gore and George W. Bush have made supporting them part of their
political agendas. But it's easy to imagine government looking over the
shoulders of people like Mr. Rivers and Mr. Lewis, and insisting upon
watered-down religion that would vitiate the effectiveness of these
ministries. What they need is private money, and lots of it.
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Copyright © 1999 by Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. All rights reserved. Brief passages may be quoted in reviews or other article. For all other use, please get our written approval.
ANWAR SADAT WAS MURDERED BY ISLAMIC MILITANTS WHO VIEWED HIS OVERTURES
TO ISRAEL AS TREASONOUS TO ISLAM. Yet few understood the brilliant
cunning of the first Arab leader to make use of Israel's willingness to
make sacrifices for "peace." Does anyone remember, or want to remember,
that, at his first meeting with Begin, Sadat sported a necktie decorated
completely with swastikas? He had no love for Israel and no love for
Jews. His "peace treaty" with Israel gained him Jewish land, without
having to fight for it. It also gained him unprecedented American
financial and military aid. And what was his contribution for "peace?"
He signed a piece of paper recognizing the right of Israel to exist;
diplomats were exchanged; and borders were opened to tourism, albeit
that most of the tourists are Israelis going to Egypt and not the other
way around, and that Israeli tourists have been murdered when visiting
that country. In fact, Egyptians to this day do not feel "at peace" with
Israel.
Return to Index
Russian anti-Semitism has a long history going back to Czar Ivan the
Terrible (1533-84) who ordered the expulsion of Jews from his empire.
The partition of Poland in the late 18th century brought large numbers
of Jews under czarist rule. They were subjected to heavy taxation,
deportation and long military service. During the 19th and early 20th
centuries came the pogroms (defined as an organized massacre and looting
of helpless people, usually Jews, with the connivance of officials) and
blood libels. One pogrom in Kishinev Easter 1903 lasted three days, with
hundreds killed. Between 1881 and 1914, 2 million Jews fled the Russian
Empire.
The Biblical Arts Center
On our December tour, we stay in luxurious hotels. The Deluxe
tour (December 11-21) visits such sites as Jerusalem, the ancient City
of David, the Israel Museum where we will see the Dead Sea Scrolls, the
Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, the Garden Tomb, the Upper
Room, Calvary, the site of the Sermon on the Mount, the Sea of Galilee,
the Dead Sea, Masada, and Jericho. You can be baptized in the Jordan
River just as our Lord was.
