Passages

I watched an open-heart surgery in Israel—and it showed me a side of this country that rarely makes the headlines. I recently visited Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli humanitarian organization providing life-saving pediatric cardiac care to children from around the world, regardless of nationality, religion, race, or financial circumstances. I watched Israeli doctors perform open-heart surgery on a child from Africa. I watched another little girl wake up after being extubated and smile sleepily at her parents, a Muslim family from the West Bank. When people talk about Israelis and Palestinians, humanitarian aid in Israel, or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stories like these are often missing. Sometimes the narratives you hear about Israel begin to look very different when you actually encounter the people who live here. I’ll never forget standing in that operating room and watching a child’s heart beat. Underneath the politics, the headlines, and the arguments online, there was simply a child on that operating table whose life mattered. And doctors in Israel were fighting to save it. ❤️

Today, on the 25th anniversary of September 11, we remember the 2,977 lives taken, the families forever changed, and the first responders who ran toward danger. We pray for those who still carry the grief and trauma of that day. We pray for the firefighters, police officers, service members, and survivors whose lives were permanently altered. We pray for our nation, that God would grant us wisdom, courage, unity, and a peace grounded in truth. May we never forget the lives that were taken, the heroism we witnessed, or our responsibility to stand against hatred and defend the dignity of every human life. Pictured here is Israel’s 9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem, the only monument outside the United States to honor every victim of the September 11 attacks by name. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” - Psalm 46:1

More info and answers to each question below! ⬇️ 1. Trumpet Blasts In Leviticus 23:23–25, God commands Israel to observe the first day of the seventh month as a sacred day of rest marked by trumpet blasts. This feast is known in the Bible as the Feast of Trumpets. 2. The Seventh Month Leviticus 23:24 places the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh biblical month. This month, later called Tishrei, also includes the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. 3. The Most Holy Place Leviticus 16 describes how the high priest entered the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement. He could enter only once a year and had to bring sacrificial blood to make atonement. 4. Sent into the Wilderness According to Leviticus 16:20–22, the high priest confessed Israel’s sins over a living goat. The goat was then sent into the wilderness, symbolically carrying the people’s sins away from the camp. 5. A Bull Leviticus 16:6 and 11 says the high priest first sacrificed a bull as a sin offering for himself and his household. Only after making atonement for his own sin could he make atonement for the people of Israel.

🚨 FINAL WEEK TO REGISTER! 🚨 The Israel Impact Summit is coming to Washington, D.C. September 25–27 🇺🇸🇮🇱 Join Christians from across the country for a weekend of conversations about America, Israel, faith, leadership, and making an impact! If you’re a Christian between the ages of 18–40, this is your last chance to apply! 📍 Washington, D.C. 📅 September 25–27, 2026 🔗 Apply now at passagesisrael.org Don’t wait, we’ll see you in D.C.!