1. SCRIPTURE: (REQUIRED)
Genesis, Exodus, Joshua 1-8, Judges 13-18, 1 & 2 Samuel,
Matthew or Mark, Acts 1-10
2. MEMORIZE SHEMA: (REQUIRED)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your strength."
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
"... 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'"
(Matthew 22:39b)
3. UNDERSTANDING THE JEWISH CULTURE: (RECOMMENDED)
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel. The introduction offers a personal and insightful account of the sabbath in Heschel's home, written by Susannah Heschel. The book itself is a brilliant description of the sabbath in Jewish culture and an exploration of God in relation to space and time.
Gospel According to Moses: What my Jewish Friends Taught Me About Jesus by Athol Dickson. This book investigates some of the primary theological differences between Christianity and Judaism — as well as the common ground.
While Shepherds Watch their Flocks by Dr. Tim Laniak – a lavishly illustrated journey into the world of shepherds—shepherds of the biblical world and the spiritual shepherds of the church. Forty days of reflections will give readers an opportunity to think biblically about their calling to serve the Chief Shepherd.
Watch the mini series Masada with Peter O’Toole.
4. MODERN HISTORY AND CURRENT EVENTS: (OPTIONAL)
Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin R. Wilson This volume is a deeper read. It delineates the link between Judaism and Christianity, between Old and the New Testaments, and calls Christians to re-examine their Hebrew roots so as to effect a more authentically biblical lifestyle.
Enemies and Allies by Joel Rosenberg – The politics of the Middle East can be murky and confusing. But one thing is certain: the eyes of the nations are riveted upon Israel and her neighbours. This book offers hope in a time of confusion and chaos in the Middle East - one of the epicenters of the momentous events shaking our world and shaping our future.
Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour – The unforgettable story of a Palestinian Christian working for Peace in Israel. Learn another side of the narrative and feel the complexities of the Israeli/Palestinian challenge for a homeland.
Israel, A Concise History of a Nation Reborn by Daniel Gordis = A comprehensive yet accessible history of the state of Israel from its inception to present day, Israel is a tiny state, and yet it has captured the world’s attention, aroused its imagination, and lately, been the object of its opprobrium. Why does such a small country speak to so many global concerns? More pressingly: Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future? We cannot answer these questions until we understand Israel’s people and the questions and conflicts, the hopes and desires, that have animated their conversations and actions.
Exodus by Leon Uris - “Passionate summary of the inhuman treatment of the Jewish people in Europe, of the exodus in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to Palestine, and of the triumphant founding of the new Israel.”—The New York Times
Exodus is an international publishing phenomenon—the towering novel of the twentieth century's most dramatic geopolitical event. Leon Uris magnificently portrays the birth of a new nation in the midst of enemies—the beginning of an earthshaking struggle for power. Here is the tale that swept the world with its fury: the story of an American nurse, an Israeli freedom fighter caught up in a glorious, heartbreaking, triumphant era. Here is Exodus—one of the great bestselling novels of all time.
