7 Teachings
Why Should We Stand With Israel?
History of the "CHURCH" in Regard to Racism and Anti-Semitism.
The 4 Characteristics of a Hero
Apology vs. Repentance
Blessings vs. Curses
Questions for Making Decisions
Where are the Heroes?

Many people ask us why we believe Christians, especially American Christians, should stand with Israel during these difficult times.  We thought it would be beneficial, to those of you who somehow know that the Scriptures command us to stand with Israel but do not know how to defend that stand with others, if we gave you a brief outline of the main reasons for taking that stand.

Morally:

• Christians, Jews and women are second class citizens under the Palestinian Authority.  People are treated equally in Israel.

• Palestinian children are taught to hate Jews and Christians.  They are taught that is it a good thing to kill Jews, and then are taught how to do that killing.  The Palestinian children are taught an altered version of Middle Eastern history and are given a vision of a future without the nation of Israel.  Israeli school books are open to inspection and are based on democratic principles.

• Palestinians who are suspected of collaborating with Israel (many of whom are Christians) are often tortured, killed and then their bodies dragged through the streets.

• Prisoners of the PA are often tortured and then killed.

• Money given to Israel by the United States is easily traced and accounted for.  Money given to the PA is often used to further terrorism and seldom reaches the people who need it.  Money given to the PA is very difficult to trace.

Militarily:

• Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.

• Israel functions as a free trade nation and is based on capitalism for individual wealth.

• Israel buys military equipment from us, which helps our economy.  They then modify that equipment and share the improvements with the US.

• Israeli intelligence is some of the best in the world.  They share their information with the US.

• Without Israel in that area of the world, the oil producing nations would have us “over a barrel”.

• Palestinians and their leadership cheered and danced in the streets when Iraq rained scud missals on Israel during the Gulf War and after the twin towers in New York were hit on September 11, 2001.

• The PA has consistently sided with the enemies of Israel and the United States.

• If terrorism is allowed to succeed in Israel it will be more successful here in the US.

Spiritually:

• Israel is G-d’s inheritance and He is jealous for His land and people.  Micah 7:14;  Zech. 1:14&15;  Joel 3:2

• The Lord promised that He would bless the world through the Jews and that He would show His glory through them.  Isaiah 60:1-3

• The Lord said that He would bless those who blessed His people and that He would curse those who cursed them.  Genesis 12:3

• The Scriptures say that the Lord will seek to destroy the nations that come against His people. Zech. 12:9

• Scriptures say that if we touch His people we touch the “apple of His eye”. Zech. 2:8

• The descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the sons of the promise.  Messiah is promised to come through this line.  Genesis 12:1-3;  26:1-5;  28;13&14

• The Jewish people have been faithful to keep the written word of G-d pure and to share that word with the world. Romans 9:4&5

• Israel takes good care of the holy sites it has jurisdiction over and keeps them open to all faiths. Most of the Christian holy sites are in Jerusalem.  Those that have been taken over by the PA are not kept up or are dangerous to visit.

• According to Romans 11, Christians are grafted in to the root of Judaism.  Therefore, Christians should understand that the responsibilities, as well as the promises, that are stated in the Scriptures are theirs also.

• Satan vs the G-d of Israel

+    The Lord promised that His covenant with Israel and the Jewish people was everlasting. (Jeremiah 33;23-26)  He promised to bless the world through them.  He promised to show Himself through them.  He promised that the Messiah would come through them.
+    If satan can destroy Israel or the Jewish people – then that means the Lord lied and He is not who He says He is – and satan wins.
+    From the beginning, satan has tried to destroy the Jewish people through – Pharaoh, Haman, Inquisition, Crusades, Russian Pograms, Holocaust, Mid-East Wars, Suicide bombers – just to name a few.

We must chose to stand with the Lord G-d of Israel and His land and people!!!

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I. The First Thousand Years (33AD - 1095)

• The early Church was Jewish.

• Origen of Alexandria – 185-254CE promotes allegorical interpretation of scriptures, de-emphasizes Israel’s covenant.

• 230CE – concept of deicide – Hippolytus

• Moved from Hebrew to Greek world-view.

• Rise of the concept of supersessionism. (replacement theology)

• 632CE – beginning of forced baptisms

• 897CE – Jews stripped of property rights.

• 10th century CE – Custom of hitting a Jew in the face on Good Friday and stoning Jewish homes on Palm Sunday.

• The Crusades (1095 - 1204)

• 1095 – 1st Crusade: More than 5,000 Jews in the Rhineland slaughtered by the Crusaders as they made their way to the Holy Land.

• 1146 – 2nd Crusade:  Entire Jewish community of Bloise, France burned at the stake in Blood Libel accusion.

• Debts owed to Jews were cancelled for Crusaders.

• 1215 – Jews forced to wear distinctive dress and live in restricted areas

• Star of David as a badge of shame and pointed hat required in Poland.

• 1236 – Burning of Talmud and other Jewish writings.

• The Inquisition (1198 - 1834)

• 1320 – Beginning of Jewish world conspiracy theories: Blood Libel, Jews accused of poisoning water wells.

• 1347-50–Black Death: Jews blamed, 200 Jewish communities destroyed

• Inquisition – permanent court of the Church.

• Marranos or Conversos – Jews who had converted under duress but maintained ties with Jewish community and practice.

• 1483 – Torquemonde, Inquisitor General –1000s of Jews tortured and burned at the stake.

• 1492-1300 – 13,000 Jews forced to leave Spain

• 1500 – 1600 Reformation

• Luther had sympathy for the Jews in the early years of his work.  Became angry when they didn’t quickly convert to his renewed Christianity.

• 1543 – Luther published Of the Jews and Their Lies.  Main Points: synagogues should be burned; Rabbis forbidden to teach; get rid of Talmuds & prayerbooks; forbid passports and travel; stop Jews from money lending.

• 1600 – 1900 Further Developments

• Poland: received Jewish refugees from time of Crusaders.

  • Grest persecution began 1648 – Cossacks

  • 1795 – Jews confined to Pale of Settle

 

• Russia: Pograms – devastation. 1881-1921 mass Jewish migration to US & Argentina

• Myth of racial superiority of Aryan race. Hegel, de Gobineau

• France: 1894 – Dreyfus case,  Herzl

•  Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion – hoax by Russian anti-Semites, 1905. Exposed in 1921 by London Times. Promoted in US by Henry Ford

• The Holocaust (1938 - 1945)

• Hitler becomes Chancellor (by election) – 1933

• Nuremberg Laws identify & isolate Jewish population – 1935

• Kristallnacht – anti-Jewish riots – Nov. 9, 1938

• Building of death camps – 1940-42

• 6 million Jews dead – 1945 (5 millions others dead)

• WHERE WAS THE CHURCH?

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ALTRUISTIC EXERCISES FOR FAMILIES

- give up your place in line - give up your seat in the bus
- buy someone else's ticket at a movie or sports event
- listen to someone - visit a nursing home or hospital
- send flowers to someone - compliment someone
- tell someone when they make a difference in your life
- carry someone's packages - help someone, anyone
- mow someone's lawn - pull someone's weeds
- buy treats for a family and leave it on their porch
- learn sign language and use it at church
- pick up a disabled person and take them out
- make extra soup and take it to someone who is in need
- surprise someone on their birthday with a cake
- think of a person who really bothers you, take them out for a soda and listen to them
- pray that the Lord would bless one who has hurt you
- send a hand drawn card to someone who is lonely
- help at the local soup kitchen or food pantry
- volunteer to help at various ethnic events in your area
- hold a rummage and bake sale and donate the proceeds

Kids - do house chores without being told to - clean your room - clear the table - wash the dishes - etc.
- come home a half hour before your curfew time
- tell your teacher you learned something from them
- leave a note for your mom or dad - I LOVE YOU

NOTE : Try to do at least one good thing for someone else every day.  Discuss what each of you did during the week, how you felt before and after you did the deeds and how the other people involved reacted.  Then make plans for the next week's good deeds.  Remember, you are trying to establish a habit of doing good deeds for others expecting nothing in return.

EMPATHY BUILDERS

-Volunteer at nursing homes, schools or hospitals.
-Work at a soup kitchen.
-Feed and care for an AIDS patient.
-Work on projects with different ethnic groups.
-Work at a homeless shelter.
-Work at a crisis intervention center.
-Study the history of various ethnic cultures in your city.
-Participate in ethnic cultural events.
-Take a trip to Israel.
-Study the scriptures in the Bible to find people who showed empathy for others.

COURAGE BUILDERS

-Speak up when you hear ethnic jokes or derogatory remarks about others.
-Befriend someone who is being shunned.
-Question religious, political, educational and social leadership when you do not agree with them.
-Call, fax or write your elected officials about political issues which are important to you and your family.
-Say "no" when a friend or coworker asks you to participate in something illegal or unethical.
-Study the lives of "righteous gentiles" as well as biblical and modern day heroes.
-Help victims of terrorism and persecution by speaking up on their behalf and by giving financial aid.
-Volunteer to work with Christian/Jewish organizations on a kibbutz or settlement in Israel.
-Work with an organization which fights persecution.
-Study the scriptures in the Bible to find people who did acts of courage.

SELF-ESTEEM BUILDERS

-Smile when you see me.
-Call me by my name.
-Listen to me when I talk.
-Show me you love me.
-Let me know that you missed me when I was gone.
-Give me a chance to succeed in at least one small way each day.
-Praise me when I do something right.
-Encourage me when I do something right.
-Encourage me to aim high.
-Study the scriptures in the Bible to find out how much G-d loves you.

HEALTHY FAMILIES

-have empathy.
-talk and listen to each other.
-balance interaction among members.
-share responsibilities.
-have a shared religious core.
-respect the privacy of the members,
-have a sense of play and humor.
-have strong feelings about the family.
-encourage rituals and positive traditions.
-share leisure time.
-place value on service to others.
-teach value of persons who are different.
-affirm and support each other.
-encourage members to share their feelings without fear.
-trust each other.                                      

Proverbs 22:6  "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

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We have been hearing a lot of talk about the need to make apologies to people groups who have been wronged in the past.  At one time President Clinton was making apologies to people for things the government did to their ancestors in the past.  On the surface this sounds like a good thing to do.  However, let's take a look at the definitions of apology and of repentance.  According to Webster's Dictionary the definition of apology is: "an expression of regret for a discourteous remark or act."  The definition of repent is: "to turn from sin and resolve to reform one's life."

An apology for the evil acts done to the ancestors of someone, given by an ancestor of the ones who did the evil act, changes nothing.  An apology just states regret.  In fact, bringing up the evil acts without making any changes which will prevent these acts from being repeated, can cause frustration, hurt and even more division.

On the other hand, when we learn about evils done to others by our ancestors and take an in-depth look at how these things from our past have adversely affected our thoughts and behaviors towards others, we are then in a position to repent and "resolve to reform" our lives.  Repentance for our own thoughts and actions toward other people groups causes things to change for the better and helps prevent them from happening again.

When we study the history of the Christian church we find that many evil things were done to various racial and ethnic groups in the name of Jesus.  When we study the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Pograms in Russia and the Holocaust we find many horrors done by people who called themselves Christians and in the name of Jesus.                        
"Church" teaching and attitudes. One teaching which has been espoused by several Christian denominations is referred to as Replacement Theology. This theology teaches that the Church has replaced the Jews as the chosen of the Lord.  Another teaching we actually heard a Christian teacher give was that the Holocaust happened so that the Jews would accept Jesus and that because they didn't accept Him that another event similar to the Holocaust is necessary. Teaching such as this actually tries to justify the actions perpetrated against the Jews during World War II and releases the one making the statements from any need for personal accountability for their own thoughts and actions toward Jews now and in the future. This accusation is even worse than the one used by the Nazis who said that the Jews brought the Holocaust upon themselves because some of them were Communists. We believe that this type of teaching is anti-Semitism at it's worst! If we ask the Lord to reveal to us individually how this and other unhealthy teaching has affected our attitudes toward Jews, we will probably find things of which we were not aware. Once we are aware of our own unhealthy stereotypes and attitudes we can take steps to change them.

We see racism and anti-Semitism on the rise in the United States and around the world.  It is easy to become discouraged and to feel that there is no way to heal all of the divisions that exist between the races, religions and cultures.  However, the Lord has given us a hope and instructions on how to heal our country.  In 2Chronicles 7:14 the Lord states, "if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Apologies are an easy cop-out and only take words.  Repentance takes time, humility and actions.  Apologies may actually cause more harm.  Repentance brings healing.

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“…I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live,” Deut. 30:19

Are you teaching your children to bless or curse?  Deut.11
Are you blessing your children and spouse or are you cursing them?
Orthodox Jewish families have Sabbath services in their homes – The father blesses his children and his wife.

How many things have you spoken life and blessings into today?
How many things have you spoken curses into today?

• President

• Children

• Boss

• Teachers

• Pastors

• Spouse

• Job situation

• Politicians

• Parents – in-laws

• Yourself

• Finances

Blessings bring: life, compassion, joy, love, expectations, zeal, hope, humility, encouragement

Curses bring: death, fear, hatred, revenge, discouragement, despair, judgement, destruction.

Assignment:  Examine yourself for today.  Have you spoken or thought more blessings or more curses into what you have faced and over the people you have had to deal with?

Begin blessing your children and spouse at least once today in word and in your thoughts.

Now, begin blessing each situation you find yourself in.  Look for the Lord’s hand in each situation and ask for His blessings to overtake the curses.
Begin carrying blessings with you wherever you go and leave some behind for those around you. (People will begin to enjoy having you around.  Although they may be a bit irritated with you and your optimism at first.)

Speak life, find good, pronounce blessings, bring joy & hope.

Genesis 12:3     Psalms 122:6-9     Duet. 28

“The Culture of Life” vs “The Culture of Death”

While we were in the Los Angeles, CA area we were privileged to meet and spend some time with a man who was on Schindler’s List as a child during the Holocaust.  Zev Kedem survived 6 Nazi concentration camps and was saved by being placed on Oscar Schindler’s list of necessary workers.  He now speaks about his experiences and the things he has gleaned from his past at universities throughout the US and Europe.  Zev lives in Israel when he is not on the road sharing his message.

Zev believes that there is a dynamic at work in this world that pits the “culture of life” against the “culture of death”.  He also believes that the experiences a child has leaves an “imprint” on his or her mind that helps to determine whether that child will be more likely to gravitate toward a “culture of life” or a “culture of death”.

As we spoke we came to realize that much of what we share when we speak or write is the same, but on two different planes.  Zev has done a lot of study about the effects of imprinting upon the minds of young people and how this effects them as adults.  He shares what happened to him during the Holocaust and how his experiences affect his life and decisions today.  Most of his audiences are university students and people in the academia.   Zev approaches the subject from a secular point of view.

When we speak about the Holocaust, and those few people who were able to take a stand on behalf of their Jewish neighbors, we share what we have found to be the 4 main characteristics most of these people seemed to have in common.  These 4 characteristics, altruism, empathy, courage and self-esteem, were things that were taught or “imprinted” to these “rescuers” during their formative years.  We believe that it was because these people were trained, through a series of learning experiences, to do good things for others without expecting anything in return, that they were able to react the way they did in the face of evil.

We also believe that it is not too late for a person to learn to “choose life” no matter what his age or his background.  In Deuteronomy 30:15&19 we read, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil”………”I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live,..” 

In Deuteronomy we are given the instructions on how to choose life, “…therefore choose life that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days….”    When you study the laws the Lord gave to His people to hand down to their descendants, especially the 10 commandments, you find that they were given for the good of the people.  If they were obeyed, these laws produced life, health, happiness and order to both the individual and the community.  These laws were given out of love by a loving G-d to the people He loved.  In Genesis the Lord told Abraham, Isaac and then Jacob that He created them to be a blessing to the world and to bring glory to Him.  We believe that the giving of the law to the Jewish people is one of the main avenues He has used to cause the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to bring blessing to the world and glory to their G-d. 

Because the Jews have been faithful to protect the written word and have been willing to share it with the whole world, we have been given the opportunity to make the same decision on whether to choose life or to choose death. 

From the beginning the Lord has given us the free will to follow His prescription to live a rewarding life or to choose death and have many regrets about our life.  First He gave us the tools and then He gave us the option of whether or not to use those tools.

When we choose life and experience a close relationship with G-d, we set in motion a model for our children, which makes it more likely that they will make the same decision.  This may then begin a passing down of the blessings of G-d to the fourth generation and beyond.

When you look at Deuteronomy through the message that Zev Kedem delivers, we can understand it in the terms of parents encouraging their children to begin an imprinting of the laws of a loving G-d upon their hearts, so that “when they are old they will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

When we make a decision to choose either life or death we soon find that there are consequences to our decisions, because the fruit of our decisions will follow.  Some people have said that then we should simply choose not to make a choice.  When we read Obadiah we find that, in the eyes of the Lord, when we make the decision to be a by-stander in the face of evil we are just as bad as those who are doing the evil. Obadiah 1:11.  We are also cautioned in Revelations 3:15&16 that the Lord is very unhappy when we choose to be to be “…neither hot nor cold…”.

Isaiah 40 Ministry has developed strategies to help families and individuals develop the characteristics of “righteous gentiles” and in turn to help us make the choice for life.  As Zev may put it, these strategies may help us to imprint a life-long learning pattern that will make it easier for us to choose the “culture of life” over the “culture of death”.

Becoming A Blessing

During the time of the Holocaust the saving of lives came down to one simple equation.  It came down to one person making the decision to help one person.  Making this type of decision does not just happen.  It comes from forming a life-long habit of doing good things for others daily and by practicing the art of making difficult decisions.
            The following are a few examples of people we know whose lives are “living blessings.”

Manna For Life

Linda Hogenson began collecting things others were throwing out.  She would clean and fix these items and then find someone who needed them.  In a short time people began hearing about what she was doing and they began calling her when they had something to give away.  She then began receiving calls from people who knew of others who were in need and she would begin searching for what was needed.
Linda’s husband, Jim, began putting his skills into action and it wasn’t long before the two of them were helping people get set up in apartments and providing meals for the needy through their church, Cornerstone Family Fellowship. 
It was fun to visit their home because every extra spot had clothing, furniture, house wares and toys just waiting to find a person or family who needed them.  Their garage, basement and shed were filled to overflowing. The Hogensons then went to the pastors of their church and asked it they would like to become more involved.  A short time later Linda cut back on the hours she put in at her teaching position and she and Jim opened a thrift shop in the inner city of Green Bay and called it “Manna For Life”.  Many people visit this store where they find they are treated with love and compassion.  We have heard that many times people who are in need are given what they need, free of charge.  There are also reports of people who just stop in to visit with the Hogensons because they feel so loved when they are there

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

An Understanding Heart!!

We are privileged to be friends with a woman named Betty who possesses a heart filled with compassion and understanding for those others will have nothing to do with.  Betty started a support group for ex-cons and former sex offenders who are sincerely trying to get their lives in order.  Betty, who is a single elderly woman, meets with this group once a month and gives them the encouragement to keep working toward healing.  She has become like a mother to many of the people who participate in the group.  Others have heard of the good work Betty is doing and have joined the support group to offer even more encouragement. 

Betty has received criticism for the work she is doing from those who are afraid of the people she is helping.  However, she is determined to reach out a hand of compassion to those others turn their backs on.  We commend Betty for the stand she has taken and for her show of unconditional love.

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When you are trying to make a decision and do not know which way to go, ask yourself the following questions and it may help you to have a clearer perspective on the whole situation.  Be sure to pray and ask the Holy Spirit of God to help you to answer these questions as truthfully as possible.

Note:  You might have to ask yourself these questions a number of times over a period of time.  Sometimes it takes a while to go through the “layers” of things that are keeping you from understanding what the decision should be.

For the sake of clarity we will approach these questions as if the decision you are trying to make is whether or not you should quit your job.  When you are trying to make a decision just substitute your situation in the place of leaving a job.  For example, you may be trying to decide if you should have a particular surgery or not.  Just use your situation in place of “leaving your job.”

Remember to PRAY first!  And do not listen to other people’s opinions when answering these questions.  This is strictly between you and the Lord.

Question #1: 
What is your deepest, deepest motive for leaving your job?
What is your deepest, deepest motive for not leaving your job?

Question #2:
How will your decision affect you, your family and others in the short run?
If you leave your job?
If you do not leave your job?

Question #3:
How will your decision affect you, your family and others in the long run?
If you leave your job?
If you do not leave your job?

Question #4: 
Which decision gives you the most peace?
If you leave your job?
If you do not leave your job?

Question #5: 
Which decision would you be the most proud of making if Jesus walked into the room while you were making it?
Leaving your job?
Not leaving your job?

Question #6:
What is the vision the Lord has given you for your life and future?  And, how would your decision fit into or affect that vision?
Leaving your job?
Not leaving your job?

Hopefully you will have a clearer picture of what your decision should be by the time you have answered these 6 questions.  Remember that you must be brutally truthful with yourself and before the Lord.  He already knows what your deepest and most truthful answers are.  He just needs you to be able to know these things for yourself.

Again, you might have to ask yourself these 6 questions a number of times in order to work through the confusion that often surrounds us when we need to make major decisions.   

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HELP!  We need some heroes!  Our country, our states, our cities, our churches, our neighborhoods, our families, our children all need heroes.  In a world where values seem to have been turned upside down, positive role models are a major need.  The entertainment industry provides us with heroes who use violence and deceit to survive and win their battles.  Too many modern idols still use drugs and alcohol to dull the pain of life's problems.

Are there any 20th century heroes whose behavior can light our present path?  The Holocaust, the dark period from 1933 to 1945 when most of the world sat by while one third of world Jewry was deliberately annihilated by Nazi murderers, provides us with a few bright lights.

The Holocaust brought the modern world face to face with new depths of horror.  Ordinary people performed acts of cold, calculated violence upon fellow human beings in ways that defy imagination.  These were not random acts of rage but well-organized, carefully orchestrated acts of torture planned by technologically sophisticated bureaucrats.

In the beginning of the Nazi era little opposition was voiced.  Once this regime of horror was in place, opposition was guaranteed to be dangerous and probably fatal.  In the post war years many studies have been done to determine how this could have happened in a modern society with a highly educated citizenry.  A burning question that recurs is, "Where were the heroes?"  A few rescuers have been identified among the vast numbers of bystanders.  What qualities did these rescuers possess?  A look at these factors may help us to find and encourage heroes in our generation.

When we look at the personalities of those rare individuals who risked their lives, and in many cases lost their lives, we find some startling facts.  They did not belong to any specific socioeconomic, religious, ethnic or educational group.  The likelihood of one becoming a rescuer did not depend on age or intelligence.  None of these things seemed to be a determining factor in the making of a rescuer.

When asked why they helped, almost every rescuer responded in a similar manner.  "Why, I had to do this.  There was no other way." - "I did it because it was the right thing to do." - "It was the human thing to do, anyone would have done it."  However, it seems that not everyone would have done it because less than 1% of the population affected by the Holocaust became rescuers.

So what distinguishes these few people who did the "human thing?"  And what are the lessons for us?  How do we guide our children to produce rescuers - Righteous Gentiles - in case we are faced with such horrible decisions again?

Four character traits stand out in all studies of rescuers.  Sadly, these character traits seem rare in our society today.

When interviewed, most of the rescuers could point to one person in their lives who included them in acts of altruism (doing good things for others expecting nothing in return) as they were growing up.  It became a habit to do kindnesses for others in need without being asked and without being paid for their actions.  Altruism is a strange concept in our society today.  Most of us have been conditioned to ask, "What's in it for me?"  We think, "You don't get anything for nothing."  Or "Take care of number one."  We accept the common saying, "If I'm not happy I can't make anyone else happy."  Altruism seems foolish to people who cut their teeth on such ideas.

Another common characteristic many of these rescuers possessed was empathy.

Many people confuse empathy with feelings of pity.  However, empathy is a much deeper emotion.  It is the ability to feel another's pain, to put yourself in someone else's shoes.  We can feel pity but turn our backs and do nothing to alleviate the pain they are experiencing.  Empathy motivates us not only to feel pain but to act to lighten the load.  "Don't get involved," is a word of wisdom that rescuers reject.  These are not the people who turn away while others are being robbed or assaulted.

While self-esteem can be misunderstood and over-emphasized in our society, rescuers seem to have the right sort of self concept.  The best kind of self-esteem comes from making good decisions.  The people who reached out and helped others in the Nazi era seem to be people who had developed the habit of making decisions that built true self-esteem, which is also one of the characteristics shared by the rescuers.

Another character trait common to most of the rescuers was personal courage.  One might think that these people had the sort of courage that made them stand out as pillars of strength.  It is very enlightening to hear the rescuers tell of their own deeds.  Most of these people were frightened all the time they were in the dangerous situations and many would be considered timid.  It becomes clear as you listen to these courageous individuals that their courage grew as they faced their fears and conquered them one at a time.  As Frank Eiklor says in A Time for Trumpets, not Piccolos, "Courage is fear that has said it's prayers."

Many of the rescuers grew up in families that had interacted with people who came from different ethnic, physical or religious backgrounds.  They were brought up to believe that all people were special and they often developed friendships with others who were different than themselves. 

Another common factor in the upbringing of many of the rescuers was the way their families imposed discipline.  Most came from families where empathy was encouraged by explanation of how the child's negative actions affected others.

We can see, empathy, altruism, self-esteem and courage do not happen miraculously.  These attributes have to be taught and nurtured if they are to take root in children.

As we watch the breakup of the family and the lack of caring which is so apparent in our nation today, one wonders if there would be any more rescuers today than there were in Europe during the 30s and 40s.  The twentieth century should teach us that the unthinkable can happen.  How can we prepare the next generation of "Righteous Gentiles?"

People are not born with courage.  Heroes are not born, they are trained and developed.  If we hope to raise a generation with the ability to stand against evil in all of it's forms we must begin to make acts of kindness, courage and unconditional love a natural part of our family's lives.  Just imagine the wonderful things that could happen if each family reading this article would take time out each week to plan acts of kindness and courage which could be done by each family member individually and by the family as a whole.  Each day would become an adventure and life-giving habits would be become a normal way of life.

There are many stories about rescuers in the Bible.  The Lord Jesus gave us the ultimate demonstration of altruism, empathy, self-esteem and courage as He hung on the cross and prayed for His persecutors, "Father, forgive them.  They know not what they do."  

Bibliography:
A Time for Trumpets - Not Piccolos!, by Frank Eiklor, Promise Publishing Co. 1988
The Courage to Care, by Carol Rittner, RSM & Sondra Myers, New York University Press 1986
Renewal Magazine, How to Raise Rescuers, by Sandra Porter Leon, pgs 18-19; vol. 12, No. 1, Fall 1995

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