Many refer to former Governor Mike Huckabee as the biggest supporter and ally to Israel in American politics today. And they would probably be right.
“It’s time for all in the United States to join together and support Israel. I have been to the Promised Land nearly 30 times over the past 41 years and have never seen the nation under such threat. Israel is our closest ally and friend and it is suffering due to weak, evil people and countries throughout the world. We as a country must do more to protect Israel and relish in its survival. God has protected this very small, beautiful and increasingly meaningful country, but it’s time for the United States to do the same,” he adds.
His beliefs in Israel and specifically the settlements are set in stone–like the stone he touches when he prays at the Wailing Wall. If you have ever seen his show every Sunday night on the FOX News network, you know how compelling and captivating his words are. They come from the heart and it’s always the truth. So if you can come to the 32nd American Friends of Bet El dinner at the Marriott Marquis on December 7th, you will be renewed that there are politicians in this great country that believe wholeheartedly in our cause.
The Bet El Story, A Modern Day Miracle
With all the news being dominated by Arab propaganda about “Israeli occupation” and “settlements” impeding the so-called “peace process,” here is the true story of what is taking place in Biblical Judah and Samaria. Spearheaded by visionaries like Jean and Eugen Gluck, there are Jewish communities who are doing nothing but bringing light and warmth to the world, promoting social justice and compassionate values that we can all learn from, a person like Governor Mike Huckabee is proud to walk arm-in-arm with.
Bet El’s extraordinary story began 4,000 years ago, when the patriarch Abraham established it as camp along his divinely inspired trek through the land of Canaan. Two generations later, Bet El became the site of Jacob’s famous dream and dramatic wrestling match with an angel–the site where the name “Israel” was coined.
Today, Beth El has transformed from a tiny community of eight families in 1977 to a vibrant Jewish center which now houses an ethnically diverse Jewish population of over 15,000. Bet El is home to the world-renowned Bet El Yeshiva Center, which provides a comprehensive education to students from pre-school through post-college. Their graduates have become the leading teachers in yeshivas and high schools across Israel, bringing the spirit of Torah to all.
Among its institutions are: The Raaya Girls High School Academy, celebrated as one of the premier learning centers in all of Israel; Arutz Sheva, the National Media Network with parallel websites in Hebrew, English and Russian, brings a message of optimism and hope to supporters of Israel worldwide. It is a major force in the media today combating the de-legitimatization of the State of Israel; BeSheva, the third largest circulation newspaper in all of Israel, publishes engaging articles focusing on the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and institutions throughout Israel. It encourages all Israelis to be better citizens and live their lives the way we all should.
The people of Bet El are also blazing a trail for the military struggle for the defense of the land and people of Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces Gluck Preparatory Academy did what many thought was impossible. Its mission is to strengthen the adolescent spirit and character before young adults enter the Israeli Army. There are hundreds of students who changed their lives for the better at Bet El and go on to serve Israel filled with spiritual strength and their desire to serve in elite units and as officers.
So you see, Bet El isn’t just a settlement. It is a microcosm of the very essence of Israel and all we love.
How was this spiritual oasis created? What makes it thrive? We have to go back over 30 years ago when Yom Kippur War hero Yaakov “Ketzaleh” Katz, along with a few families and yeshiva students, had a vision of what Bet El could be. With three decades of tireless help from Jean and Eugen Gluck and the American Friends of Bet El, the town is now a vibrant center of Jewish life that nurtures all of Israel in a way that no other center of learning matches–because Bet El is not just a learning center, it is a way of life.
On December 7, at the Marriot Marquis Ballroom in Manhattan, American Friends of Bet El will honor the residents and supporters of the northern Samarian town who have toiled selflessly for the survival and growth of their community and the State of Israel. Now in its 32nd year, the American Friends of Bet El dinner has become one of New York City’s largest and most prestigious Jewish events, with last year’s dinner attracting an astounding 1500 attendees.
In addition to Guest Speaker Governor Mike Huckabee, The American Friends of Bet El will honor these well-deserved supporters: The Shomer Yisrael Honorees are Akiva & Chanita Teitz; yhe Keter Torah Awardees are Barry & Suri Weiss, and the Guest of Honor is Rabbi Allen Schwartz.
The event will begin with a 5 p.m. smorgasbord, leading into dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are $500 per couple. To make your reservation, contact Baruch Gordon at 917-595-0435.
