The horrific terrorist attack on southern Israel by Hamas Oct. 7 has thrust the world into crisis. But amid the sorrow of Israelis being attacked in their homes and taken hostage, there’s an organization working to help Israel’s poor and others in need.

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The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a nonprofit largely funded by evangelical Christians in the U.S., has reached “almost all” of those displaced from southern Israel with cash aid, says Yael Eckstein, the Orthodox Jewish woman who is president and CEO of the group.

She is asking for donations, now that many who were not previously impoverished have had their homes and property destroyed.

“Our first responders have turned into the victims, and Israel needs every humanitarian support. Any amount of humanitarian support that we can get right now is saving lives,” she said.

Antisemitic hate crimes jumped in 2022, FBI says

The FBI reported this week that the number of antisemitic hate crimes reported to authorities jumped 36% last year from 2021.

The FBI’s Crime Data Explorer database recorded 1,124 anti-Jewish crimes in 2022 compared with 824 in 2021. There were 158 anti-Islamic crimes in 2022, a count that was virtually the same as the 153 such incidents reported in 2021.

“The data is a reminder that hate never goes away, it only hides,” President Biden said in a statement. “Any hate crime is a stain on the soul of America.”

‘The Chosen’ returns in February, but heading to theaters first

Fans of “The Chosen” — the megahit online streaming series about the lives of Jesus and his disciples — got the word this week: the series is returning with season four in February.

But don’t look for the new episodes to pop up on your TV screen, at least not at first.

Instead, all eight episodes will roll out in two-week flights at movie theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Producers say fans like seeing the show on the big screen and viewing it with other enthusiasts. Home viewers will get to watch the new season after the theatrical release concludes.

Also in the works: a Christmas special with a musical performance by Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo to hit theaters during the holiday season.

Handwritten Bible given to Washington National Cathedral

The Washington National Cathedral is the home to many great treasures and artworks. Its “Rose Window” stained glass is an iconic symbol known to millions of people who have visited or viewed it on television.

Add a special edition of the St. John’s Bible to the cathedral’s catalog of notable items. The Cathedral received one of only 12 copies of the “Apostle’s Edition,” a high-tech reproduction of a hand-lettered, illustrated Bible spanning seven volumes. Each book is produced on 100% cotton paper and is 2-by-3 feet large.

“It is absolutely incredible, and there are only 12 of them in the world,” the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, the cathedral’s dean, or chief cleric, told The Washington Times. “The fact that we received one from an anonymous donor is amazing, and we’re honored to have it. It’s seven volumes, each volume weighing about 20 pounds, exquisitely bound and exact copies of the original of the one and only, and it’s deeply impressive.”

How one woman’s miracle healings sparked a megachurch’s growth

The co-founder of Houston’s Lakewood Church — one of the nation’s top megachurches where thousands worship in person each Sunday and millions view the services online — says healing miracles in her family spurred the ministry’s growth.

Dodie Osteen, who turns 90 on Oct. 22, told The Times about her 1981 healing of metastatic liver cancer, and how she then began praying for the sick in her congregation. She’s still praying for people today, in person and via monthly Zoom calls.

“People come from all over the world to have my mother pray for them,” said her son, Joel Osteen, now Lakewood’s senior pastor. “Once a month, she has [a] prayer service. It’s a huge part of who we are. My mom loves to pray.”

Higher Ground event: Navigating our biblical worldview crisis

How can parents and grandparents help protect their children amid the shocking biblical worldview crisis? Veteran researcher George Barna joins Higher Ground on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to break down the reasons why society is departing from truth and to discuss how to build a moral framework to navigate our ever-chaotic culture.

VIDEO: The pastor who wants to ‘unmask the devil’ 

Miracles, deliverance from demons, and people overcoming despair are regular happenings at V1 Church in New York City. Pastor Mike Signorelli sat down with Billy Hallowell to discuss “The Domino Revival,” a new documentary that tracks the ministry’s story. 

In our opinion

All Americans should support Israel. Every American should support Israel in its battle against Hamas’ terrorism, says Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. 

“We should support Israel fully as it defends itself while praying fervently that peace will come soon. Though many will assail Israel, we know that these satanic schemes will always be fruitless,” he writes. “God has promised that Israel will endure forever. God is faithful. He always tells the truth. Every promise made to Israel will be fulfilled.”

Israeli heroes. An Israeli Arab paramedic paid the ultimate price to help injured festival-goers after Hamas terrorists attacked them, Billy Hallowell writes. Awad Darawshe was killed while helping those at the Tribe of Nova Festival held in Re’im, Israel.

His sacrifice is hardly the only one, Mr. Hallowell writes. He highlights four others who made heroic efforts to ward off terrorist attacks that day, showing “a selflessness and courage so powerful they must be heralded.”

Is Hamas mentioned in the Bible? The Gaza-based terrorist group Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement) uses the Arabic acronym “Hamas,” and under that name is known worldwide, particularly after its attack on southern Israel.

Pastor Jeremiah Johnson notes that “Hamas” is also a Hebrew word meaning “violence” and says the modern namesake lives up to that name.

“Hamas, used as both a noun and verb, appears 67 times in the Bible. More specifically, the word ḥāmās in the Old Testament is used almost always in connection with sinful violence. It does not refer to the violence of natural catastrophes. It is often a descriptor for extreme wickedness.”

Ask Dr. E: How can I forgive when I find that difficult? Forgiving people is difficult for a reader from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who asks Everett Piper — our “Ask Dr. E” columnist — how to handle this problem.

His answer: “If you want to learn to forgive, you need to quit looking at others and take a look at yourself. The question isn’t whether someone else deserves to be forgiven but rather, do you? Surely, you agree that no one is without sin, foremost the person you see looking back at you in the mirror. Forgiveness is a universal need. You need it. I need it. Everyone needs it. There isn’t one person who has ever lived, save one, who doesn’t need to be forgiven.”