Working at Caspari Center means being in an exciting, dynamic environment. The
activities of Caspari Center are exceptionally varied and there is much stimulation
and exchange as the center is staffed and used by a wide variety of people.
After the long, hot summer months, September has arrived like a burst of spring growth. The
summer vacationers have returned, school has begun and the Jewish New Year is just ahead.
In the Jewish calendar, the month prior to "Rosh Hashana" is a time of taking stock of your
life and getting things in order. It is a time of fresh starts and new plans after the slow, dry
summer. There are many comings and goings here at Caspari Center and the fall/winter
season promises to be a busy, active time.
Here at Caspari, we have received a team of volunteers who will
be with us for the better part of a year. Our graphic artist, Heidi
from Finland, has returned. Her one month with us was such a
positive time that she has come back as a volunteer for a year!
The team has one Finn, one Dane, one Norwegian and is led by
a Ukrainian. There are many talents in this small group and
together they are already contributing to the building up of the
Center. We are especially happy that at least one of them is highly
computer literate. This group, together with the permanent staff,
represents Israel and the nations working together in harmony
for the sake of the Gospel and 'to the Jew first.'
Caspari has just hosted a special seminar for the authors of the first volume of the new history
project, A History of the Jewish Believers in Jesus- from Antiquity to the Present. Of the
seventeen authors, eleven were present for this event. Here too, Israel and the nations were
represented as the scholars came from ten different countries. The participants were able to
meet together and to encourage each other in their various fields in a scholarly environment in Jerusalem - where it all began. Those of you interested in following the progress of this three volume, seven year project can ask to receive a quarterly update and it will be sent to you free of charge.
Local work is continuing and this fall will see several Telem courses started. Work is going
ahead on the production of new study materials and some of our older books that have been published in Hebrew are now being put into English and Russian.
We appreciate your support of the ministry of Caspari Center and we would value any
comments you might have regarding this newsletter or any of our activities. Please feel free
to email us at
. If you are in Jerusalem, don't miss the opportunity to visit us at
36 Jaffa Road.
Jerusalem is often at the center of world attention and our hope is that it would be in the
center of your prayers and that you would be blessed as you pray for the work of God in this
special city. It is a privilege to work together with all of our partners around the world.
What is Telem???
The Telem program for equipping believers has been the flagship of Caspari Center's ministry on the local Israeli scene. Telem was first conceived as theological education by extension and at its inception was the only theological education program that was specifically designed and produced for the Hebrew speaking Israeli believer in Jesus.
A high standard of scholarship has always characterized the Telem books. This is due to two factors. One is the relatively high level of education prevalent among Israelis and the second is Caspari Center's commitment to academic excellence. Every effort has been made to ensure that the Telem materials are culturally and contextually relevant for the Israeli believer.
With the recent immigration of Russian speakers to Israel, Caspari Center decided to make all new study books available in Russian as well as in Hebrew and English. As budgetary conditions allow, already existing books will be translated into Russian. Today, Russian speaking believers make up over 40% of the Messianic community in Israel.
To this date, Telem has produced study books for: Genesis, Acts of the Apostles, The Gospel of Luke, The Jewish Roots of the New Testament, Jewish Influences in the Early Church, Psalms and the Worship of God, Biblical Ethics, and How to Study the Scriptures. A previously published study book on the Epistle to the Romans is currently being revised, The Epistle to the Hebrews is in the translation stage, and Congregational Life is in the early stages of being written.
Telem books have been used by both individuals and congregations in
their Bible studies and home groups. In the early years of Telem, small
groups of students came together in locations where access to congre-
gations was difficult. Caspari Center provided tutors for these groups
and in many cases this was the only framework of fellowship for these
isolated believers. As the situation of Messianic believers has changed,
Caspari materials have been increasingly used by already established
groups.
Caspari Center remains committed to producing study materials at a high academic standard to help meet the needs of the growing
number of Israelis coming to faith in the Messiah
Jesus. Pray with us for continuing vision, staff,
and resources to grow with the times and meet
the many challenges of equipping the Messianic
body in Israel.
. If you are in Jerusalem, don't miss the opportunity to visit us at 36 Jaffa Road.