Dangling off vines at the Har Bracha settlement in the West Bank, the grapes are plump and ready to pick. This year, evangelical Christians are volunteering for the job. Missouri-based HaYovel organizes “faith-based volunteering” for Christian backers of Israel. “Our mission is to take an active role in, and educate people about, the prophetic RESTORATION...

Situated a stone’s throw from Ramallah, Psagot doesn’t blush over its politics, ancient terraces or evangelical pickers. Psagot Winery’s first home now serves as Yaakov Berg’s house in the Mateh Binyamin settlement (photo credit: Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel) It’s either the best or worst location for a winery. With vineyards planted on the ancient limestone...

The Enveloping Light of the SukkahThe mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah is unique in sanctifying man’s daily routines. The eating and drinking, the chatting, and the sleeping which we do in the Sukkah are elevated and sanctified to the point where they are deemed mitzvoth. It is specifically on Sukkot that we merit this,...

They tend the vineyards and olive groves in the West Bank during harvest and pruning seasons, but their presence has irked some rabbis. Clipping bunches of grapes from a vineyard situated at the foot of this Jewish settlement and nearby Palestinian villages, 44-year-old Lorri Schaefer could easily be mistaken for a Orthodox Jewish settler with...