Chris Katulka: Thank you for joining us for the Friends of Israel Today. I'm your host and teacher, Chris Katulka. I want to encourage you to take note of our web address, our website, foiradio.org. Now don't go there just yet, but later on after the show's done, please go to foiradio.org. And there you can actually listen to nine years worth of teaching that we have on our website, along with insightful interviews with a host of great guests. Again, that's foiradio.org. Now I had just mentioned that we had a lot of great guests, and today we have a guest with us. His name's Justin Kron. He's the producer of a documentary called Hope In The Holy Land, which looks at the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It's going to be a great interview, especially with everything that's going on in Israel after October 7th, Justin Kron will be joining us to talk about that documentary, and a way that you can also purchase a copy of it.

Finally, we're going to have Apples of Gold. Of course, the stories of the very famous Zvi Kalisher, Holocaust survivor. It's an amazing time, you're not going to want to miss that. But first in the news, the Israel Defense Forces released the results of an investigation into a missile strike that killed several World Central Kitchen aid workers in the Gaza Strip earlier this month. Investigators reported the incident, "Should not have occurred, and that the authorities who approved the strike had been mistakenly convinced that they were targeting Hamas operatives." Well, two officers, a brigade Fire Support Commander and a brigade Chief of Staff were dismissed from their positions in the IDF.

Well, here's my take, the death of those aid workers in Gaza is a tragedy and it should not have happened. But did you notice what Israel did? Step one, they investigated the incident. Step two, they admitted their failure. And step three, they removed the personnel in charge from their positions. Now, I'm personally still waiting for Hamas to do the same for their act of barbarism six months ago on October 7th. We may be waiting a long time. 

Chris Katulka: Joining with me today is Justin Kron, he's the founding director of the Kesher Project, and he's also the producer of the documentary Hope In The Holy Land, which is what we're going to be talking about today. But before we get to Hope In The Holy Land, number one, Justin, great to see you. Number two, can you share with our listeners what is the Kesher Project?

Justin Kron: Yeah, Chris, great to be with you. Appreciate you having me on. And so yeah, the Kesher Project, the word Kesher, as some of your listeners may know is the Hebrew word for connect. And so the focus of our ministry is to connect followers of Jesus to the foundations of their faith and to their Jewish friends and neighbors. So I think you do a lot of the same work. I just happened to do it through this organization I started a few years ago called the Kesher Project.

Chris Katulka: I have to ask really quick before we get to Hope In The Holy Land, what was it that gave you the spark to want to teach about the Jewish roots of Christian's faith in Jesus? What was that spark that God gave to you, where did that come about?

Justin Kron: Yeah, so besides coming from a Jewish background myself on my mother's side, there was a book that I read some years ago by Philip Yancey called the Jesus I Never Knew, it's one of my favorite books on Jesus. He has a chapter in this book titled Jewish Roots In Soil. And he writes, "I can no more understand Jesus apart from his Jewishness any more than I can understand Gandhi apart from his Indianness." And he continues and he writes, "If you really want to get to know Jesus's story, you need to get to know his story as you would anyone else's story, and learn something of his culture, family, and background." And Chris, when I read that, that light bulb went on for me that there is tremendous value in understanding the roots and the foundations of our faith. And so that's motivated me over the years too, to help other Christians, other followers of Jesus better understand those roots.

Chris Katulka: Going from the story of Jesus's Jewishness, now I want to move to Hope In The Holy Land, which is really the story of the conflict that exists today between Israelis and Palestinians. And so there's a story that's developing there as well. And I think you've done a fantastic job. I was just re-watching it earlier to get myself immersed in it again. It's such a fabulous documentary. What inspired you to co-create, produce Hope In The Holy Land? Was there a specific moment or event that compelled you to look into this?

Justin Kron: Yeah, so about 13, 14 years ago, there were a couple of films that came out that were geared or targeted to the Christian community that was painting Israel in the picture of Israel being the unjust oppressor of the Palestinian people and the Palestinians essentially being innocent. That they played no part, no real role in the continued suffering that they were experiencing. And these producers had also brought in Christian Zionism and casting Christians who support Israel's right to exist as essentially being a part of oppressing the Palestinian people, that we were condoning bad behavior by the Israelis and not thinking or challenging some of those policies. And as a result, we were bringing suffering to the Palestinian people, and in particular Palestinian Christians, who we are spiritually supposed to be aligning ourselves with. And those films, I thought, were really an unfair and unbalanced perspective on this historical conflict.

And a good friend of mine, Todd Morehead, who is the featured character in Hope In The Holy Land, had made a previous film called Promised Land: Israel Through The Eyes Of Surfers, which beautifully tells Israel's story. And through that friendship just God really led us to consider that it'd be really probably helpful if there was a film out there that was more fair and balanced, that provided more historical accuracy to what is going on and what has led up to it. And there was a challenge that we both received. For me in particular, it came from someone at the church I was attending at the time who said to me, "Justin, if your theology doesn't lead you to love your neighbor and your enemy, then something is wrong with your theology."

And I knew in that moment... Because we were speaking in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I knew in that moment that I had some soul work that I needed to do in my own life regarding my feelings and attitudes towards the Palestinians. And so that really challenged and provoked me to want to explore the conflict more from both perspectives, from both sides. And I think it's important that I say this, there are multiple perspectives. I don't think there's just the Israeli perspective. In the Palestinian perspective, you've got differing perspectives within each community. But there is generally a normative narrative that I think exists within both communities. And I thought it was important, at least for me, that I explore more of the Palestinian perspective.

Chris Katulka: If you're just tuning in, we're speaking to Justin Kron and he is the producer and co-creator of a documentary that we're talking about right now, Hope In The Holy Land. And we're going to share with you in a moment how you can get your hands on a copy of this DVD. Justin, you don't actually wash over any of the issues that are going on between the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. That's actually something I appreciated about what you did. There's some sensitive issues and complex issues that present challenges, especially as someone like you and me who love and support Israel and the Jewish people. Can you share some of those obstacles that you faced when you produced Hope In The Holy Land, and maybe how you overcame them?

Justin Kron: Yeah, I think for me personally, the challenge was being willing to sit down and talk to people who have opposing perspectives and to listen to them and to know that we were going to be exposing those perspectives to an audience that might passionately disagree with those perspectives. And so I think for us, we needed to be willing to allow people to share their opinion, knowing that we may not agree with them. And if we were going to share both perspectives, we just really believe that the truth would prevail, and that those in the audience could make their own conclusions based on what they were hearing. And so it was just challenges, I think, in opening ourselves up to that, and then finding those who would be willing to share their perspective. Particularly on the Palestinian side, knowing that they were being interviewed by guys who held to a very strong position on Israel's right to exist.

And so finding those people, that was hard. The solution for some of that became where we decided, "Well, let's just go out onto the street in the Palestinian society, in the Palestinian territories and just interview them, just ask them what they think about certain things." And fortunately, we found a great guy, a Palestinian secular Muslim, who helped us make some of those connections. And we got some very candid and honest perspectives from people within the Palestinian community.

Chris Katulka: That's amazing. I'm interested, the documentary was developed and created prior to October 7th. October 7th really changed a lot in Israeli society, the way the Israelis think, especially about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We've got about a minute and a half left in this segment. Can you develop for us, how are you feeling about... Especially with Hope In The Holy Land, how are you feeling about the documentary post October 7th?

Justin Kron: Yeah, so I think that the documentary really helps to reaffirm many of the things that we've been feeling since October 7th. The documentary exposes the influence of radical Islam, that ideology within Palestinian society, which I think a lot of the other films on this subject tend to avoid. And so I think what we've seen since October 7th is just, boy, an unleashing of, and a manifest of that ideology. And so I think we're just really in a time when we need to be incredibly aware and have moral clarity on what are the influences that fuel this conflict. And for us, I think we've come to the conclusion that radical Islam is a major, I should say, contributing factor to this. And people need to be educated even more so on that issue.

Chris Katulka: That's fantastic. We're going to take a quick break and you're going to find out how you can get your hands on a copy of Hope In The Holy Land. We sell it here at The Friends of Israel. And then we're going to come back and we're going to ask Justin a few more questions about the documentary. And what's next? That's what I want to know too, after this what's next? Stick around everybody.

We've been listening to Justin Kron talk about his documentary series, Hope In The Holy Land, and no doubt you've heard stories of great animosity between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians in the media. Well, are these stories blown out of proportion, or is the divide as troubling as you think? Look through the lens of an American Christian as he immerses himself in the land of Israel and studies both groups. His journey reveals the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the humanity of Jewish people, Muslims, and Christians alike in the Holy Land. You're going to want to get a copy of Hope In The Holy Land, which was produced by the Philos Project. It's an opportunity for you to engage in what's going on and to think more deeply and clearly about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. You can purchase your copy of Hope In The Holy Land by going to foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org to purchase your copy of the documentary series, Hope In The Holy Land.

Welcome back. We are speaking to Justin Kron, who's the founding director of the Kesher Project, and he's the producer and co-creator of the documentary Hope In The Holy Land. We've just been chatting about this amazing documentary that I think taps into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially for Christian Zionists. And just if you're not familiar with the term or definition of Christian Zionists, it's a Christian who believes biblically that Israel has a right to exist, the Jewish people have a right to exist in their ancient homeland. So Justin, in the course of filming Hope In The Holy Land, you must have encountered some stories that hit you or impacted you. Do you have any that you might want to share?

Justin Kron: Yeah, we were particularly touched by many of our interactions with Palestinians who support Israel's right to exist and who have a genuine heart For Jewish people. The predominant narrative is that Palestinians, they all hate Jews. And listen, we encountered plenty of that. That was not hard to find, but it was those who had a change of heart regarding the Jewish people in Israel that was profound. And these were the stories that we wanted to bring to light, and that is certainly captured in the film. There was one guy, we call him Peter, we can't reveal his identity, but we call him Peter in the film. And in his interview he told us how he grew up in Gaza and grew up being taught to hate the Jews, and to pretty much distrust everything that Israel does. But eventually he moved to the West Bank, historic Judea Samaria, and he encountered believers.

Just for clarity, he grew up in a Orthodox Christian background, so not a Muslim background, but not a believer. And he came to faith. He was ministered to through two believers who helped him understand what God had done for him through Jesus, and then started to study and learn more of the scriptures and to meet Jewish people, and his heart changed. And I remember in the interview where he confessed to us that he used to cheer when he had learned that Jews had been killed, when they had been murdered, even children. And he essentially stopped the interview and he said, I need to apologize to you for that. And he did that with tears in his eyes, and I got tears in my eyes. And there was an embrace there between us and I'll never forget that. And it's just a great reminder to me that God can change hearts and minds.

Chris Katulka: 100%. So is there anything in the future, number one, what's the goal of Hope in the Holy Land today and do you have anything cooking for the future?

Justin Kron: Yeah, our hope is that more hearts and minds will be changed. Was really encouraged recently through an email that we received from a mom who sat down and watched the film with her son who had just come back from school, and there was a discussion in his class about the conflict that's going on. And he said to her that he hated Israel, that he hated what Israel was doing. And so they sat down and they watched the film together, and as a result of watching the film, he came out of that and he said, "If a discussion comes up at class again, I'm going to have very different views and opinions on the conflict." And so for us, our hope, our prayer is that more people would see the film, be touched by it, and have a heart change.

And we're currently, also... Just so your listeners are aware, we're working on a docu-series right now called Hope In The Holy Land, The Series. We released the first episode of that series on September 1st, so about a month before October 7th, and we were going to create the entire series with content that we hadn't been able to include in the feature film. But with October 7th happening, we realized that some things had changed, of course, on the ground, and there was more perspective that needed to be captured. So we've decided that we're going to go back and do more interviews and talk to people who've been impacted by the war and include that in the series. So that's what our focus is right now, and we're making that available for free because we think the world needs more quality and honest content regarding what's going on over there.

Chris Katulka: 100%. I love that, honest and truthful content about Israel. What's going on between the Israelis and Palestinians right now. Listen, number one, I'm going to give you all three websites. You ready? Number one, kesherproject.com is Justin Kron's ministry, Kesherproject.com. Number two, of course, hopeintheholyland.com, but you can also go ahead and purchase the DVD for Hope In The Holy Land by going to FOIradio.org. Justin, thank you so much for being on the program. Thank you so much for sharing the truth about what's going on between the Israelis and Palestinians from a biblical perspective, that is so important and we're thankful for your ministry.

Justin Kron: Our pleasure. Thanks for the work you're doing

Steve Conover: Now. Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life and ministry of Holocaust survivor, Zvi Kalisher.

Mike Kellogg: People here in Israel are extremely nervous. This is partly due to the economic situation. When I tried to speak with them, many say, "There is no longer a God because he sees and allows his chosen nation to fall down." One man asked, "What do you think, Zvi?" I replied, "What you say is not true. God has chosen us and brought us to this promised land. We should live and not die." In October 1973, when the Arab armies attacked us, the Israeli population was very demoralized. Why did God spare us? And why are we living now? We are still alive and still a nation because God loves us. Is it not true that we love our children? Of course we do. We do not punish them for their misdeeds. They will continue to do as they wish. It is the same with our God. He loves us, therefore, he punishes us when we need it until we ask for his forgiveness.

If people ask for forgiveness, change their ways and turn to God, he will bless them. If you do so, you and all your friends will know the truth about our God, and when he makes a promise, he keeps it. He is not as we humans are. After that, this man asked "What do you think I should do? Should I believe in God?" "Oh, yes," I replied, "But, you should ask God what to do instead of asking me." Surprised, he asked, "How can I ask God?" I told him he could go directly to God in prayer because he is our father and will answer him, "How shall I pray?" He questioned. I then opened the Bible and read the Lord's teaching about prayer in Matthew 6:9. Then this man realized about whom I was speaking. "Jesus?" He asked incredulously. "He was against our Torah. How can I believe in him?"

I then read from Galatians 3:10 "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." This was another surprise to him, and he declared, "Jesus is the great enemy of the Jews." "That is what people say," I told him, "And, you my friend, believe it." He thought for a moment and then replied, "That is how I felt before, but not now." Then we read together. John 3:16 "For, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, would have everlasting life." "This is all new to me," he said. "It would be nice if you would give me some books so that I may read about these things for myself and share them with my friends. I want to show them how they lied to me. I will visit you every week and you can teach me from the Bible."

Through this man, two other families came to me and I gave them my testimony about the Lord. I was sure that after such a lengthy conversation about our Savior, they would not return. But the Lord opened their hearts, and now we meet every week. All of these dear people are now secret Christians. Perhaps one day soon they will openly acknowledge Jesus as Messiah and Lord.

Chris Katulka: Thanks for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today, and also a big thanks to Justin Kron for joining us and sharing about his documentary Hope In The Holy Land. Again, you can get a copy of Hope In The Holy Land by going to foiradio.org. Now next week, we're going to actually begin a study on Passover, a two-week series on Passover. And you might be thinking, "Well, isn't the Resurrection day passed? Isn't Easter done?" No, actually, there's a big divide this year between Easter and Passover, and so we're going to be studying Passover as the Jewish people prepare themselves to enter into the Pesach season.

I'm your host and teacher, Chris Katulka. Today's program was produced by Tom Gallione, engineered by Bob Beebe, edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold, and Steve Conover is our executive producer. Our mailing address is FOI Radio, PO Box 914 Bellmawr, New Jersey, 08099. Again, that's FOI Radio, PO Box 914 Bellmawr, New Jersey, 08099. Our web address is foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org. Or you can call our listener line 888-343-6940. Again, that's 888-343-6940. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. We are a worldwide evangelical ministry, proclaiming biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah, while bringing physical and spiritual comfort to the Jewish people.