“You can be born Jewish in Finland, get circumcised, married, divorced: it’s a one-stop shop,” said Chaya Votkin, president of the Jewish Community of Helsinki. Demographically speaking, the community is quite unique. It began in the first half of the 19th century, when Jewish soldiers (known as cantonists) serving in the Imperial Russian Army in Finland were granted permission by Russian military authorities to stay in Finland after completing their military service. “They s

“ That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles ” (1 Samuel 8:20). Israel is unique. Israel is different. Israel is the name chosen by God Himself. But why Israel? Here we must read Deuteronomy 7:6-8: “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love