The winter rains painted our fields with a riot of bright green grasses and waves of colorful flowers. It's is a season of rebirth and hope. Yet for some, the word "birth" stings. Pregnancy is a curse, not a blessing for many in Israel. Recent media exposure revealed that the officially reported number of abortions in Israel reflect only half the actual number taking place - daily - in our hospitals - in our major cities and our suburbs - among Jews, Arabs and Christians - young and not-so-young - single and married. The numbers are staggering. One in four aborted.

In this season, when lit candles light up many windows in Jerusalem in celebration of the miraculous oil said to have lasted for 8 days in the Temple, we pray that each child born into a family that considered an abortion, will glow and refract God's love for many years to come.

Chris Rice, in his song "Сarry Your Candle" challenges each of us to daily consider how to shine light into our environment, we pray these small children will be the vehicle of double-Hai (חי) - one life saved from abortion pointing the way to new life for the family.

In the gap between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur fall the "Days of Awe" when we consider our ways, ask forgiveness of God and fellow man, and prepare our heart for the Day of Atonement.

The National Conference is successfully behind us, and a big move is just ahead. We hope you will take a moment with us to stop, catch your breath, and look back on what the Spring of 2012 has held for Be'ad Chaim and the moms it serves.

In our Spring Newsletter Sandy gives some reasons why the current deliberation over "Wrongful Birth" malpractice suits is a reflection of our culture's deteriorating concern for the unborn (and recently born, if Oxford ethicists are to be consulted). Tikva, a young mother of a beautiful little girl, chose to keep her daughter despite being thrown out of the house and cut off from the support of her family. Read her story, and other interesting news, HERE.

It is the season for giving and receiving, and we at Be'ad Chaim have been honored to welcome 27 new babies into the "family" in the past few months. Ina's doctors made her anxious when they warned her baby would be born with serious deformities. Read how little Adam has defied his doctor's prognosis. Sharon is back with her boyfriend and headed to marriage, and a young, Ultra Orthodox woman makes a brave choice. All this and more right HERE.

Fall is at the door, and already rain has washed the streets of Jerusalem clean of the dust that clings to them from the summer. Yamit and Joel, a young couple from the north of Israel, recently experienced a different kind of shower - the refreshment of good news in a bad situation. Little Carolina, born in April, also carried with her the promises of new beginnings and clean living. Her mother's life was transformed during the course of her pregnancy. We hope you will In be refreshed yourself by their stories, told in our newsletter.

Looking back over the past few years we're amazed to see how the work of Be'ad Chaim has expanded - with many more saved babies added on to our "extended" family every year. A few months ago we enrolled the 300th baby in our "Operation Moses" program, providing for him all he will need for his first year of life, and securing for his mother the knowledge and comfort that we will support her over the long haul.

Recently, liberal Knesset Members (Israel's parliamentary representatives) have been proposing laws that would change the way marriage and abortion are regulated in Israel. The recent proposal by KM Nitsan Horovitz to legalize all abortions was summarily refused when it came before the Judiciary Committee; but if raised often enough, it may one day become palatable to a less religious coalition.

December is often a time of celebration and family gatherings. But for some, it can be a stark reminder that the family they could have had is severely diminished by those children that were aborted. 

Why are we against Abortion? and why should you be? Read a note from Sandy for a glimpse into the heart of our ministry. Also in this newsletter, one woman comes to Israel especially to commemorate her baby lost to an abortion, and a brave and resilient mom-to-be, Hadassah, gives us an inside look into the abortion industry in Israel.