“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” — Jeremiah 33:3
Barbara Steinmetz escaped Hitler. She survived the Holocaust. She rebuilt her life in freedom.
But hatred found her again—on American soil.
On June 1, 2025, at 88 years old, Barbara was among twelve elderly Jewish women attacked with Molotov cocktails in Boulder, Colorado, during a peaceful demonstration supporting Israeli hostages. Barbara survived. Her dear friend, 82-year-old Karen Diamond, succumbed to her injuries weeks later, dying on June 25.
Barbara’s haunting question should awaken us all:
“What the hell is going on in our country?”
She didn’t say this attack was “like the Holocaust.” She called it what it truly was—evil.
Because evil adapts, camouflaging itself in new disguises to spread the same old hatred. Sometimes it wears a construction vest, hurling fire at grandmothers carrying signs of peace.
And now we must ask ourselves:
When is it too late?
When do disturbing signs become undeniable warnings?
When does our apathy become complicity?
A Monument of Hate Destroyed—but Hatred Lives On
In 2017, Iran erected a digital “doomsday clock” in Tehran’s Palestine Square, counting down the days until Israel’s destruction—a clenched fist smashing through a Star of David.
Last week, Israeli airstrikes blew that hateful clock to pieces.
But the hatred it symbolized? That still burns brightly.
These targeted strikes were part of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, an offensive against Iran’s nuclear program and centers of oppression—including Evin Prison and the brutal Basij morality police.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, proclaimed:
“For every attack on Israel’s home front, Iran’s dictator will face punishment.”
The strikes were not revenge—they were justice, a choice for life. As Deuteronomy 30:19 declares:
“Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
When Silence Becomes a Weapon
As missiles fell, Iran’s regime fought back—not just with bombs, but with silence.
For more than 36 hours, the internet in Iran went dark. Over 80 million people were cut off from the outside world—and each other.
While Israeli jets targeted military and nuclear sites—not civilians—Iranian citizens lived in fear, uncertain which cities were under fire. The regime broadcasted propaganda of Israel’s destruction but hid their own devastation.
This wasn’t censorship. It was psychological warfare.
This is a government that fears its people more than its enemies.
Yet Iran accuses Israel of “waging war on human conscience.”
This from a regime imprisoning journalists, executing women for showing their hair, and funding terror that burns elderly Jews in America?
Psalm 34:15 reminds us:
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous.”
He sees every scheme. He hears every cry. He remembers every victim.
The Power We Still Hold: Prayer
Esthers, we must ask ourselves:
Is it too late to stop the next Holocaust?
Or is there still time for clarity, courage, and prayer?
This week’s devotional offers a powerful truth:
“Prayer doesn’t ignore danger—it confronts it with heaven’s authority.”
Read it now → Prayer Changes Things
Prayer isn’t passive—it’s powerful. It shattered Babylon’s gates. It elevated Esther to the throne. It changes hearts, moves mountains, and saves nations.
It can still change the course of history—if we rise to pray and act boldly.
When the Smoke Clears, What Will Remain?
- Elderly Jewish women marching for peace set ablaze on American soil.
- An entire nation silenced by internet blackout, unable to speak or hear truth.
- A doomsday clock of genocide finally destroyed—but the hatred still simmers.
- A ceasefire declared, but hostages still wait to come home.
When is it too late?
When the next Holocaust begins?
When Christians cease speaking truth?
When children no longer remember the courage of Esther and Ruth?
It’s not yet too late—but the hour is urgent.
A Call to All Modern-Day Esthers
You are not here by accident. You are here for such a time as this—not to blend in, but to stand apart.
Imagine your own mother or grandmother - or daughter or granddaughter marching peacefully, targeted simply for who she is and what she believes. Imagine silence afterward, and ask yourself: if not us, who will speak?
Commit today—support Christian Women For Israel to raise up more Esthers. Call a friend, start a prayer group, speak boldly online. Do something tangible because your voice matters, your prayers shake heaven, and your courage can change history.
The Lion has risen.
The question now is: will you?
Today’s Prayer
Lord, awaken us. Don’t let us be numb to the evil in our streets or silent while Jewish people, Christians, or Israel face attack. Stir our hearts to pray boldly, speak truthfully, and love fiercely. Raise up Esthers today, Lord. Let us be Your voice and Your light in these dark days. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
