2025 Annual Report

1

Hold the Fifth Annual Root Source-Nathaniel Foundation Symposium.

Deferred this year, hopefully we will resume in 2026

2

Hold more “Conversations” and launch the Root Source Podcast channel.

We held our average of one conversation a week, but did not pursue launching our Podcast channel

3

Run the Kristallnacht Light Up The Church project for the fourth year in a row, hopefully growing more in all parameters.

DONE! See this report: https://lightupthechurch.org/updates/update-summary-of-light-up-the-church-2025/ 

4

Complete the requirements for the Guidestar Platinum Seal, upgrading from the Gold Seal we were awarded in 2024.

We need another year for this, but we *did* renew our eligibility for the Gold Seal 2025

5

Market The LIST series to libraries.

We hope to get necessary funding for this project and move forward in 2026.

6

Publish The LIST 2023/2024: Hamas War Edition, and hold a special online launch event for it.

The war is not yet completely over:-( and due to our source for incident data discontinuing its publication, we are working on finding a new source to renew this project.

7

Add more charities and causes to the “Bless Israel” tab on www.root-source.com for our friends to support.

The page is active https://root-source.com/bless-israel/.

8

Travel abroad to meet old friends and new friends.

No trip was planned or made in 2025.

9

Publish and launch the Sukkot Symposium Proceedings book.

Sadly, there was a data loss for this symposium, we hope to resume work on this project in 2026.

10

Add items to our Store.

We added one item, but most importantly refreshed the interface of https://root-source.com/shop/

11

Cooperate with the Ten From The Nations organization to hold the Nations’ Ninth of Av Gala.

Ten From The Nations did not produce a Ninth of Av event in 2025, instead they had an event about Kristallnacht (see below).

12

Continue to publish and upgrade our newsletter.

Done. Added and refreshed content, including the addition of a weekly Torah lesson courtesy of the 929 initiative.

13

Apply for and win grants from new foundations, in addition to grants from our friends at The Nathaniel Foundation and the Carson Myre Foundation.

We are grateful to have received a $5,000 grant from Fidelity Charitable Donor Advised Fund, and a $15,000 grant from the Carson Myre Foundation.

14

Renew the work of the Institute of Midrashic Studies of the New Testament.

Unfortunately, funding was not forthcoming for this project this year, so we continue to keep it on hold.

15

Award the Root Source Annual Bridgebuilders Prize in Jerusalem and/or Texas or elsewhere

Deferred.

16

Make more progress in fundraising and Christian outreach.

We are grateful to the 78 donors who gave a total of $46,519.96. Thank you all!

17

Host online events.

We hosted to launch of Bob O’Dell’s breakthrough book series, The Echoes Bible

18

Celebrate a few more grandchildren?

Mazaltov! Gidon’s TENTH grandchild was born, Achinoam, daughter to Shira Rina and Ori Vangrover (and three delighted siblings:-) PLUS! Gidon’s youngest daughter Moriyah, was married just before Passover!

1

Conversations

Dr Richard Booker, Al McCarn, Alan Latta, Paushali Lass, Jason Caplan, Moses Julius, Chief Joseph and Dr. Laralyn RiverWind

https://root-source.com/category/conversations/ 

2

Media Appearances

Shelly Neese (Bible Fiber), Paul Calvert, David Sutherland, Jan Aage Torp, Italian Christian Media Group

https://root-source.com/category/interviews/  

3

Networking

Gidon meets with an average of ten friends a week, from the United States, Israel and all over the world, on Zoom and in person. He also participated in numerous on-site conferences and events in Israel.

4

Newsletter

We continue to curate and deliver a weekly newsletter to our list of close to 12,000 recipients with an average 25% open rate. (Subscribe here)

5

First holocaust Survivor book

Published “Through Faith and Fire: The Life of Rabbi Eliyahu Dermer” https://root-source.com/product/through-faith-and-fire-the-life-of-rabbi-eliyahu-dermer/  

6

We Must Not Forget

Launched https://wemustnotforget.org/ and focused on finding one hundred stories of Holocaust survivors never before published in English, and one hundred individuals or groups to adopt and fund those biographies

7

Temple Mount Event

Root Source was a leading partner in the Charlie Kirk Memorial Prayer on Temple Mount https://www.jns.org/prayer-on-temple-mount-honors-slain-us-activist-charlie-kirk/ 

8

Memphis Chapter of Root Source

Negotiations with Memphis Friends of Israel, led by our conversations friend Jason Caplan to establish the first Root Source chapter in Memphis Tennessee

9

Holocaust Education

Joined and participated in the Network for Innovative Holocaust Education https://www.innovativeholocausteducation.org/ 

10

Kristallnacht Online Discussion

Participated in the Ten From the Nations – Kristallnacht through the Ages Discussion

11

Networking for We Must Not Forget

Met with Israeli government officials, nonprofit organization leaders, and Christian activists to advance We Must Not Forget

12

The Echoes Bible

We hosted to launch of Bob O’Dell’s breakthrough book series, The Echoes Bible https://root-source.com/EchoesBibleLaunch