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Hanukkah is an 8 day celebration, this year starting on the evening of 7th December, and concluding on the 15th. There are several miracles remembered: The miracle of a small band of Jewish men defeating an imperial army; the miracle of courage, of those who dared to stand for their beliefs against the flow of society; the miracle of a little cruse of oil burning for eight days, when it should have lasted for only one. Jewish people around the world will light candles on the ‘hanukkiah’ each night: on the first night, one candle; on the second night, two candles; and so forth, until the eighth night when the whole hanukkiah is ablaze! They are proclaiming the miracle from centuries ago and praising God for all the miracles He has done. Games are played with a dreidel (spinning top), carrying the phrase ‘A Great Miracle Happened There’. Traditional songs are sung recounting Israel’s victories from her ancient enemies. And of course, as with most Jewish Feasts, there is special food to eat, this time cooked in oil, like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts). Miracles are to be celebrated! In a few weeks, millions around the world will celebrate Christmas, the miracle of Immanuel, God coming to be with us. Some of us have experienced various miracles in our lives, big ones and small ones, happenings in our history that have paved the way for us to be here in this moment of time, without which we may not have been here at all. Life itself is a wondrous miracle, a gift from God. Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, is a wonderful opportunity to remember and recount the miracles in your life, to publicise and proclaim what God has done. You could light a candle, share some special food with friends, tell your miracle stories to your children and grandchildren, or create a song about some of the amazing things God has done. However you like to express yourself, take the opportunity this Hanukkah, to celebrate the God of the miraculous!

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) remembers God’s goodness to the fledgling nation of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness for 40 years to the promised land. Without a permanent home, they depended on God to provide for all their needs. Sukkot is a Hebrew word meaning huts or temporary shelters. During this Feast, households construct a Sukkah outside with palm branches for the roof and spend as much time as possible in it, eating meals and inviting friends and family to come and enjoy the Feast with them. The insides of the Sukkot are decorated with twinkling lights and garlands, with fruit (especially pomegranates) and scriptures. Sukkot also celebrates with thanksgiving the ingathering of the autumn harvest at the end of the year which includes wheat, olives, grapes, dates, figs and pomegranates. During the times of the Temple in Jerusalem, Sukkot was one of the three pilgrimage feasts during which the people of Israel went up to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple and present their offerings to the Lord. "Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread [Passover], the Festival of Weeks [Pentecost] and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed: each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you." - Deuteronomy 16:16 The Gospel of John mentions the Feast of Tabernacles in chapter 7. It records Jesus travelling up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast and mentions him teaching in the Temple courts. It describes how “On the last and greatest day of the feast Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” At that time there was a Sukkot tradition of drawing water from the pool of Siloam. Everyday of the feast the priests would collect the spring water in a golden pitcher amidst much celebration, singing and dancing. Returning to the Temple, the priest would pour out the precious water near the altar. An expression of dependence on God to send the much needed rain after the long, dry summer and of the cleansing of sins. Comparing physical thirst to spiritual thirst, Jesus offered the promised Holy Spirit to anyone who would believe in Him. The people had sung the words of Isaiah 12:3: “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” Jesus declared himself at that moment to be the source of that life-giving salvation. In response some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” The following excerpt is from: God’s Goodness Through The Biblical Holidays by Melanie Moscovich. Life Publications, 2020 https://mmmoscovich.wixsite.com/book “The holiday is also called Festival of Ingathering, Hag ha Asif. Part of the prophetic message of Sukkot is about people from every nation worshipping God and that there will be a full ingathering of people from all nations coming into his Kingdom. During Temple times sacrifices were made on behalf of the nations for people to know God. In the New Testament, the message of the Gospel going worldwide to all peoples is given. People from all over the world worship and follow Jesus and we look forward to a great harvest and ingathering of souls from every nation... “Each of the three pilgrimage holidays, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, required the Jewish people to go up to Jerusalem. Each of these holidays represents a significant spiritual event of God’s plan revealed to mankind in his word. Pesach - Passover with the death of Jesus as the sacrificial Passover lamb making a way for the forgiveness of sin and a restored relationship with God. Shavuot - Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit so people can lead lives following God, have both been fulfilled. “The only pilgrimage holiday that has not been fulfilled is Sukkot. The Feast of Tabernacles prophesies the full ingathering of souls from all nations worshipping God... “There are already signs of this future promise as every year Christians from all over the world gather in Jerusalem for an event during the Feast of Tabernacles to worship the Lord.” IN THE BIBLE "The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work... So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” - Leviticus 23:33-43 ____________________________________ SUGGESTIONS FOR CELEBRATING >> It’s really fun to have a go at building your own Sukkah (Booth). Create a temporary booth outside that you can decorate with fruit, vegetables and flowers. Print out or paint some scriptures that remind you of God’s provision and goodness. Add a table and chairs and some decorative lights to make it pretty! Traditionally, the roof is made of palm branches so you can still see the stars from inside the Sukkah. >> Gather friends and family for a special meal. Spend time sharing stories about God’s care and provision in your lives. >> Make a model of a Sukkah for your table centrepiece and surround it with encouraging scriptures. >> Make an arrangement for your home of flowers and some of the fruit gathered in at this time of Sukkot in Israel e.g. pomegranates, grapes, figs, olives, dates. Add some bread to represent the wheat. Thank God for his abundance and variety. >> Read through the Hallel (Psalms 113-118 ) which are read in the synagogues and also Zechariah 14 which prophecies that people from all nations will go up to Jerusalem each year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

270 young Jewish and Arab Believers, 13-18-year-olds, gathered for a week with 60 more (19-26-year-olds) joining them on the weekend for Dor Haba's summer youth conference "Fearless and Free." The heart of the conference was "to encourage personal encounters with the Lord, a lifestyle of intercessory prayer, the forming of key friendships that will foster unity in the body for years to come, and a space where they can use their gifts and talents to be a light for Yeshua. Over this week, they worked together on over 25 different Creative Projects in the areas of Music, Film, Photography, Art, Graffiti, App Development, Video Game Design, Dance, and Drama." According to Dor Haba, it was "an incredible time of growth in the areas of unity, intimacy with the Lord, leadership, and creativity." Watch this amazing recap video that was filmed and edited by film students at the conference: Every year, this conference provides an awesome opportunity for Believers from Jewish and Arab backgrounds, who often would never meet each other in their normal lives, to build friendships and bridge the cultural and political differences that divide their communities. Where the world preaches hatred and revenge, Yeshua (Jesus) calls us to love our enemies and our neighbours. Through engaging in creative projects that honour both the Hebrew and Arabic languages, and through building a foundation of worship and prayer together - deep friendships are formed and worldviews focused on the Kingdom of God. In Yeshua, there is forgiveness and peace and hope for the future as we work together in unity. "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility And Freedom!" Ephesians 2:14 The young people went out into the city of Netanya to perform music, dance, and theatre skits to encourage passers by with their message of hope. They also recorded new songs they had created in Hebrew and Arabic during the conference as well as music videos to share the message wider. One of the videos using a worship song called, "Not ashamed!" features Jewish and Arab kids coming together to sing and dance with joy. The message of the song is all about not being afraid to declare your faith in Yeshua. To the Jews who had believed him, Yeshua said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Yeshua replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:31-36 31 Keep praying for these young people that the truths God spoke to them will go deep and that this generation will truly be fearless and free as they live out their lives for God's Kingdom! If you would like to support ministry among young people in Israel you can DONATE HERE and note your gift is for 'Youth'.

For 21 days during the month of May, millions of Christians around the world joined the call to pray for Israel and God’s salvation promises for at least one hour per day. The vision originated from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC) and resonated with intercessors around the globe. IHOPKC called it an Isaiah 62 Fast based on the words of Isaiah 62:6-7 “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed and stationed watchmen (prophets), Who will never keep silent day or night; You who profess the Lord, take no rest for yourselves, And give Him no rest [from your prayers] until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise on the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7) United in the Spirit as watchmen on the walls, HOPE (House of Prayer and Exploits), an Arab House of Prayer in Nazareth ended their 21-days of prayer and fasting with a special worship event, “The Roar” - praying and worshipping together in Arabic for the salvation of Israel among both the Arab and Jewish communities. On the Day of Pentecost, to mark the end of the 21 days, Believers from Israel and the nations gathered on the Southern Steps of the original Temple in Jerusalem for a time of prayer and worship at the heart of Jerusalem. Rania, the Director of HOPE, joined with an array of international ministry leaders on the historic steps. During the event, Rania shared how she has been praying into Romans 11:15 for more than 18 years: “For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” It is crucial, she said, because it shows the important, prophetic destiny of the Jewish people for the overall plan of salvation and the global awakening of the nations in the earth. “It really carries so much hope,” she shared, “there is an anticipation that in the future there is coming a global revival but here it is really describing that when the Jewish people enter into the fullness of their destiny, they come to the knowledge of their Messiah - the description is so powerful, it says here it will be like life from the dead.” “The unity between Jewish, Arab and all people groups - that expression of the ‘One New Man’ is so key for the release of God’s blessings,” she continued, “and also instrumental for the salvation of Israel as it provokes the Jews to jealousy (Romans 11:11 “Again I ask: did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.”). As an Arab, I get to play a very key role here in Israel, provoking the Jews to jealousy.” After the gathering on the old Temple steps, the HOPE worship team led worship in the Jerusalem Prayer Tower. “During the watch,” shared Rania, “the Lord gave me a vision of David's harps positioned on the top of the Jerusalem walls. I saw about 12 harps laying on the top of the ancient walls of the city, 3 harps on each side of the city. Then all of a sudden I saw strong winds beginning to blow from the four corners of the city, blowing into the harps strings. When the winds blew strongly, a beautiful peaceful melody was being released from the harps. When the sound of the melody was echoing in the atmosphere, I saw a portal being opened in the Spirit, and from this portal, a scroll came down rolling out towards the city. When I looked more intently to see what was written on the scroll, I could see it was Isaiah 54! In addition to their regular prayer watches and training in worship and intercession, HOPE are planning and preparing for their upcoming Arab Deborahs Arising Women’s conference. This will take place from the 22nd to 23rd September in Nazareth and is a vital lifeline of healing, encouragement and empowering to Arab Christian women. The Arab Deborah Arising conferences were inspired by the story of the Old Testament prophet, Deborah. A woman who, during a time of unrest and chaos, rose up as a mother of Israel to bring peace and safety back to the streets and villages of the nation. PRAY: For the women attending Arab Deborah Arising For all the technical, staffing and financial needs to be met with abundance. For the wisdom of the Holy Spirit for Rania and her team as they plan and prepare. For protection, strength and discernment for Rania and the HOPE staff For chains of oppression and rejection to be broken and a garment of praise and freedom to come upon the women attending. SUPPORT: donate here ISAIAH 54 “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not laboured with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the Lord has called you. Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer. “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. 10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you. “O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, And all your walls of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. “Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.” Keep praying for Israel and for God's continued plans for this nation. Pray for revelation and salvation among the Jewish and Arab populations.

On a beautiful sunny day in June, Helping Hand Coalition (HHC) hosted a special ‘Shalom House’ for 54 Holocaust Survivors from the town of Lod. The gathering took place at the HHC headquarters in Caesarea. HHC founders Andre and Bozena Gasiorowski, welcomed the Survivors as well as special guests from the “Back to Zion” organisation from Germany. Its chairman, Alexander Dietze, shared about his awful shock at seeing evidence of his own family’s involvement in the Holocaust when his grandfather gifted him the medals he had received from the Nazis. From the first to the last minute, the team of German guests, volunteers and HHC team were serving and welcoming the precious elderly people with a heart full of love and affection, tenderness and honour, playing music and preparing lunch for them. Andre Gasiorowski shared stories about his family being saved during World War II in Poland and Bozena shared about her own family, who were Christians, saving the lives of Jewish families in the time of Holocaust. The meeting culminated in an atmosphere of repentance and forgiveness when a young Pastor from Germany bowed his knees and fulfilled a lifelong dream to come before the people of Israel and ask for forgiveness on behalf of his nation, Germany, There was not a dry eye in the room as the Survivors moved from sorrow for the past, to acceptance of this young man’s gesture. The power of forgiveness let the partakers of this incredible event leave for home with a bit more healing in their heart and a wonderful memory of their time at the Shalom House. “Thank you for these events. We need these kind of Shalom House events. These events, they touch our souls and they bring us life. Thank you so very much for these…” - shared by Rachel, a Holocaust survivor who made Aliyah from Ukraine many years ago What is a Shalom House? ‘Shalom House’ is the name HHC have given to their special gatherings for Holocaust Survivors. Groups from different parts of the country are invited to a ‘Shalom House’ event where they are blessed with good food and entertainment and opportunities to share their own stories. Life in Israel is incredibly tough for these brave souls with many living below the poverty line. HHC has a programme to provide financial help but the Shalom House events are different - they are healing for their souls. The word ‘Shalom’ doesn’t just mean peace. It also implies healing and wholeness and this is the purpose of Shalom House events. From the moment they walk in, the Survivors are showered with love and honour. Christian groups from overseas come to bless them with songs and dance and to express to them that they are not forgotten - that they are loved by Christians. This helps to change the narrative from the belief that Christians hate them - like the Nazis in the Holocaust - to the realisation that there are Christians who are full of love and care. This is incredibly healing and many of the Survivors are moved to tears. WITH YOUR SUPPORT, SHALOM HOUSE GATHERINGS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING HOPE AND HEALING TO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS LIVING IN ISRAEL donate here

As we write, DOR HABA, a Hebrew and Arabic youth worship ministry is preparing for their annual Summer Camp. A booklet in Hebrew, Arabic and English, a tool to give the teenagers scriptures to pray for different situations and feelings, has gone off to the printers ready for the camp. Every summer DOR HABA brings together Christian Arab and Messianic Jewish teenagers from Israel and Palestinians from the West Bank. The teenagers learn how to pray using scripture and spontaneous worship. They also learn how to work together across cultural and political divides to lead worship, write songs, record them and use their artistic talents together for the Gospel. They produce music videos and worship music – written or translated into Hebrew and Arabic – and original indigenous songs written by the younger generation in Israel. Tal. the director of Dor Haba says, “the vision behind the summer camp is to see young worshippers, intercessors, filmmakers, photographers and musicians employ the gifts that God has given them and partner together at a young age to witness the advancement of His kingdom in their communities.” Tal believes in letting young people take initiative, implement ideas and form teams for various outreach projects - one of her favourite times at the Dor Haba camp is when the teenagers, themselves, lead a night of worship and prayer from the stage, choosing their own prayer topics and scriptures to read from as they pray. Young Jewish and Arab youth leaders ages 19 to 25 (most of them who met each other at the earlier Dor Haba camps as teenagers) come alongside the adult volunteers to help train the 13 to 18-year-olds in their worship teams at the Dor Haba Summer Camp. The teenagers who come to Dor Haba, in turn, help train the 7 to 13-year-olds to form teams for worship and prayer at the Kids’ camps. The subject this year will be: Fearless and Free! Earlier this year, DOR HABA ran a large camp in Cana in the Galilee followed by a children’s camp in Jerusalem - “The Lord really broke through with the worship with the children,” shared Tal, “it was incredible - really special.” Tal also spoke at a local women’s conference about encouraging our children and teenagers to have a lifestyle of prayer. Pray for Tal and her family as she spear-heads the summer camp. Pray for the Lord’s hand to be upon all the arrangements and preparations and for the Lord to be preparing the hearts of the teenagers and young adults to receive all that He has for them.

We love to share about ministries that are discipling and building up the young Israeli Believers as they follow after Yeshua (Jesus). Lech L'cha is a local Israeli ministry with a vision for that through their 3-month intensive residential programmes that equip young Israeli Believers to live out their faith in their communities and through their local congregations. Earlier this year, the Lech L’cha team went on retreat, seeking the Lord and planning the year’s schedule. In addition to the next residential programme, the 34th, the team will be leading two short outreaches to Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, a sea-to-sea hike (from the Mediterranean to the Sea of Galilee) with graduates from previous Lech L’cha programmes and also several brunches and a few weekends for young adult conferences. In March, Lech L’cha ran a Young Adults Conference. Over 200 young people between the ages of 18 and 30: singles, couples, soldiers, students and young adults came. The theme was ‘Living Hope’ from 1 Peter 1:3-4 and the speakers spoke about our identity as Believers in Yeshua. “We had prayer groups, time for connecting with each other, and worship during every session,” shared Lech L’cha. ”Over 20 volunteers assisted as kitchen helpers, logistics assistants, registration, meal prep, and setups. Many of the participants were past Lech L’cha program participants and it is always great for us to hear about their strong walk with the Lord and their ministry in their congregations as well as in their regular walk of life.” PRAY: - FOR THE LECH L’CHA TEAM AS THEY SERVE THE 34TH PROGRAMME STUDENTS - FOR THE STUDENTS - THAT EACH ONE WILL HAVE AN OPEN HEART TO RECEIVE ALL THE LORD HAS FOR THEM DURING THESE NEXT 3 MONTH. DONATE: INVEST IN BUILDING UP THE LOCAL ISRAELI BELIEVERS DONATE

The celebration of the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost in the Greek, often happens around the end of May or early June. Its original significance is focused on the Barley Harvest, bringing the first fruit of the land to the Lord as an offering, a time of giving thanks for God’s provision, and the opportunity to pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There is the sense of marking time within its name: ‘7 weeks’ or ‘50 days’ from Pesach/Passover, and it also carries the weight of God’s covenant with Israel, the giving of the Torah/Instructions which Moses received on Mt Sinai estimated to have happened at this same time of year. The book of Ruth, the account of which also occurs during the Barley Harvest, reflects this sense of covenant as she leaves her people behind, to be joined permanently to the House of Israel and ultimately, through her marriage to Boaz, to be joined permanently to the genealogy of Yeshua (Jesus). As such, Shavuot speaks to the covenantal relationship between God and His people, akin to a marriage, a shadow and a foretaste of what was to come, counting the time from Yeshua becoming the sacrificial lamb at Pesach, to the awakening of His Bride, the Church at Shavuot with the coming of the Holy Spirit in power. This covenantal picture of marriage is woven into God’s salvation story, not only for His chosen people Israel, but also for those of us grafted into His promises. Let us continue to pray that the Bride in Israel and across the world will be ready to receive her Bridegroom when He comes in all His glory, as together we cry out with the Spirit, “Come Yeshua, come!” _____________________ If you'd like to learn more about the Feast of the Lord in the Bible, Melanie Moscovich has written a lovely book called "God's Goodness through the Biblical Holidays" which can be purchased through her website: https://mmmoscovich.wixsite.com/book

The last time we were in Israel, we got to meet Eric, the outreach and evangelism director serving at Dugit's coffeehouse, HaOgen (The Anchor). Here is his story... How did the Lord lead you here to serve at Dugit Outreach Ministries? Well, funny story. I actually found Dugit before making Aliyah [immigrating]. So, when I came to Israel, I went to Tel Aviv and went looking for them. I loved their mission of being “fishers of men.” But after arriving in Tel Aviv, I spent about half an hour trying to find the place, and discovered I hated Tel Aviv—and wanted to get out of there! A year and a half later, I got a new job and found myself looking for an apartment in Kfar Saba (twenty minutes northeast of Tel Aviv). I had been in touch with a guy through a mutual friend back in Georgia, who offered me a room in his house even though we had never actually met in person. I agreed and so he sent his sister-in-law to pick me up and help me move. A few weeks later I was talking to my friend in Georgia, and shared with him that I was living with his friend. He told me that this friend is the leader of a congregation and that he is married to the daughter of Avi and Chaya Mizrachi from Dugit in Tel Aviv. Long story short, I met Avi shortly after, began dating his youngest daughter (who is now my wife), and joined the ministry. What do you like best about serving at Dugit? My greatest joy is working with the people. I get to be a fisher of men. I get to meet people from all walks of life, and to witness God’s redeeming power. How did you come to know the Lord? Growing up in a Jewish family in Georgia, my brothers and I were seen as “different” and we had to deal with a lot of antisemitism. Even though we tried to blend in the best we could, I was always proud of being Jewish and as a child dreamed of going to Israel at age 18 to serve in the IDF. But instead of the IDF, I chose competitive bodybuilding. This path led me into some dark times but looking back I can now say that God was already coming after me. He would place Godly men in my path at the gym who always encouraged me, were always full of joy, and always talked about Jesus. Since they were older, I wanted to be respectful and let them say what they wanted. Fast forward five years and I found myself on a surgery bed needing a hip operation. It turned out to be a birth defect that was exacerbated due to my heavy weightlifting and my heavier than average body weight. After the surgery, the first thing the surgeon told me was that I had the hip of a 90-year-old woman. If I continued doing what I was doing, I would need two hip replacements by the time I was 40. Suddenly I found myself in an identity crisis. For the past five years, my identity had been my appearance. I was known by my muscles and my success in competitions and in the gym. All my life I excelled in various sports—always earning first place or being the best at whatever it was I was doing. Now I was aware of my limits, recognized that my strength was not like it was, and realised I had to reevaluate the direction of my life. Then one of these men from the gym came to mind. I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to reach out to him. It had been about 6 years since I last saw him in the gym and wasn’t sure if he even remembered me, but something led me to send him a message anyway. He responded and asked to meet with me that evening. As we sat together, he began to share with me the goodness of God in his own life and the way God filled the role of a loving father—something he didn’t have through his childhood or youth years. And then there came this moment for me, as I sat across the table from this grown man with tears in his eyes, and I became jealous of what he was telling me. How can he speak of my God this way as if he knows more about him than I do? Isn’t God for the Jews, and Jesus for the Christians? He looked at me sitting there, pondering these things, and told me that I could have it too. I asked him, “How?” He began to share who Jesus is, what He did for us, and told me that if I repent and believe in Him, I could also enter into this relationship with Him. And so that night I decided to follow Yeshua. ________ Eric along with other Dugit staff reach out to Israelis with the hope and peace of Yeshua (Jesus) through a coffee shop ministry in the centre of Tel Aviv. If you would like to support this ministry DONATE HERE and note your gift is for "Outreach".

3,000 Holocaust Survivors in Israel will be able to watch the moving story of 'The Hiding Place' by Corrie Ten Boon re-told through dance. Ballet Magnificat, a professional dance company from the USA will perform this true story during the week of Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day. The story takes place in Nazi-occupied Holland in 1944, at the height of the Holocaust. Two Christian sisters Corrie and Betsie, search for ways to help their Jewish neighbours, life-long family friends who are threatened with deportation to the Concentration Camps. The Ten Boon family builds a secret hiding place in their home and their neighbours find security with them. Tragedy strikes when the Ten Boons are raided by the Nazis and transported to Ravenbruck Concentration Camp to face struggles far exceeding their wildest imagination. "Choreographer Jiri Sebastian Voborsky unveils this heroic story with a great level of drama, passion, pain, yet joy, and ultimately hope. He brings before the audience the challenge to believe the unbelievable– the power of forgiveness." We pray that the Holocaust Survivors will be blessed by these special performances and as they experience the beauty of the music and ballet they too would find their pain replaced with healing and begin to understand the power of forgiveness to set them free. ________ If you would like to help Holocaust Survivors in Israel you can DONATE HERE and note your gift is for Holocaust Survivors.

Arab and Jewish women sharing God's heart, together! Earlier this year, during a time of instability in Israel that was filtering down into the Body of Messiah, a group of women came together in Nazareth to pray, worship and spend time together. God had been speaking to some of the leaders about coming together in true unity, resisting accusations against one another and bringing security to the land. Messianic Jewish and Arab Christian leaders met at HOPE’s (House of Prayer and Exploits) new prayer centre in Nazareth to enjoy this time with each other and to press in to what God is doing in the land. Messianic worship leader, Karen Davis from Carmel Congregation near Haifa led the first worship session declaring that fire would burn through each one and consume every stronghold - an army of women being raised up in the land! As host, Rania Sayegh, an Arab Christian and pioneer prayer warrior welcomed everyone and posed the question: “How can we work with the Holy Spirit to heal the land?” She shared how God could use the unity between Arab and Jewish women like a spiritual secret weapon. Many years ago, God spoke to Rania saying, “When the women rise up in the land, there will be security in the land.” Just as in the Book of Judges, when the prophet Deborah arose, there was security in the land. (Judges 5:7). Rania shared a picture of each woman having keys that open doors of blessing for the earth. “We are keepers of the doors,” she shared, “It is our responsibility. We need to look at the circumstances around us and ask God what He is doing. Our last fight will be against the spirit of accusation.” Rania’s words were powerful because recent deaths on the Israeli and Palestinian ‘sides’ have led to deep division even in the Body of Messiah with differering political points of view causing pain and offense. The Believers need to be able to rise above political storms and be the carriers of God’s higher perspective bringing love, forgiveness and reconciliation - pouring Holy Spirit balm over tense emotions. “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:7-8). Rania encouraged the women leaders to let their love be constant - even in times of suffering. To love one another despite circumstances needed to be a priority. She quoted Corrie Ten Boom, “There is no panic in heaven.” Messianic teacher, Orna Grinman also shared from the Book of Ruth, when Ruth tells Naomi, “Don’t entreat me to leave you!” Orna explained that the Hebrew word for “entreat” means to wound. She is saying that Naomi would wound her by insisting she leaves. The same Hebrew word root is found in the word for intercession. Every time we are wounded, shared Orna, we look for someone to blame, someone to hook it on. Our tendency is to focus on the wound but in God’s Kingdom, we can look at the wound and then turn it into intercession. When we get hurt, she continued, we can ask God where He is in this wound, in this situation. Is He above it, beneath it or in this wound? By cleaving to Naomi, Ruth received a place in the home of the Kinsman Redeemer. Sometime after this gathering, a smaller group of Jewish and Arab ‘Deborah’s’ travelled together to Bethlehem on a prophetic journey of healing the land. Inspired by the story of Ruth and her journey to Bethlehem, nine women gathered for lunch and prayer and broke bread together. They prayed for peace and love among both peoples and declared prophetic words over the land. Rania described it as a real netting together of hearts in unity and love - the love of the Believers one for another will release the heart of God for the region! Let’s join our prayers with these women that God will take their unity and bring security to the Land. _____ Can you support the work of the House of Prayer in Nazareth. DONATE HERE

"Thank you for these events. We need these kind of Shalom House events. These events, they touch our souls and they bring us life. Thank you so very much for these…” - shared by Rachel, a Holocaust survivor who made Aliyah (immigrated) from Ukraine many years ago. Every Shalom House event hosted at Helping Hand Coalition’s centre in Caesarea is a unique occasion. Up to 50 survivors of the Holocaust arrive each time from different cities in Israel, usually for a concert, for sharing stories and for an incredible time of fellowship. From the moment the Survivors arrive, they are showered with love and lifted up from the daily struggles of life. On one particular summer day, the international group, One Lev, performed for these dear elderly (LEV means heart in Hebrew). Filling the event with Middle Eastern, European, and American inspired music, the band took the survivors around the world with a message of Hope, Love, Peace and Joy. The excellent performance soon got everyone's hands clapping and feet tapping! When asked how he felt about playing at the Shalom House, the music group leader, Mikhail explained, “My heart is full of gladness and happiness to play for the survivors.” Before the performance, Helping Hand Coalition founders Andre and Bozena Gasiorowski, welcomed everyone and shared the vision of HHC. They introduced some of the special guests who shared stories and a beautiful atmosphere was created among the group with everyone really feeling like they had one heart. After the music, lunch was served and the Survivors were able to spend time sitting in the beautiful garden chatting and getting to know each other. "It is imperative that these dear Holocaust survivors are reached out to, helped, supported and lifted up as quickly as possible as they will be with us but for moments longer." shared Luke and Sarah Gasiorowski who help to manage these events. Your People My People have seen first hand, the wonderful effect these Shalom House events have on the Holocaust Survivors - lifting them up and showing them they are not forgotten. Each Survivor leaves the event with a spring in their step and a big smile on their face! If you would like to support Holocaust survivors in Israel and the work of HHC's Shalom House Events - you can DONATE HERE