THE LION OF ISRAEL RISES OVER IRAN
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem was established in 1980 in recognition of the biblical significance of Jerusalem and its unique connection to the Jewish people. Today the ICEJ represents millions of Christians, churches and denominations to the nation and people of Israel. We recognise in the restoration of Israel the faithfulness of God to keep His ancient covenant with the Jewish people. Our main objectives are:
* To stand with Israel in support and friendship;
* To equip and teach the worldwide Church regarding God’s purposes with Israel and the nations of the Middle East;
* To be an active voice of reconciliation between Jews, Christians and Arabs and to support the churches and congregations in the Holy Land.
From its head offices in Jerusalem, the ICEJ reaches out to more than 170 countries, with branch offices in over 90 nations.
Our vision is:
* To reach every segment of Israeli society with a Christian testimony of comfort and love, and
* To reach and actively represent to Israel the support of denominations, churches and believers from every nation on earth.
The Christian Embassy is a non-denominational faith-based ministry supported by the voluntary contributions of our members and friends across the globe. We invite you to join with us as we minister to Israel and the Jewish people worldwide by donating to the ongoing work and witness of the ICEJ.
WORD
FROM JERUSALEM CREDITS
ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler
Senior Vice President David Parsons
VP International Affairs Mojmir Kallus
VP Finance David Van der Walt
VP Operations Richard van der Beek
VP AID & Aliyah Nicole Yoder
Managing Editor/Publications Director Laurina Driesse
Staff Writers Nativia Samuelsen, Marelinke van der Riet
Additional Writers Carolina Fontaine, Susanna Rajala, Maxine Carlill
Graphic Design/Illustrator Ryan Tsuen
Administration Tobias H
Photography Adobe Stock, AP Photo, Shutterstock, Flash90, IDF Photo, Israel Police Photo, GPO, Wikipedia, JAFI, AI Generated Images, ICEJ Staff and Branches
The New King James Bible is used for all Bible references unless otherwise noted.
Word From Jerusalem is published by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Word From Jerusalem has no subscription price and is supported through contributions worldwide. All gifts to this ministry are tax-deductible (in countries where this applies). For more information, visit us at www.icej.org
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM
P.O. Box 1192, Jerusalem • 9101002, ISRAEL
Support our ministry online at www.icej.org
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Dear friends,
On June 13, we were startled awake at 3AM by urgent alerts on our cell phones. Israel’s war on terrorism hit a new peak as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major operation against Iran’s top leaders, nuclear sites and ballistic missile capabilities. Iran soon retaliated and suddenly Israel experienced a new, unprecedented level of warfare as hundreds of huge ballistic missiles began raining down on Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheva and other large cities.
As I write twelve days later, the death toll in Israel has reached 28, with over 3,000 wounded. It could have been worse, as each missile carries a massive warhead. But we thank God for His protective hand, for Israel’s anti-missile systems, and for the safety of bomb shelters. We also pray that the just declared ceasefire will now take hold.
Our Aid team was quickly on the move to provide emergency relief to those left hurting and homeless from Iran’s missile barrages. Over 10,000 Israelis have lost their homes in the past 12 days. We are helping as many as we can, even while our rebuilding efforts in the Gaza border area continue. Please keep standing with us as we display the love of Jesus to Israel.
Israel’s military successes over Iran mark a major shift for the Middle East. For me, it feels like the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union back in 1989. What inspires me most is that these events were strongly linked to prayer. For decades now, Christians have prayed for Israel and the region. Within the ICEJ, our prayer ministry has received ever-increasing attention. On the day of the October 7 terror attacks, we expanded our weekly Global Prayer Gathering to a daily online event, while our Rosh Chodesh Prayer Chain quickly expanded to cover the entire month in 24/7 uninterrupted prayer worldwide. Israel and Iran are always the main prayer focus.
Today we see our prayers being answered! I am reminded of the story of when “Peter was kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” (Acts 12:5, NKJV) Like Peter, this entire region has been behind the iron doors and chains of radical Islam. Yet just as the opening of a small border crossing in Berlin led to the fall of Soviet communism, we are at a similar paradigm shift today for this region and the world. May chains fall and iron doors open!
This battle is ultimately not decided in Washington or even Jerusalem, but in heavenly places, as Paul taught in Ephesians 6:11-20. I encourage you to keep praying until we see the church in Iran, Lebanon, Syria and other neighbouring countries in full freedom.
Today, we indeed are on the brink of an historic moment many have prayed and yearned for. Pray not just for political change in Iran, but even more for a move of the Holy Spirit in the churches of the Middle East. And of course, keep praying for Israel!
I want to thank you with all my heart for the support we receive from around the world. As you read this magazine, you will see the many projects being carried out with your help. Please continue to stand with us through your prayers and gifts to bless Israel in this unique time of crisis and opportunity.
The Lord bless you from Zion,
Dr. Jürgen Bühler ICEJ President
COVER PHOTO: An illustration of the Lion of Judah roaring over the Islamic Regime in Iran. (Generated using AI)
Benjamin Netanyahu places a prayer into the Western Wall ahead of ‘Operation Rising Lion’. (Credit: GPO photo)
ISRAEL, the Rising Lion
BY DR. JÜRGEN BÜHLER, ICEJ PRESIDENT
On the night of June 13, Israel launched a sudden and powerful air campaign against the top leaders of the Iranian regime, its nuclear facilities, and its ballistic missile capabilities. The mullahs in Tehran considered Israel to be “a one bomb country” – meaning it would take just one nuke to destroy the entire country. Again and again, Iranian leaders threatened to wipe Israel off the map. Thus, Iran has posed an existential threat to Israel’s national survival. This is a nation built on a mandate to be a safe haven for Jews everywhere and to ensure the Holocaust will never repeat itself.
“is doing the dirty work for us” in finally confronting the global threat of Iran.
This is a nation built on a mandate to be a safe haven for Jews everywhere and to ensure the Holocaust will never repeat itself.
As Israel hopefully winds up its amazing operation against this threat, we should make no mistake: Iran’s ambitions did not stop with the dark vision of annihilating the Jewish state, it also aimed to take down the ‘Big Satan’ of America and with it the whole Western world. As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted at the recent G7 summit, Israel
In his address to the nation after that initial wave of attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named the military campaign “Operation Rising Lion.” The day before, he hosted Argentina’s new leader Javier Milei, a strong friend of Israel. As they went together to the Western Wall for prayer, Netanyahu seemed at peace with himself and placed a small note in Hebrew into the ancient stones of the Kotel. It contained a quote from the prophecy of Balaam over Israel found in the Book of Numbers: “Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion...” (Numbers 23:24, NKJV). The message was clear: Israel, the Lion, has risen!
Less than two years ago, Israel did not seem like a rising lion. On October 7, 2023, Israel was blindsided by a massive terror attack exactly on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War,
when it also was caught completely by surprise by its enemies in October 1973. However, this October 7 was worse than back in 1973. In the years leading up to that fateful day two years ago, Israelis were repeatedly assured that the nation had the most secure hi-tech border fence in the world around Gaza, and that Hamas would never dare to attack the IDF. With some 1200 casualties, mostly civilians, and 251 Israelis taken hostage, October 7 was what President Isaac Herzog described as the worst single day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Benjamin Netanyahu places a prayer from Numbers 23:24 into the Western Wall ahead of ‘Operation Rising Lion’. (Credit: GPO photo)
In many ways Israel is still traumatised by the barbaric crimes committed in the Gaza border area, yet it also is recovering from those wounds and striking back hard. It first hit Hamas in Gaza and then Hizbullah in Lebanon. What no one could foresee two years ago has taken place. Hamas has been dramatically weakened, and in a matter of weeks Hizbullah lost its entire leadership and the vast majority of its 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at Israel.
The Balaam prophecies in Numbers refer to Israel in one other place as a lion: “He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?” (Numbers 24:9, NKJV)
Indeed, Hamas awakened the Lion of Israel on October 7.
Indeed, Hamas awakened the Lion of Israel on October 7, and this nation has now torn its enemies and dramatically changed the Middle East for the better. Hamas is vastly weakened. Hizbullah now complies with the Lebanese government’s demand not to drag the nation into another war with Israel. The Assad regime in Syria, another ally of Iran that suppressed and slaughtered its own people and threatened Israel, has collapsed. And now Israel has at long last directly targeted Iran, the head of the octopus of terror. Indeed, Iran has been confronted and is losing much of its malicious influence in the Middle East and around the world. Surely, the Lion of Israel has risen!
The Bible often refers to Israel as a lion. In the Patriarch Jacob’s prophetic words over Judah, he declares: “Judah is a lion’s whelp; … he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?” (Genesis 49:9, NKJV) Two more tribes, Dan and Gad, are blessed by Moses as resembling lions (Deuteronomy 33:20 & 22).
God Himself is the true Lion fighting for His people!
Some of David’s mighty men were warriors “whose faces were like the faces of lions” (1 Chronicles 12:8). Solomon’s throne and the artwork of his Temple’s interior were full of lion depictions (1 Kings 7:29 & 36; 10:19ff). These Temple decorations full of lions remind us that God Himself is the true Lion fighting for His people!
In the early days of the war in Gaza, I visited the Jerusalem Zoo with my wife and daughter. During those days the battle in Gaza was particularly intense and reports of hand-tohand combat appeared in the news. My wife was sitting on a bench of the beautiful park praying for the soldiers in Gaza and reading reports of another pair of young Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, when she heard an intense roar from the lions’ cage. We went up to the lion enclosure and saw the mighty male lion sitting on a perch with a lion’s cub crouched in front of the father. The cub was actually covered in the huge mane of the father.
That was a picture of what we are witnessing today. The little lion is seen rising and is spoken about in all the world media. What the political pundits do not understand, however, is that the big Lion is the one we hear roaring. Joel hears the Lord roaring from Zion as the nations gather against Israel (Joel 3:16). In the Book of Revelation, Yeshua himself is called ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’ (Revelation 5:5). He roars and is active on behalf of His people Israel.
Sometimes people ask me how we can support Israel as a nation full of faults. There is an interesting lesson in the Balaam prophecies cited above. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Balaam makes an astounding statement: “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.” (Numbers 23:21)
Just a quick glance through the preceding chapters reveals Israel was actually in a poor spiritual state. The people were complaining “against Moses and God” over why he brought them out of Egypt (Numbers 21:4-9). Even Moses lost his right to enter the Land of promise by wrongly responding to another rebellion (Numbers 20). Again and again, Israel rebelled against God and His chosen leader. Some of the uprisings sprang even from within Moses’ inner circle of leaders,
which would have been reason enough to judge and condemn Israel. But as Balaam went out to curse Israel, he instead had to proclaim: “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.” (Numbers 23:21)
Man’s view is always different from God’s view, which was determined by the constant ministry and sacrifice in the Tabernacle; and by God’s eternal covenant promises and purposes for His people. This was not just true for Israel, but also for Christian believers today. Each one of us keeps sinning, keeps growing cold, keeps falling short according to God’s standards. There are many reasons for God to condemn and forsake us. But He looks upon us through the finished work of Christ on the Cross. Paul says it so beautifully in 2 Timothy 2:13: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” This remains true also for Israel. Therefore, let us look upon His people with God’s eyes. Yes, Israel surely is not perfect, but ask God to give you His heavenly view on Israel.
Finally, we are witnessing today a prophetic dynamic in the Middle East that has characterised Israel since its modern-day rebirth in 1948 and which can be found in many of the Hebrew prophets.
Finally, we are witnessing today a prophetic dynamic in the Middle East that has characterised Israel since its modern-day rebirth in 1948 and which can be found in many of the Hebrew prophets. Israel is growing more and more into a regional, even global, force that must be reckoned with. During the early days of the recent attack on Iran, Israel’s foreign ministry informed on a WhatsApp channel that a certain Arab nation was collaborating with Israel, fearing it might be next in line. Israel’s impact continues to grow, an ever-increasing respect that has been there since the War of Independence in 1948. The Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War, both fought against multiple Arab nations, were both miraculous victories that stunned the Arab world. How much more respect will Israel have after confronting and thrashing the regional bully of Iran?!
Israel’s recent victory over Hizbullah and now its rapid trouncing of the Iranian terror regime, the operational excellence of Israel’s intelligence services, and the comparatively limited damage in Israel after absorbing
hundreds of ballistic missile strikes is even considered by secular Israelis to be miraculous and the hand of Providence. In a recent live broadcast, a secular Israeli news anchor took out his Psalm book, put a kippa on his head, and read a Psalm of thanksgiving on air! He added that Israel is indeed “the land of signs and wonders”.
The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 43, describes Israel as the servant of God who has returned from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 43:8ff). Repeatedly, God encourages the tiny nation that He is the One who upholds them. Three times in chapter 41, God commands “Fear not!” (Isaiah 41:10,13 & 14), saying that it is He who “upholds them with His right hand”. God gives them an unusual name, saying, “you worm Jacob.” Yet as the Redeemer of Israel, He boasts of His great purposes for this lowly people.
“Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:15-16)
Traditional threshing with a threshing-sledge (or threshingboard) of Middle Orient.
(Credit: Bishop Vincent, John H. c. 1884/Wikipedia)
Invariably, I had to think of these passages as Israel swiftly dealt with 3,000 terrorists in Hizbullah in one moment during the incredible “pager operation” last year, and now many top leaders of Iran have been dealt with in a similar way. It is miraculous indeed. In a real sense, all those who touched Israel in the last two years, Iran and all its terror proxies, burned their hands, all the way up to the mullahs in Tehran.
A similar dynamic is also described by the prophet Zechariah. He describes an Israel who has returned to their Land and to Jerusalem. Israel finds itself in a time of great challenges and is surrounded by enemy armies who try to lay siege to the city. However, the outcome is glorious…
could mean that we soon might see the very first delegations of Christians from Lebanon, Iran and other regional countries joining us at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem!
“In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; … In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, … in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:6-9, NKJV)
Both Isaiah and Zechariah foresee a time in the last days when indeed the Lion will rise and bring judgement on the forces of evil around Israel. Or in more secular terms, as the German chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us.”
Without a doubt, we are seeing a drastic paradigm shift taking place in our times that offers a great opportunity for change in the Middle East over coming decades. The populations of Lebanon and even Syria and Iran may have a chance for a better future. For Christians in the Middle East in particular, this can mean a new day of freedom. It also
A close relative of mine has family in Iran. In a recent call, she said her family is dancing on the roof in Tehran celebrating the possibility of freedom. Interestingly, the old flag of Iran had a lion holding a sword in its hand. Maybe Benjamin Netanyahu also thought about another lion rising when he named the military campaign against the Ayatollahs: the Iranian people rising into freedom as well. We may never know, but it all gives us ample reason to pray.
1.
In this historic season, I encourage everyone to draw near to God in prayer and in His word. Pray for Israel, that this ‘little lion’ will continue to be divinely protected, and that God will give its leaders wisdom and resolve over how to secure the peace.
Pray that the roar of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Yeshua the promised Messiah, will be heard more clearly than ever both in Israel and out among the nations.
Pray for the nations around Israel, and in particular for the churches in Lebanon, Syria and Iran, for their special protection from above. Let us trust God that this current shaking in the region will lead to them recognising that “the Lord is God!”
Also, please join our daily Global Prayer Gathering on Zoom as we are joined by hundreds of intercessors in prayer for Israel and the region. I look forward seeing you there.
1. An image circulating on social media of two lions bearing the flags of Israel and the State flag of Iran.
A DESERVING END TO IRAN’S NUCLEAR LIES
BY DAVID PARSONS, ICEJ SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & SPOKESMAN
As the high-stakes conflict between Israel and Iran unfolded over recent weeks, there were two competing narratives on how we got here. As the fallout continues from Israel’s emerging victory in this historic confrontation, it remains imperative that world leaders decide which narrative holds the truth, because entertaining folly on an issue as weighty as nuclear arms can be enormously perilous for everyone.
One narrative held that Iran is a peace-loving nation which has been developing a nuclear program solely for benign civilian purposes. Further, Iranian officials were negotiating in good faith with the United States concerning its rightful efforts to enrich uranium, until Israel maliciously blew up those talks by launching “Operation Rising Lion.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that “Iran did nothing wrong,” and US President Donald Trump – by launching his “Midnight Hammer” bunker-buster mission while deceptively calling for more talks – had “betrayed” the respectful path of diplomacy. Russian President Vladimir Putin concurred that the coordinated Israeli and American attacks against Iran’s nuclear sites were “groundless.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went even further, describing Israel’s military strikes against Iran’s nuclear program as “criminal,” “crazed,” and acts of “state terrorism,” while adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now surpassed Adolf Hitler in committing crimes of genocide.
The other narrative asks us to take a more measured, objective look back to the origins and declared aims of the clerical regime which has ruled Iran since the Islamic Revolution
of 1979. This is when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini swept into power in Tehran on the crest of Islamic fundamentalism, which centred around his message that the Arab and Muslim world had suffered repeated defeats and humiliations against Israel on the battlefield because they had left the basic, core tenets of Islam. But if they returned to the pure Islamic faith taught by the prophet Muhammed in the seventh century, Khomeini preached, it would please Allah and he would grant them victory first over the Jewish state and then conquest of the world.
Once ensconced in Tehran, the Ayatollahs were determined to export their Revolution throughout the region. Thus, the mullahs quickly arranged the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, the Arab leader who had just made an historic peace with Israel. The Ayatollahs also sired the rise of Hizbullah in Lebanon and instructed its ranks on the virtues of suicide missions, thereby inspiring the twin bombings of the US Embassy and the US Marine barracks in Beirut which claimed hundreds of American lives.
From the outset, the radical Sh’ite regime deliberately focused on confronting America as the “Great Satan” and Israel as the “Little Satan” due to their assessment that these were the only nations who took their dark global ambitions seriously and could stand in their way. The rest of the world were seen as simply too weak, gullible or asleep to
stop them. Sadly, they were largely right for all these decades.
The Iranian plot against Israel was to encircle the “Zionist entity” with a “ring of fire” in the form of well-trained and armed proxy militias. Hizbullah grew into the “A-team” of global terror militias, carrying out lethal bombings against Jewish and Israeli targets as far away as Argentina. They eventually accumulated an enormous arsenal of over 150,000 rockets – surpassing the strength of most nations’ militaries. Hamas, though Sunni Muslims, accepted funding, training, armaments and backing from the Shi’ite clerics. Similar jihadist militias were enlisted among the Shi’a Arabs in war-torn Iraq and the Houthi separatists in Yemen, while Syria’s Alawite minority led by the Assad family dynasty in Damascus also became increasingly subservient to Tehran.
Meanwhile, Iran had learned a painful lesson during its eight-year war with Iraq from 19801988. As Saddam Hussein lobbed hundreds of Scud missiles at Iran’s largest cities far behind the front lines, the Ayatollahs realised this would be an attainable weapons system to terrorise Israel’s civilian heartland. Thus began its ambitious ballistic missile program, aided by a space satellite agency that chiefly served as a cover to test rocket engines for their long-range Shahab missiles.
Israeli planes ready for takeoff in ‘Operation Rising Lion’(Credit: IDF Photo)
Finally, Iran set out on a clandestine quest for atomic weapons under the guise of a peaceful nuclear program. Israeli leaders have known of the existence of Tehran’s program and its genocidal designs on the Jewish state since at least the Rabin government in the early 1990s, but the world has been much slower at putting these pieces together. Iran, again, learned another key lesson from watching Israel take out the Iraqi nuclear plant at Osirak in 1981 and the secret Syrian nuclear reactor at Khyber in 2009. In response, Iranian leaders decided to spread out their nuclear facilities among numerous sites, to duplicate many key functions such as multiple centrifuge cascades for enriching uranium, and to encase vital components of their nuclear program in fortified structures deep underground.
As the world began to slowly wise up to Iran’s duplicity, the International Atomic Energy Agency started to monitor and inspect the Isfahan conversion facility and other nuclear sites, which was required of Iran as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Thus, the cat-and-mouse games began, with the Iranian opposition soon outing Tehran in 2002 over its hidden enrichment activities deep underground at the secret Natanz site. The so-called EU-3 of Germany, France and the United Kingdom then opened direct talks with Iranian officials to try to contain the burgeoning network of nuclear sites. But amid those talks, the Europeans were greatly miffed to learn in 2009 that there was an even
larger secret, fortified uranium enrichment plant buried deep inside a mountain at Fordo. Yet they seemed to quickly recover from the shock as they teamed up with the Obama administration to continue the talks with Iran until reaching the JCPOA deal in 2015.
From there, Iran used US President Barack Obama’s cash deliveries and eased sanctions to expand its reach, using the windfall of billions of dollars to further bolster its vast regional network of proxy armies. But when Trump entered the White House, he withdrew the US from the JCPOA agreement due to its flawed sunset clauses, lack of any requirement to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, and its failure to deal with Tehran’s support for terror groups, stockpiling of ballistic missiles, and other bad behaviours.
While President Joe Biden brought back Obama’s appeasement policies towards Iran, the Hamas mass terror attacks of October 7 finally forced Israel to go on the offensive against the Iranian-led “ring of fire” surrounding it. With its battering of Hamas and Hizbullah and then Trump’s return to office, Jerusalem finally regained the confidence to confront directly the source of the existential threat against it – the radical regime in Iran.
Under this narrative, Israel actually has been very patient and cautious in dealing with Iran, choosing to engage rather in a long shadow war of covert operations that inflicted temporary setbacks on Tehran’s nuclear program but no real death blows. Israel also has always been very open and transparent about this growing threat to its existence, with Netanyahu in particular warning the world at every opportunity not to trust Iran’s lies about its peaceful nuclear intentions.
Indeed, it would be pure folly for anyone to accept Tehran’s assurances when it has been aggressively enriching uranium to 60% purity, which has no peaceful civilian use and is dangerously close to weapons-grade uranium. Iran was hiding its nuclear facilities, reinforcing them underground, closing them off to inspection, duplicating the stages of weapons development, and has even been caught designing nuclear detonators and forging converted metal into the tell-tale shape of an atomic warhead. Even the IAEA recently concluded that Iran has enough highly-enriched uranium to build in a short time at least nine atom bombs.
Finally, Iran was using the recent negotiations with Trump’s envoys as cover to make a mad dash for the Bomb! So, who has been deceiving whom? To the extent President Trump tricked the Iranians into thinking there would be a sixth round of talks in Oman, or he would not bomb Fordo for another two weeks, the evil, duplicitous regime in Tehran got what they have long deserved.
Iranian missile explodes in central Tel Aviv. (Credit: Video screen capture)
Israeli policewoman holds a baby pulled from the rubble of Iranian missile strike.
(Credit: Israel Police photo)
Israeli rescue teams amid rubble of buildings hit by an Iranian missile. (Credit: AP photo)
HELP ISRAEL’S HURTING AND HOMELESS FROM IRAN’S CRUEL MISSILES
BY NATIVIA SAMUELSEN
As Israelis tried to sleep three nights into Israel’s war with Iran, an Iranian missile with a half-ton warhead suddenly struck a residential neighbourhood of Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. In a flash, lives were shattered and homes shredded as shards of glass rained in all directions. This quiet community instantly turned into a ghastly scene of thick smoke, frightened screams, mounds of rubble, flipped cars and blaring sirens. This was ground zero for the deadliest missile strike yet in Iran’s desperate bid to draw Israeli blood since the IDF launched “Operation Rising Lion” on June 13.
“There’s nothing left. No house. That’s it,” shouted Yivgenya Dudka, staring in disbelief at her flattened apartment, according to AFP
Many are elderly and need medicines still buried in their levelled homes. Some 200 children from five local schools face uncertainty about school next fall. Bat Yam also is home to many Russian Jewish immigrant families with little means.
The missile struck the sixth floor of a tall apartment building, causing an entire side of the structure to collapse. The concussion wave damaged buildings and cars for blocks around. Eight people were killed, including an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. Dozens more were injured, some critically. Others survived by mere seconds by reaching stairwells or bomb shelters just in time.
Within minutes, rescue teams were crawling through the twisted metal, broken concrete slabs, and charred furniture, looking to help anyone they could find. The night air was still clogged with dust and smoke. Survivors sat in shock on sidewalks, wrapped in blankets. Some spoke to first responders, others clutched phones or the hands of neighbours, anxious to hear about missing loved ones.
As the ICEJ Aid team toured Bat Yam two days later, the destruction was unbelievable! Some 75 apartment buildings sustained serious damage, with 22 already marked for demolition. As Bat Yam mayor Tsvika Brot escorted our team around, he tried to encourage everyone with his fast-track plans to tear down unsafe buildings and completely rebuild and upgrade the area within three years.
But most locals were still too in shock to think several years down the road. Hundreds are now homeless, evacuated to nearby hotels.
Surveying the damage, Nicole Yoder, ICEJ’s Vice President for Aid and Aliyah, recoiled at the wreckage caused by the blast.
“This level of devastation is something new for us to see in Israel,” she observed. “We’re heartbroken for the lives lost and deeply concerned for the thousands now displaced here and elsewhere in Israel, many of whom have no safety net.”
After twelve days of fighting, at least 28 civilians have been killed by the 550-plus Iranian missiles launched at Israel’s coastal heartland. Some 40 missiles slipped past Israel’s vaunted multi-tiered air defenses, causing similar scenes of destruction up and down the country. Over 800 people have been injured in these blasts, with more than 10 still in serious condition. In all, an estimated 10,000 Israelis are now homeless, most having fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Thus, these families have many urgent needs: clothing, food, medicines, diapers, and hygiene supplies. Once these basic needs are met, the focus in the days to come will shift to longer-term recovery.
Mayor Brot explained that after the evacuated families are provided food, temporary housing, and other basic necessities, the focus must turn to the children.
“Therapeutic summer camps for traumatised children are an immediate essential, to help the impacted children deal with the trauma as soon as possible,” he said. “Then later, educational and resilience support for those returning to school in the fall and re-building these homes as quickly as possible.”
As Israelis huddled in bomb shelters awaiting the end of these nightly missile barrages, they were wondering once again who their true friends are. The answer is Christians like us! We must not look away, but step in to help these battered Israelis who have lost everything.
Many Israeli families are hurting from the loss of home and loved ones. The ICEJ is there at ground zero in Bat Yam, and all across Israel, on your behalf. Help us meet the urgent needs of those left homeless by the missiles of a fanatical enemy. Your gift to our “Israel in Crisis” fund can help us provide vouchers for evacuated families to purchase food, clothing, and other essential items, and offer the children summer therapy camps and other urgent trauma care. So, please give today!
ICEJ HONOURS YUDIT SETZ FOR 40 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE
BY LAURINA DRIESSE
In May, our Jerusalem staff gathered for a special celebration to honour ICEJ AID deputy director Yudit Setz for reaching an incredible milestone of 40 years of dedicated service with the Christian Embassy!
It was a trip down memory lane, as the ICEJ leadership shared fond memories of Yudit over the past four decades. Afterwards, a captivating video showed photos of her many activities overseeing Aid projects throughout Israel, many alongside her husband Will, who was director of the department in the late 1980s and 1990s.
you have been doing all these years on behalf of the ICEJ,” added Dr. Bühler.
“From 1985 right up till now, you always set a high standard of how we reach out to ordinary Israelis in the streets and those most in need,” remarked ICEJ Senior Vice President & Spokesman David Parsons.
ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler commended Yudit on her dedication to serving the Lord in Jerusalem, which at times can be like a fiery furnace. He also thanked her for taking on the special burden she felt to care for Holocaust survivors at our Haifa Home, and even relocating to Haifa in recent years.
Dr. Bühler then read the very center verse in the Book of Lamentations: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23/ESV)
“Thank you so much for who you are, for your faithfulness, for your steadfastness, for your stubbornness; otherwise, you would not be sitting here today. And thanks to both you and Will for all your contributions and what
Her longtime colleague Nicole Yoder, ICEJ Vice President of AID & Aliyah, shared some of their interesting stories and fun experiences while working closely together in the Aid department. She commended Yudit on how relational she is and how she delights in seeing people develop and grow.
“I really don’t know what we would have done without your professionalism, without your cultural knowledge, without your persistence, without your faith, without that deep sense of calling, without the spiritual maturity and relational skills. You’ve been an example to all of us, and I know that the Lord is very deeply pleased,” expressed Nicole.
Yudit recalled first living in Beirut for half a year in 1983, and sensing God calling her to the Middle East. In 1984, while attending a Biblical counselling school in Switzerland and seeking God for her next step, the Lord clearly directed her to go to Israel for the ICEJ’s Feast of Tabernacles. With an open plane ticket, a backpack and no clue what to do in Israel,
she left on the 7th of October 1984. It was a journey of not knowing but just trusting God to lead her, and six months later she learned the still young ICEJ was looking for a social worker to oversee its new Social Assistance Department.
“It happened in such a supernatural way that I had no doubt in my mind that this was the place where God intended for me to serve,” Yudit recounted.
In 1987, she married Will and together they laid the groundwork for what is today ICEJ AID.
Yudit described how different Israel was when she first arrived, about witnessing the First and Second Intifadas, and the many challenges she faced, but also about the incredible people God placed on her path, the wonderful opportunities she encountered, and the numerous social aid projects she carried out before handing over the leadership role to Nicole Yoder.
Yudit then confirmed that the Lord gave her the same verse from Lamentations earlier that morning to share with the staff, as she has felt God’s faithfulness in many ways.
“Know that life may not be easy, but He and His love are always there. I can testify to God’s amazing faithfulness,” shared Yudit.
The celebration ceremony ended with prayers for Yudit and Will as they continue with their dedicated work of caring for the Holocaust survivors and serving the Lord in Israel.
HONOURING FALLEN BELIEVERS
URIJA BAYER YARON LISCHINSKY
At our International Leadership Conference in late April, the Christian Embassy invited a German Christian couple, Gideon and Nellie Bayer, to come share about the impact their son Urija made as a believer serving in the Israeli army. He was deployed in Gaza in late 2023 when he fell in the line of duty.
The Bayer family moved to Israel decades ago to minister to Holocaust survivors, and all three children have served in the IDF. After Urija’s death, the parents sat with military officers to decide on how to properly bury their son as a German Christian. The rabbi in their hometown of Ma’alot then decided Urija was considered a ‘righteous of the nations’.
“He had a very moving funeral,” explained his father Gideon. “Normally, a Christian is not buried in a cemetery of Jews, but they gave him a beautiful place to rest. It was the biggest funeral ever in Ma’alot. The schools were closed, and the students lined the street with flags to salute the coffin.”
ICEJ REAFFIRMS BOND WITH ISRAELI DRUZE COMMUNITY
BY NATIVIA SAMUELSEN
ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler and Vice President of AID & Aliyah Nicole Yoder recently led an Embassy delegation to the Druze village of Kisra, high in the Galilee hills near the Lebanese border, to reaffirm our commitment to this ancient community rich in tradition.
The Christian Embassy has been working closely with Israeli Druze leaders on social aid
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem was shocked and grieved to learn of the brutal murder of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, in a shooting attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC in late May. Employees of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, the couple identified as Messianic Jews and were about to get engaged.
“This was a cruel, detestable act of fanatical hatred bred by the rampant wave of antisemitism currently manifesting against Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. We condemn the pre-meditated killing of these two Israeli Embassy staff members, as well as the reckless incitement against the Jewish state and people which fueled it,” a statement by ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler read “Yaron had moved from Germany to Israel out of a deep conviction that he belonged to this nation.”
Besides attending the same congregation as Yaron and his family in Jerusalem, Jürgen also recalled meeting him at events hosted by ICEJ-USA in Washington (see photo).
Hundreds of dignitaries and ordinary Israelis attended Yaron’s funeral outside Jerusalem, and ICEJ Vice President of Operations Richard Van Der Beek laid a wreath on the ICEJ’s behalf. The Christian Embassy also gave the Lischinsky family a booklet with hundreds of heartfelt condolence messages we received from Christians worldwide.
projects for their community for more than 15 years. The visit gave our leadership team an opportunity to affirm our bonds of friendship with the Druze minority in Israel, and they were eager to express, with their legendary Druze hospitality, their deep appreciation for our longstanding support of education projects benefitting their youth.
The visit included a tour of a Druze elementary school which the ICEJ recently helped upgrade with a new music room for their creative and energetic students. The principal and staff warmly welcomed the ICEJ delegation and the children showed off their talents with a moving performance by the school choir, accompanied by a young student who only began learning piano last year.
Over refreshments and a wonderful meal, teachers and students spoke about the ongoing impact of the ICEJ’s support. Beyond physical improvements and scholarships, they offered a deeper message of thanks that their community is valued and not forgotten.
Choir students from a Druze elementary school perform in the upgraded music room.
ICEJ HOSTS SPECIAL SCREENING OF ‘MISS HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR’ FILM
BY LAURINA DRIESSE
On Yom HaShoah in late April, the Christian Embassy hosted a special screening of a riveting new documentary film which features two residents of our Haifa Home for survivors participating in a special beauty contest among elderly women who survived the Nazi genocide against the Jews.
showing in Haifa. The remarkable film follows a beauty pageant for women who survived the Holocaust, a bi-annual event originated by Shimon Sabag, director of Yad Ezer L’Haver and the ICEJ’s local charitable partner in the running of our unique Home for Holocaust survivors in Haifa.
The award-winning documentary, entitled “Miss Holocaust Survivor: A Beauty Contest that Celebrates Life,” was made by German film-maker Radek Wegzryn and first premiered in Israel earlier that week at a public
The film respectfully remembers the immense Jewish tragedy of the Shoah while also lifting spirits with the laughter and banter of the elderly female contestants, who are still celebrating life after all these years.
The documentary focuses on two of the contestants who are residents of the Haifa Home. First, Rita Kasimov Brown, now 95, tells her story of being born in Poland and hiding as a young Jewish girl with her family in a forest to evade capture by the Nazis. And Tova Ringer, now 102, shares her painful ordeal while surviving three German concentration camps.
As their heart-wrenching stories unfold on the screen, the film also intersperses enchanting scenes of the fourteen contestants during their preparations for the pageant, leading up to the grand evening.
The natural, unscripted humour of these courageous, delightful women is allowed to shine, resulting in a film that takes the audience on an unforgettable, life-affirming journey of both tears and laughter.
Later that week, the ICEJ hosted Radek Wegzryn for the film’s debut in Jerusalem before a select Jewish and Christian audience in our global headquarters. Watching the film, some guests found themselves wiping tears from their eyes as they pondered the painfully dark stories they heard. In other parts of the film, bursts of laughter erupted as the natural personalities and unscripted conversations of the survivors shone through, with even a bit of their competitive spirits surfacing in humorous ways.
The documentary will be released worldwide on International Holocaust Remembrance Day next year, 27 January 2026.
EMBASSY STAFF ENJOY SHAVUOT CELEBRATION
In early June, the Christian Embassy staff in Jerusalem enjoyed a fun-filled Shavuot celebration featuring a delicious barbecue meal, Bible quizzes and holiday games, topped off by a very competitive cheesecake contest. One of the Jewish customs associated with the Feast of Weeks is enjoying dairy products, and the baking competition proved the highlight of the day. Eight cheesecakes were entered by staff members wanting to showcase their baking skills, and each one duly impressed in their own way. The winner was Priscilla Campos from Brazil, who baked a perfectly flavoured and textured New Yorkstyle cheesecake.
ICEJ headquarters staff celebrating Shavuot with a barbecue and a cheesecake contest.
ICEJ Senior VP David Parsons and VP of Operations Richard Van Der Beek tend the grill.
A select Jewish and Christian audience in our global headquarters attend the special film screening of ‘Miss Holocaust Survivor’.
ICEJ PROVIDES SECURED RADIO DEVICES FOR TOWNS IN NORTHERN ISRAEL
BY NATIVIA SAMUELSEN
The Christian Embassy just achieved a major milestone in our efforts to strengthen the emergency responder network in northern Israel, as the fifth and final communications relay and antenna system were successfully installed in the Upper Galilee. With this latest donation, the entire Upper Galilee Regional Council can now communicate via secured lines, which has significantly enhanced the readiness of the local emergency teams.
While the rocket fire from Lebanon has abated due to the ceasefire with Hizbullah last November, the Iranian-backed terror militia remains a threat to Israel’s northern border communities. The Shi’ite terror militia fired over 10,000 rockets and drones into Israel during the current war, and also had plans to invade Israel, massacre civilians and take scores of hostages like Hamas did from Gaza on October 7.
Such a threat can never be ignored, so the ICEJ has been helping the northern towns and villages to be prepared with secured radio devices to improve communication among their first responder teams. This is in addition to supplying 50 bomb shelters and renovating over 100 existing shelters in vulnerable communities near the Lebanese border over the past 20 months.
For years, this northern border region lacked sufficient communication gear for their emergency squads. The limited communication lines and mountainous terrain in the region posed serious challenges for civilian security teams, often blocking the transmission of urgent messages and distress calls during crises. The new relay system effectively eliminates these blind spots, ensuring clear, secure, uninterrupted communication in even the most remote locations.
The new radio network has been months in the making and will prove crucial to the safety of these frontline communities in future.
This is part of a nationwide project in which the ICEJ is distributing over 500 Motorola walkie-talkies and other smart handheld devices, plus base stations, antennas, and charging equipment to first responders across Israel.
These communication devices serve a wide array of critical functions. They boost civilian emergency preparedness and are used by neighbourhood patrols, youth movements, school bus drivers, and roundthe-clock emergency volunteer teams. They also act as essential backup systems in the event of a cyber or armed attack on other infrastructure,
and will ensure better cooperation and faster responses when it matters most.
The urgency of realtime communication was never more evident than during the October 7 attack. Amnon Ziv, Security Chief of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, shared how these radio devices helped spare many lives in his area of southern Israel when Hamas invaded from Gaza.
“On October 7, I saw the Hamas terrorists break through the barrier, and I pressed one button that alerted all our security teams,” Ziv explained. “Within two minutes our brave teams were at the fences of their communities defending their citizens and eliminating the terrorists. One button pushed saved the lives of 3,000 people that day.”
That moment showed the extraordinary value of a fast, reliable communications network in a time of crisis, especially when all other systems were down.
This project was made possible through the support of our Christian donors from around the world. Key support came especially from the ICEJ branches in Switzerland, Austria, Canada, and Australia. This global effort reflects a deep solidarity with Israel’s frontline communities and their urgent needs for public safety and resilience.
In a country where every second counts, especially during rocket attacks or infiltration attempts, these systems have already proven to be lifesavers. And behind every antenna and communication device is the support and dedication of Christian supporters around the world. The impact of this project will surely be felt for years to come.
Please support our Israel in Crisis fund, which enables us to meet the most pressing needs of Israel’s frontline communities and helps the nation as a whole recover from this prolonged war.
RESTORING AN ANIMAL THERAPY CENTER FOR ISRAELI CHILDREN
WHAT HAPPENED?
In Israel’s western Negev, where daily life has been marked for decades by rocket and arson attacks from Gaza, the Animal Corner at Kibbutz Urim has served as a place of life and comfort for area residents. Through the calming presence of animals, hundreds of children and teens have rediscovered peace and joy connecting with these gentle creatures.
In recent years, the ICEJ has partnered with Kibbutz Urim to help fund a therapeutic riding rink, including our donation of therapy horses and riding gear, and sponsoring riding sessions for youths and adults. This support has come from Christian friends around the globe. Now, we are coming together once again to restore and expand this facility in the wake of the October 7 terror invasion.
Founded in 1970 by Yoel Zeigler, whose family escaped to Israel from Germany in 1933, the Animal Corner at Kibbutz Urim was established as a warm, safe space where children could learn and grow. Over the years, however, this once vibrant and beloved place became dilapidated, even as the need for therapeutic care for local families has reached an all-time high post-October 7
THE RESPONSE
The horrors of that tragic day brought new scars and trauma to southern Israel. Children now carry memories no child should ever bear. Yet many are finding renewed hope, nurtured by the calming rhythm of brushing a horse, or the beautiful bond formed with small animals.
JOIN US
We are committed to rebuilding and expanding the Animal Corner, not just to restore what once existed but to create a more welcoming and fully equipped therapeutic setting for the next generation. The new center will be accessible to more children than ever, offering a wider range of animal-assisted therapies to address this immense need.
The plan is to create safe, pleasant enclosures and modern facilities for a variety of small animals. It will include areas for both group and individual therapy, and new animals will be introduced to offer more treatment options.
WHAT IS NEEDED?
We already have collected some of the substantial funding needed to rebuild and expand the Urim Animal Corner, but we still require another USD $250,520 to bring this vision to life.
Your gift, large or small, can help an Israeli child begin to heal from war trauma. Please help rebuild a peaceful place where these children can begin to trust the world around them once more.
Israeli families from the Gaza border region are coming to Kibbutz Urim for their children to access animal-assisted therapy and begin healing. The demand is urgent and overwhelming.
To meet these needs, the Christian Embassy is partnering with Kibbutz Urim to restore and expand the Animal Corner into a modern therapeutic center.
Designate your gift by adding a comment “Therapeutic Animal Corner”.
IN THEIR WORDS:
“Thinking about riding again was what kept me going through captivity.”
ICEJ Senior Vice President David Parsons stands with one of the therapy horses already purchased by ICEJ’s generous donors.
– Erez, age 12, after being held hostage in Gaza for 50 days.
“This is the first time I’ve heard his voice in song since that day.”
– Mother of a 5-year-old boy who sang again for the first time while brushing a horse after months of silence.
“We dreamed that we would pass this on to our children. Now, my son doesn’t want to leave. He wants to stay and see the corner come back to life.”
– Kibbutz Urim member.
“We’ve seen how Christian friends around the world helped us when we were at our lowest. Their love made this healing place possible. And it’s love that will rebuild it.”
– Urim Therapeutic Center staff member.
ICEJ VP for AID & Aliyah Nicole Yoder feeds one of the rabbits on site.
HELPING ISRAELI MOTHERS SAY ‘YES’ TO LIFE
BY NATIVIA SAMUELSEN
In a small hospital room in Jerusalem, a young Israeli mother cradles her newborn son. Her eyes are tired, her body weak, but her heart is full. Just a few months earlier, she had been alone, afraid, and moments away from choosing abortion. Today, she is a hopeful woman who chose life in the face of despair.
All across Israel, stories like this are unfolding; quiet, courageous stories of women who find themselves at impossible crossroads. Some are teenagers. Others are single mothers, survivors of abuse, trauma or addiction. Many are abandoned by partners, shunned by family, or struggling in poverty. And yet, in the middle of their crisis, they are choosing to say “Yes” to life.
By funding pro-life counsellors, providing baby supplies, and ensuring aid for these women for the first year after birth, the ICEJ is helping these mothers turn fear into faith and uncertainty into love.
Here are some their stories.
At just 26, Rachel found herself staring at a future she never expected: pregnant, abandoned, and utterly alone. Pressured by the baby’s father to end the pregnancy, and with no family to support her, she was nearly swallowed whole by fear. But when she was offered practical help, something shifted. Rachel paused… took a breath… and chose life.
Just a month before her due date, she was evicted from her apartment. With nowhere else to go, she moved in temporarily with the baby’s father – an unexpected shift that began to heal their broken relationship. Now a mother, she walks her baby through the neighbourhood in a pram, singing lullabies as she goes, grateful to be a mother.
In another corner of Jerusalem, Dana was juggling far more than most. At 39, she was caring for her disabled husband, plus children with special needs, while also managing her own spinal injury. The news of an unplanned
pregnancy was overwhelming. She did not see a way forward. But with practical help and emotional support from an ICEJ sponsorship – including baby supplies and someone to talk to – she slowly began to feel less trapped. She chose to go forward with her pregnancy, and her son was soon born to a changed mother. Still scared but also much more grounded and resolved, Dana named him Lior, meaning “My Light.”
Support made the difference for Liat, too. Estranged from her ultraOrthodox family, she faced a high-risk pregnancy completely alone. With no partner and no other plan, abortion felt like her only option. But after reaching out to local pro-life counsellors supported by ICEJ, the course of her story changed. Consistent help and loving care made all the difference. Hospitalised at 31 weeks, Liat finally called her sister. Two days later, her son was born and her parents, once distant, came to meet their grandson. It was a vital step into new beginnings.
Esther was younger than these other mothers, just 18, and she was 17 weeks pregnant when her boyfriend disappeared. Upon hearing about the pregnancy, her parents were furious and threatened to kick her out. Terrified and isolated, Esther saw abortion as the only way to keep things from completely falling apart. But with consistent encouragement from
pro-life counsellors, she held on. The support did not change her situation overnight, but it helped her find the strength to face it. In time, her parents came around. Her mother stood beside her in the delivery room when baby Yonatan was born.
Each of these women stood at a crossroads, overwhelmed by fear or isolation, and found the stability to choose a different way forward. And with someone walking alongside them, what once felt impossible became manageable.
We may not be able to undo the pain, poverty or fear these women have faced, but we can respond with care, consistency and compassion. Light pushes back against despair, and sometimes even the smallest light is enough to change the direction of a life.
Thank you for helping the ICEJ give hope to those who are vulnerable and cannot see a promising future.
Please continue to support our Future and Hope fund at: help.icej.org/future-hope
18 year old Esther gives birth to Baby Yonatan.
ICEJ ALIYAH A LEGACY OF BRINGING JEWS HOME
BY MARELINKE VAN DER RIET
For nearly 45 years, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has played a vital role in helping Jews return to Israel. Founded in 1980, the ICEJ began its Aliyah efforts on behalf of repressed Soviet Jews, by organising global rallies to “Let My People Go!” and sponsoring the first flight post-fall of the Iron Curtain from Budapest to Israel in 1990. We soon supported Jewish migration from across the vast former USSR, including Ukraine, Central Asia, and the Baltic states — ultimately assisting nearly 50,000 Ukrainian Jews and thousands more from other regions.
The ICEJ expanded into Western countries, responding to rising antisemitism. In Germany, the Christian Embassy launched the Habaita program to help transplanted Russian-speaking Jews resettle in Israel. In France, which has been plagued by violent antisemitic incidents, the ICEJ has sponsored numerous flights, with applications up 500% since October 2023. We also have assisted Jewish families from the U.S. and South Africa to reach Israel.
The ICEJ has helped 3,225 Ethiopian Jews and over 1,300 Bnei Menashe from India reconnect with their roots in Israel. In 2024, our ministry sponsored over 1,000 flights, assisted a total of 3,600 immigrants, and supported youth programs amid rising global antisemitism. To date, the ICEJ has helped nearly 190,000 Jews to make Aliyah.
As we look to the future, the Christian Embassy remains steadfast in our commitment to Aliyah, ensuring that every Jew who hears the call to Zion can indeed come home. Through faith, compassion, and divine providence, the ICEJ will continue to play a vital role in this historic Jewish Ingathering — one flight, one family, and one life at a time.
Discover the inspiring prophetic story of the modern-day Jewish return to the Land of Israel by visiting the ICEJ’s new Aliyah Hub website at aliyah.icej.org. This dynamic platform is your go-to source for the latest updates, moving stories, and in-depth reports and teachings about our ongoing Aliyah efforts. Stay informed on how the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is helping Jewish people from around the world come home to Israel, and see how you can be part of this prophetic mission. Whether you’re looking to learn more, support Aliyah, or simply stay connected, our new site brings the heart of Aliyah directly to you.
ICEJ-SPONSORED MENTORS HELP JEWISH IMMIGRANT CHILDREN THRIVE
Acre (or Akko) is an historic port city Israel’s northern coastline. Today, it is a mixed Jewish/Arab town with 60,000 residents, 25% of whom are immigrants mainly from the former Soviet republics. For many immigrant families, integration is a steep challenge amid war, economic hardship and social isolation.
In recent years, the ICEJ has sponsored the Students Build a Community program, which pairs Israeli university students with immigrant Jewish children who are still adjusting to life here. Many of the children come from Russian and Ukrainian backgrounds and continue to face hurdles with language, academics, and social integration, even after several years in the country. Through weekly one-on-one mentoring, the student volunteers help their young understudies improve their Hebrew, keep up in school, and build confidence and social skills.
BY NATIVIA SAMUELSEN
focusing on Hebrew skills, classroom subjects, and building confidence. Each student receives a tailored plan based on a home visit and input from the school. The mentors, some of whom live in shared apartments provided through the program, form a supportive community in the heart of the city.
Silanet Tazara, a law student who dreams of becoming a judge, runs a debate club for girls at one of the schools.
“It was chaotic, but we couldn’t abandon these kids when they needed support the most, so we kept showing up however we could,” said one mentor.
For many mentors, the experience has shaped their view of leadership and service.
“This project helps us grow as much as it helps the kids,” said Shahar. “We’re learning to take responsibility, to build something meaningful, and to create a better future not just for us but for the next generation.”
Students participate in a panel at the Tomorrow’s Leaders event.
Recently, several university student volunteers shared how much this support has meant to them and gave encouraging feedback on the program’s positive impact.
Shahar Ohana, a mentor and engineering student, was called up for reserve duty on October 7. He served first in Israel’s north, then the south. Returning home was not easy.
“It took a while to get my bearings,” he recalled. “But this project gave me something to come back to. One of the boys I’m working with was failing every subject. Now he’s getting 80s and 90s. That’s what keeps me going. There is joy and hope in this”
“The program’s impact is more than just academics,” Shahar said. “It helps the kids directly, but it also builds a stronger community. For us mentors, it gives a sense of direction and strength even when I might be called back to reserve duty tomorrow.”
The program currently supports some 70 immigrant children at two schools in Acre: Tomer and Shazar. Twenty-five student mentors meet with the children weekly,
“We talk about issues like equality, privacy, and respect,” she explained. “I teach them how to build an argument and speak with confidence. After one session, a girl told me, ‘This is what I want to do with my life – to speak up without fear.’ That stayed with me.”
Hila Hamra, with her background in education and learning disabilities, has been involved with the program for three years.
“I’ve been working with children since I was in high school and I love it, it’s so fulfilling,” she said. “Every child needs at least one adult who believes in them.”
“One Ukrainian immigrant boy had trouble making friends,” she recounted. “We worked with him in the group, and he slowly opened up. Eventually, he found his place. I was like a big sister to him. That experience reminded me how important this work is.”
Even during the war, the project continued through rocket fire and stress. When schools were closed and families were displaced, the mentors adapted, offering sessions online and helping in shelters.
When asked what they hope to change in the world, the mentors answer quickly: to make sure people are free to pursue their dreams, and not be held back by language barriers, fear, or their circumstances.
Alongside academic credits, the program gives the mentors a sense of purpose and the stability to pursue their own futures.
“It changed my life,” Hila said. “I could study, volunteer, and even save a little. I’m now working in Tel Aviv but still involved with the project. It gave me direction and drive.”
These student mentors are making a real difference for Israeli youngsters needing someone to trust and believe in them.
Please support our Aliyah and Integration fund to assist more Jewish immigrants to Israel.
HAIFA HOME RESIDENTS ENJOY OUTINGS, LESSONS ON JEWISH HERITAGE
BY YUDIT SETZ
The ICEJ’s Home for Holocaust survivors in Haifa has had a busy spring and early summer, filled with outings to interesting places and learning more about Israel and the Jewish feasts. Here is our latest news.
TRIP TO SHAVEI ZION
Recently, residents from the Haifa Home were invited to the coastal village of Shavei Tzion for a day of relaxation and enjoyment. Early that morning, our residents and their caregivers boarded a bus and set out full of anticipation. Upon arrival, our hosts at the Beit El guesthouse greeted us warmly with coffee and cake.
Beit El is operated by Zedakah, a German Christian ministry that has sent volunteers to Israel since 1969 to serve at the guesthouse, which over the decades has welcomed thousands of Holocaust survivors for free 10-day holiday respites. The dedicated staff and volunteers from Germany are motivated by the same calling as the Christian Embassy to “Comfort, comfort My people.” In fact, those words from Isiah 40:1 are inscribed on the wall of their dining hall.
After our coffee break, everyone explored the beautiful gardens or visited the nearby beach, just a few hundred meters away. The residents really enjoyed the fresh sea breeze, stunning views, and peaceful surroundings.
“When I sit at home all the time, I don’t feel well,” shared Sonia, who is usually homebound. “Here, I feel so much better. Seeing the sea instead of buildings gives me a sense of freedom and space.”
Before lunch, we gathered in the dining hall to watch a film about the founding of Zedakah and its ongoing mission. It told the story of how German Christians, answering God’s call in the 1960s, began this service of comfort despite many challenges. In 1984, Zedakah expanded its mission by opening Beit Eliezer, a nursing home in Maalot, where Holocaust survivors receive loving care in the last years of their lives.
The story about Christians volunteering at the Beit El guesthouse and the nursing home left an impression on our residents, as it so mirrors our Haifa Home.
“The history of this place deeply touched me;” said David. “I felt a strong connection, even though I am Jewish. These Christians gave so much to us, and despite our different faiths, we share the same father, Abraham. This was an experience I will never forget.”
After the film, a delicious and plentiful lunch was served, with thoughtful details in both the food and table decorations.
“It’s amazing how these Christians serve us,” exclaimed Etta.
After lunch, we thanked the Beit El team for the wonderful day and invited them to visit us at the Haifa Home. Mania, one of our residents, gifted them one of her digital artworks to express our gratitude.
The afternoon was spent relaxing in the gardens, playing games, strolling by the roses, or enjoying the beach. Some residents rested in special chairs, while others cherished the company of friends.
As the day came to an end, we boarded the bus for the trip back to Haifa, tired but joyful. For days afterwards, our residents talked about this memorable trip.
Our ICEJ team at the Haifa Home also were very grateful for the opportunity to cooperate with Zedekah, as we both have the same heart and calling to bless and care for these precious Holocaust survivors in their last years. And the caregivers also expressed their gratitude.
“What a beautiful day! We forgot we were working and just enjoyed the beach and each other,” said Reah. “We need days like this since we work 24/7, as it gives us a chance to relax and have fun together.”
‘MISS HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR’ FILM
The documentary “Miss Holocaust Survivor,” which won a prestigious film prize in Berlin last year, had its Israeli premiere in Haifa in late April with director Radek Wegzryn present. Approximately 800 people from the Haifa area attended, including many Holocaust survivors and their families.
It was an honour to have the two main characters, Rita Kasimov Brown (90) and Tova Ringer (102), both from our Haifa Home, among us. The documentary vividly brings to life their Holocaust experiences, moving many to tears, while also including humorous moments from the beauty contest. The screening was a resounding success.
The film will be released worldwide on January 27, 2026, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, allowing everyone to see this powerful story.
TRIP WITH ‘THE PARLIAMENT’
The Haifa Home is a place where friendships flourish. One group of ladies, known as “The Parliament,” often share meals and long conversations, providing support to each other. All, save one, are over 90 years old.
To celebrate their bond and vitality, we organised a day trip to explore the Galilee with an experienced guide, tracing the historical footprints of the Templars – German Christian immigrants in the 1800s. The group enjoyed a pastoral coffee stop and a delightful lunch together. Though tired, the ladies returned home with many pleasant memories.
LECTURES ON ISRAEL AND THE FEAST FOR OUR UKRAINIAN RESIDENTS
When our Ukrainian Jewish residents made Aliyah three years ago, fleeing war, we wanted to provide them more than just food and shelter. We wanted to help them put down roots in their new homeland, even at an advanced age.
Due to Israel’s own long-running war since October 7 of 2023, we had to postpone a tour of the Land. However, we have several trips planned over coming months so our residents can see more of Israel and its incredible history and growth.
At the same time, a professional tour guide is giving them lectures with video clips and pictures about the Jewish homeland and its heritage so those who can no longer travel can still learn about Israel.
CELEBRATING SHAVUOT
Shavuot is a joyful celebration of the giving the Torah. Ahead of the Feast, our residents could hear children at the elementary school next door rehearsing the Shavuot performance they were preparing for the last day of school. The children’s beautiful voices sang about the harvest and the seven species God gave Israel.
In art class, Nancy reminded residents of God’s promises and daily blessings. The residents were given one of the seven species to paint to their liking. A festive atmosphere filled the room as residents then enjoyed a delicious traditional cheesecake with coffee.
Also, we taught about the Feast in our regular Hebrew lessons. Our residents from Ukraine and Russia, who were deprived of their Jewish
Musicians and dancers perform at the Jerusalem Day celebration in Argentina.
JERUSALEM DAY CELEBRATION IN PRAGUE
In late May, the Czech Parliament marked Jerusalem Day with a special festive event with Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel and Joshua Reinstein of the Israel Allies Foundation as guests of honour. ICEJ VP for International Affairs Dr. Mojmir Kallus also came to Prague from Jerusalem to attend the gathering in his native land. The celebration has been held over the past four years thanks to the two Israel friendship groups active in the Chamber of Deputies, one headed by a coalition member and the other by an opposition leader, demonstrating that support for Israel is one of the rare issues on which various Czech lawmakers can agree. Many Christian and Jewish friends attended the celebration in an atmosphere of true friendship and solidarity. Karel Sedláček, chairman of the Czech Friends of Israel Association, and Matthijs de Blois, from the Dutch think tank Thinc, were among the speakers.
Sharren Haskel and Joshua Reinstein (seated in center) in the Czech Parliament.
ICEJ-ARGENTINA
CELEBRATES JERUSALEM
DAY
BY CAROLINA FONTAINE
The ICEJ-Argentina branch recently celebrated Jerusalem Day in the city of Córdoba with more than 150 Christian and Jewish friends in attendance. ICEJ National Director Diego Freytes encouraged the gathering to fulfill the biblical mandate to bless the nation of Israel, citing Isaiah 62 and the Psalmist’s call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
The Israeli Embassy was represented by Public Diplomacy Attaché, Doron Pe’er, who expressed his gratitude for Christian support of his nation. Also joining the celebration were President Isaías Goldman and other officials from Keren Hayesod.
The celebration also featured musicians, tambourines and flag dancers from several local churches.
Members of the ICEJ-Argentina team prayed for Israel, while local pastors prayed for the safety of the Jewish community in Argentina. Finally, Marcos Häuser from Germany shared about the connection Christians have with Jerusalem.
ICEJ-ITALY HOSTS CONFERENCE IN ROME
Dr. Mojmir Kallus, ICEJ Vice President for International Affairs, visited Rome in early May to take part in ICEJ-Italy’s annual national conference, organised by national director Sara Britti and her team. A highlight of Mojmir’s visit was a radio interview he did together with Israeli Arab pastor Saleem Shalash from Nazareth for Radio Radicale, a major station with an audience of one million. Mojmir explained the work of the Christian Embassy, while Saleem raised a clear Arab voice for coexistence.
SPAIN OPENING BACK UP TO CHRISTIAN EMBASSY
On a recent ministry trip to Spain, Dr. Mojmir Kallus met in Madrid with pastor Juan Cano and senior networker Ricardo Clara and introduced the ICEJ to the Christian audience of the radio station operated by Passion for Christ, a large church in Madrid. The visit marked the first step towards renewing our work in Spain, coordinated by our ICEJ representative, Sylvia Tovar.
National Director Diego Freytes (left) with board members of ICEJ-Argentina.
Veronica Visentin of ICEJ-Italy (from left), Mojmir Kallus, Ruben della Rocca of Radio Radicale, and Saleem Shalash.
Pastor Juan Cano (from left), Mojmir Kallus, Sylvia Tovar, and Ricardo Clara.
ICEJ FRIEND EVA ERBEN FETED FOR HOLOCAUST LECTURES IN GERMAN SCHOOLS
BY LAURINA DRIESSE
Recently, ICEJ staff member Jannie Tolhoek accompanied our friend Eva Erben, 94, to the residence of German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert for a special ceremony to award Eva with the Federal Cross of Merit on behalf of the German government. The award was given in recognition of Eva’s numerous speaking tours arranged by ICEJ-Germany to address students in German public schools about her experiences as a Holocaust survivor and the current fight against antisemitism.
Over the past decade, ICEJ-Germany has regularly hosted Eva on tours to share her incredible story of survival, hope and forgiveness with packed school audiences and to participate in interviews across Germany.
“Today, Germany pays tribute to you, whose voice has become a moral compass for generations. To how you lived your life marked by unimaginable loss, and by admirable strength,” Ambassador Seibert told Eva.
Eva was born to Jewish parents in 1930 in Czechoslovakia, and was deported at age 11 to the Terezín concentration camp, where she endured immense cruelty, hunger and illness. In 1944, the family was sent to Auschwitz, where her father died. Upon arrival at the notorious death camp, she stood in a selection line headed by Dr. Josef Mengele. Eva recalls forcing herself to only look down at his shiny black boots.
Later in the war, Eva and her mother were forced to walk to the Gross-Rosen camp. While
leaving Auschwitz, a Nazi soldier gave her two left shoes to wear. She tried to swap one for a right shoe, but the soldier hit her in the face with his gun butt, dislodging two front teeth. So, she started walking to the new camp with two left shoes and two missing teeth. The death march claimed her mother’s life, but Eva miraculously made it through, the sole member of her family to survive the Holocaust.
When Eva goes on speaking tours to Germany, she is often accompanied by Jannie Tolhoek of our ICEJ Aid team, who gets to see first-hand the impact Eva has on young Germans. In one speaking tour in 2023, Eva spoke to full houses in large auditoriums with over 3,000 students, with scores of youths lining up afterwards for hugs and ‘selfies’ with Eva.
ICEJ-FINLAND HOLDS ALIYAH DAY RALLY
BY SUSANNA RAJALA
In late May, ICEJ-Finland hosted its sixth annual “Great Exodus Day” to celebrate and promote Aliyah to Israel. Held in Lappeenranta, near the Russian border, the event featured Aliyah updates from Israel and the Baltic states, as well as encouraging remarks from Finnish national director Jani Salokangas, Israeli Ambassador Boaz Rodkin, JAFI official Danielle Mor, ICEJ Vice President for AID and Aliyah Nicole Yoder, and Pauls Oleksa of ICEJ-Latvia, among others. Some of the attendees have been involved in Aliyah for over 35 years now, since Soviet Jews started escaping to Israel through Finland.
Nicole Yoder urged more Christians to “join us in this holy work. Together, let us continue this journey – one flight, one family and one fulfilled prophecy at a time!”
Jani Salokangas added: “Days like this remind us of the importance of our Aliyah work.”
ICEJ-Finland has a proud legacy of supporting the return of Jews to Zion, assisting over 24,000 Russian-speaking Jews in moving to Israel through Finland since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989. That strong emphasis on Aliyah work continues to this day.
Eva Erben with German Ambassador Steffen Seibert.
ICEJ-Finland hosted its sixth ‘Great Exodus Day’ celebration.
Jannie Tolhoek (far left) joins family and friends at the award ceremony for Eva Erben.
HOMECARE LENDS ATTENTIVE EAR TO SURVIVORS’ MEMORIES
BY MAXINE CARLILL
Rafael and Ella live near the Old City of Jerusalem, and just around the corner the mountains of Judea come into view. On a clear day, Jordan and the Dead Sea are visible. They feel safe and at home in Israel, but when the siren sounds on Holocaust Memorial Day, painful memories surface as the nation stands in silence, and this dear couple remember lost family.
Near the time of Yom HaShoah, ICEJ Homecare was due for their weekly visit. Our team had been coming for a few months now, ever since Ella’s health began to decline and she could not shower without assistance. Responding to Homecare’s gentle questions, Ella and Rafael started sharing memories.
Rafael was born in Kazakhstan in 1933, the eldest of three children. At eight years old, Rafael saw his father go to the front in Stalingrad, and his mother was left to take care of the family. With their own house and a cow to provide milk, they were better off than most during the dark days of World War II, but still...
“We had hunger, we had great fear, and I missed my father every day,” said Rafael.
After school, he and other boys his age helped care for wounded soldiers in the hospital. Rafael also remembers standing in line near a shop for entire nights alone so that when it opened, he could get bread for his family. That was illegal. If caught by the police, it meant a night in the army base peeling potatoes
Rafael paused his story, thinking of the time he ran from the police and hid in a school yard. The memory of that scary night and the
burden of responsibility he carried as a child still brings tears to his eyes.
“But,” he added, “I experienced a miracle from heaven that night. I prayed for protection, and the police searched but somehow did not see me.”
Ella, though born just after the war, grew up with a sense of loss knowing many in her family fell victim to the Holocaust.
Ella’s great-grandfather owned a bakery and assisted the rabbi in the local synagogue. As the Nazis approached their town, he could not believe they were as bad as the rumours which preceded them, so he did not flee like many other Jews. His oldest daughter and her fouryear-old daughter stayed with him, too. One day, they were forced to the city square with other Jews, taken away, murdered, and buried in a mass grave. Neighbours had informed the Nazis they were Jewish. His son, Ella’s grandfather, had been evacuated and thus escaped the fate of his father.
While Ella was a young girl, her grandparents moved into her home due to declining health. One day, Ella walked into their room without knocking and was startled to see something unknown to her. Grandfather was praying wrapped in a prayer shawl with tefillin on his head and arm. Her father took her aside and warned her never to speak of this to anyone. Ella remembers the fear and constant pressure of secrecy under the Communist regime. It was only when she saw men praying in Israel that she understood what she had seen.
Following their marriage, the joy of Ella and Rafael’s life was their daughter. She became
a pianist, and as she grew up and learned of her mother’s Jewish heritage, she started yearning to move to Israel. She made Aliyah alone and worked in a kibbutz. She studied Hebrew in the mornings and worked in the fields in the afternoons. Her evenings often found her in Jerusalem attending classes in a music academy. A few months later, Ella and Rafael followed their daughter to Israel.
“When I arrived in Israel, it felt as if I was coming home,” Ella said with great relief.
However, life in Israel had its challenges, and as they aged there were new health challenges. But they are finally in stable, subsidised housing, and both feel safe.
“Israel gives us life!” they declared together.
Their joy of living in Israel includes being near their daughter and granddaughter, who holds a key role in the army and was recently married.
As the Homecare team prepared to leave, Rafael and Ella were grateful they could tell their memories of survival during the dark days of the war, and their joy and hope of belonging in Israel in their latter years.
Please consider supporting the vital work of ICEJ Homecare, as they comfort these and other precious elderly Jewish immigrants in Israel.
Rafael and Ella sitting at a park bench near their home in Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:23
In Person or Online packages available
This year's Feast of Tabernacles is especially significant for Israel as it emerges from the prolonged conflict in this region. Thus, the ICEJ is reducing the entry price for our Feast 2025 to an all-time low! Starting from $120 USD. We want to bring together as many Christians as possible for a solidarity and victory tour this Succot, to support the nation as it recovers. Israel needs our friendship and presence now more than ever.
In-Person Packages** starting from $120 USD
• Registration to 4-day Jerusalem gathering or 5-day Desert-Jerusalem gathering
• Videos on Demand accessible until end of January 2026
• Southern Solidarity Tour Add-on for $100 USD (6 Oct)
The Jerusalem Land Package
starting from $1,629 USD Embark on an unforgettable journey to Israel with our incredible itinerary from 5-11 October 2025.
The Jerusalem Land Package includes all Feast 2025 events, VOD until end of July 2026, & touring as per itinerary. (Subject to changes.)
Full Feast (5-14 October 2025.)
Online Packages starting from $50 USD
• Full Online access to the 5-day Feast gathering
• Videos On Demand accessible until the end of January 2026
• Digital certificate of participation
