It is the season of light, the season of miracles. Jews around the world are getting ready to celebrate Hanukkah and Christians are preparing to celebrate Christmas.
And as 2019 draws to a close, we are all thinking of what we’ve accomplished in the past year — and all that we still have to do.
This year saw another steep rise in worldwide anti-Semitism, which has reached levels not seen since World War II.
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has responded by bringing more than 5,000 Jews from 30 different countries home to safety in Israel on our Freedom Flights.
In addition, almost one million Jews are safer thanks to the fellowship’s initiative to fortify synagogues, schools, and Jewish centers in 11 countries around the world.
This past year in Israel there were several flare-ups with terrorists in Gaza, including a bout in November, which saw more than 450 rockets fired into Israel. Tens of thousands of Israelis were able to find refuge in the 5,500 bomb shelters provided by the fellowship on behalf of Christians around the world, as well as the fortified medical facilities and command centers made possible.
In addition, our staff on the ground made sure that Israel’s most vulnerable citizens continued to receive food, medical assistance, and companionship as they endured these difficult situations.
While poverty continues to be a major problem in Israel and for Jews around the world, the fellowship was able to bring hope and assistance to many in need.
In 2019, we provided 700,000 meals through soup kitchens around the world and we provided more than half a million people — from elderly Holocaust survivors to young orphaned children – with food, medicine, and clothing.
In this season of light and miracles — even as we acknowledge that we live in a troubled world — we are determined to share God’s light of love, hope, and healing.