Time is running out to use your gifts and talents to help transform the lives of Jewish people in Enfranz, Ethiopia.

Jewish Voice's weeklong Medical Outreaches provide medical aid and spiritual care to thousands of people in poverty-stricken African Jewish communities. The only time many of these people will see a medical professional all year will be during our Outreach Clinics.

You could be a part of bringing critical medical care to these suffering people, as well as the life-changing Good News of Yeshua (Jesus), but only if you act now.

The payment and medical credential deadlines for the May Outreach are approaching fast. We need to hear from you before March 29.

Not sure you want to join? Watch this short video to see how the Outreaches change lives.

For more details about the May Medical Outreach in Enfranz, click the button below.

Jewish people across the globe are calling foul on a new law enacted by Poland in February, which many link to anti-Semitic Holocaust denial.

Passed in January by Poland’s conservative ruling party, the legislation criminalizes the use of such phrases as “Polish death camps,” referring to the brutal facilities in Poland where the Nazis exterminated millions of Jewish people as well as non-Jewish Poles during Germany’s World War II occupation, from 1939 until 1945. The law stipulates stiff fines and prison terms of up to three years for anyone in the world who claims the Polish government or people contributed to those Nazi war crimes.

The Law and Its Critics

One key paragraph of the bill is receiving the most media attention. It states, “Whoever claims, publicly and contrary to the facts, that the Polish Nation or the Republic of Poland is responsible or co-responsible for Nazi crimes committed by the Third Reich … or for other felonies that constitute crimes against peace, crimes against humanity or war crimes, or whoever otherwise grossly diminishes the responsibility of the true perpetrators of said crimes – shall be liable to a fine or imprisonment for up to three years.”

The new law launched criticism from Israeli officials, Jewish groups in the United States, Polish historians, Germany’s foreign minister and the U.S. State Department.

The Controversy

Opponents believe the bill will stifle free speech not only in Poland but worldwide and is an attempt by Poland to rewrite history. Within days of passage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting that Israel has zero tolerance for “distorting the truth, rewriting history or denying the Holocaust.”

“Israel views with utmost gravity any attempt to challenge historical truth,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said of the bill. “No law will change the facts.”

Holocaust survivors staged a February protest in front of the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv, holding signs and sharing their own stories of being in the camps that the Nazis built in Poland. Several survivors said their Polish neighbors either harmed them or refused to help them, and that Poles worked in the camps that abused them. The law’s critics say that even truthful statements like those from Holocaust survivors are now illegal in Poland.

The Polish government promised not to enforce the law until it is reviewed by Poland's constitutional court. However, the day after the legislation went into effect, the Polish League Against Defamation filed the first lawsuit. The suit alleges that an Argentinian newspaper harmed Poland’s reputation by publishing a photo of a 1941 massacre of Jews by their Polish neighbors. It also alleges that the newspaper manipulated its readers into believing Poland is anti-Semitic.

A Worldwide Backdrop of Anti-Semitism

The controversial law comes amid what several groups dedicated to measuring and fighting anti-Semitism are calling a global rise in hate crimes against Jewish people.

• The U.S. nonprofit Anti-Defamation League documented a 57 percent increase in crimes against Jewish people in the U.S. since 2016 – the largest single-year increase since they began collecting data in 1979.
• In 2017, the British Community Security Trust recorded the highest spike in hate crimes against Jewish people in their nation since they began collecting data in 1984.
• Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs reported in its 2017 annual report a substantial increase in racist incidents against Jewish people in Europe, such as threats, anti-Zionist rhetoric and violence. They credited immigration from the Middle East for much of it.
• In May 2017, the U.S. nonpartisan think-tank PEW Research Center surveyed 2,000 residents in each of the 18 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Of the respondents, 20 percent did not want Jewish people in their country, and 30 percent did not want Jewish people as neighbors. In addition, 22 percent of Romania’s respondents and 18 percent of Polish respondents wanted to deny the right of Jewish people to citizenship in their country. The report also indicated similar statistics in the U.S.

What You Can Do

While it’s hard to argue with quantitative research showing that anti-Semitism is on the rise – and Poland’s new law may be a result that of that increase – there are things you can do now:

• Pray for the protection of Jewish people worldwide and for survivors of the Holocaust in particular.
• Ask God to replace anti-Semitism in the hearts of people everywhere with His heart of love and compassion for His people.
• Learn about anti-Semitism and how it might be manifesting in your community.
• Speak out against anti-Semitism whenever you encounter it.
• Give to organizations such as Jewish Voice that actively fight anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

How Your Gift Now Makes a Difference

• Your Gift to Jewish Voice helps our support of Holocaust survivors in Israel, providing such basic needs as vision and dental care they could not otherwise afford and comforting them in their final years while also sharing with them the Gospel and love of Yeshua (Jesus), their Messiah.
• Our Ministry Partners in Israel work to eliminate anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial worldwide.

As a token of our appreciation for your gift of $15 or more today, we’ll send you a copy of the moving book, Life in the Shadow of the Swastika. This book will bring to life the horrors of the Holocaust and help us understand that it must never happen again. It will also remind you of your faithful support of Jewish Voice, Israel, and Holocaust survivors in particular, and your prayers that God will protect His people, especially those who have suffered greatly and are most vulnerable.

Rejoice!

He is my lovingkindness, my fortress, my strong tower, and my deliverer.
– Psalm 144:2 TLV

In ancient days, God prepared the way to rescue the Jewish people from annihilation when He elevated Esther, a young Jewish maiden living under foreign rule, to royal status “for such a time as this.”

At Purim, we rejoice in the God of deliverance!

Wishing you great joy at Purim

As we celebrate God’s faithfulness to deliver His people at Purim, we also Thank Him for His grace and power to redeem us eternally through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). We are grateful for the many ways He has met us personally with deliverance, favor and blessing.

Rejoice in the Lord always – again I will say, rejoice!
– Philippians 4:4 TLV

Want to know more about Purim? Read the whole story, learn fun ways to celebrate and download our free Purim infographic at jvmi.org/purim.

Here’s how to pray, day by day. Please intercede for:

Wednesday, March 7 through Wednesday, March 14 – Hosea 10:12

• Debre Birhan, which has the third largest population of Ethiopian Orthodox. Pray for an openness on the part of leaders and adherents to the Good News we bring

• God’s grace to enable us to have every permission, document and logistic in place well ahead of time, with great favor on the spiritual nature of our purpose in coming

• A special anointing on each of our staff team members, some of whom are filling specific roles for the first time on this Outreach

Thursday, March 15 – Psalm 18:33, TLV

• Good health and every aspect of travel preparations to come together with ease for our Outreach Partners

• Strength and energy that lasts all week in every area: spiritual, physical and emotional

• Protection over our partners' families, jobs, and all that pertains to them while they are away from home ministering; and the same protection for our staff team members and their families

Friday, March 16 – Ephesians 2:10

• Smooth travel connections and all luggage and contents to arrive in perfect condition at the same time and place as their owners

• The Lord to continue to speak vision and purpose to each participant, reminding them that He has called them for such a time as this

• The renewing power of celebrating Shabbat together as well as a good night's sleep to enable everyone to start the Outreach well rested

Saturday, March 17 – Psalm 16:6

• Effective orientation so that everyone is well equipped and ready to participate

• Conducive Clinic location (on the outskirts of the city) and weather (pray for no rain) making it easy for many to come and receive care

• The Clinic to be fully prepared and stocked for welcoming the first patients

Sunday, March 18 – John 17:22

• Continued unity among every participant and spiritual readiness to graciously face cultural contrasts, different living conditions and various spiritual dynamics

• Discernment in acquiring a full team of local workers who will give their all with great attitudes and hard work

• The Lord to prepare every heart in the region with openness to receive the Good News, without opposition

• Strong and lasting favor from key leaders and people of influence. May this favor open doors and may they come to Yeshua themselves!

Monday, March 19 – James 5:16

• Worship and intercession to flow each day during the team’s morning prayer and worship times , creating a canopy of praise that pushes back darkness

• Persistence in prayer to vanquish opposition in the spiritual realms, resulting in captives set free

• Strongholds to be broken in individuals, families and the region as we again cry, "Light of Messiah, come to Debre Birhan!"

Tuesday, March 20 – Luke 1:37

• That new Believers are encouraged and equipped to grow in Yeshua as they receive discipleship materials

• Healing through medical as well as miraculous means for the many, many patients we will see

• Deliverance from oppression of all kinds, leading to salvation and freedom

Wednesday, March 21 – Psalm 146:8

• The presence of the Lord to be very real during the special evening of worship and prayer tonight for our whole team

• That the Holy Spirit, the Ruach HaKodesh, would minister to each one who is so faithfully ministering to others all week

• Healing of both spiritual blindness and physical eye issues, which are extremely common in the area

Thursday, March 22 – Ephesians 4:11-12

• The local congregation to receive powerful ministry from the Lord while we are there, especially today

• That the Beta Abraham Jewish people would come to Yeshua and walk in the fullness of their identity as Believers in the Messiah

• That leaders in the local congregations will be encouraged and prepared to receive new members as the result of the Outreach

Friday, March 23 – Isaiah 26:3

• A wonderful and shalom-filled last day as the Clinic ends, and may the Lord do miracles for any we are unable to treat

• Protection of people, equipment and supplies as we take down and pack up

• That the celebration of Shabbat together brings new revelation of gratitude and rest in what the Lord has done

Saturday, March 24 – Proverbs 2:8

• For a renewing day of transition as Partners share testimonies and the Lord is glorified

• Safe travels for each team member as their time in Ethiopia concludes and flights home begin

• Shalom upon “re-entry” into everyday life for each team member and Outreach Partner

Sunday, March 25 – Psalm 104:31

• For a strong presence of the Lord to remain and reign in this region and in the Believers in Yeshua

• Protection from persecution and opposition for all who believe in Him

• That local congregations will be built up as they begin integrating and discipling the new Believers

Let’s pray:

LORD, we know there is a lot of spiritual and physical blindness in this region of Ethiopia. Your love, expressed through medical care, miracles and the Good News of Yeshua is the only antidote for darkness. Will You do through us what we cannot do ourselves, as we come to Debre Birhan to love in Your name? As we watch Your love illuminate this people and region, open our own eyes and hearts for Your glory. In Yeshua’s name, AMEN

DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP ON OUR OUTREACH PRAYER CALENDER!

Help cover Debre Birhan in prayer so God’s light will shine!

The Debate

• President Trump condemned the shooting as an act of hatred and evil and vowed to tackle mental health issues. He has since ordered the Justice Department on Tuesday to issue regulations banning so-called bump stocks, which help semiautomatic guns fire at a faster rate.
• Surviving students began organizing a nationwide march to demand gun-control legislation.
• Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee tweeted from Israel that the U.S. should embrace Israel’s model for school safety, saying Israel had eliminated the problem. A former Israeli Consul General countered that Israel never had such problems and doesn’t sell assault rifles to its citizens, although a vast majority of Israelis do own a gun. The shooter’s weapon of choice in the Florida attack was a legally purchased AR-15 assault rifle.

How Israel Has Dealt with School Shootings

Israel – more than any other nation – knows how to counter terrorism, given that the country is surrounded by enemies who are intent on wiping her out.

In 1974, Palestinian terrorists took 115 people hostage in an Israeli elementary school. Twenty-five people were killed, 22 of them children. Another 68 were injured.

Today, Israeli schools with 100 or more students must post armed guards who check anyone who enters the school. These guards engage any threats. The civilian police force handles school security, from kindergarten through college. The Ministry of Education funds shelters and fences, reinforces school buses and hires and trains guards.

Citizen Responsibilities Beyond Schools

In 2015, a flurry of stabbings prompted Israel to ease the process for citizens to obtain weapons. The number of armed civilians on the streets further increased after a shooting attack in Jerusalem.

"Civilians well trained in the use of weapons provide reinforcement in the struggle against terrorism," explained then-Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan.

Indeed, an armed passerby stopped terrorists in a 2016 market attack, and a tour guide with a pistol ended a 2017 ramming attack that left four soldiers dead. Terrorists have told the internal security service that they often target Haredi Jews because they are more likely to be unarmed.

Israel does have experience it could export to the U.S.:

• Background Checks. Potential Israeli gun owners must undergo mental and physical exams, background checks and shooting exams, and they must show they have a security reason to carry. A consequence of this, however, is a thriving black market that sells assault rifles similar to that used in the Florida shooting. In Israel the going price for such a weapon is around $14,000, compared to about $500 in the U.S.
• Discipline and Training. Every Israeli adult must serve in the military, a practice that develops character, teaches discipline, and trains Israelis in both self-defense and the safe use of weapons. A few Israeli combat veterans now offer anti-terrorism training camps, where attendees participate in a staged terror incident and learn mixed martial arts.

Let’s Be Prayerful and Solution Oriented

As we look for solutions to the issue of terrorism, let’s remember to be prayerful and solution oriented rather than point fingers and argue about a singular approach to ending school shootings or any other kind of terrorism. Let’s follow Israel’s example of background checks that keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable. We would also do well to adopt Israel’s enforcement of gun laws, fostering a disciplined citizenry trained in self-defense while fortifying our schools and other institutions.

Never again should a mentally unstable person known to have behavior issues be allowed to buy a lethal weapon. Never again should law enforcement ignore the red flags brought to them. Our children are too precious!

As in Israel, it will take an America pulling together for the good of the country rather than fighting for who gets the political upper hand.

What You Can Do

• Learn how you can become part of the solution to a culture of terrorism, whether in the U.S., the Middle East or elsewhere.
• Pray that God will dissolve the divisiveness that has a stranglehold on America, the Middle East and our world. Pray also for safe, stable and loving homes for the world’s children.
• Give to organizations like Jewish Voice that engage in bringing understanding, peace and reconciliation into our world.