Few people in the West know what an amazing and historic country Ethiopia is ­– or why we care so much about some very special Ethiopian people.

For example, did you know:

• The earliest evidence of modern humans was found in Ethiopia. It’s believed these early people migrated from Ethiopia to populate the Middle East and areas beyond.
• Ethiopia’s ancient script, known as Ge’ez, is believed to be the oldest alphabet still in use in the world.
• Tradition holds that the Queen of Sheba, as mentioned in the Bible, was from Ethiopia and that, when she returned home from visiting King Solomon, she was carrying his son. That child grew to become King Menelik I. About that time, a number of Jewish people migrated to Ethiopia, and today, we have genetic (DNA) evidence that, among the Ethiopian people, there are many of Jewish origin who immigrated there during that ancient period.
• During the time that Yeshua (Jesus) was on earth, Ethiopia was home to the Aksum Kingdom – which, with Rome, Persia, and China, was one of the four great powers of the world. The Ethiopian eunuch, whose baptism was recorded in the eighth chapter of Acts, was an important official from this kingdom.
• Ethiopia has close historical ties with both Judaism and Christianity. In the fourth century, it was one of the first countries to officially adopt Christianity as the state religion.
• The 1897 flag of Ethiopia, used during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie, featured an image of the Lion of Judah. One title for the Emperor was “Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah.”
• In Amharic, a leading language in Ethiopia today, “Israel” means “miracle.”
• Ethiopia is where the first coffee beans were grown, and the country continues to produce some of the world’s most highly regarded coffee.

But the people of Ethiopia also have a long history of suffering:

• Nearly a third of the country’s population died in the Great Ethiopian Famine of 1888­–1892.
• Ethiopia was occupied by Mussolini’s Fascist army from 1936­–41, resulting in the imprisonment and massacre of many Ethiopians.
• The reign of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie ended in September 1974, when he was deposed in a Soviet-backed military coup. The communist dictatorship put into power then killed as many as half a million people, using hunger as a weapon. The communists were eventually ousted by a bloody civil war.
• The 1983­–85 famine in Ethiopia affected nearly 8 million people and caused 1 million deaths.
• Ethiopia is now in the fourth year of its worst drought in half a century, resulting in a devastating famine currently affecting more than 6 million people.

Among those people suffering in Ethiopia, some of the hardest-hit are members of historic Jewish communities ­– especially the Gefat people of Woliso and Hosanna.

In addition to being poor and especially vulnerable to drought and famine, the Gefat are victims of widespread prejudice in response to their uniquely Jewish religion, worship and customs. Because of this, many people in the surrounding areas refuse to do business with them, causing the plight of the Gefat to become increasingly desperate in hard times.

But persecution endured by the Gefat is much more serious than their threatened livelihood. These Jewish people weep as they tell us they have been called “Evil Eye” by non-Jewish members of the community. Some show us burns sustained when their houses were set on fire – while they were still inside – by people with hatred for all Jewish people.

Jewish Ethiopians are also known as “falasha” or “unwanted strangers” ­– even though they have lived in this same land for centuries.

These dear Jewish people have almost nothing. And, although they do no harm to anyone, they are reviled and persecuted, suffering terrible hardship simply because they are Jewish.

That’s why Jewish Voice is so active among the Jewish people of Ethiopia!

First, we help ease their suffering through practical humanitarian aid. At our 2018 Outreach in Debre Birhan, we provided medical, dental and eye care to nearly 16,000 people who, because they are ostracized, had no access to such critical services, even if they could have afforded them. We also help prevent disease by providing them access to clean, healthy water by providing free LifeStraws® – devices that can filter water for individuals or whole families. At Debre Birhan in 2018, we were able to distribute 12,000 of these LifeStraws.

But, most importantly, we pray for and with these dear people and introduce them to Yeshua (Jesus) – their long-awaited Jewish Messiah who loves them and wants to save them.

This critical part of our ministry has led to tens of thousands of people finding salvation directly through the ministry of Jewish Voice!

Won’t you be part of helping to care for destitute and persecuted Ethiopian Jews, while sharing the Good News with them?

The Shema

Yeshua mentioned the Shema when referencing the greatest commandment. While it is not literally a prayer or a blessing, the Shema (Sheh-MAH) is the heart and soul of Jewish prayer. It is the declaration of faith for Jewish people. The entire Shema contains three parts: Deuteronomy 6:4‒9, Deuteronomy 11:13‒21, and Numbers 15:37‒41. The first portion includes the Shema and the V’ahavta (V’ah-HAHV-tah).

Shema means “hear, listen,” and is the first word of Deuteronomy 6:4. The Shema is spoken at least twice a day by observant Jews, at morning and evening services. Many Jewish people also say it at night before going to bed.

The Shema

Shema Yisrael, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad.

Baruch shem k’vod malchuto l’olam vaed.

Hear O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity.

V’ahavta (Veeya-HAV-tah)

Yeshua also referred to the first verse of the V’ahavta in the context of being part of the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36‒38). The V’ahavta is found in Deuteronomy 6:5‒9. The Jewish customs of tefillin (the-fih-LEEN) and mezuzot (meh-ZOO-zot) grew out of obedience to the commands of God contained within the V’ahavta.

V’ahavta

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your might.

And these words which I command you today shall be on your heart.

And you shall teach them to your children,

and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way,

and when you lie down and when you rise up.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and to be as frontlets between your eyes.

And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Aleinu

The Aleinu (Ah-LAY-noo) is a prayer recited near the end of every Jewish prayer service. The word “aleinu” means “it is our duty to praise.” The prayer directs the congregants’ hearts to their responsibility as Jewish people ‒ whom God chose and set apart ‒ to praise Him as the Master of all. It expresses gratitude for God’s covenant with the Jewish people and highlights His worthiness of all praise.

The Aleinu also looks ahead to the Messianic Age when God restores all things and when “every knee will bow” to Him. Those in Messianic Judaism hear the echo of these same words used by the apostle Paul in referring to Yeshua (Philippians 2:10.)

Aleinu

It is incumbent upon us to praise the Master of all, to exalt the Creator of the world, for He has made us separate from the nations and unique among the families of the earth. Our destiny is not like theirs; our calling is our task.

We bow down and acknowledge before the King of Kings that there is none like Him. For He stretched forth the heavens like a tent and established the earth. Truly there is none like our Lord and King.

As the Torah says, “you shall know this day and reflect in your heart that it is the Lord who is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, there is none else.”

We hope, O Lord our God, to soon behold Your majestic glory when all abominations shall be removed and all false gods shall be at an end.

Then shall the world be perfected under the rule of the Lord Almighty and all mankind shall call upon Your name. For to You every knee must bow and every tongue declare that You are God.

Reign over us soon and forever. May the kingdom of David’s greater son be established forever. For then shall the words be fulfilled, “the Lord shall be King forever,” and “The Lord shall be King over all the earth; on that day, the Lord shall be One, and His name One.”

Mourner’s Kaddish

The Mourner’s Kaddish (KAH-dish) was not originally written for mourners but later became the traditional prayer to recite after losing a loved one. Surprisingly, it is not a prayer seeking comfort from God. Instead, it praises God acknowledging His greatness and sovereignty. The fact that this particular prayer was adopted for mourning speaks volumes of the Jewish heart of worship and understanding that God deserves our constant praise, even in the midst of loss and suffering. Congregants within Messianic Judaism also embrace the practice of saying the Kaddish when grieving a death.

The Mourner’s Kaddish

Glorified and sanctified be His great name in the world which He created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom during your lifetime and during the lifetime of all the house of Israel, speedily, yes soon; and say, amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and forever eternally.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One. Blessed be He who is high above, far above all blessings and hymns and praises and consolations which are spoken in the world; and say, amen.

May there be great peace from heaven and life for us and for all Israel; and say, amen.

He who makes peace in the heavenly realms, may He make peace for us and for all Israel; and say, amen.

Look for “More Prayers and Blessings of Messianic Judaism” where we’ll take a look at some of the inspiring Jewish blessings for daily life.

“And answering, the King will say to them, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
                                                                                                            -Matthew 25: 40 (TLV)

Our weeklong Medical Outreaches provide medical aid and spiritual care to thousands of people in rural African Jewish communities. Due to limited health care access in these communities, our Medical Clinics often provide the only opportunity for people to be treated by a medical practitioner all year.

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).

In October, we will return to Ethiopia for our final Outreaches of 2018. FromOct. 4-13 we will be in Alamata followed by a 3-day specialty dental and eye care Outreach in Jijiga from Oct. 13-17. Both of these Outreaches are at new locations and we anticipate large crowds.

For Alamata especially, we need volunteers to help in line management. We could also use more physicians, pediatricians, dermatologists and gynecologists. 

Ready to join us? Watch this short video to see how the Outreaches change lives. 

For more details about the October Medical Outreaches in Alamata and Jijiga, click the button below.

Who is Yeshua HaMashiach?

Yeshua HaMashiach (Yeh-SHOO-ah Ha-Mah-SHEE-akh) is Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah.” Yeshua is a shortened version of the name Yehoshua (Yeh-HO-shoo-ah), which means “Adonai saves.” Mashiach is the Hebrew word for Messiah and means “anointed one.”

Old Covenant Scriptures speak of the coming Messiah who would be God’s anointed One to deliver Israel and all mankind. Most Jewish people living at the time of Jesus believed the Messiah would physically save them from their oppression under Roman rule. They did not recognize that the prophets foretold of a much greater freedom.

Israel has had many enemies over the millennia, but none so dangerous as the one who seeks to keep her from recognizing God’s sole provision for eternal reconciliation to Him. Satan prowls and roars, schemes and steals, attacks and accuses (1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10, Ephesians 6:16, Revelation 12:10). He does everything in his power to mislead, blind, confuse and distract people, particularly the Jewish people, from the Messiah.

While the Jewish people looked for a savior to physically free them from bondage to Rome, God sent Yeshua HaMashiach to spiritually save us from bondage to sin, offering us eternal spiritual freedom.

The prophets foretold many details of the Messiah’s coming. Differing biblical descriptions have led some Jewish people to believe there would be two Messiahs: one who would suffer and die, and one who would conquer and reign. The Scriptures, in fact, describe two separate comings of one Messiah – Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Anointed One.

Anointed to Serve

In His first coming, Yeshua HaMashiach came as the Suffering Servant we see in Isaiah chapter 53. He came to fulfill our irreparable need of reconciliation to God. He proved Himself a humble servant offering us undeserved love and grace.

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our pains” (Isaiah 53:4).

“…because He poured out His soul to death and was counted with transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12b).

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

“…He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel wrapped around Him…” (John 13:1‒16).

Anointed to Suffer and Die

Yeshua HaMashiach was appointed by God to suffer and die on our behalf. Anti-Semitic ideology wrongly blames the Jewish people for Yeshua’s death. But the Bible is clear that it was man’s sin that placed Jesus on the executioner’s stake.

“Because of oppression and judgment, He was taken away. As for His generation, who considered? For He was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people ‒ the stroke was theirs. Yet it pleased Adonai to bruise Him. He caused Him to suffer” (Isaiah 53:8, 10a).

“His appearance was disfigured more than any man, His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52: 14b).

“But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

“From that time on, Yeshua began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and be killed, and be raised on the third day” (Matthew 16:21).

“But letting out a loud cry, Yeshua breathed His last. Then the curtain of the Temple was split in two, from top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing in front of Him, saw the way Yeshua breathed His last, he said ‘This Man was really the Son of God’” (Mark 15:37‒39).

“Was it not necessary for Messiah to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26).

Anointed to Save

Yeshua HaMashiach took upon Himself the penalty that we deserve for our sin (Isaiah 53:8). In doing so, He provided for and offered us complete atonement.

“The Righteous One, My Servant, will make many righteous and He will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11b).

“We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. So Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

“She will give birth to a son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16–17).

“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of Adonai shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

Anointed to Rise

Scriptures prophesied that, while God’s Anointed One would suffer and die, He would also rise from the dead. Yeshua HaMashiach did just that.

“For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let Your faithful one see the Pit” (Psalm 16:10).

“He was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people… If He makes His soul a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the will of Adonai will succeed by His hand” (Isaiah 53:8a, 10).

“He is not here. He is risen, just as He said! Come see the place where He was lying” (Matthew 28:6).

“For I also passed on to you first of all what I also received ‒ that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Kefa [Cephas, or Peter], then to the Twelve. Then He appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time” (1 Corinthians 15:3‒6a).

Anointed to Return

At His Second Coming, Yeshua HaMashiach will return as the conquering King foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures. At this time, the Jewish people will recognize Him as their Messiah.

“In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a huge valley” (Zechariah 14:4).

“Then I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, when they will look toward Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son and grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).

“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).

“Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth shall mourn because of Him. Yes, amen!” (Revelation 1:7).

Anointed to Reign

After the Messiah returns, God will usher in the long-awaited Messianic age in which Yeshua HaMashiach will reign eternally.

“The scepter shall not pass from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until he to whom it belongs will come” (Genesis 49:10).

“When your days are done and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed, who will come forth from you after you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish his royal throne forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13).

“He shall reign over the house of Jacob for all eternity, and His kingdom will be without end” (Luke 1:33).

“Then the seventh angel trumpeted, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, ‘The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed One. And He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15).

Yeshua HaMashiach ‒ Jesus is the Messiah

To learn more about how Yeshua HaMashiach fulfilled Messianic prophecies of the Tanakh, click to read “Who is Yeshua HaMashiach?” Discover the astounding mathematical probabilities that one man could fulfill even a small number of the hundreds of prophecies that Jesus did. 

Israeli Technology Helps the World, Even Her ‘Enemies’

“Israel has a long record of developing innovative technologies for emergency situations,” says Israel21c, a nonprofit organization that publishes an online news magazine and maintains a website about 21st century Israel.

“Those have led to devices such as Water-Gen, a portable machine that can generate drinking water from the atmosphere and purify existing water sources; Pocket BVM, a collapsible resuscitation and respiratory support device; SkySaver, a personal rescue device that can evacuate a person from a building of up to 120 stories tall; and the Agilite Instant Harness, a rappelling harness that was used to save the lives of South African miners trapped underground in 2013.”

And Israel extends its technology assistance even to her enemies, through such programs as Operation Good Neighbor, which Israel launched in 2016. Through that initiative, soldiers frequently open gates on the Syrian border to welcome injured and sick men, women and children in need of Israel’s advanced medical technology.

“The Syrian war came to a point where people started showing up on our border looking for help,” explained Major Dr. Sergei Kotikov, a senior IDF officer. They had no trust and could not rely on their government, instead turning to (Israel), which for 50 years they were told was the enemy.” 

“Everyone who comes here only has good things to say about the treatment they receive,” a Syrian mother told The Jerusalem Post. Her son was among those who had received treatment in Israel.

Israeli Technology: Its Role in Israel’s Survival

This same innovation keeps Israel at least one step ahead of attempts by Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas to decimate her.

“In a recent speech, the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) boasted that the ‘Islamic army in Syria’ in the Golan Heights was awaiting orders to eradicate the ‘evil regime’ of Israel,” The Times of Israel reported on July 9. Hossein Salami estimated that Iran had 100,000 missiles aimed at Israel. But Israel’s advanced, technologically acquired information allows her to prepare and defend herself.

Israel has for years used its advanced technology and intelligence techniques to wage a quiet campaign to keep Iran from entrenching itself in Syria, on Israel's border. The effort became less quiet in 2018.

In February, Israel shot down an Iranian drone carrying explosives and responded with a counterattack on an air base in Syria. In May, Iran sent 32 rockets toward Israel’s border with the Golan Heights border. Israel shot down four, and the rest destroyed infrastructure in the Golan Heights. Israel responded with a two-hour bombing of Iranian targets in Syria, destroying several Syrian air defense systems.

Lately, Hamas launched incendiary kites and balloons from Gaza into Israel, resulting in large fires that destroyed crops.

The situation escalated and Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile defense batteries across central Israel on July 15.

“The IDF is determined to continue to defend citizens of Israel and is prepared for a variety of scenarios that may intensify,” said a spokesperson for Israel’s army this week.

 “The Israeli military said it would take harsh action in response to any attack from the coastal enclave, including in the form of incendiary kites and balloons,” reported The Times of Israel, adding, that IDF is “bracing for possible retaliation by Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.”

 

There is Hope

Several U.S. news outlets reported that Presidents Trump and Putin discussed working together to ensure Israel's safety during their summit in Finland on Monday.

“Both countries will work jointly,” President Trump said. “Creating safety for Israel is something that both President Putin and I would like to see very much.”

“This will bring peace to the Golan Heights and bring a more peaceful relationship between Syria and Israel and also to provide security for the state of Israel,” President Putin said.

Please pray with us:

• As we thank God for how He has blessed Israel and that Israel, in turn, is blessing the world with its technology

• That Israel’s good works will help in the fight against anti-Semitism

• That Jewish people’s eyes will be opened to see Yeshua (Jesus) as their long-awaited Messiah
• That those who hate Israel will also hear the truth of the Good News