Rosh Hashanah welcomes the Jewish New Year, and this year, it begins at sunset on September 15. And on the Jewish calendar, it’s the year 5784.

Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year” and falls on the biblical Feast of Trumpets. If you’re curious about why the Jewish New Year isn’t on January 1 or why it’s in the seventh biblical month rather than the first, you can find out the answers here.

As the New Year approaches, the idea of openness has been on our minds at Jewish Voice Ministries. Looking to the Jewish year 5784, we’re praying for open doors, open ears and eyes, and open hearts.

Open Doors

These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open (Revelation 3:7).

Our vision at Jewish Voice is to reach as many Jewish people as possible with the Good News of the Messiah, Jesus, no matter how far away they may be. As we discover unreached Jewish communities throughout the world, we explore their stories, oral histories, beliefs and more. Our exploratory trips over the coming months will take us to locations we have never been to as we look to see what doors God opens for us to walk through. We will visit new-to-us Jewish communities in familiar countries where we currently work and entirely new countries.

Such newness requires many open doors, from permissions at multiple levels of government to invitations from the Jewish community elders. The logistics of bringing a humanitarian Outreach to any location are vast and complicated. We pray for God to open doors in every area, preparing the way for us to share Yeshua’s (Jesus’) love and the Gospel.

Open Ears

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Mark 4:9).

Since just a few centuries after Yeshua walked the Earth, crusades of zealous people have falsely used His name to persecute, abuse and kill the Jewish people. Over and over again. It’s easy to see how Jewish ears have become stopped to the Good News that Jesus is indeed the Messiah they’ve waited for. We pray for God to open the ears of Jewish people we meet so that they may come to know the fullness of their Jewish identity, found only through faith in Jesus.

Open Eyes

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25 NKJV).

The Bible tells us there is a partial blindness, a partial hardening among the Jewish people today. Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies about the Messiah with His first coming as the suffering Servant and will fulfill those remaining when He comes again as the conquering King. Pray with us that God will open Jewish eyes to see that Jesus is the Messiah promised in their Hebrew Scriptures.

Open Hearts

One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message (Acts 16:14).

Loving care and meeting needs help open hearts to the Gospel, but ultimately, we know God is behind it all. We pray that God will open Jewish hearts to respond to the Gospel message and receive Jesus as their Messiah.

Personal Reflection

Ears to hear. Eyes to see. A heart to respond. What about you and the word “open”? As you take the time for traditional Rosh Hashanah reflection, ask the Lord some questions about your coming year. Here are some questions to get you started:

• What doors do You want me to walk through this year, Lord?
• What do You want to say to me? Do I need You to open my ears to anything?
• What do You want to open my eyes to?
• How do You want to open my heart more, Lord?

Prayer

Lord, help me have an open heart to the directions, doors and truths You want to lead me to in the coming year. Where there are closed doors, open them for me according to Your good and perfect will. Where my ears are closed, open them so I may truly hear You. Where my eyes are closed, open them so that I may see You and the people, paths and purposes You have for me. Where my heart is closed, open it so I can embrace all You are and have for me to know and do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Learn More

The Fall Feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot offer an extended time of reflection, repentance and drawing near to the Lord. Simchat Torah follows Sukkot as an occasion to celebrate the gift of God’s Word. Discover how these fall holidays can enrich your faith in Jesus.

A 5784 gift

In honor of the new year, would you consider giving a gift of $57.84 to share the Gospel with scattered Jewish communities throughout the world? And please pray that more hearts would become open to the Gospel through compassionate humanitarian Outreaches Jewish Voice conducts to meet their vital needs.

Prayer items from our Director of Global Outreach

Were you able to join us for our recent prayer briefing with Eric Pires, head of our Global Outreach Department? I hope so! Eric always does such a great job of engaging our hearts and fueling our prayers regarding the people and places we reach out to.

If you missed it, here is a recap of prayer requests Eric shared with us in four key and timely areas.

RECENT OUTREACHES

Please pray for these recent 2023 Outreach locations, specifically for follow-up of new Believers and others interested, congregation formation, patients who were treated, and the precious children who call these areas home:

• Konso, Ethiopia
• Chitsungo, Zimbabwe
• Mumbwa, Zambia
• Kechene, Ethiopia

ALL TRIBES UPDATE

We’ve told you about our desire to reach out to as many tribes as possible – all the scattered tribes of Jewish people. That’s why we are making an Exploration and Scouting Trip to Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa, taking place now. Please pray for:

• Protection for our scouting team while traveling and on the ground
• The Lord to continue the process of identifying and giving us favor with “the man or woman of peace” – trustworthy individuals with significant community knowledge and influence who are open to the Good News
• Key conversations, divine appointments and divine connections
• Clear leading and guidance from the Lord, both during and after the trip, regarding the potential for future Outreaches

UPCOMING OUTREACHES

We have two Outreaches coming up this fall. Please pray for the following requests for our Medical Outreaches in Southern Ethiopia October 12–22 and Zimbabwe November 2–12

• All permissions and paperwork to be in place in good time
• Effective ministry for the local congregations we will partner with
• The Outreach work will be built on a firm foundation
• Effective follow-up with all those who express an interest in hearing more

2024 – BREAKING NEW GROUND?

Will the Lord open new doors for effective Outreaches in 2024? Only He knows, and only He can!

• Please continue to pray for clear guidance, divine connections and abundant provision to reach the scattered Jewish people with the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus)

“…Thus says the Holy One, the True One, who has the key of David, who opens, and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens…”

–– Revelation 3:5

Let’s Pray

Lord, we look to You to lead the way to the specific Jewish people and locations where You know there is a readiness and openness to the Good News of Yeshua. We are eager to go where You send us! Make Your will and Your way clearly known to us. Our heart’s desire is to see Jewish people everywhere come to know Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. In Jesus’ name, we pray, AMEN.

Mumbwa, Zambia, Medical Outreach

• 8,215 Patients Received Care
• 705 People Received Dental Care
• 2,137 Eyeglasses Distributed
• 654 Children Attended the Zehra Kids Program
• 959 School Children Experienced Zehra in Their School
• 1,578 People Visited the Spiritual Care Ministry
• 514 People Professed Faith in Yeshua
• 697 People Requested Congregational Follow-up

In May, we returned to Mumbwa, Zambia, after our first Outreach there last fall.  It can often take a second visit for people to understand that we really ask nothing in return for the medical, dental and eye care we offer to a community. 

We were delighted to see a 73% increase in the number of patients seen this year over last. We also had over 55% more visitors to the Spiritual Care Ministry this time. Also, more than twice as many people accepted Jesus as Messiah as our first Outreach there. As the people learn that we genuinely care about them — and even more profoundly, that God loves them deeply and sees their needs — the door opens wider for the Gospel.

Eyecare is a tremendous need among the people in this area of Zambia — intensive care and vision correction. Even little children often need eyeglasses. A staff member of a very high-ranking government official visited during the Outreach. He, too, was amazed at the need for eyecare. He toured our eye department and walked the vast lines of patients waiting for eye care, asking them about their needs. At one point, he turned to someone with him and said, “Learn from Jewish Voice how they are meeting the needs of these people.”

Another day, a mother came to us carrying her son, who Who had Cerebral Palsy. Social stigma often accompanies such congenital disabilities or other maladies, and some presume it is a curse on the parents. At one point, this dear woman learned that the boy’s father wanted to “get rid of him,” which she understood meant killing him. The revelation shed light for her on the mysterious deaths of her previous children. She left the boy’s father and struggles today to make it alone, committed to her son.

Such a life would be difficult no matter where one lives. But in a developing country with few resources and a challenging rural lifestyle, it’s even harder. For the rest of his life, this boy must be carried by someone or eventually gain a measure of independence using his arm strength to scoot along the ground in a world that towers over him. When Jewish Voice provided him with a wheelchair, his mother’s smile told the story of her overwhelming joy and relief. What a difference it is already making in the lives of this boy and his faithful, loving mother.

You made this difference in their lives. Without you, we couldn’t have provided a wheelchair for the boy. Without you, we wouldn’t have been there at all to meet their needs and those of so many others. Thank you!

Something big for you to pray about

We have something big coming up and really hope you will prepare our way through prayer! As we told you in a previous Prayer Points regarding ways to pray for us this summer, we plan to do some investigative travel over the next few weeks in areas entirely new for Jewish Voice Ministries to see if we could do future Outreaches there.

By new areas, we mean new nations where we have never ministered. And this would also mean new Jewish people groups that we have not had an opportunity to reach before. We are sobered by the difficulties in some of the new places the Lord is leading us to investigate, but excited for what it could mean for the Jewish people there if our exploratory trip results in ministry there at a later time.

Will this summer’s exploratory trip lead to actual Outreaches in the coming months or years? We certainly hope and pray so because we know there are Jewish people who need to hear a clear message of the love and salvation of Jesus. But we know that the way must be paved in prayer – your prayers – in alignment with the Lord’s declaration through Paul in Romans 11:26 that ultimately all Israel will be saved, including those in far-off lands whose tribal names and languages we’ve barely heard of.

So, will you please pray with and for us regarding this important exploratory trip? Here are some ways to pray:

• Protection and favor everywhere and in every circumstance as we travel and explore the potential for new connections, locations and future Outreaches
• Great wisdom and discernment from the Lord that will protect and guide us in where we go and who we meet with
• Protection from spiritual warfare, opposition, and the schemes of the enemy as we do on-the-ground inquiry in new regions
• Favor for us with our in-country connection, who in turn has connections with the leaders of the Jewish community we hope to serve
• Divine appointments and favor with those community leaders – may we experience a genuine connection with them upon which to build relationships and open doors for ministry
• An opportunity to fully hear the story of their people group and how they have retained their identity within their community
• Hands-on, personal protection of the Lord upon the leaders from our ministry who will be on this trip and for their families at home

Please cover this exploratory trip in prayer over the next few weeks.

Sign up here: https://www.jewishvoice.org/247-prayer-calendar.

Let’s Pray

Lord, we don’t send these prayer requests out lightly. We believe and know that You are providing real people of prayer and intercession who will cover our small team of leaders on this trip. We need Your protection, discernment and favor. We seek Your guidance and blessing as we endeavor to do Your will in reaching out to Jewish people wherever You lead us. Thank You, Lord. And thank You for those who cover us in prayer as they pray for Your people to know You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

— 2 Timothy 2:15

The Lord is moving among the Messianic Jewish community in Ethiopia! Congregations there are growing and reaching out to those in their communities and other areas of the nation. We are praying this continues.

We know that strong congregations and strong Believers require strong, well-equipped leadership. That is why we travel to Ethiopia every year to conduct Messianic Leadership Trainings among the Messianic Jewish congregations there.

These times of gathering around God’s Word through anointed teaching are crucial. And because your prayers are so important, we ask for your prayer-covering and intercession for these training trips. In fact, you can log onto our Jewish Voice 24/7 Prayer Watch calendar to sign up for a slot to pray from home for this essential teaching time, occurring August 16–26.

Here’s more information and how you can pray for these fast-approaching Messianic Leadership Training visits in Ethiopia:

• Two Messianic rabbis from our Jewish Voice USA staff will be on this trip, one of whom is new to our team. Please pray for both and especially that our new team member will quickly establish great rapport and relationships with the Ethiopian congregational leaders as he teaches and interacts with them
• Two Messianic Jewish leaders will also teach as guests during these Leadership Trainings. One is an Ethiopian leader from the U.S., and the other is a well-seasoned leader who has conducted discipleship schools around the world. Please pray that the Lord would use each of them individually and as part of the teaching team

Please also pray that:

• The messages of each of the four teachers work together by the leading of the Lord for real impact and equipping.
• Times of prayer, ministry and impartation during these sessions will leave a lasting imprint upon the Ethiopian leaders and translate into life, health, and growth in their congregations
• Unity and relationships will develop among all the Messianic Jewish congregation leaders gathered for the training

And as always, would you please pray for:

• Health, safety and protection for these four leaders who will be teaching the congregational leaders.
• Please also pray for the Lord’s watchful care and protection over their families and all that pertains to them back home as they travel and minister

Let’s Pray

Lord, we know that Yeshua’s (Jesus’) disciples called Him rabbi, or teacher. And Yeshua told us that His Holy Spirit was given to teach us all things. We ask that You thoroughly prepare the four leaders teaching and equipping other leaders during the Messianic Leadership Trainings in Ethiopia. May they impart Your words of life and instruction. May their teachings and presence be used by You to cause the Ethiopian leaders to grow in the Word, grow in their relationship with You, and grow as leaders of their congregations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What Does It Mean to Be Grafted In?

Israel is an ancient land. Stones and bricks that are thousands of years old remain amid the modern hustle and bustle of the 21st Century State of Israel. So it isn’t surprising that relics of the past are uncovered there even today. One such discovery of a curious symbol dates back to the second or third century A.D. Today it’s known as the Grafted In symbol or the Messianic Seal – and it’s one of the most inspiring emblems believed by some to reveal Jewish and Gentile Believers in Jesus living as one body of Messiah followers.

The Grafted In symbol

The Grafted In symbol consists of three iconic images aligned vertically: the Jewish menorah, the Star of David and the Christian ichthus (fish) symbol.

The menorah sits at the top of the Grafted In symbol. This seven-branched candelabra of the Tabernacle and Temple has long been a symbol of the enduring faith of the Jewish people.

At the bottom of the Grafted In symbol is the Christian ichthus. Legend explains it was used as a code by early Believers in Jesus during times of persecution. To secretly inquire if a person believed in Jesus, you would casually draw an arc in the dirt. If the person drew an opposite arc, turning your single line into a crude drawing of a fish, you would each know the other was a Jesus follower, a fellow fisher of men. In the Messianic Seal, some see the fish representing Gentile Believers.

In the middle of the Messianic Seal, the overlapping triangles of the fish’s tail and the menorah’s base form the Star of David, believed to represent Jesus the Son of David. As both the Jewish Messiah and the Savior of the whole world, Jesus brings these two groups together.

The image taken as a whole is thought by some to show the alliance between Jewish and Gentile Believers and life together as the body of Messiah.

What does it mean to be “Grafted In”?

John 3:16 tells us that Yeshua (Jesus) came to save all people from our sin, throughout the whole world, across time and regardless of whether we are Jewish or non-Jewish. Yet, the Messiah’s earthly ministry was to the Jewish people, the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). We see this among Paul’s first words to the group of Believers in Rome. In Romans 1:16, Paul states that the Gospel is first for the Jewish people and then also unto the “nations,” or the non-Jewish people of the world.

Paul goes on to explain that God called the first Jewish people to Himself, not only through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the Israelites He delivered from bondage to Egypt, but in regard to the Gospel of the Messiah (Romans 1:16). He explains in Romans chapter 11 that the Jewish people are like a natural olive tree selected and chosen by God. The Gospel came to them first, the Messiah’s earthly ministry and was then opened up to the non-Jewish world. When non-Jewish people come to faith in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, it is as if branches from a wild olive tree were grafted into the natural tree of Israel.

The Grafted In calling

Having been welcomed into the family of God, Gentile Believers have a special calling. Not only are they invited to engage in the Jewish roots of their faith in the God of Israel, but they are also chosen to make Israel jealous for a deeper relationship with Him (Romans 10:19, Romans 11:11). Gentiles, who were once far off, have been brought near to the God of Israel through Jesus the Messiah (Ephesians 2:13). Their role is to live out their relationship with the Lord in such a way that helps Jewish people see that Jesus is not the founder of a new religion separate from Judaism, but instead He is the Jewish Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures and the fulfillment of Jewish faith and identity. As they do, Gentile Believers play a vital role in the coming day when we see “all Israel saved” (Romans 11:25) and the Jewish people saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 23:37–39).

Jewish and Gentile Believers are meant to live in unity, working in partnership to bear a powerful witness to the world of God’s promises, love, mercy and grace through Yeshua, our shared Messiah. The Grafted In symbol discovered on ancient pottery suggests we once did have such a powerful partnership. Today, we are living it out again – through Messianic Judaism and Gentile Believers embracing the Jewish roots of their faith in Jesus and carrying a heart burden from the Father for Jewish people who are far from Him. For Jesus Himself brought peace to our differences and has joined us together through our shared faith in Him (Ephesians 2:14-18).

THIS WEEK'S GLOBAL UPDATE

A Note From Jonathan Bernis:

Shalom, my friend!

Thank you for your love and compassion for Israel and the Jewish people.

I’m so grateful that you are willing to stand with and bless God’s Chosen People through your ongoing prayers and financial support.

And I pray God’s richest blessing on you for your faithfulness, according to the Scriptures:

“I will bless those who bless [Israel]...”

— Genesis 12:3 (NIV)

Of course, the greatest blessing of all  — and our only hope — is the Good News of Jesus.

So please continue to stand with us in prayer for God to open more doors to share His truth and His Word with His Chosen People.

Thank you for standing with us through your partnership.

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis

President & CEO

Jewish Voice

Headline News

Israel Judicial Overhaul: Protests Mount after Bill Passed

A group of Israeli doctors declared a strike and black ads covered the front pages of Israeli newspapers earlier this week in a backlash over the government's ratification of the first part of a judicial overhaul that critics say endangers democracy.

The bill, curbing Supreme Court review of some state decisions, passed in a stormy Knesset parliament on Monday after an opposition walkout. As the vote took place, protesters were out in their thousands, some scuffling with police.

Protest leaders said growing numbers of military reservists would no longer report for duty if the government continued with its plans. Former top brass have warned that Israel's war-readiness could be at risk.

However, opposition leader Yair Lapid asked protesting reservists to hold off, pending any Supreme Court ruling on appeals against the new law. Both a political watchdog group and the Israel Bar Association have filed challenges.

The crisis has opened a deep divide across Israel and hit the economy hard by triggering foreign investor flight, weakening the shekel and raising the potential for strikes across public sector unions.

Updates from the Middle East

New Sanctions Against Iran for Military Support to Russia and Syria

The European Union (EU) said last week that it had established a “new framework for restrictive measures” in view of Iran's military support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and of Syria's regime. This new framework prohibits the export from the European Union to Iran of components used in the construction and production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the EU said in a statement. According to The Jerusalem Post, the EU is also imposing restrictive measures against 18 individuals and 5 entities for human rights violations in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Ukraine and Russia.

Islamic Jihad Members Attack Worshippers at Joseph's Tomb

Jewish worshippers were recently attacked at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus. According to an IDF statement, the IDF acted to protect the worshippers, and several of the gunmen were wounded in the exchange of fire. The IDF also reported that, in addition to shooting, the attackers threw explosives, burned tires and threw stones at Israeli security forces at Joseph's Tomb.

Jewish Cemetery Vandalized in Poland, Tombstones Defaced

Over a dozen 19th- and early 20th-century tombstones in the Jewish cemetery in the Polish city of Katowice were vandalized. Additionally, two headstones belonging to Jews who passed away after the Second World War were also damaged. Some of the defaced tombstones suffered irreversible harm. The culprits fled from the cemetery, which underwent restoration in the past two years, using a ladder found on the premises. A complaint has been filed with the local police, and security cameras captured the vandals' actions. Authorities hope to apprehend them soon.

Pray with us this week for:

• God to continue to protect innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
• God to surround His Chosen People in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• God to give wisdom and insight to Israel’s leaders to make wise decisions and for there to be unity among the Jewish people in Israel
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• The Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

A snapshot of things to pray about this summer

This Prayer Points is a summer snapshot of some things we invite you to pray about during the next several months.  A lot goes on in every season here at Jewish Voice, but summer offers a unique opportunity to look at what has already taken place in the year and what’s yet to come. It’s a great time for a mid-year check-in. Join us in praying for some of the things that are going on with us this summer:

• Although there are no Outreaches during the rest of the summer, we’re planning the ones coming up this fall.
  • Pray for confirmation regarding specific locations, dates and details
  • Ask the Lord for deep rest and renewal this summer for our Global Outreach team so they can be refreshed and ready for these next Outreaches
• We plan to do some investigative travel this summer in areas completely new to Jewish Voice Ministries to see if we could do future Outreaches there.
  • Pray for protection and favor everywhere and in every circumstance as we travel and explore the potential for Outreaches
  • Please also pray that the Lord will lead us to divine connections and guide us regarding reaching out to new people groups
• We’ve recently added several new team members to our Jewish Voice Ministries USA staff.
  • Pray for the Lord to powerfully use them as they align themselves with our mission and vision, using their gifting and experience to contribute to the work of the ministry
  • Pray also for them and their families as they acclimate to the intensity and even spiritual warfare that comes with reaching out to Jewish people in the name of Yeshua (Jesus)
• We know that we can accomplish nothing without honoring the Lord with our worship and calling on Him in prayer. We are praying for expansion in these two areas this summer.
  • Pray for the establishment of more worship and prayer opportunities here at our headquarters that will flood the atmosphere and ultimately impact nations as the Lord receives our worship and answers our prayers
  • Pray for many more to join us in prayer through the Prayer Points emails, prayer webinars, 24-7 Prayer Watch schedule and onsite prayer meetings
• Summer is a time when many take a break. Our staff is no exception, and many on our team will be taking time off at some point this summer
  • Please pray for abundant restoration from the rigors of travel for all our traveling staff, not just those who go on Outreaches but also for those who make congregational trips to Africa, out-of-state speaking engagements and partner visits in other regions
  • Pray for rest and refreshment from the intensity of ministry for all our team members, including wonderful times with family and friends and extended renewal in the Lord’s presence

We hope that amid your summer plans, you will continue to pray for us. We are increasingly aware of the urgency of the times in which we live, the need for all Israel to be saved, and for the Church to be engaged in God’s heart for His people. We need and value your prayers so much as we press on in the Lord. Thank you.

Let’s Pray

Lord, please bless our dear partners, who continually lift up Your Chosen People and Jewish Voice Ministries in prayer. May they themselves receive the blessings we and they pray for our ministry: blessings of guidance, protection, health, enriching family relationships and friendships, and rest and refreshment in You. And we pray you will bless them with every spiritual blessing in the Messiah according to Ephesians 1:3. In Jesus’ name, Amen.