For more than 2,000 years, the world knew little about what happened to the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” In the past century, many have, seemingly, been “found” – and those still very much identify themselves as Jewish in the lands to which their ancestors migrated centuries ago.
In 1998, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, President and CEO of Jewish Voice Ministries International (JVMI), found them too. During a trip to Gondar, Ethiopia, he saw firsthand the poverty in which the Beta Israel Jewish people lived. At that time, Jonathan was heading a ministry he founded, Hear O Israel Ministries (HOIM), before the organization merged with Jewish Voice Broadcasts to become JVMI. In Gondar, he saw people living in desperate poverty. Many had leprosy. He learned there wasn’t a single dentist within 300 miles – an impossible distance to travel for those in the area. He knew he had to do something to help.
The following year, Rabbi Bernis returned with a group of medical professionals. The 25-member team of doctors, nurses and prayer warriors was nearly overwhelmed as they served about 100 patients per hour. During their short trip, they treated 7,000 people. Jonathan reported in his HOIM newsletter, “I believe this Medical Clinic is just the beginning.”
Indeed. It was the first of what would become many more week-long Medical Clinics ministering to the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” To date, Jewish Voice has conducted 52 Medical Outreaches serving Jewish people in need, along with their neighbors, in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and India. Nearly half a million people have received much-needed, no-cost medical, dental and eye care in the name of Yeshua (Jesus).
Most of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” that JVMI serves no longer go by the names of their original Jewish Tribes. Although many Ethiopian Jews believe they are from the Tribe of Dan, they are locally known by broader names identifying them as Jewish, such as the Beta Israel, Beta Abraham, Yibir and Gefat. The Jewish population known as the Lemba in Zimbabwe show clear ties to the Tribe of Levi. The name of the Jewish people in northeastern India – the Bnei Menashe – conveys their conviction that they are from the Tribe of Manasseh.
The Beta Israel – or House of Israel – live in northern Ethiopia. Jewish Voice has served these members of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” in Gondar, Tach Gayint and Enfranz.
During the 1970s and ’80s, famine, war and Jewish persecution were so severe in Ethiopia that Israel sponsored several stealthy, mass airlifts to allow Ethiopian Jews to immigrate to Israel. In 1991, a new war threatened the safety of Jewish people, and Israel again stepped in. The Beta Israel were told to gather in Gondar if they wanted to flee to Israel. Thousands left their villages and almost everything they owned. Israel evacuated 14,000 Ethiopian Jewish people.
However, when the airlifts ended, several thousand Beta Israel remained stranded in Gondar living in refugee-like conditions. It was into this setting that Jonathan Bernis first brought desperately needed care and hope.
Today, the Beta Israel continue to endure poverty and persecution. Despite this, there is a thriving Messianic Jewish congregation in Gondar. They are engaged in reaching out to the Beta Israel in other parts of northern Ethiopia.
The Beta Abraham originated from the Beta Israel, when they migrated south to the capital city of Addis Ababa. As persecution ebbed and flowed, many Ethiopian Jewish people hid their identity, observing their faith in secret or giving up its practices for fear of harsh consequences. Others were forced to – at least outwardly – convert to a form of Orthodox Christianity.
Jewish Voice first went to Addis Ababa in 2006, taking medical care to the Kechene neighborhood, where a significant number of Beta Abraham live. As a result, a robust Messianic Congregation formed that has established a number of subsidiary non-profit ministries. It has also planted new congregations in outlying towns such as Debre Birhan.
Jewish Voice conducted its first Medical Outreach to Debre Birhan in 2017 to serve the Beta Abraham from among the “Lost Tribes of Israel” living there. In October 2018, Jewish Voice conducted its first Medical Outreach to the Beta Abraham of Alamata.
The Gefat Jewish people are located in southern Israel. The Gefat are known locally as “Fuga.” It is an insult and a testimony to the ongoing persecution, isolation and prejudice these Jewish people endure. Their oral history suggests their ancestors accompanied the Ark of the Covenant to its protected place – long believed to be in Ethiopia – and blew the shofar along its sacred route. Over time, indigenous people around them turned the Gefat’s rich heritage as blowers of the shofar into the offensive term “Fuga” conveying a desire that they would “blow away” and be gone.
Jewish Voice first brought a Medical Outreach to the Gefat in 2011 in the city of Woliso. Today, there is a well-established Messianic congregation in Woliso, and JVMI has helped them plant several new congregations to reach Jewish people from among the “Lost Tribes of Israel” in the area.
Approximately 100 miles from Woliso is another Gefat community living in Hosanna. During the first JVMI Medical Outreach there, Outreach Partners treated more than 9,400 patients. Thousands came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus). Believers who visited the Prayer Tent heard Scriptures about God’s love for the Jewish people and the everlasting nature of His covenant with them. Many of these Believers bowed on their knees in repentance seeking God’s forgiveness for their prejudice against His people.
The Yibir (Hebrew people) are generally known to be located in Somaliland, an autonomous region in northwestern Somalia. However, Jewish Voice learned of a community of Yibir across the border in eastern Ethiopia, in a town called Jijiga. The Yibir are linked to the Beta Abraham, and many of them live in deep poverty, isolated and shunned by the prejudices of their neighbors. Jewish Voice conducted its first Medical Outreach to Jijiga in October 2018.
A large portion of the Lemba population in Zimbabwe and South Africa have tested to possess Cohanim DNA. This clearly affirms their ties to the ancient people of Israel, particularly the Levites. The Lemba are located in several districts of Zimbabwe, and since 2012, Jewish Voice has held Medical Outreaches in Mberengwa, Buhera, Gutu, Masvingo, Chitsungo and Mudanda.
There are many Lemba Believers in Zimbabwe who have maintained their Jewish identity amid an evangelical or orthodox form of Christianity. They forbid intermarrying, practice circumcision, and obey Jewish dietary laws including using their own kosher butchers.
The Lemba, when Jewish Voice introduced Messianic Judaism to them, were elated to finally find worship that fits them as Jewish Believers in Yeshua. Since then, dozens of Messianic congregations have formed – 86 between 2012 and 2017, with several more planted in 2018.
When the Bnei Menashe of India was “found,” they called themselves Israelites rather than Jews.
Jewish Voice conducted its first Medical Outreach to the Bnei Menashe in 2008. Over the years, these Clinics provided medical care to more than 30,000 people and saw many come to new faith in Yeshua.
Much of the Bnei Menashe Jewish population has “made aliyah” (ah-lee-YAH) to Israel ‒ or have come to faith in Yeshua. Jewish Voice was privileged to minister the compassion and Good News of Israel’s Messiah to these members of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” while the window of opportunity remained open.
JVMI serves the “Lost Tribes of Israel” as part of its overall vision to transform lives and see all Israel saved.
Learn more about the history of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” here: Who are the “Lost Tribes of Israel”?
The “Lost Tribes of Israel” have captivated biblical scholars, historians and rabbis for centuries. When Assyria invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E., roughly 80% of the Jewish population of ancient Israel disappeared from recorded history.
While some members of the Northern Kingdom’s 10 tribes fled south to Judah, most were taken captive or dispersed to other nations where they assimilated into the various cultures. Due to persecution in their new lands, many of them hid their Jewish ancestry, practicing the customs of their faith in secret generation after generation for centuries. They appeared to have vanished as a people and became known as the “Lost Tribes of Israel.”
In recent decades, however, descendants of these ancient Jewish people have been discovered throughout the world – in China, Ethiopia, India, Zimbabwe, Somaliland, Afghanistan, South Africa and elsewhere.
Here are five ways you can pray for the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” The Bible says that “the effective prayer of a righteous person is very powerful” (James 5:16b). God will use your prayers!
Some Believers don’t understand that Jewish people need Yeshua the same as Gentiles do. According to Romans 1:16, not only is the Gospel for the Jewish people, it is “to the Jew first.” The Bible is clear that faith in Yeshua is the only means of salvation. In John 14:6, Yeshua said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Pray that God will:
Create a deeper hunger for Him in members of the “Lost Tribes of Israel”
Send Believers to clearly communicate the Good News of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) to them
Prepare their hearts with an openness to the Gospel and that they will receive Yeshua as their Messiah
Many Jewish people in developing nations endure anti-Semitic attitudes from their neighbors. Deep-seated superstitions cause people to believe Jewish people have “the evil eye” and are capable of casting spells and curses on others. Because of this, Jewish people among the “Lost Tribes of Israel” are often shunned or even persecuted. In some communities, residents refuse to employ or do business with Jewish people ‒ even going so far as to destroy the wares of independent Jewish merchants trying to earn a meager living. Jewish people also endure violent assaults. They have been beaten, had their houses set on fire, and some have even been killed. Pray that God will:
Protect them from harm, thwarting all plans for evil against them
Dismantle the superstitions and hatred against the Jewish people
Strengthen the hearts of His chosen people and encourage them
In the developing nations where many of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” reside, the Jewish people are often the “poorest of the poor.” Unemployment is high and wages are low in many of these regions. The homeless are often consigned to begging. Even in the cities, many people live without running water. In rural areas, most families do without electricity as well. Pray for:
Adequate employment for those in the cities and towns
God’s favor upon the crops that sustain rural families
Protection for the homeless adults and children
In most of the areas where Jewish Voice Ministries International (JVMI) brings humanitarian aid, people in the rural communities use the same water source for drinking, bathing and laundry. Many times we’ve also seen animals walking in and drinking from those same pools and shallow streams. Much of the water available is teeming with disease. Chronic sickness is common in these communities due to water-borne illnesses, which can even be fatal. Pray for:
Education about the dangers of water-borne diseases and the vital importance of clean water and general hygiene
Clean, safe sources of water for drinking and cooking
With poverty comes a lack of proper medical care. In many places where Jewish Voice serves the “Lost Tribes of Israel,” medical and dental care is woefully inadequate or unavailable. Minor illnesses and injuries often lead to life-threatening infections or permanent disability. Trachoma – a painful eye disease – and cataracts are leading causes of preventable blindness. Pray for:
God to provide for the medical, dental and eye care needs of these Jewish people
Adequate nutrition to improve their overall health
God to touch those who are injured or suffering illness right now with comfort, healing and a sense of His presence
Jewish Voice Ministries as we continue to research and verify communities in need around the world that believe themselves to be from the “Lost Tribes of Israel”
Our Medical Outreaches to be well-supplied with volunteer medical professionals, equipment, medications and everything necessary to conduct these five-day Clinics in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere
The water education departments of these Outreaches – for clear communication about the importance of clean water and that we have enough LifeStraw® filters to distribute to the thousands who attend each Clinic
Sign up to become a Prayer Partner and receive twice-monthly Prayer Points for the ministry of Jewish Voice and the people we serve
Help cover JVMI Medical Outreaches with round-the-clock prayer by signing up for a time slot on our Outreach Prayer Schedule
Deliver humanitarian aid and the Gospel to Jewish people throughout the world through a gift to Jewish Voice Ministries. Discover ways to give here
Come with us! We need non-medical people as well as medical professionals for each Medical Outreach. Click on the red button below to learn more!
Among Israel’s most prominent supporters are Evangelical Believers. Still, much of the Church remains indifferent or even opposed to Israel today, unaware of important biblical truths about God’s chosen people and their own relationship to them.
A vital part of the mission of Jewish Voice Ministries International is to educate the Church about God’s ongoing covenant with and plan for Israel. New Covenant faith in Yeshua (Jesus) is rooted in the Jewish faith of the Old Covenant Scriptures. Upon this foundation, God sent Yeshua to usher in the promise of Jeremiah 31:31-33. He declared that one day He would write His law upon the hearts of His people and put His Spirit within them. This prophecy was fulfilled through Yeshua the Messiah and the gift of the Holy Spirit given to all who place their faith in Him.
Scripture reveals ample reasons for Believers to pray for and support Israel today:
God will bless those who bless Abraham’s descendants and curse those who curse them (Genesis 12:2)
God instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6)
God’s covenant with Israel is everlasting (Genesis 17:7, 19)
The Land of Israel belongs to God (Leviticus 25:23, Joel 2:18)
God gave His people the Land of Israel as an eternal possession (Genesis 15, 17:7‒8, Genesis 48:4, Psalm 105:7‒11)
God’s judgments on Israel at various times of her history do not void His covenant (Ezekiel 37).
God has not rejected Israel (Romans 9‒11)
There is only one way for anyone, including Jewish people, to be reconciled to God (John 14:6)
The Gospel is for the Jewish people first (Romans 1:16)
In 1948, the United Nations may have granted Israel the right to “be,” but it is God who validates her existence. He chose the Jewish people for His own, for His purposes and for eternity.
The country Israel today represents only a portion of the Land God gave the Jewish people as an eternal inheritance. About the size of New Jersey, it’s sometimes difficult to even locate Israel on maps. She is a tiny nation in a hostile neighborhood of Arab countries who consider her mere existence an offense. The region swarms with people, terrorist groups and nations single-mindedly committed to eliminating Israel today.
Israel needs our prayers.
The Day to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (DPPJ) has become the largest Israel-focused prayer event in history. At least 175 nations and 500 million Believers participate. The event began in 2002 and now has the active support of more than 1,400 evangelical leaders. It takes place annually on the first Sunday in October.
According to the DPPJ website, it is a day set aside each year “to raise global awareness and intercession for God’s purpose in Israel.”
“Though we pray every day for Israel,” the organization explains, “we seek on this day to unite Believers around the world in raising a cry to Heaven on behalf of this troubled but strategic Land and its people.”
The 2018 Day to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem is Sunday, October 7. Join people all over the world in praying for peace in Jerusalem, for Israel today as a nation and Jewish people everywhere.
For more information about the Day to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and how you can encourage your congregation to participate, visit www.daytopray.com.
Below are 10 specific ways you can pray for Israel today. For a complete list of suggested prayer topics, explore the resources available on the DPPJ website.
1. Restoration and Reconciliation – Pray for:
Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world to be restored and reconciled to God through faith in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah
God to continue restoring the Land of Israel and that the nation will recognize that this is from His hand, not their own efforts
Reconciliation between Jewish and Christian people, Jewish and Arab people – in the Land of Israel and all over the world
2. Watchmen - – Pray for:
God to raise up “watchmen” in each nation of the world who are dedicated to praying for Israel and the Jewish people
Houses of prayer worldwide to develop a heart to pray for Israel and the Jewish people
Growth in strategic prayer for Israel today around the world
3. Peace and Protection – Pray for:
Guidance and wisdom for Israeli and world leaders pursuing peace for Israel
Protection from the plans of Israel’s natural and spiritual enemies
All involved would recognize that true peace will only come from God
4. Fighting Terror, Radical Islam and Jihad – Pray for:
All terror plots to be exposed and stopped
The terror groups themselves to disintegrate from within and people trapped in them to encounter the true and living God who loves them
Guidance for Israeli police, military and security forces in their efforts to stop the violence
Emotional, psychological and physical healing for victims of terrorism
5. Fair and Honest Media Coverage – Pray for:
Clarity for the media to report fully and accurately about Israel today and the Middle East conflict
Exposure of imbalanced reporting, and coverage of the true Palestinian refugee story and misconceptions about “Palestine”
6. Fighting Anti-Semitism – Pray for:
Exposure of anti-Semitism whenever and wherever it occurs and that it would no longer be tolerated or minimized
Believers throughout the world to speak up against anti-Semitism and to defend the Jewish people
Increased growth and engagement in pro-Israel prayer initiatives on college campuses
7. Israel’s Leaders – Pray for:
Wisdom and integrity for all of Israel’s leaders including Prime Minister Netanyahu, members of the Knesset (ruling body) and Israeli Defense Forces
God’s guidance on how to specifically address relations and situations arising with the Palestinians, neighboring Arab nations, Iran and other countries with radical Islamic ideology
8. Israel’s Children and Youth – Pray for:
Strengthening of families in Israel today to guard children against the world’s temptations
Young people in Israel – both male and female – to turn to God as they prepare for their mandatory military service, cope with terror incidents, and heal from loss
9. The Needy, Forgotten and Vulnerable in Israel – Pray for:
Care and healing for the broken, vulnerable or needy in Israel – including elderly Holocaust survivors, struggling immigrants and the homeless
Aid, sustenance and wholeness for the forgotten, overlooked, discarded or misjudged
10. Strong Alliance between America and Israel – Pray for:
Continuing support of U.S. leaders to courageously stand as allies with Israel and speak out to protect Israel’s rights
Increased support for Israel among members of Congress and the general public
Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
The almighty, all-powerful God of the universe has communicated to us. The One who created all things, loves us perfectly, and sent His Son Yeshua (Jesus) to bear the penalty for our sin, has spoken to us! We have a whole book of His words!
Simchat Torah is a day set aside to celebrate this wonder.
Simchat Torah means “joy of the Torah.” Each week throughout the year, Jewish people around the world read a weekly Scripture portion from the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures. This parasha (par-a-SHAH) unites them together as they each read the selected passages, week-by-week, from Genesis to Deuteronomy.
Simchat Torah marks the completion of these annual Torah readings. During the morning service of Simchat Torah, worshipers read the last parasha of the year in Deuteronomy. In the evening, the annual cycle begins again with the first reading from Genesis. Simchat Torah includes festive dancing and singing while as many people as possible take turns carrying the Torah scroll around the synagogue or public squares. It is truly a joyous celebration of God’s Word to mankind.
While the Torah is specifically the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, the word means “instruction” and is also applied to the remainder of the Holy Scriptures in the Tanakh or Old Covenant. As Messianic Jews, we understand God’s instruction encompasses the New Covenant Scriptures as well, and ultimately Yeshua Himself (Hebrews 1:1‒2), who is the Word made flesh (John 2:14).
Simchat Torah calls our attention to the precious value of the Scriptures and reminds us that God’s Word given to us is the reason for great joy.
In the West, nearly every store selling books also carry Bibles. Many Believers own more than one, and if you visit any thrift store, you’ll likely find free Bibles donated by people who have more copies than they need. The Bible is on the internet, and we can even download it to our phones ensuring that we always have it with us.
A 2016 survey by LifeWay Research revealed that 87% of American households owned a Bible. Yet, of the Evangelical Believers surveyed, only 49% read God’s Word each day. In many parts of the world, persecuted Believers don’t have the privilege of owning a Bible. They can’t afford one, don’t have the internet, or Bibles are banned in their regions. They can’t read for themselves what God has said ‒ and they have an insatiable hunger to know His Word.
When we hold the Bible in our hands, we hold a miracle. God’s Word is inspired. It is “God-breathed” and alive with His Spirit.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword – piercing right through to a separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
―Hebrews 4:12
“All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be capable, fully equipped for every good deed.”
―2 Timothy 3:16
God’s Word meets us in our need. It reveals that we have an eternal inheritance waiting for us to which this world cannot be compared (Ephesians 1:18, 1 Peter 1:4).
It tells us God loves us (Romans 5:8) and we can do all things through Yeshua who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
God’s Word lifts our spirits when life is hard, reminding us that God has overcome the world (John 16:33).
It assures us He is with us always (Matthew 28:20).
It instills hope and reminds us God has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and He is for us (Psalm 56:9, Romans 8:31).
His Word speaks to our hearts inviting us to rest in His love (Matthew 11:28, 1 John 4:18) and know that with Him, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26) – even getting through our present difficulty with peace (Philippians 4:6‒7).
God’s Word sustains us (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4).
Let’s rejoice and thank God for this amazing gift. Celebrate by diving into the Word of God and rededicating yourself to feasting on it daily. You will find encouragement, wisdom and hope for each new day. You will find God Himself there.
Study the Torah the first five books of the Bible through the eyes of a first-century disciple. “Teachings of the Torah” invites you into the questions, stories, and interpretations that prove the Bible is a living book.
