As of approximately 4:00pm on Wednesday, in the middle of our Mberengwa 2017 Medical Outreach, we greeted our 400,000th PATIENT to come through the gates of our medical outreaches since we began in Ethiopia in 1999.

May we continue to rejoice as, one by one, lives are transformed by receiving much-needed medical care in Yeshua’s Name and encountering the love and faithfulness of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Pray for continued strength for our team as we finish this last day of the clinic. Temperatures have soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit the past two days, with cloudless skies and intense African sun. This last morning of clinic brought much-anticipated cloud cover and cooler temperatures as the rainy season in Southern Africa is about to begin.

We will update you with final outreach outcomes during the coming days—for both Kechene Ethiopia and Mberengwa Zimbabwe.

The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Hezbollah was likely planning to take over the Syrian chemical weapons plant that was bombed by Israeli warplanes last Thursday.

A former Israeli national security adviser told the Post that the chemical weapons plant was likely targeted because of fears that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had asked the Syrians to hand over the facility to his Lebanese terrorist group.

Nasrallah had visited the Syrian capital Damascus just before the Israeli air strike, according to Israel’s Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror. The Hezbollah leader also had boasted of his visit to the Syrian capital in a live speech.

Syria’s Al-Tala’I Scientific Studies and Research Center has been known for many years as a facility of research and development for weapons systems, including chemical weapons, according to the Post.

The Israeli Defense Forces did not comment on the strike, as is its custom. But it would not be the first time Israeli jets have hit the Assad regime and Hezbollah targets in Syria.

Amidror pointed out that last week’s strike came nearly 10 years to the day after the Israeli strike on the Syrian nuclear reactor in Deir Ezzor.

According to Amidror, Israel has made it very clear to Damascus that it will not allow Iran or Hezbollah to build up their capabilities because of what he called the “chaotic mess in Syria.”

Israel draws red lines and enforces them

The Israeli government has also made it clear it has no interest in getting involved in Syria’s 7-year-long civil war. But when it comes to preventing Syria from transferring sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah, Israel has drawn a red line.

Amir Eshel, former head of the Israeli Air Force, told the Post that over the past 5 years, Israel has carried out at least 100 strikes to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons from Syria to Hezbollah.

The Times of Israel reported that Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad responded to the Israel strikes by saying that Israel would “pay a heavy price” for the action.

But Israel Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman countered with a warning of his own.

“I strongly suggest to our neighbors from the north not to try and provoke or threaten us, because we take these threats seriously,” said Liberman. “I advise against entering into a confrontation with Israel. It will end badly for them, very badly.”

Stand with Israel and with Jewish Voice

As I write this, Israel is surrounded on all sides by enemies. Jewish people around the world are facing prejudice and tremendous pressure as well.

This ministry has been called to bless Israel and bring humanitarian aid and spiritual comfort and hope to Jewish people all across the globe.

Through your prayers and financial gifts, you too, can stand with Israel and care for Jewish people worldwide.

Please give now to support Jewish Voice Ministries. We would be so grateful because your partnership will carry forward this work in the name of Yeshua (Jesus).

As a token of our appreciation for your gift of $30 today, we’ll send you a lovely pewter mezuzah to adorn your doorpost with gracious blessings for your home. You’ll also receive a copy of the booklet “7 Keys to Unlocking the Prophetic Mysteries of Israel,” revealing the significance of Israel in God’s end time plan.

We are in the midst of a Medical Outreach to Kechene, an area of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This is our first “Specialty Clinic” in which we have no general medical care, but are focusing on eye care (including cataract surgery), dental care, gynecology, dermatology, physical therapy, nursing/urgent care and minor surgery. We have treated more than 3,500 patients at the mid-way point.

Our team of 50 international volunteers includes two surgeons who are performing operations simultaneously. We are also blessed to have the services of dozens of local medical professionals and over 130 local support contractors, many of whom are from the Beta Avraham Jewish community in Kechene.

Several blocks away, the Bet Abraham Messianic Congregation hosts a prayer and counseling Open House where patients and any member of the community can come to receive one-on-one ministry and hear the Good News of Yeshua. Jewish Voice Outreach Partners are assisting the congregation in interceding for the Clinic and praying with those who visit.

Kechene is nestled among the slopes and ravines of Addis Ababa’s tallest mountain, and it is Ethiopia’s rainy season right now. We are holding our Outreach in an existing community clinic where flash flooding is a common problem that often makes the main passageway between buildings impassable.

In the weeks prior to our arrival, JVMI’s Ethiopian staff rebuilt the clinic’s drainage system to solve flooding issues that have plagued the center for months.

Like clockwork each afternoon, thunder rumbles through the community and the skies release heavy rains. The neediest of patients put up ragged umbrellas or huddle together to wait out the storm in line with the hope of being seen before the day ends. The elderly try to stay dry under an old, canvas, community-owned tent. Sawdust covering the dirt entryways to the area eases the muddy conditions to help prevent slips and falls.

Our eye specialists got right to work restoring sight to cataract patients on the Clinic’s opening half-day. The following day, patients returned for bandage removal. Smiling faces and gratitude filled the eye department, and our correspondent noted, “I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of seeing this joy and happiness.” Eye surgeries are continuing throughout the week. 

Before the Clinic opens each morning, the team gathers together under a big, white event tent. After a time of worship, they hear any announcements and instructions for the day.

Children are always excited when a Jewish Voice Clinic comes to town. They watch as big busses drive through their cobblestone neighborhood carrying dozens of international team members. As our partners emerge to make their way to the Clinic, they are greeted with a crowd of curious, smiling young faces. The children love to have their pictures taken and see their images on our photographer’s camera.

We deeply appreciate your prayers for this Medical Outreach. As you pray, we are strengthened, encouraged, and effective in the work we do for these impoverished people. Thank you.

Please click here for daily Kechene Outreach Prayer Points. Help us cover this Outreach in 24/7 prayer by signing up for a time slot on our Outreach Prayer Calendar here.

Would you find it strange if I wished you a happy New Year in September?

Probably. But that greeting is fitting, because the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah (literally, "head of the year") – begins on September 20.

It's also known as Yom Teru'ah ("day of blowing the horn") or the Feast of Trumpets, because it features the celebration of blowing traditional Jewish shofars.

But there is a very serious side to the Rosh Hashanah celebrations – one that should be meaningful to all of us who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as our Messiah and Savior.

In the Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah comes at the start of a ten-day period known as the "Ten Days of Awe," which culminates in Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement.

These "Ten Days of Awe" are to be a time of self-examination, repentance, and prayer.

As believers in Yeshua, it's a time for us to acknowledge our sin, and to remember all God has done in forgiving and saving us through the sacrifice of His Son.

Another custom during this time is to be charitable to others as a way of thanking God for His mercy and grace toward us. In Judaism, caring for the poor has long been an expression of demonstrating thankfulness and repentance. Jesus taught this repeatedly.

An ancient way of observing this at Yom Kippur is called kapparot, in which a chicken or other fowl was purchased, then waved over one's head while praying to God for forgiveness of sins. The animal – or, more often, an equivalent gift of money – was then given to the poor.

Sadly, this was created by Rabbinic leaders as a manmade solution to a need for atonement only Yeshua can provide. Yet Yeshua’s grace to us and His forgiveness lead us to show our thankfulness through concern and charity for those in need.

Still, this is a metaphor for why all of us at Jewish Voice are so committed to loving and caring for Jewish people around the world.

For reasons I can never fully understand, God chose to reach out to me, a wandering Jewish university student searching in all the wrong places! Through the testimony of a friend who came to faith and the Christians I later met at the Bible study she brought me to, God made it absolutely clear that He loved me and that He wanted to save me so I could be with Him forever.

I came to saving faith in Yeshua because of the willingness of Believers to reach out, to love me, and to share the Good News with me.

And now, by God's grace, I can lead efforts to do the same for Jewish people around the world, through the prayers and financial support of you and others who stand alongside me so faithfully in this work.

For 50 years Jewish Voice has been caring for the physical and spiritual needs of Jewish people. Thanks to you and other partners, we're regularly seeing the miraculous ways God can use our combined efforts, if we are faithful.

In just one of the more recent of our medical clinic efforts, in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, your support provided effective treatment to more than 9,600 people who came to us with medical, dental, or eye problems.

As critically important as this compassionate work is, I'm even more excited by the fact that – in just this one clinic – we prayed with nearly 2,400 people.

And 322 of them professed new faith in Yeshua as Messiah!

That means 322 new Believers – many of them from the Jewish Lemba people of Southern Africa. That's 322 more people who will spend eternity with us!

Nothing is more gratifying or fulfilling to me than this.

All of us here at Jewish Voice are fully committed to this work. We celebrate God's blessings as He brings healing and hope to Jewish people and others in need across Africa and elsewhere.

But we cannot do this work alone. None of this...

• Medical clinics
• Teaching and media ministry
• Support for Jewish people and the Nation of Israel
• Care for poor and lonely Holocaust survivors in Israel
• The fight against hate and anti-Semitism
• And, most especially, sharing the Good News of Yeshua with those who have not yet received Him

...would be possible without support from you and our many other committed partners.

Without your prayers and financial support, this ministry could not happen. And rightfully, YOU share in the celebration for every person healed and every soul saved through our partnership in the Gospel.

I hope you find great joy in knowing you've helped heal many who were in pain, and helped lead many to faith in Yeshua. This is truly something we all can celebrate!

But for all the successes of the past, many thousands more people still need healing and hope. Even now, our Jewish Voice workers are preparing for more medical clinics and other outreach efforts.

Will you stand with us to bring the ministry of compassionate care to hurting people – especially as, together, we introduce even more people to salvation in Yeshua?

Please consider making the most generous gift possible right now. You'll make the difference between suffering and healing, and ensure that more people – especially Jewish people – meet Yeshua and gain eternity in God's loving presence.

For your gift of any amount, receive the 5-Minute Feasts DVD. Find out just how relevant the fall Feasts of the Old Testament are to you as a New Testament Believer. In easy-to-understand segments, Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Bernis explains how Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot reveal God’s plan of redemption through Yeshua Messiah.

For your gift of $80 or more, receive the 5-Minute Feasts DVD, PLUS...

• Moments & Days book – Rediscover the great feasts of the Old Testament as well as the holidays of the Christian calendar, and reawaken to these celebrations that will draw your attention to the significance of time, and point you in fresh ways to God’s faithful presence.
• Celebrating Sukkot DVD – Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, this joyous holy day holds deep significance for the Children of Abraham. But what about Believers in Yeshua? Here, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis unpacks the rich meaning Sukkot holds for Believers today.
• Shabbat Blessings magnets – This set of five colorful magnets beautifully illustrates the Shabbat blessings. Each features an inspiring picture from Israel and a blessing to remind you of Yeshua’s love. Perfect for your refrigerator.

For your gift of $500 or more, receive all the gifts above, PLUS a Silver-Trimmed Kudu Shofar. Made from a kudu horn, this stunning Yemenite shofar is adorned with handcrafted silver accents. Blown in Bible times to announce holidays, ceremonies, and battles, the shofar is sounded today at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Barcelona’s chief rabbi warned that the Jewish community in his city is “doomed” because Spanish authorities do not want to confront radical Islam.

Rabbi Meir Bar-Hen was quoted in The Times of Israel last week, a day after Thursday’s deadly car-ramming attack in his city. He urged Jews to leave Spain, which he called a major hub for terrorist activity in Europe.

In what was apparently a coordinated attack, 15 victims were killed in Barcelona and the resort town of Cambrils, 75 miles south of the city. One hundred twenty people were injured. Eight members of a 12-strong terror cell suspected to be behind the attacks have been killed and four others are in police custody.

Following the attack, Bar-Hen had sobering words for his congregants.

“Jews are not here permanently,” he said of the city and region. “I tell my congregants: Don’t think we’re here for good. And I encourage them to buy property in Israel. This place is lost. Don’t repeat the mistake of Algerian Jews, of Venezuelan Jews. Better [to get out] early than late.”

Part of the problem exposed by the attacks, Bar-Hen said, is the presence of a large Muslim community with “radical fringes.” Once these people are “living among you,” he said of terrorists and their supporters, “it’s very difficult to get rid of them. They only get stronger.” He also said this applied to Europe as a whole: “Europe is lost,” he added.

The rabbi said he would not attend a rally called by the mayor of Barcelona because he had been advised by security authorities to avoid public areas for a period of time because he is recognizably Jewish.

Bar-Hen emphasized that he was speaking as a private person and not for all members of his community. Other Jewish people in Barcelona rejected the rabbi’s predictions of doom and vowed to remain in Spain.

“Barcelona is a city where Jews have been living for 100 years and of which they are proud. We Jews will not leave our city,” Jewish community spokesman Victor Sorenssen said in an email to The Times of Israel.

Sorenssen said the attacks would not weaken the Jewish community’s commitment to Barcelona.

“Terrorism, with its vile mechanisms of fear, will not be able to defeat us. Barcelona is not afraid; its Jews join them in this stance. This cowardly attack will make us stronger. It is time for solidarity and social commitment. Not for sensationalist headlines,” Sorenssen added.

After last Thursday’s attack, all Jewish institutions closed for 24 hours at the request of security authorities. The Barcelona community resumed activities in time for Shabbat prayers.

Please join me in praying for the safety of Jewish people – in Spain, in Israel and around the world.

And pray for the wisdom of those in authority in these lands, that they would know how best to combat terrorism and ensure the safety of their citizens.

As you pray, won’t you consider making a gift to Jewish Voice? Your generosity will enable ministry to Jewish people, both in Israel and around the world, so that they can experience physical healing, spiritual blessings and the opportunity to meet their Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). You will also be helping us fight a growing spirit of anti-Semitism in the world.

Your generosity, and that of other caring followers of Yeshua, make this ministry to Jewish people possible.

As our way of saying “thank you” for your gift of $15 or more today, we’ll send you the House Blessing Mezuzah. May God’s blessing be on your house and all who dwell within!