Immediately following Israel’s somber Memorial Day (Yom HaZkraron), Israel celebrates its Independence day, Yom HaAtzmaut. It is a day of rejoicing commemorating Israel’s rebirth as an independent nation.

The country celebrates with parades, flags, free public shows, and a torch lighting ceremony. Families gather for picnics and outdoor recreation, the president delivers a speech, and the prestigious “The Israel Prize” is awarded. This award recognizes individual Israelis who have uniquely contributed to the country’s culture, science, arts, and humanities.

You often hear that Israel became a nation “overnight.” It’s true. However, there was much going on in the decades before May 14, 1948 that prepared the soil for the instant appearance of the budded state. For instance:

1897 – The First Zionist Congress met in Basel, Switzerland, organized by Theodore Herzl. The new Congress served to unify a previously fragmented movement to establish a Jewish homeland. After the assembly, Herzl wrote in his diary, “At Basle [sic], I founded the Jewish state… If not in five years then certainly in fifty, everyone will realize it” (Jewish Virtual Library).

1917 – The Balfour Declaration (Nov 1917) was a British statement of support for establishing in the Palestinian region a national homeland for Jewish people. Arthur Balfour, the British foreign secretary, made the declaration in a letter to Lionel Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community.

1937 – The Peel Commission sought to resolve the opposing aims of Jewish people and Arabs in the area. Neither side was happy about the proposed plans, the Jews because the allotted area was less than 20% of the region under consideration, and the Arabs because they feared it would require some Arabs to “live under Jewish domination” (Jewish Virtual Library). “Nevertheless, the Zionists decided to negotiate with the British, while the Arabs refused to consider any compromises” (Jewish Virtual Library).

1947 – The British, who had been charged with governing the region since 1922 and with helping establish a Jewish homeland there, could not find an agreement suitable to both Jews and Arabs. So, in February 1947, they turned the matter over to the United Nations. A delegation to the region discovered that the conflicting goals of each party could not be reconciled, and voted to recommend two separate states, Jewish and Arab. In November, the UN announced the approval of its Partition Plan giving land to the Jews for a new state. Arab protestors almost immediately initiated violence and riots.

May 14, 1948 – On the date that the British mandate (governance of the Palestinian region) expired, Israel proclaimed its independence as a sovereign nation-state. David Ben-Gurion wrote the Israeli Declaration of Independence and read it aloud that Friday afternoon during a short ceremony “held at 4 pm before the British left to avoid making the declaration on Shabbat” (Jewish Virtual Library).

With trust in Almighty God, we set our hand to this Declaration, at this Session of the Provisional State Council, in the city of Tel Aviv, on this Sabbath eve, the fifth of Iyar, 5708, the fourteenth day of May, 1948.

¾ From Israel’s Declaration of Independence (PBS.org)

People danced in the streets because it “was one of the most remarkable, inspiring achievements in human history: A people which had been exiled from its homeland two thousand years before… but which had refused to relinquish its identity… was returning home as sovereign citizens in their own independent state” (New Essays on Zionism, “Ben-Gurion and the Return to Jewish Power,” Michael B. Oren).

Israel as a nation is a miracle. By God’s design and in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, He brought His people back into the Land He gave them so long ago. We celebrate with Israel the joyous occasion of her return to the Land and independence as a free nation. Happy Yom Atzmaut, Israel! Happy Independence Day!

The miraculous story of Israel’s restoration has been captured in an inspiring documentary and companion book. Click here for “The Miracle of Israel.”

It was barely daylight on the first day of the JVMI medical clinic in Hosanna, Ethiopia.

Staff and volunteers assembled to prepare for a week of ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the Gefat Jewish people, one of the Ethiopian Jewish communities whose heritage and customs trace back to Israelites dispersed into Ethiopia.

The history of the Gefat Tribe dates back 600 years, and today they are known locally as the “Fuga,” a derogatory term that means “hated, unliked people.” The original meaning of Fuga was “blower” because they were blowers of the shofar, but over the years, the term morphed into something insulting—more commonly expressed now as “may they dry up and blow away.”

But in spite of the century-long attempt at repressing the people they were there to minister to, everyone at the medical clinic on that early morning would soon learn that the deeply embedded heritage of faith of the Gefat Jewish people had not even come close to being suppressed.

As JVMI team members gathered to pray for Yeshua’s guidance and presence on the hectic first day of the medical clinic, the doctors, nurses, and other staff and volunteers didn’t know that the first patient of the day—a young pregnant woman in the late stages of labor—was already standing at their door.

Having walked from one of the most impoverished areas of Hosanna during the chilly, predawn hours that morning, the young woman—now only a few moments away from giving birth—waited patiently.

When asked through an interpreter why she had walked so many miles out of her way to the clinic instead of a hospital nearer to where she lived, she replied that God spoke to her during the night and told her to walk the dusty and distant miles to the Jewish Voice clinic.

The young woman had heard the Lord telling her that He would show her the way to the place she needed to be to safely give birth to her precious child.

Having delivered babies in our clinics before, we knew that assisting this woman in the delivery of her baby was likely far superior to the alternative. Conditions in many hospitals in the developing world can be challenging—especially with regard to sanitation and qualified medical staffing. They are often places where giving birth can be subject to poor conditions that may threaten the life of the mother or child.

Within mere minutes of arriving at the clinic, JVMI doctors and nurses were able to deliver her baby without any complications that may have arisen from her grueling walk. This faithful woman gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy who she named Amanuel, meaning “God is with us” in her native Amharic language.

God’s Timing is Always Perfect

Later that week, when a terrified father carried his unresponsive adolescent daughter into the clinic, staff and volunteers hurried to swiftly create a makeshift oxygen mask to revive the girl. Her father was able to hastily communicate through an interpreter that his daughter’s unconscious condition was from seizures that she’d recently been experiencing several times a week.

The improvised oxygen mask was a success, and the young girl slowly began to regain consciousness, but what happened next caught everyone in the clinic by surprise. Not knowing where she was, how she got there, or who the many people standing over her were, she began to scream in absolute fear. Seeing the perilous situation, her father diligently tried to calm her while the medical staff quickly prepared and administered the IV sedation and seizure medication she needed.

In a situation that had quickly escalated from bad to worse, the medication acted quickly to calm the frightened girl. Shortly thereafter, the medical staff performed a thorough examination on her to determine what type of ongoing medication she needed so they could send her father home with what he needed to prevent another seizure.

Had the JVMI clinic not been available to this frantic father and his unresponsive daughter, it’s difficult to imagine what the outcome to this medical emergency might have been or whether the girl would have ever received the ongoing medication she needed to prevent future life-threatening seizures.

God’s timing is indeed perfect. The Bible tells us over and over again that it is not for us to know His plans, but to trust His timing in all things and His willingness to do good for those who love Him.

One of the hallmarks of Yeshua’s ministry on earth was His compassion for the broken. As He traveled from village to village, He healed many diseases and cast out demons, freeing captives from both physical and spiritual bondage.

Through your prayers and partnership, you’ve helped JVMI travel to villages in the far corners of the world to do good for those who love Him. Because of faithful partners like you, lives like those in Hosanna continue to be saved through the hope and healing of Yeshua. But the Gefat Jewish people represent only a small fraction of our international medical outreaches planned for this year and beyond. Our prayers are to offer the compassion of Yeshua to every impoverished Jewish community throughout Africa.

What we encounter on these outreaches is often immense and heartbreaking. Where traditional medicine can’t help, our Lord often miraculously provides personal healing. Most of those that receive our ministry have never seen a doctor nor heard the Good News of their Messiah. At our medical clinics, they have the opportunity to receive both.

We desperately need your continued prayer and support as we prepare for our next outreach planned for April 27—May 8, 2017, when we’ll minister hope and healing to the Lemba tribe in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. Since our first outreach to the Lemba living in poor rural villages like this in 2012, these ancient people of Israel have come to faith in Yeshua in remarkable numbers. Over 60 Messianic congregations have been planted. At last year’s outreach, more than 750 people prayed to receive Yeshua. With your help, that number will grow this year.

One Person at a Time

We’re told in John 8:47 that “He who belongs to God hears the words of God.” God has called each of us to minister to one person at a time. You may not be able to physically join us in Zimbabwe, but you can answer God’s call to help in other ways. Your financial gifts will help us distribute life-saving medicines, offer spiritual encouragement, and prepare the way of the Lord to one lost and hurting soul at a time.

Just as we were able to be a part of God’s perfect timing in Hosanna, your generous financial contributions will help us do good for all who love Him in every corner of the world.

There are many thousands of people waiting for our return to Masvingo this year. We don’t know what life-threatening medical emergencies may be waiting for us— whether it’s delivering a baby after his mother’s grueling walk or administering life-saving seizure medicine to an unconscious girl—but we do know the need is great to bring the hope and healing message of Yeshua to the scattered Tribes of Israel.

Friend, TOGETHER we can do it... one person at a time.

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threw his country’s upcoming election into turmoil last week when he registered as a candidate to run for president again.

You may remember Ahmadinejad as the Iranian leader who frequently outraged the West with his outbursts of inflammatory rhetoric and warlike policies during his eight years in office from 2005 to 2013. He questioned the scale of the Holocaust, called for the demise of Israel, and expanded Iran’s nuclear program.

His surprise candidacy is seen as a direct challenge to the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei had warned Ahmadinejad not to nominate himself, saying in September that his candidacy could create divisions in Iran and harm the country.

As quoted in the Jerusalem Post, Khamenei said, “He (Ahmadinejad) came to me and I told him not to stand as I think it is not in his interest and that of the country.”

At first, Ahmadinejad indicated he would comply and stay out of the race, saying he would support his former deputy Hamid Baghaei, who also registered on the same day.

But at a press conference last week, Ahmadinejad characterized Khamenei’s warning not to put his name forward as “just advice.”

Ahmadinejad’s candidacy must still be approved by Iran’s Guardian Council, which is closely aligned with Khamenei, who appoints half its members.

What Ahmadinejad may be thinking

Ahmadinejad and Baghaei seem to be responding to a growing desire of hardliners in Iran, who seek a tough-talking candidate who will stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Iran’s current president, the more moderate Hassan Rouhani, who negotiated Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, is expected to run for reelection. And, he seems to still enjoy the support of Khamenei.

Some observers are speculating that Ahmadinejad may be registering as a strategy to help Baghaei, who is one of his primary allies.

In fact, Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying that he registered “only to support Baghaei.”

By registering as a candidate himself, Ahmadinejad may be trying to discourage the Guardian Council from disqualifying Baghaei. The thought is that the Council may not want to risk angering hardliners by voiding the candidacy of both at the same time.

The Council is composed of clerics and Islamic jurists and normally disqualifies dissidents, women, and most reformists. It is scheduled to release the list of approved candidates by April 27.

Last week after registering his candidacy, Ahmadinejad commented on recent missile strikes — ordered by President Trump against a Syrian government airbase — in response to a chemical weapons attack by Syria against a rebel-held town.

“I do not think it has a message for Iran,” said Ahmadinejad in the Times of Israel. “Iran is a powerful country and people like Mr. Trump or the United States administration cannot hurt Iran.”

The Trump administration had earlier this year announced it was putting Iran “on notice,” in part over its ballistic missile tests. Iran has been the primary regional supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad in that country’s civil war. Iran is also directly involved in providing military support to the Syrian government.

All of this turmoil and uncertainty in world events makes our calling to be Yeshua’s (Jesus’) ambassadors more relevant than ever.

Will you join me to pray for peace in the region and for the people to be reconciled first to God and then to each other?

Thank you for praying in this way. Our interest is not a matter of politics, but of passion to serve the Jewish people in the name of their Jewish Savior and to proclaim His truth to all who will hear.

And, as you pray, I hope you’ll consider making a gift to Jewish Voice. Your support enables us to continue taking the Good News of Yeshua and compassionate humanitarian aid to Jewish people throughout the world.

For your gift of $35 or more today, we’ll send you an inspiring set of gifts. You’ll receive the Jerusalem/Grafted-in keychain plus the amazing DVD story of Majed El Shafie, a former Muslim turned Believer who was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death for his faith in Yeshua. You’ll learn how he escaped and now advocates for the rights of religious minorities around the world. I want you to know how much I appreciate your prayers for the nation of Israel and the work of Jewish Voice among the people there and worldwide. Both your prayer and financial support are making a difference. We are so grateful for your help in this work.

 

Gaining Momentum in Masvingo!

One of the definitions Merriam Webster gives for momentum is: “the strength or force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes.”  When we speak of spiritual things, we know that strength or force doesn’t come from us, but from the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.

That is why we are seeking the Lord for momentum in Masvingo. In 2015 we tried to reach out there but the door closed. We went in 2016, and now we are returning for our second outreach there with many of the same key team leaders and volunteer outreach partners.  Spiritually speaking, together we tilled some hard soil, and this year on our return, we are hoping for an even greater harvest of fruit.

Please pray with us daily for the spiritual momentum to accelerate in Masvingo, Zimbawe as we return less than 9 months after our first outreach there.

Here are some requests for each day – please pray for:

Wednesday, April 19 through Wednesday, April 26 – Isaiah 40:3

• Our advance team as they take care of last minute preparations
• Our volunteer partners as they prepare to be away from work, family, and home during the outreach
• Protection from false religions, cults, and witchcraft for the preparations and outreach itself, new Believers, and local congregations and that the Kingdom of Light will prevail

Thursday, April 27 – Deuteronomy 31:8

• Smooth travels for our volunteer outreach partners, including flight connections
• The Lord to speak to and prepare them even as they travel
• Their luggage and easy transitions through customs

Friday, April 28 – Psalm 86:9

• A good arrival and ease in overcoming jet lag and making cultural adjustments
• Unity to be established during the Welcome meeting tonight and that it remains strong through the week
• The worship team to welcome the Lord’s presence and help us set our hearts and focus in the right place each day, starting tonight

Saturday, April 29 – Isaiah 30:15a

• Safe travel to our medical clinic site, six hours away on land
• A good night’s sleep at our outreach campsite tonight and every night
• For revelation during tonight’s meeting on the identity and calling of the Lemba to whom we will be ministering

Sunday, April 30 – Ephesians 6:10

• Every detail of this busy and pivotal day to go smoothly
• Clarity, unity, and understanding of all aspects during today’s orientation
• Safe and effective set-up of the clinic itself
• Favor and discernment in the hiring of well over 100 local workers to come alongside us for the week
• The first patients as the clinic opens (about 12noon to 5pm Zimbabwe time) and they are invited in

Monday, May 1 – Psalm 34:9

• The Lord to bring healing to many throughout the week and that we ourselves would be protected from every form of illness or injury
• Favor with any authorities or others who may be visiting the clinic
• For good weather – moderately warm with cloud cover – all week

Tuesday, May 2 – Psalm 116:1-2

• The Lord to deliver us from anyone who would do us harm or be a distraction or deterrent to what the He wants to do there through us
• A successful pilot of the Zehra (“seed” in Hebrew) program for children who come to the clinic – that they would have an encounter with Yeshua (Jesus) and begin to learn at a young age more about their own identity
• The nation and people of Zimbabwe, as they are experiencing a severe financial crisis leading to many hardships―may the Lord have mercy on them, and may their hearts be open to receive Yeshua

Wednesday, May 3 – Hebrews 2:4

• Miracles, signs and wonders throughout the week that will accompany the truth of the words being spoken
• Individuals of great influence in the community to come to Yeshua this week and give testimony to His salvation with their changed lives

Thursday, May 4 – Luke 10:27

• Physical stamina all the way to the end of the outreach
• Spiritual stamina, including during the early morning (5am) prayer meetings each morning
• Divine insight as blessings are decreed over the nation and people of Zimbabwe each day―may those of us praying for the outreach from home join in with our own blessings and decrees as well

Friday, May 5 – Psalm 126:3

• As the clinic closes, please pray for those whom we were just not able to see.  May the Lord meet them with healing and salvation
• Safety tearing down and packing up the tents, medical, and camping equipment and other assets
• Shalom as we pay the local workers. Pray also that the Lord will touch and bring some of them to salvation as a result of what they have experienced over the week
• A real sense of joy and gratitude for all the Lord has done at the end of the day; and safety during the 6-hour drive back to the hotel this evening

Saturday, May 6 – Hebrews 4:9

• A wonderful day for each outreach participant filled with rest, refreshment, fun, joy, gratitude, time with the Lord, and a sense of celebration and accomplishment from partnering with Him throughout the week

Sunday, May 7 – Monday, May 8 and beyond – Acts 9:31

• Safe travels home for all our outreach partners and their luggage; health and peaceful re-entry into family and work life
• Our staff team members and local partners as they close out the details of the outreach and begin to travel home through the week
• Focus and diligence for the local congregations as they follow up on those who received Yeshua and were open to being contacted – may they be connected with other Believers and grow in their relationship with Yeshua

LORD, it is only You who can activate and sustain the momentum needed to see souls saved, bodies and minds healed, and lives changed, as we partner with You in deed and in prayer.  May we see miracles beyond what we ask, and may the Lemba people and their neighbors in Zimbabwe receive blessing upon blessing from Your gracious hand as they come for care and find You. In Yeshua’s name, AMEN.

Beyond question, one of the greatest evils in human history was the Holocaust — the evil plan by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi henchmen to exterminate the Jews of Europe.

The horrors suffered by Jewish people during the Holocaust, while well known, are almost beyond comprehension. They were:

• Robbed of their homes, businesses, and possessions, with no compensation
• Stripped of their citizenship and freedoms
• Forced to live in terrible conditions in work camps or sealed ghettos across Europe, then later herded onto trains for transport to concentration and extermination camps
• Starved, tortured, worked to death, and executed in concentration camps

In all, an estimated 6 million Jewish people were murdered by the Nazis — 3 out of 5 Jews in Europe.

And the only crime they committed was being Jewish.

Today, 72 years after World War II, about half a million Holocaust survivors are still alive worldwide, including those who fled Nazi Germany. About 100,000 of those are men and women who actually survived the camps and ghettos, or hid from the Nazis.

Today the average age of a Jewish Holocaust survivor is 88. Many suffer from the common problems of old age: failing health, loneliness, and isolation — especially since many have no remaining family members.

But many also still suffer from the damage done by years of malnourishment, overwork, and even torture under the Nazis. In 2016, about 1 in 4 of the 180,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel struggled to survive below the poverty line. They’re dying at the rate of 13,000 per year.

We’ve met some who are so poor, they’re forced to get by on nothing but scrounged raw vegetables and powdered soup. Others must sleep in two coats because they’re unable to pay for heat in the winter. And many find themselves unable to afford eyeglasses, dental care, or other basics.

These dear Jewish men and women suffered more than we can imagine. It’s appalling and embarrassing that they now must continue to suffer in poverty.

That’s why, with your help, Jewish Voice Ministries is doing all we can to help!

Working with partner agencies in Israel, Jewish Voice is providing Holocaust survivors with eye care, glasses, dental care, and dentures -- significant needs which, because of their high cost in Israel, often go unmet. But you can help meet these needs with your gift today:

• The average cost of eye care is just $25 per person
• The average cost of dental care is about $800
• And in addition to our special concern for Holocaust survivors, your support of Jewish Voice also helps other elderly and impoverished Israelis who need our help

Our special focus in Israel will continue to be Holocaust survivors.

You see, remembering the Holocaust is important. In a 2015 study by the Pew Foundation in the United States, three-quarters of Jewish people surveyed said remembering the Holocaust was “essential to their sense of Jewishness.” This ranked the idea of remembering the Holocaust as more important than any other factor to the Jewish people.

So we must remember the horror that was the Holocaust, if only to ensure that the world doesn’t repeat it. And the best way to remember is to cherish and preserve those who lived in and through those terrible times.

Won’t you help give these survivors the respect and dignity they deserve, as so many of them approach the end of their lives?

Won’t you join with Jewish Voice to bring healing and comfort to these dear people in their final years?

Your generous contribution right now will help these Jewish men and women know they have not been forgotten. You can help relieve the suffering for those who have known far too much suffering in the past.

If you can help right now, I want to send you one or more special gifts — as our way of saying thank you for your compassionate support:

• For your gift of any amount, you’ll receive our special Holocaust Remembrance Pin. Inscribed with the Hebrew word Yizkor (“Remember”), this metal pin will affirm your commitment to remember the millions who suffered and died at Nazi hands.
  
  The motif of budding life from barbed wire honors how the Jewish spirit transformed one of history’s greatest tragedies into one of its greatest miracles — the rebirth of the Nation of Israel in the Promised Land.

• For your gift of $30 or more, you’ll receive the Holocaust Remembrance Pin, plus the book Trapped in Hitler’s Hell. This book tells the story of Anita Dittman, who, as a little girl raised by a Jewish mother, came to believe in Yeshua just as Nazism took control of Europe. Anita had to fight for survival, even as she grew in her love for Yeshua. It’s an extraordinary account of courage and trust in the face of evil.

• For your gift of $60 or more, you’ll receive the Holocaust Remembrance Pin, the book Trapped in Hitler’s Hell, PLUS the DVD version of Trapped in Hitler’s Hell to make it easy to share this powerful story with your family and friends.

And you have one more special reason to respond now to help Jewish Holocaust survivors living in Israel . . .

Just a few days from now — from sundown on April 23, through sundown on April 24 — we’ll observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s the time every year when Jewish people, and we Believers in Yeshua who care about them, stop and remember the suffering and sacrifice of so many who died at the hands of the Nazis.

Won’t you join in this Yom HaShoah remembrance by sending the most generous gift you can right now to help suffering Holocaust survivors in Israel?

Donate Now 

We have a new look!

INTRODUCING: The new Jewish Voice Ministries website! 

We’re super excited for you to see the new JVMI website! Our web designers have been hard at work for many months to create a better web experience for you, and we think you’re going to like our new look. The new Jewish Voice Ministries website has so many features to make your visit with us easier, faster, and more enjoyable.

Here are just a few things you can look forward to:

Improved Readability

Our new layout provides a more visually pleasing browsing experience, and the clean, comfortably-sized fonts make content easier to read.

Dynamic Home Page Content

Now you’ll be able to see the latest JVMI news, articles, and outreach information, right on the home page in a news feed. No need to go clicking around the whole website to stay up-to-date. Just scroll down on the home page and all the latest JVMI info is right there for you.

Redesigned Navigation

Our simplified menus get straight to the point of what you want to do when you visit our website. Do you want to Watch, Read, Learn, Pray, Go, Shop, Donate, find out more About us and Ways To Give? Our main menu bar leads you right to the content you want about our television program, publications, learning about Messianic Judaism, outreaches, ways to pray and give, products, and more. Sub-menus help you zero in further.

Reorganized Content

The new website features reorganized content that has removed former “clutter” and redundant content.  Everything is sorted into simpler categories to help you locate the content you want the most. (See a quick reference guide below to help you find some of your favorite web pages.)

Powerful Search Functionality

We’ve amped up our search capabilities to produce better results for you, helping you find what you want faster and more easily.

Integrated Blog and Website

The new website is fully integrated with our blog so that your searches will produce more complete results. Now, when you search for a topic you want to know more about, you’ll get results from our web content and the blog, something that wasn’t possible with our old website.

Advanced Filtering

You’re really going to like this feature. Say, you want to watch a specific episode of our television program with Jonathan Cahn as our guest, but you don’t know when it aired. Or maybe you’d like to take a look at all shows when he was the featured guest. Now you can apply search filters to call up only those shows when he was the guest. Our old website didn’t have these advanced filtering capabilities, but with our new site, you can find just what you’re looking for in a snap.

Mobile Optimized

And of course, our new website is fully optimized to adapt to any of your mobile devices for easy reading and navigating. Watch television shows, learn more about Messianic Judaism, catch up on outreach field reports, shop, or donate to support your favorite program – all on the go wherever you are.

Visit our new website at www.jvmi.org and get acquainted with our new look. We think you’re going to love how fresh, clean, and easy it is.