Israel has three national holidays within one week of each other in the Hebrew months of Nisan and Iyar. This year, they all land in April.

The apostle Paul urges us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). We believe that’s part of what standing with Israel means.

Yom HaShoah – Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Holocaust is also known as the Shoah, which is the Hebrew word for “catastrophe.” Yom HaShoah (YOHM Ha-SHO-ah) then means “Day of the Catastrophe” and is a day of remembering victims and heroes of the Holocaust.

Yom HaShoah is designated for the 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1941.

The observance begins in the evening, as the Hebrew day starts at sunset. Places of entertainment are closed, and flags fly at half-mast. According to the law passed in 1955, radio and television stations broadcast programs focused on the special nature of the day. Ceremonies and services are held all over the country. At Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial museum, six giant torches are lit, representing the six million Jewish people killed in the Holocaust.

In the morning, a siren sounds for two minutes throughout the country. During that time, Israel stands still in honor of those who lost their lives in the Holocaust or survived its horrific trauma. Work stops. People walking along streets stop. Drivers pull to the side of the road and stop, often getting out to stand by their vehicle for the duration of the memorial siren.

For more about Yom HaShoah, including a Holocaust survivor’s story, see “Yom HaShoah, Keeping the Cry Alive.”

Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day

Yom HaZikaron (YOHM Ha-Zee-kar-OHN) is a solemn day remembering and honoring those who lost their lives fighting to defend and preserve Israel’s freedom. In the early years of statehood, fallen soldiers of the War of Independence were honored on Israel’s Independence Day. However, the mixing of mourning and celebration was hard for families grieving such relatively recent losses.

In 1963, the Knesset, Israel’s governing body, signed into law the designation of Iyar 4, the day before Independence Day, as the national Memorial Day. The placement of the two national holidays makes for a profound connection. Without the sacrifices of those who fought for Israel, there would be no independence. So, first, Israel honors, then they celebrate.

Since its establishment, the day of remembrance has been extended to include soldiers who died in battles prior to statehood, as well as fallen members of the police, General Security Service and Mossad intelligence agency.

The Knesset put much thought into establishing traditions for Yom HaZikaron. They determined the day would be marked by the sounding of a siren, similar to that on Yom HaShoah, candle-lightings, ceremonies in schools and military cemeteries as well as special prayers.

A one-minute siren opens the day of observance at 8:00 p.m., followed by a national ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. A second siren sounds at 11:00 a.m., this one for two minutes. Television and radio stations broadcast programming honoring the fallen. Some include a scrolling list of names, highlighting the fact that each one represents a valuable life with their own story, sacrifice and family left behind. At 1:00 p.m., a national service honors the victims of terrorist attacks.

In the evening, a torch-lighting ceremony closes the day. Flags that have flown at half-mast all day are raised, and the celebration of Israel’s Independence Day begins.

For more about Yom HaZikaron, see “A Surprising Veteran of Israel’s War of Independence.”

Yom HaAtzmaut – Israel’s Independence Day

Upon the foundation of honoring those who gave their lives for the Jewish homeland, Israel celebrates her hard-won freedom with Yom HaAtzmaut (YOHM Ha-AHTZ-mah-OOT). You many know Israel’s rebirth as a nation to have taken place on May 14, 1948. On the Hebrew calendar, that date was Iyar 5. Israel celebrates her Independence Day annually on this date, which means the date on the Gregorian calendar fluctuates from year to year.

Along with official ceremonies and religious services, Yom HaAtzmaut is a day filled with fun and recreation. All over the Land, people attend concerts, festivals, picnics, and barbeques, go hiking, to the beach and enjoy themselves.

Fireworks light up the night sky, and the nationally prestigious Israel Prize is bestowed on selected individuals with outstanding accomplishments in various fields. Major categories include humanities, science, culture, and lifetime achievement and exceptional contribution to the nation, with prizes awarded in several subfields on a rotation cycle from year to year.

For more about Yom HaAtzmaut, see “Who Has Heard of Such A Thing?.”

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment’” (Exodus 6:6 NIV). 

Can you imagine what it must have been like when the Israelites left Egypt? Everyone had been slaves their whole lives. Yet, all 600,000 men – plus women and children – just walked right out of the country. That’s something that was not permitted before.  

But now the Israelites were free. As with the Israelites who left Egypt after Passover, the end of our slavery is the beginning of freedom. The Children of Israel were saved from bondage to Pharaoh, and we’ve been saved from bondage to sin. 

Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read from the Hebrew Scriptures, quoting a verse in Isaiah about the Messiah who would come to proclaim freedom for captives and release for prisoners. He then rolled up the scroll and said the people had just heard that prophecy’s fulfillment.  

What freedoms do we have as Believers in Jesus? Scripture tells us we can freely approach God with confidence, that we’re free from accusation, free from condemnation, and we are free from the fear of death. Those are some nice freedoms! 

The New Testament writers remind us that freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility. We are to use our freedom for good as though we are slaves to God, and as we have freely received so much from Him, we ought also to freely give.  

At Passover, God dramatically freed His people. Jesus told His followers that if the Son sets us free, we’ll be free indeed. Passover is a time to look back and thank God for setting us free! Emphatically free! 

“For freedom, Messiah set us free––so stand firm, and do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery again” (Galatians 5:1). 

Scriptures 

Exodus 12:37, Luke 4:18–21, Isaiah 61:1, John 8:36, Ephesians 3:12, Colossians 1:22, Romans 8:1, Hebrews 2:15, 1 Peter 2:16, Galatians 5:3, Matthew 10:8 

Reflection Questions 

• What mental images come to mind when you think of being freed?  
• How do you think life expanded for the Israelites once beyond Egypt’s borders?  
• When you think of yourself being saved from slavery to sin and released into God’s freedom, what does that mean to you?  
• What kind of expanded life did Jesus’ blood purchase for you? 
• What responsibilities come with your freedom in Messiah? 

“So when your son asks you in times to come, ‘What is this?’ say to him, ‘By a strong hand Adonai brought us out from Egypt, the house of bondage’” (Exodus 13:14). 

Living in freedom as we do, it’s hard to imagine being enslaved, having no opportunity for a different life. For generation upon generation, Israelites in Egypt were servants of cruel masters and without hope. Born slaves, they died slaves. 

Today, during a traditional Passover Seder, a child asks, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Part of the answer states, “If God had not brought us out, we would still be slaves today in Egypt.”  

What a sobering thought. But God heard the cries and saw the suffering of the people of Israel. He intervened and changed everything. God did the impossible – He broke the shackles of bondage and saved the people from slavery.  

Like God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, Jesus came to save us – from slavery to sin. We had no power to free ourselves, and before we placed our faith in Jesus, we were without hope. We were born slaves to sin, and if not for Jesus, we would also die as slaves to sin.  

Jesus’ name in Hebrew – Yeshua – means “salvation,” and He came to save us from sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. Sin doesn’t own us. God redeemed us out of bondage.  

Paul and Peter remind us that we are slaves to whom we obey, and we are set free to obey God rather than sin. Whenever we feel stuck in a sinful habit, we can know that we have the Holy Spirit’s power inside us, enabling us to choose God over sin.  

Passover is a holiday of remembrance. As we remember how God saved the Israelites from their bondage, we do well to remember whose servants we now are. We no longer serve sin. We are rescued from its mastery over us. 

“But now, having been set free from sin and having become enslaved to God, you have your fruit resulting in holiness. And the outcome is eternal life” (Romans 6:22). 

Scriptures 

Exodus 3:7, Exodus 13: 3, Psalm 102:19–20, Matthew 1:21, Romans 5:12, 2 Peter 2:19, Romans 6:6, 16–17 

Reflection Questions 

• Think back to before you placed your faith in Jesus. What trajectory do you think your life would have taken if Jesus had not delivered you from sin’s mastery? 

• Spend some time meditating on your present struggles or temptations, and ask God to show you where you may have let a defeated mindset settle in to make you believe the sin is too big or too longstanding to uproot.  

• How would you look at that sin differently if you fully grasped that it is not your master, that you are not its slave anymore?

“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you…” (Exodus 12:13). 

Every day, across the globe, lives are saved in some way or another. They’re extricated from crumpled cars, plucked from raging waters, carried from burning buildings. They’re pulled back from the path of vehicles, given CPR by strangers or restored to health by medical professionals. 

In Egypt, God told the Israelites about the final plague He would bring on the entire land. The firstborn of every household, Jewish or Egyptian, human or animal, was going to die. But God provided the way for the Israelites to escape the coming death. They had to take the blood of a sacrificed lamb and paint it on the doorframes of their houses. When the Angel of Death came through the land and saw the blood, He would pass over those homes. The blood was their covering, their protection and salvation. 

Passover contains an illustration of the Messiah, who came to save us from spiritual death. He died to pay the penalty of sin on our behalf. That penalty is death, spiritual and eternal. Jesus is our Passover Lamb, and His shed blood covers and saves us. 

There are countless ways to save an earthly life, but only Jesus can save our eternal lives.  

“Amen, amen I tell you, whoever hears My word and trusts the One who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed over from death into life” (John 5:24). 

Scriptures 

Exodus 12:7, 12–13, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 6:23, and 1 Corinthians 5:7, Romans 3:25, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 5:9 

Reflection Questions 

• Have you ever been saved from physical death? How did you feel toward the person or people who saved you? 

• Think about your spiritual salvation. Remember back to how God drew you to Him and when you placed your faith in Him. Think for a moment about what He saved you from – spiritual death and eternal separation from Him. Thank Him for Jesus’ blood that covers your sin and saves you from this death.

“…For the joy set before Him, He endured…”  

—Hebrews 12:2

Imagine the sound of gravel beneath your feet as you walk in the place where Jesus spent His last hours before He was arrested. 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that if there were any other way, He’d rather not go through what lay ahead of Him – and then He relinquished His will to the Father’s.  

Hebrews tells us He laid down His own life “for the joy set before Him.” That joy was you. He knew that His death meant you would be reconciled to God and given eternal life.  

When you join us on the Jewish Voice Ministries Israel Tour 2021, you’ll visit the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient, gnarled olive trees and beautiful flower beds.  

You’ll see where Jesus knelt and prayed. You’ll look upon the setting where He stood up with resolve to face the mob who’d come out to arrest Him.  

You’ll see the place where He entrusted Himself to the Father and stepped willingly into the greatest sacrifice ever made – for you.  

And your faith will be transformed. 

The Garden of Gethsemane
is just one of the many biblical sites

that will invigorate your faith
when you join us on the

Jewish Voice Ministries

Israel Tour 2021

October 10-20, 2021

We are planning this exciting Israel tour in faith that COVID-19 will be a matter of little concern by tour time. However, in case it (or anything else beyond our control) causes travel restrictions that force us to cancel the trip, you will receive a full refund for any payments you’ve made toward it. If the tour is able to take place, but you choose to cancel your participation, our regular cancellation schedule listed in the brochure will apply.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2

As we look forward to Passover and remember all God has done for us, I want you to know how much I appreciate you and how thankful I am that you share my love for Israel and the Jewish people.

Thinking about the first Passover, the Jewish people in Egypt had no hope of freedom without God’s intervention. They were powerless against their captors. And then God stepped in to declare His love for His people, rescue them out of their slavery to Pharaoh, and set them free.

Likewise, God initiates our salvation. He is the One who sees our need and stretches out His hand to meet it. He sent Yeshua (Jesus), our Passover Lamb, to take on our sin and die in our place. God intervened and came to our rescue!

What a cause for celebration every day – but especially during Passover, which begins this Saturday at sunset.

While we wait for Passover to begin, join me in looking at some of the latest news from Israel and continuing to lift up the Jewish people in prayer.

Israel No Closer to a Government after Fourth Election

All the votes are in and the outcome of Israel’s fourth election in two years is the same as the last three: no party or coalition of parties received enough seats to form a government.

Despite strong early polling, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and allies only secured 52 of the 61 seats needed. A bloc of opposition parties only managed to secure 57 seats. Even plans to form a centrist coalition would only result in 58 seats.

Two parties, the right-wing Yamina and Islamist Ra’amm, are currently undeclared with 11 seats between them. However, neither is likely to gives those seats to an existing coalition.

The election results won’t be certified until March 31, which still leaves time for a coalition with 61 seats to form, but it is unlikely. Even if it does, it might not last long.

After the third election ended in a stalemate, the two largest opposition parties, Likud and Blue and White, agreed to form a power-sharing government. This would have seen Prime Minister Netanyahu and Benny Gantz trade the role of Prime Minister every two years. However, the coalition dissolved in December when disagreements between the parties prevented them from passing the government budget by the required deadline.

As things stand now, a fifth election looks likely to take place later this year.

Virus-Killing Nasal Spray Begins Production in Israel

A nasal spray that is going to be marketed as capable of killing 99.9% of virus particles is now being produced in an Israeli factory.

It’s inventor, Dr. Gilly Regev, an Israeli-raised biochemist, says the spray could have prevented much of the world’s COVID-19 infection, The Times of Israel reported.

Regev, who co-founded the company SaNOtize and developed the spray in Canada, says “This will be affordable and can be used for prevention, to protect from any respiratory viral infection.”

She said that it has been shown to be effective in the lab against a wide range of viruses and said new variants of the coronavirus won’t interfere with its effectiveness. Regev emphasized that “it contains a broad-spectrum antiviral which kills all viruses and all variants.”

Regev called Enovid a “hand sanitizer equivalent for the nose,” and said it creates a physical barrier in the nasal passages to stop viruses along with a “chemical barrier” of nitric oxide, which is known for its antimicrobial qualities. “The nitric oxide means this is a special spray that doesn’t just block viruses but actually kills them,” she said.

Israel is going to be the first country where the nasal spray is sold. It is also approved for sale in New Zealand. Other countries, including the UK, are seeking approval to purchase it.

Oral COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be on Its Way, Claims Israeli-American Company

Preparations are underway by an Israeli-American pharmaceutical company to launch a Phase 1 clinical trial for what could become the world’s first oral COVID-19 vaccine.

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, announced this past weekend a joint venture with India-based Premas Biotech to develop a novel oral vaccine.

The companies connected earlier this year and realized together they could revolutionize the marketplace, according to Oramed CEO Nadav Kidron. They formed the company Oravax Medical Inc. The vaccine is based on Oramed’s POD (Protein Oral Delivery) technology and Prema’s vaccine technology.

This new Oravax vaccine candidate targets three structural proteins of the novel coronavirus. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines target a single spike protein, Kidron said. As such, “this vaccine should be much more resistant to COVID-19 variants,” he said.

Kidron expects Phase 1 human trial data to be available within three months.

Let Us Pray Together

Please pray with me for:

• Protection from the coronavirus for the people of Israel as families and communities gather to celebrate Passover together
• A peaceful, God-inspired solution to Israel’s government situation
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah and Passover Lamb

A year ago, our world seemed to turn upside down. Life as we knew it changed dramatically because of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the same time, Jewish people around the world were preparing to celebrate Passover, which brought to my mind some parallels to the first Passover.

We were — and still are — experiencing a plague. Leading up to that first Passover, there were nine horrible plagues. And then the tenth, and worst of all, the death of all the firstborn in Egypt.

Passover and all of the plagues were a reminder to the Israelites that the world they were living in was not their home. For us, this pandemic serves as a similar reminder.

That first Passover, the blood of a lamb without defect was spread on the doorposts as the sign to pass over those homes, to spare them from the plague.

God saved the Israelites because of the blood of the lamb. This was a foreshadowing of Yeshua (Jesus) -- the perfect Lamb of God — who saved us by the shedding of His blood as a sacrifice for our sin.

I believe that today is the day to declare this Good News to the Jewish people. Passover serves as a reminder of God’s miraculous provision and protection. That provision is God’s Son, the Messiah!

This pandemic has created a greater spiritual openness in the people we serve — in particular, Jewish people in Israel. Anxiety and fear of sickness and death have led many who have never thought about their salvation to begin asking big questions.