I’m writing to ask for your help in reaching members of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” and other Jewish communities in Africa with something they desperately need: clean, safe water.

But first, let me share a powerful story from Exodus 15:22-27 about the miracle of clean water:

Right after crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites entered the Wilderness of Shur. But within three days, they were in desperate need of water.

Coming upon a spring called Marah (“bitter”), they found the water undrinkable. They grumbled to Moses, who wisely called out to God for help. God directed Moses to a tree and told him to throw it into the water. When he obeyed, the water was turned from bitter to sweet.

What a beautiful example of how God can miraculously provide for our needs. He made the water drinkable for the Israelites. And He’s still meeting needs in amazing ways today!

One of these ways is through YOU providing LifeStraws^®.

I’ve written about them before, but if they are new to you let me explain:

A LifeStraw is a remarkable, almost miraculous, water filtration device. Each Family LifeStraw costs $75 and provides enough clean drinking water for a family of five for three years! That means each $15 you give provides clean water for one person for three years.

This simple, portable, inexpensive filter removes 99.9% of the bacteria, parasites and pollutants from water. That means it takes out disease-causing contaminants, effectively turning “bitter,” undrinkable water into pure, safe, healthy water!

Do you see the connection to the story from Exodus? Bitter, undrinkable water can be made drinkable to meet the needs of thirsty people.

And that’s exactly what YOU can do right now with your gift to provide clean water with LifeStraws. You’ll make a life-changing – even life-saving – difference for Jewish people and their neighbors living in remote areas of Africa.

Along with LifeStraws, we are able to educate communities on the dangers of unclean water and the need for basic hygiene. And prayerfully, very soon we will be able to provide medical, dental and eye care for many in need through our new, smaller mobile clinics.

Most important, we pray with the people and share the Good News of our Messiah – who called Himself “Living Water” and wants to give them abundant life, now and forever.

You’ll be meeting a critical physical need AND sharing the love and hope of Jesus!

It really is a type of modern-day miracle and a symbol of the Living Water that only Jesus offers!

Right now, each $15 you give provides clean water for one person for three years.

Will you provide Family LifeStraws to as many Jewish people in desperate need of clean water as you can by sending a generous gift right now?

You can imagine the disciples’ confusion – their glances around the room and the unspoken question in their eyes.

“What is He doing?”

Jesus had taken off His outer garment and wrapped a towel around His waist. He filled a basin with water, knelt before His disciples – and began washing their feet.

How could this be? This was servants’ work. Yet here was their Rabbi, the Messiah of God, humbling Himself to serve them in one of the lowliest ways.

After He finished, He explained many things, as John 13–14 records:

• He came as an example
• He is the way, the truth and the life
• No one comes to the Father except through Him
• Whatever we ask in His name, He will do – for God’s glory
• If we love Him, we will keep His commandments
• Because He lives, we will live also
• He will send us the Helper
• The Helper will teach us and be with us forever
• Jesus gives us His extraordinary peace

Jesus spoke these things to His disciples in the Upper Room on the night before He died for us.

The Upper Room
is just one of the many inspiring sites
you’ll visit on the

Jewish Voice Ministries

Israel Tour 2021

October 10-20, 2021

SAVE! Register before March 1, 2021, and receive a $200 discount per person!

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.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)

I’m sharing with you the powerful words of the Shema from Deuteronomy. These verses are a declaration of faith for the Jewish people and also for those of us who embrace Jesus as the Messiah. I pray that they encourage and strengthen you today!

This week, as you’ll read below, we’ve seen more progress and reasons to be hopeful concerning Israel and two Islamic countries that have signed the Abraham Accords.

There is also some good news on the coronavirus front in Israel regarding early data that shows the vaccine working to decrease hospitalizations.

And a news story to lead us to prayer – in one ultra-Orthodox city, protests against the current coronavirus restrictions have turned violent.

Thank you for your great compassion for Israel and the Jewish people. Your love and prayers are greatly treasured.

Israel’s Government Authorizes Normalization With Morocco

The normalization agreement with Morocco received a unanimous vote of approval by Israel’s cabinet on Sunday, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the agreement “a historic moment after four peace agreements with four Muslim and Arab states in four months.”

He also praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, adding, “Together we are advancing direct flights between the countries. It will happen soon – economic, trade, technological cooperation and the opening of missions in both countries.”

Israel and Morocco renewed relations last year within the framework of the Abraham Accords.

Israel’s Embassy Officially Opens in United Arab Emirates on Same Day UAE Approves Opening of Its Embassy in Tel Aviv

On Sunday, Israel officially opened its embassy in the UAE with the arrival of Ambassador Eitan Na’eh in Abu Dhabi. That same day, the UAE’s cabinet approved the opening of its embassy in Tel Aviv.

“The embassy will work to advance Israel’s interests and will be at the disposal of its citizens,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.

The UAE, along with Bahrain, signed the Abraham Accords normalization agreement with Israel in September 2020.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi praised the UAE decision to open its own embassy.

“This is an important decision that will advance the warm ties between countries and between nations,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming the UAE representatives soon.”

Israel Has a 60% Drop in Hospitalizations for People 60+ Three Weeks After First Vaccine Shot

Among the most vulnerable members of society, vaccines are averting serious cases of the coronavirus, according to an Israeli healthcare provider.

Full effects of Pfizer’s vaccine only kick in around a month after the first shot. But data from Israel shows there is a significant drop in infections even before this point.

Israel data is being closely monitored because the country has the fastest vaccination drive. Maccabi Healthcare Services reported earlier this month it had seen a 60% reduction in coronavirus infections three weeks after the first shot is given, according to The Times of Israel.

At that time, it wasn’t clear if the benefits were being felt equally by people likely to have a mild infection and those who would have more serious symptoms.

The decrease in hospital admissions is swift after vaccination, Maccabi suggests in its latest data. Findings show hospitalizations start to fall sharply from Day 18 after people receive the first shot. Galia Rahav, head of infectious diseases at Israel’s largest hospital, Sheba Medical Center, described the data as “very important.”

By Day 23, which is 2 days after the second shot, there is a 60% drop in hospitalizations among vaccinated people aged 60-plus, Maccabi shared after monitoring 50,777 patients. It compared their hospitalization rate at that point with their hospitalization rate soon after receiving the vaccine, using 7-day moving averages.

Rahav cautioned that some of the drop may be due to a tendency of newly vaccinated people to follow lockdown rules, which causes a drop in infection and hospitalization.

Government Approves Near-Complete Shutdown of Main Airport to Combat Coronavirus Variants

On Sunday, Israel’s cabinet ministers approved the near-complete shutdown of Ben Gurion Airport, located just east of Tel Aviv. The closure goes through the end of January when national lockdown measures are scheduled to be eased.

This step is being taken due to fears over fast-spreading or vaccine resistant coronavirus variants entering the country. As the cabinet meeting was held, the Health Ministry reported five more cases of the South African coronavirus variant were found among travelers from South Africa and Dubai. The ministry said 27 total cases of the strain have been detected in Israel, The Times of Israel reported.

A copy of the proposal the ministers approved said all foreign aircraft will be barred from entering Israeli skies or landing at Ben Gurion Airport. Exceptions will be made for cargo planes, emergency aircraft and planes that traverse Israeli airspace without landing.

The document also said departing flights would be limited to those traveling for medical treatment, essential work, legal proceedings, a funeral of a relative and traveling from one residence to another. It said the director of the Health Ministry can grant exceptions for humanitarian or “special personal” reasons.

“We are closing the country hermetically,” said Netanyahu. “Just in this week of closing the skies, we will vaccinate another million Israelis.”

New Clashes in Ultra-Orthodox City Turn Violent

Violent riots went late into the night on Sunday in Bnei Brak. Ongoing clashes have occurred as police try to enforce coronavirus regulations in this ultra-Orthodox city where there is intense opposition to such measures by radical elements in the community, The Jerusalem Post reported.

A bus driver was assaulted and chased off his bus. Later, it was set on fire, causing damage to nearby apartment buildings. Electric cables also caught fire and dozens if not hundreds of homes lost power.

Other vandalism included a traffic light knocked over and dumpsters pushed into the street and lit on fire. One video showed police officers being targeted with fireworks. Riot police responded by deploying stun grenades to disperse the rioters. The police vowed to continue enforcing the national lockdown.

These clashes occurred as lawmakers from the United Torah Judaism party and other Haredi officials held a meeting on the roof of the Bnei Brak city hall. They placed the blame for the violence on the police rather than the protesters.

Following the meeting, Bnei Brak Mayor Abraham Rubinstein and his deputy mayor were attacked by ultra-Orthodox rioters as they walked through a crowd of protesters in the city, according to The Times of Israel.

The two were pelted with eggs, rocks and other objects and were forced to flee, with reports saying security guards had to use pepper spray to distance the mob.

During the clashes in Bnei Brak, extremist ultra-Orthodox mobs attacked reporters and photographers for major networks Channel 13 and the Kan public broadcaster. They threw various objects at them, including rocks. Footage showed the journalists trying to flee the attacks, asking store owners for shelter.

Let Us Pray Together

Please pray with me for:

• Continued progress with countries that have signed the Abraham Accords and for more nations to seek peace with Israel
• The success of the coronavirus vaccine to continue in Israel and around the world
• Wisdom for all involved in the violent protests that have been taking place in Bnei Brak and for peaceful resolution to be sought
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

Purim – by ancient Jewish decree – is a party. It’s not one of the Jewish Feasts commanded by the Lord, but the book of Esther proclaims Purim is a celebration to be observed throughout all Jewish generations (Esther 9:28). And with good cause. 

Purim marks another point in Jewish history when God intervened to save His people from utter destruction. The Jewish people have faced the threat of extinction time and time again through the millennia. Why is that? Simply put, Satan hates the Jewish people – because God loves them and chose them for His own. So, when God defeats the enemy’s plans to annihilate His people, it’s time to celebrate! 

The Purim Account 

Here’s how God brought about the deliverance in the 5th century B.C.E. 

The Jewish people were under the rule of King Ahasuerus. After he banished his disobedient queen, he conscripted young maidens from throughout the kingdom to enter a beauty pageant from which he would select the next queen. When the process concluded after a full year, the king chose Esther, a young Jewish woman who had kept her identity secret. 

Mordecai, Esther’s cousin and guardian, overheard a plot to kill the king. He told Esther and thus saved Ahasuerus’ life. Officials recorded the event, but Mordecai received no thanks. 

Haman, a wicked officer, convinced the king that the Jewish people were a threat. He persuaded Ahasuerus to issue an irrevocable decree offering payment to citizens who killed Jewish people on a selected day of the year. Haman cast lots to determine the day, and that’s where we get the word Purim, which means “lots” in Hebrew. 

When Mordecai heard about the decree, he begged Esther to approach the king to save their people. “Who knows whether you have attained royal status for such a time as this?” he said (Esther 4:14). Esther knew that going to the king without an invitation was strictly forbidden, punishable by death if he didn’t welcome her. 

Esther determined to go despite this dire threat, saying, “if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). She fasted and went to the king three days later. The king received her by extending his scepter to her, and Esther invited him and Haman to a banquet where she would explain her request.  

Before the banquet, Ahasuerus discovered nothing had been done for the man who had saved his life. The king remedied that by lavishly and publicly honoring Mordecai – and ordering Haman – much to his distaste – to oversee it all. 

At a second banquet, Esther revealed her Jewish identity and exposed Haman as the man whose plan threatened her life and that of her people. The king was outraged. He ordered Haman hanged and that his position be given to Mordecai. The Jewish people were allowed to defend themselves on the decreed day, and we know that it was God who provided a resounding victory, saving the Jewish people from destruction.  

 Curiously, the book of Esther never mentions God. But it’s easy to see His involvement at every turn. 

Purim Traditions 

The book of Esther outlines four elements for observing Purim: feasting, celebration, giving food gifts to one another, and gifts to the poor (Esther 9:22).  

Feasting  

Friends and relatives gather for costume parties and festive meals. Hamantashen are Purim’s most popular food tradition. These triangular, filled cookies are said to represent Haman’s hat or his ears. 

Celebrations 

Celebrations include reading the book of Esther at synagogue and plays re-enacting the Purim story. Audiences cheer loudly for Mordecai and shout boisterous boos for Haman. They stomp their feet and rattle loud noisemakers every time Haman is mentioned to “blot out” his name. 

Food Gifts 

Sending mishloach manot, or food gifts, is an important Purim custom. Jewish tradition requires a minimum of two ready-to-eat foods. However, many people send larger gift baskets of food and drink to friends of the same gender. 

Gifts to the Poor 

Traditional Jewish practice gives two gifts to the poor at Purim, one to each of two people. Even the poor are required to give something to charity. Gifts can be money, food, drink or clothing. It’s a lovely way to ensure every Jewish person can celebrate the Purim victory.  

Celebrating Victories 

God wants us to celebrate the victories He has won for us. Amid your Purim festivities this year, take some time to remember and rejoice over what He has done for you personally. Most of all, celebrate the gifts God has given you in Messiah Jesus: salvation, redemption, reconciliation with Him, forgiveness, abundant life, peace, joy, His presence through the Holy Spirit, and the hope that awaits you in eternal life with Him. 

A Joyous Purim to You!

“LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’
But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory,
the One who lifts my head high.”
(Psalm 3:1-3 NIV)

I'm sure you'll agree that last year didn't have many high points. However, one of them that I would regard as truly miraculous was the Abraham Accords. After 70 years of hostility toward Israel, Muslim nations like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia suddenly opened themselves to the idea of peaceful cooperation.

Over the last year we have seen diplomatic ties strengthened, technological and cultural exchanges, and talk of real peace among more and more nations. It’s a prayer I have prayed for a long time. If you’re reading this, then you have probably been praying the same prayer.

While I am more hopeful than even that there might be peace, we must not cease to pray. Israel still has many enemies that want to destroy her and the Jewish people.

Chief among those enemies is Iran. As you’ll see below, the country’s leadership is doing all they can to be in the news and to pressure newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden.

Please read through the news stories included and continue to pray for our Lord to be a shield around Israel and the Jewish people. Thank you.

Iran Violating Nuclear Agreement in Effort to Pressure Biden to Re-Enter Deal and End Sanctions

Iran announced that it will take steps toward producing uranium metal. This is a direct violation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement.

This news came just days after Tehran resumed enriching uranium to 20% purity. The JCPOA says Iran can enrich uranium only up to 3.67% until 2030.

Decision makers in Israel and the six world powers known as the P5+1 have taken notice of these deliberate breaches of the agreement.

“The production of uranium metal has potentially grave military implications,” said the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, the so-called E3, in a joint statement, The Times of Israel reported.

These moves are seen as an attempt to pressure the Biden administration to move forward quickly with re-entering the JCPOA agreement and end the sanctions former-President Donald Trump put in place in 2018 when he withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear agreement.

Jeffrey Lewis, nonproliferation scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, believes that in addition to trying to gain leverage in future talks with the Biden administration, Tehran is also trying to make as much progress as possible in its nuclear program before the U.S. re-enters the agreement.

U.S. President Joe Biden promised to re-enter the JCPOA while he was campaigning. In September, he wrote, “If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations.”

Israeli Official Issues Strong Statements Concerning Iran

Last week, ministers from the Likud political party said the new U.S. administration must not “appease” Iran and warned Tehran that Israel will not tolerate its military presence in Syria or its development of nuclear weapons.

In one of the most forceful statements made by an Israeli official, the Likud’s Tzachi Hanegbi, considered an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke out against Iran. He stated Israel could attack Iran’s nuclear program if the United States rejoins the JCPOA nuclear deal, as U.S. President Joe Biden has said he plans to do.

“If the United States government rejoins the nuclear deal – and that seems to be the stated policy as of now – the practical result will be that Israel will again be alone against Iran, which by the end of the deal will have received a green light from the world, including the United States, to continue with its nuclear weapons program,” Hanegbi said in an interview with Israel’s Kan news.

“This of course we will not allow. We’ve already twice done what needed to be done, in 1981 against the Iraqi nuclear program and in 2007 against the Syrian nuclear program,” he said, referring to airstrikes on those two countries’ nuclear reactors.

“The most important thing is to convince the new American administration not to repeat the mistakes of the Obama administration – to appease the Iranians. This only increased Iranian aggression and defiance. They saw this as American weakness,” said Hanegbi.

Alleged Israeli Airstrikes Targeted Iranian Weapons Near Syria-Iraq Border

Airstrikes in the pre-dawn hours of January 13, allegedly carried out by Israel, were aimed at dozens of warehouses and sites belonging to pro-Iranian militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in eastern Syria and near the Syria-Iraq border. This is according to local news source Deir EzZor 24 in Syria.

The strikes were reported by regional media as some of the largest and most intense in eastern Syria in recent years. A number of buildings had been completely destroyed, based on images from the site, according to The Jerusalem Post.

An American intelligence source told The Associated Press the strikes were based on intelligence provided by the U.S.

These airstrikes hit “advanced weaponry and weapons depots… in a large combat arena,” a regional intelligence source said.

A U.S. official said the strikes hit a series of warehouses near the Iraqi border that were being used in a pipeline to store and stage Iranian weapons. Syrian media outlets reported that the targets were missiles that had been brought into the country in recent weeks, The Times of Israel reported.

Amos Yadlin, the director of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies tweeted that the strikes served as a reminder to Iran that Israel will not stop fighting to stop Iranian activity in Syria, even during the Biden administration.

He added that they also served to remind Syrians that “there is a heavy price for the free hand you give to the Iranians in Syria,” and to remind the incoming Biden administration that the challenge from Iran includes conventional military threats, not just the nuclear issue.

Independent reports on the number of casualties ranged between 25 and 30. Syrian state media and Iranian media had not reported on casualties, but large numbers of ambulances were reported in the area soon after the strikes.

The Israel Defense Forces had no comment on the late-night strikes, which is according to its policy to neither confirm nor deny its operations in Syria, except for those in retaliation for an attack from the country.

Iran Holds Multiple Military Drills With Ballistic Missiles and Bomb-Carrying Drones

Last Friday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held a military exercise involving ballistic missiles and drones in the country’s central desert, state TV reported. This is amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

In the first phase of the drill, the IRGC’s aerospace division launched several surface-to-surface ballistic missiles against simulated enemy bases, state TV reported. Bomb-carrying drones were also deployed.

The missile capability of Iran is up to 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) – far enough to reach Israel and U.S. military bases in the region. Last January, after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad, Tehran fired ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S troops in retaliation. The result was brain concussion injuries to dozens of troops.

In recent weeks, Iran has increased its military drills. Last week, Iran’s navy held a two-day short-range missile drill in the Gulf of Oman. A week earlier, Iran held a massive drone maneuver across half the country.

The IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.

While worrying, Iran’s military muscle flexing may have a positive side effect. Surrounding nations see Israel and her formidable military as the best counter to Iranian domination. This may increase the cooperation, and possibility for real peace, that has already begun between these nations and Israel.

Let Us Pray Together

Please pray with me for:

• Protection for Israel against Iran and other enemies, especially throughout the coming weeks as tensions are high
• Peace in America, Israel and across our world during this time of ongoing challenges and transition of leadership in the U.S.
• Wisdom for world leaders concerning Iran and the JCPOA nuclear agreement
• Continued success in rolling out the coronavirus vaccine across Israel and for other countries to succeed in their vaccination campaigns
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah – the only true source of peace in our world

Because of God’s relentless pursuit of the Jewish people, we are calling you, our partners, to join us in relentless prayer for their salvation.

Despite all of last year’s challenges, here at Jewish Voice, we are moving forward with fresh energy, vision and excitement. And some of it might even be because of last year’s challenges.

It seems as if the events of 2020 have rocketed us forward on God’s timeline and intensified our resolve and urgency to accomplish everything to which He is inviting us. We are all the more convinced of and committed to the priority of unashamedly taking the Good News of Jesus to the Jewish people first as well as their neighbors – even to the ends of the Earth.

The Lord is focused on Israel and the Jewish people. He has chosen them for His own name’s sake and proclaims that all Israel shall be saved. He wants us, and you, to partner with Him toward that end with even greater intensity. We are counting the cost and finding Him worthy of the sacrifice.

The Lord is relentless in pursuing His people, and His love for them is a call to us for relentless prayer. Please join us as we recommit with fresh urgency to not only go to the ends of the Earth according to the salvation strategy of Romans 1:16 but also to unified, persistent prayer to see all Israel saved.

This year, we will continue what the Lord has always called us to as a ministry, but we believe we are also in the early stages of something new. We feel the pressing need of the times, and we want you on this journey with us. Your partnership in prayer really matters. It has a direct and even eternal impact on our effectiveness in accomplishing the Lord’s purposes together.

The 5 Steps for Relentless Prayer initiative will energize us as we pray. It will stir and focus us on what the Lord is saying and calling us to. And it will break spiritual ground, preparing the way in places and among people groups – some we can anticipate, and others we can’t even imagine.

Unashamed of the Gospel and Relentless in Prayer!

We are unashamed of the Gospel and want to take it to the Jewish people wherever the Lord leads us.

To that end, will you partner with us and relentlessly pray?  

Here’s how you can engage:  

1. Ask the Lord to speak to you regarding His call to intercession for Israel and the Jewish people around the world 
2. Sign up now for a time to pray from home during this 3-week prayer initiative, from January 27–February 17, 2021. You can even sign up for multiple prayer times during those three weeks
3. When you sign up for a prayer slot, we’ll send you 5 Steps for Relentless Prayer – the heart of this prayer initiative – which includes key Scriptures, targets and strategies that will ignite your focused and consistent prayers 

Pray through the 5 Steps for Relentless Prayer during your committed time slot and also throughout this year. We are praying relentlessly and watching eagerly to see what the Lord will do through us in reaching His people.

Let’s Pray:

Lord, we are ready to recharge, reset and press on, partnering with You in Your purposes through relentless prayer. May we each set aside time for a three-week concentrated effort – as well as ongoing prayer throughout this year – to see Jewish people come to know Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah. This is Your heart, Lord – Your plan, and Your call to us to join You. As You look for people to watch on the wall and stand in the gap through prayer, may we be those who respond. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.