Daniah Greenberg | The New Jewish Voice Bible, Part 2
Summary
Discover a Bible translation that restores the connection of Jewish culture to the Scriptures and our faith in Yeshua (Jesus).
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I want to begin by apologizing to all my friends, co-workers and esteemed leaders for not being there in person for such an important gathering….but due to health reasons, I was not able to make the long journey. I’ve asked our dear brother Ezra to officially represent me as well as our Jewish Voice U.S. leadership and staff.
Gerald was my dear friend and I, like all of you, feel a great sense of loss.
From the day we first met here in Addis Ababa over 14 years ago, I knew our destinies were intertwined. Gerald loved Ethiopia; he loved this land, he loved the people, he loved your unique history and culture. It was a part of him. And that love, and divine call to serve your nation and in particular, the Scattered Tribes of Israel here in this land was something I inherited from him. And I will be forever grateful to him for this legacy.
When his beloved wife Elly passed away suddenly and tragically just 3 months ago, he wrote to me to share the sad news. His email to me was a reflection of who he was:
He began by quoting Nahum 1:6: "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him"
He went on to write: “In May we have been married for 55 years. The most wonderful years in my life because we shared our faith in the Lord and she was such inspiration with tremendous support for the ministry, especially in Ethiopia and with Jewish Voice. Now I know for certain she is "safe in the arms of Jesus" with no sorrow, sadness or sickness" where God wipes away every tear from our eyes”
He then closed the email: “Greetings in His wonderful Name! "His grace is sufficient in every situation", Gerald.
If Gerald were here today, he would tell us not to mourn him….for he is “safe in the arms of Yeshua”, rejoicing before the One he faithfully served throughout his life. No more sorrow, sadness, sickness or tears. For half a century he lived here, he ministered here …he belonged here…..and it is from here, in Ethiopia, where he wanted to finish his race when his time on this earth was complete.
There will never be another Gerald Gotzen. He has left a void in our lives with his departure we will always feel. He was our mentor, our co-worker, our spiritual father, our teacher, wise counselor, encourager, mediator…..and we will miss him greatly.
Yet in the midst of our sadness over his loss, Gerald would remind us….”His grace IS sufficient…in every situation.
It is with great sadness tempered with grace and hope that we share with you this report. At about 5pm Sunday, December 9, Ethiopian time, our beloved brother, Gerald Gotzen went home to be with the Lord. He was in Ethiopia returning to Addis Ababa from a meeting in Hosanna when the car he was riding in collided with a truck. It is our understanding he died on route to the hospital. His body was then transported to Addis Ababa.
Just 10 weeks ago, on September 22, his beloved wife, Elly, passed away suddenly in a fire. They were married for 55 years.
Gerald deeply loved Ethiopia and devoted more than 50 years of his life to this unique land and people. He told Jonathan Bernis, CEO of Jewish Voice, many times that he wanted to be in Ethiopia when he went to be with the Lord. Sadly, his passing was far sooner than any of us would have imagined. Gerald, born in Redhill, England, was 77 years old.
“I met Gerald in Addis Ababa back in 2004,” Jonathan recalls, “and we immediately became friends. His love for Ethiopia was contagious and, through him, I grew to love Ethiopia as well.” Gerald soon became a member of our Jewish Voice UK board and served faithfully in that role for more than a decade.
Gerald Gotzen was a world-renowned leading authority on Ethiopian Jews. He discovered the Kechene community of Beta Abraham Jewish people of Addis Ababa, the Gefat of Woliso, and the Yibir of Somaliland. For each discovery, he credits the help of a different man with whom he partnered. In 2014, together with JVMI’s Africa Director at the time, he also discovered the hidden Beta Israel remnant in Tach Gayint, Ethiopia.
Gerald made four to five trips to Ethiopia each year, spending three weeks or more on each visit. He and Elly distributed large consignments of Bibles and literature and ministered practically to the Ethiopian people. Gerald Gotzen opened many doors for JVMI in that nation, serving as an Ambassador of the Kingdom of God. He was received by presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, patriarchs and kings and spoke into their lives.
Most importantly, Gerald was a man of faith who deeply loved the Lord with all his heart, soul and strength. Although we will all miss him greatly, he is now rejoicing in the presence of the Lord and reunited with his beloved bride and the many he helped lead to righteousness.
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).
Persecution in Tach Gayint from JewishVoice on Vimeo.
Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, responded to a newly proposed Palestinian UN resolution this past week. He said, “Israel and the United States will continue to mobilize the countries of the world into a united front against the terrorism that Hamas engages in on behalf of Iran.”
And he added, “A terrorist organization going to the UN for assistance is like a serial killer asking the police” for help.
That proposed resolution came in the form of a letter Hamas sent to United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Maria Fernada Spinosa on the UN’s “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People,” which was last Thursday. The letter asked for UN support of Hamas’ right to bear arms against Israel.
CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill spoke to the UNGA on the occasion, invoking a rally cry Hamas uses to call for the destruction of Israel: “Free Palestine from the river to the sea.” The Daily Wire reported that Hill “has a long history of anti-Semitism” and cited a May 2018 Huffington Post article in which Hill “defended Palestinians’ right to use violence against Israel but claimed Palestinians truly want peace.”
Hill also wrote, “By naturalizing the idea that nation-states have a ‘right to exist,’ we undermine our ability to offer a moral critique of Israel’s (or any settler-colony’s) origin story.”
It’s encouraging that CNN fired Hill for his UNGA comments, and Hill subsequently apologized for them in an op-ed published in his hometown paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
However, although UNGA rejected the Hamas proposal, it did pass six resolutions biased against Israel.
If you ever needed proof of the illegitimacy of the United Nations? Today you got it. The #UNGA just failed to pass a resolution condemning terrorist org #Hamas for indiscriminately firing hundreds of rockets at civilians, each one constituting a war crime in and of itself. pic.twitter.com/Ult0ZiEvwi
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) December 6, 2018
Those six anti-Israel resolutions passed at last week’s UNGA are listed on the UN’s website. They are non-binding but carry significant political weight. They are:
The resolution titled “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine,” which calls for intensified efforts to conclude a final peace settlement. It blames Israel for the lack of a peace agreement and calls on Israel to comply with international law and end all acts of violence against the Palestinian people. It ignores Hamas and Hezbollah terrorism against Israel.
Danon said of the six resolutions, “It is a shame that the United Nations passes biased resolutions and devotes resources to bodies that denounce and attack Israel.” She called UN discussions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “Israel bashing.”
The website UN Watch called them “inherently prejudiced and one-sided,” “counter-productive to the peace process,” and “ignoring terrorism against Israeli men, women and children.”
Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the resolutions “are biased and drive parties apart,” adding that “the cause of peace will be served when the bias against Israel ends.”
The U.S. submitted a resolution condemning Hamas “for repeatedly firing rockets into Israel and for inciting violence” against civilians. The Palestinian ambassador called it a continuation of the United States’ “attack against the Palestinian people” that he said began with recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; cutting off funding for the Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA; and closing the Palestine Liberation Office in Washington D.C.
A Monday vote on that resolution was delayed and expected today.
Meanwhile, the UN and Egypt continue their efforts to reconcile Hamas (which rules the Gaza Strip) and Fatah (the party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas). Senior officials of Hamas, Fatah, Egypt and the UN met last summer to devise ways to avert “an all-out military confrontation with Israel in the Gaza Strip,” The Jerusalem Post reported.
It seems the only thing the two groups can agree upon is ensuring the failure of President Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace.
While Hamas and Fatah continue to battle for control of Gaza, they are united in their war against President Trump, World Israel News (WIN)reported earlier this year, adding that, “Thwarting Trump’s peace plan has become a top priority for Hamas and Fatah. This is a mission that seems to be much more important to them than alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
More media outlets will call out and stand up against Israel bashing
Hamas and Fatah will join the effort to negotiate meaningful peace in the Middle East, including recognition of Israel
Chanukah – the Jewish Festival of Lights – is almost here.
A joyous season for Jewish people everywhere, Chanukah is the time we celebrate God miraculously making one day’s supply of lamp oil last for eight days, so the Temple in Jerusalem could be rededicated.
It was indeed a miracle. Of course, few people in today’s world believe in miracles. Everything, they assume, can be explained by science.
Certainly, we here at Jewish Voice believe in science. That’s why we use the very best doctors and nurses, and the most advanced technology in our Medical Outreach efforts.
But I can tell you from experience: We know miracles still happen. God still proves His love and power in amazing ways, just as He has for thousands of years.
Here’s just one example …
Recently we were finishing up on the last day of a Jewish Voice Medical Outreach in Mudanda, Zimbabwe. As always, we had a prayer tent where we pray for the physical and spiritual needs of the people who come to us. And we share the Good News about the love of Yeshua (Jesus) with them.
At the very end of this last day, a boy of about 16 named Ibrahim poked his head into the prayer tent, as though he were looking for something.
We asked if we could help him, and if he would like us to pray for him – an offer he gladly accepted. He had cotton gauze in his ears and explained he’d suffered from serious ear infections since he was a young child. As a result, Ibrahim had begun to lose his hearing.
Although our doctors had treated Ibrahim and done all they could to help him, they feared he would have permanent hearing loss from the years of infection.
So we began to pray for him. As we prayed, more and more of our team gathered around, adding their prayers.
As we continued to pray for Ibrahim, we had him remove the gauze. At first, he could hear only sounds made very close to his ears. But as we continued praying, his hearing began to noticeably improve – he was able to hear sounds from farther and farther away.
By the time we had finished praying, Ibrahim was able to hear his name spoken from the farthest end of the tent!
All of us – especially Ibrahim – were overjoyed at this miraculous healing!
And through all the smiles and laughter, we gave thanks to Yeshua – the Great Physician who healed again.
It would be one thing if the kind of healing Ibrahim experienced were a solitary incident. But through our many outreach efforts, Jewish Voice workers see miracles of this kind happen over and over again.
Healed bodies. Healed minds. And healed souls, as people – sometimes whole families – come to experience the love and salvation of Jesus through your support.
In fact, we believe in this foundational truth: God WILL heal and WILL save – miraculously, just as He did nearly 2,200 years ago during the incredible events that inspire our upcoming Chanukah observance.
We find He is not only willing but eager, to share His great love with people in need, especially when we’re faithful. He wants us to partner with Him in the generous release of His healing power and salvation. But I believe He expects us to go in faith to Jewish people in need and share with them the Good News of Jesus.
As the apostle Paul wrote to the Believers in Rome:
How then shall they call on the One in whom they have not trusted? And how shall they trust in the One they have not heard of? And how shall they hear without someone proclaiming? And how shall they proclaim unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15, TLV)
But for all the dedication of our Jewish Voice staff and volunteers, we can’t do it alone. The prayers and financial support of our generous partners – you and others who care deeply about the Jewish people – are the key.
Jewish Voice is entering our most critical fundraising season of the year. I’m expecting about 11% of annual giving to come in between now and year’s end. That means we really need to hear from you!
It’s unfortunate that many people in this world – even those who profess to follow Jesus – simply turn away from the great and obvious need around us.
But you and I must not turn away. Instead, together, we must turn TOWARD those in need, especially the poorest of the poor in Jewish communities in remote parts of the world, and do all we can to help them in Jesus’ name.
And always, we do this ministry work with CARE, LOVE and EXCELLENCE, because we believe that’s what Jesus wants for the people He loves and whom we serve.
Now I want to ask you to be part of helping make miracles happen. With your prayers and the most generous end-of-year Chanukah Miracles gift you can send now, you can be a part of God’s next miracles, by sharing physical healing and eternal hope with people like Ibrahim.
Messianic Jews are Jewish people who believe Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. Some of them celebrate Christmas, but ‒ for a number of reasons ‒ some do not.
For most Jewish Believers in Yeshua, Christmas was not a part of their family traditions. They grew up in homes that observed the Jewish holidays rather than Christmas and Easter. And, after coming to faith in Yeshua, some Messianic Jews do not feel the need to begin celebrating it.
The Jewish holiday of Chanukah falls near Christmas each year. It commemorates a miracle of light in Israel’s history and is therefore also called the Festival of Light. Chanukah holds rich symbolism that can be seen to point to Yeshua, the Light of the World. This leads many Messianic Jews to honor His coming at Chanukah rather than Christmas.
However, there’s a growing segment of Messianic Jews who grew up in mixed families – Christian and Jewish – and celebrated both Christmas and Chanukah. Mixed-family Messianic Jews likely continue that tradition into their marriages and with their own children.
The Church, in 325 C.E. under Constantine, went to great lengths to separate faith in Yeshua from its natural and biblical Jewish identity. The Crusades further segregated belief in Yeshua from its Jewish foundation by violently persecuting Jewish people if they did not forsake Judaism and “convert” to Christianity.
As a result, the Jewish community views Christmas and Easter as holidays of a different religion that are not for Jewish people. Many Messianic Jews believe that celebrating Christmas could easily contribute to their Jewish families and friends believing that they have “stopped being Jewish" and “converted” to a different religion.
Messianic Jews long for their Jewish brethren to come to faith in Yeshua as the prophesied Messiah, so they are sensitive to anything that hinders openness to Him based on historical realities or perceived misconceptions.
Most Bible scholars agree that Yeshua was not born on December 25. Based on various scriptural details and time calculations, many believe Yeshua was around the Feast of Booths, or Sukkot (Soo-KOTE), in the fall. Others deduce that it was in the spring, around Passover.
So, why is Yeshua’s birth celebrated on December 25? The date was chosen at a time when Gnosticism was extremely popular. Gnosticism held that only the spirit is good and that all matter is evil, including our bodies. This led to excessive lifestyles: If the body is evil anyway, why not indulge? Gnostics held an annual celebration at the onset of winter, during which followers reveled in the depravities of the material world.
One of the central tenets of faith in Yeshua is that He came in human form. Gnostics, however, denied the birth of Yeshua, saying that He couldn’t be all good if He possessed a body. The Church chose December 25 to celebrate the birth of Messiah as a way to counter Gnosticism.
“It’s not that the Church had any special interest in December 25th,” said Rabbi Jack Zimmerman, a staff member at Jewish Voice Ministries International. “Except, if you wanted to drown out the pagan Gnostics, that was the day to do it. It was when they held their biggest anti-Nativity bash.”
“The good news is that the Church’s plan worked,” Rabbi Jack noted. “God was with the Church when they proclaimed the truth of the Nativity.” Today, December 25 is known for Christmas, and not the pagan festival of Gnosticism.
Regardless of when Yeshua’s actual birth took place, the consensus is that it is not December 25, adding another reason some Messianic Jews are not drawn to observe Christmas.
Messianic Jews honor Yeshua’s birth – just not necessarily at Christmas. The Jewish holidays contain prophetic pictures of Yeshua, making it easy for Messianic Jews to celebrate the Messiah’s coming throughout the year as they observe these biblical Feasts.
With warmth and transparency, Jewish Voice’s own Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Bernis shares a compelling case for Jesus as Messiah and presents overwhelming evidence that can be traced to the Torah itself.
Recently, almost 500 leaders of the Messianic Jewish Movement gathered from around the world for a time of refreshing, connecting and equipping. They came from several nations and more than 30 different states in the U.S., representing many ministries and congregations. Each person had opportunities to network with fellow leaders and hear from the Lord through worship, corporate teaching times and smaller, interactive discussion groups addressing timely topics.
At the end of their time together, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis exhorted each leader to choose one or two things from the gathering that impacted them most. He challenged them to take these points home and focus on them with the Lord.
Please pray with us that the themes brought forth during this time will produce real growth throughout the Messianic Jewish Movement and impact the world. Pray for these leaders to:
Let’s pray: Lord, we believe that You are doing a new and expanding work in the Body of Messiah, and specifically in the leaders of the Messianic Jewish Movement. We pray that the real and lasting benefit they received at this gathering will grow and multiply. We also pray for each person represented by and associated with these leaders: their spouses and families, those they minister alongside, and those to which they minister and reach out. Cumulatively, this amounts to thousands and thousands of people touched and influenced through these men and women. May we see waves of revival spreading around the world because of what You are doing in these leaders ‒ for Your glory and the salvation of the Jewish people and the nations. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
