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I recently boarded a plane to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent Bridges for Peace on a visit arranged by Keren Hayesod, an organization that, like us, is dedicated to fulfilling Bible prophecy by aiding in the Jewish return to Israel. Together with the delegation of Keren Hayesod leaders from around the world, we headed to the Gondar region in northwestern Ethiopia. There we traveled from village to village, meeting the final remnants of the Ethiopian Jewish community and bringing them hope.
Travelling through Gondar was like stepping back 2,700 years in time. This is the ancient land of Cush, first mentioned in Genesis 2:13, where tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews have lived for generations. Scholars believe they originate from the Tribe of Dan, dispersed by the Assyrians and driven there 2,700 years ago.
The level of poverty is atrocious. I saw children drinking water from muddy streams. Electricity, sanitation and plumbing are unheard of and the ravages of disease are evident. Women walk for hours to reach the market or well and men work their fields with yoked oxen and wooden ploughs. The famine and civil war raging in northern Ethiopia make food insecurity a daily reality. The homes are built from mud and straw, with crude frames fashioned from eucalyptus branches and covered by a corrugated steel roof. Dirt floors stand as an obvious marker of poverty. Each shack measures approximately 10×10 feet (3×3 m.), with an entire family living inside. As many as 14 of these tiny shacks are clustered together with one communal toilet with no plumbing.
We visited one beautiful Jewish family that is currently preparing to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) after waiting ten years. The outside of their home is adorned with a Star of David. The mother fed her baby as she spoke with us as her husband and seven other children looked on. We listened to their story, encouraged them and gave them a gift. The father kissed my hand to show his gratitude.
Once I overcame my shock at the poverty, the joyful hope on these peoples’ faces at their imminent homecoming to Israel left me in awe at the God of the Universe, who is faithful to His covenant.
Micha Feldman, who participated in the miraculous rescue of Ethiopian Jews in 1984–1985, told us, “From their mother’s breast, they drank the milk of Zionism.” This is the only Jewish community in the world that has never needed convincing to make aliyah, he said. They have put their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and after two millennia, He has proven faithful. They are returning home.
Yet the homecoming has historically presented obstacles that have left deep scars of suffering. Between 1977 and 1984, thousands of Ethiopian Jews set their sights on Jerusalem and embarked on foot on the 1,940-mile (3,124-kilometer) trek to Israel with their young children, pregnant women and elderly in tow. They journeyed over perilous terrain and were perpetually hunted by the authorities.
Adani, who accompanied our delegation, was 15 years old when he was part of the first group of Ethiopian Jews to start the journey in 1977. He told us his modern-day Exodus story. They crossed mountains and valleys at night, hiding from the government soldiers who pursued them during the daylight. Many died along the way. Adani’s group eventually reached Sudan, only to face a hostile Sudanese army. They were captured and placed into refugee camps. Nearly 20,000 Ethiopian Jews followed in their footsteps—and met a similar fate. Conditions in the camps were atrocious and thousands perished from disease and starvation, including two of Adani’s siblings. Yet the God of Israel had not abandoned them. He heard their cries (Exod. 2:24) and sent deliverance. In a daring covert mission dubbed Operation Moses, Israel rescued these Ethiopian Jews in 1984 – 1985.
Operation Solomon followed in 1991, with Israel rescuing 14,325 Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa during a 36-hour ceasefire between warring factions—a miracle of biblical, prophetic proportion! They came home to Israel on “eagles’ wings” (Exod. 19:4). Yet today, 32 years later, there are thousands more Ethiopian Jews who wait to make a similar journey to the home of their hearts.
When our delegation boarded our return flight to Israel, we were not alone. A planeload of Ethiopian Jews making aliyah shared the plane with us! When they caught their first glimpse of Israeli soil through the plane window, they burst into singing, praising God as the wheels of the aircraft touched the ground. They were finally home!
The story isn’t over. Last year, 1,500 Ethiopian Jews made aliyah. During the recent trip to Ethiopia, we had the honor of visiting the next group of 1,500 waiting to come. There are thousands more. Israel is committed to bringing all the Ethiopian Jews home, but their aliyah comes at an enormous cost. That is why we will step into the gap to help.
Bridges for Peace is dedicated to fulfilling the call of God to help bring His people home according to His prophetic word (Jer.16:14–15). Christians around world have partnered with us as we come alongside Israel to make this a reality. Jerusalem has pledged to bring the next group of 1,500 home in the coming months, but we need your help to make this happen! We are literally witnessing the conclusion of a chapter of Jewish exile. The Tribe of Dan is returning to Israel—and you can be part of that. We are calling on Bible-believing Christians around the world who love what God loves to take action and rescue the last remnants of Ethiopian Jews in exile. Then we may all praise the Lord that Dan is safely back, once again after 2700 years, in the Land of Israel! Let’s bring them home!
Blessings from Israel,
Peter Fast
CEO-elect
Photo Credit: Click on photo to see photo credit
Your contribution to this fund will be used to support the educational and operational costs of running Bridges for Peace.
This fund gives us the flexibility to meet needs not covered by our regular projects and to respond quickly to urgent needs.
“If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness…” (Isa. 58:10)
The BFP food bank in Jerusalem oversees the distribution of over nine tons of food every week. The food is heading to the homes of Israel’s needy. Purchased in Israel, the food meets the kosher requirements and contributes to the GDP.
New immigrants benefit, as well as those who have been here for a longer time. Holocaust survivors, poor children—both in the Jewish and Arab sectors—orphanages, and Jewish community centers are all on our list of recipients. Let us turn your contribution into much-needed food.
Through our Adoption Program, you have an opportunity to sponsor a Jewish family or individual in Israel for a year, helping them through a critical time in their lives. We provide much needed emotional support as well as a large food package (fruits, vegetables, chicken, milk products, canned goods, and paper products), bus tickets, and financial assistance for special needs.
Those who benefit from the program are new immigrants to Israel; native Israeli families suffering from terror attacks, major medical crises, or loss of a job; Holocaust survivors; and college students who are alone in Israel. We are friends helping friends get on their feet, so they can live productive lives.
Sponsors receive a picture and a profile about the person/s they sponsor, and close relationships are established through letters, which our staff translates for both parties. As you change a life, you too will be changed!
Thousands of Israeli school children live below the poverty line and cannot afford to buy lunch, even at a subsidized cost. Your sponsorship for a one-year commitment will provide the following: a hot lunch every day at school, gifts on their birthday and holidays, help to purchase school books, a backpack filled with supplies, and funds for special needs during the summer.
“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when men will no longer say, “As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,” but they will say, “As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where He had banished them.” For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers. But now I will send for many fishermen,’ declares the Lord, ‘and they will catch them’” (Jer. 16:14–16a, NIV)
Many of the neediest Jews in the countries of the former Soviet Union are unable to come to Israel because they simply cannot afford the cost of passports, exit visas, ground transportation, and lodging for their trip home. We send “fishermen” who search for hopeless Jews who long to go home to Israel. Without help, they cannot move to Israel.
With your assistance, we can literally rescue our Jewish brothers and help them fulfill God’s Word. Thus far, we have helped rescue over 80,000 Jews.
Bring home one immigrant to Israel for $400
Our educational programs enable us to fulfill our God-given mandate. Helping the Church understand Christianity’s Hebraic roots, modern Israel’s prophetic significance, historic and current events is critical to building a worldwide network of Christians who love and support Israel. Donations will facilitate the creation and implementation of programs globally.
Bridges for Peace sponsors 18 Israeli towns—from the Galilee to the Negev—that are experiencing severe economic hardship. Working through the mayor’s office and the social welfare network, we give food to needy families, many of them new immigrants. Sponsors give a monthly donation (for a one-year commitment) and receive a frameable, full-color biographical sketch of the community they “adopt.” We arrange visits to the communities for sponsoring church groups visiting Israel.
This project reaches out to many Jewish people in the former Soviet Union who either will not or cannot immigrate to Israel. Many are elderly or in poor health. Most are destitute; many are Holocaust survivors.
Increasingly, we are finding Jewish people who are starving and don’t have heat in the winter. Some have died from exposure. We have established soup kitchens to feed them, so they receive one hot, nourishing meal each day. We also purchase heaters and meet other needs as possible.
In Matthew 25 Jesus (Yeshua) says we will be judged according to how we treated the “least” of His brothers (v. 40, 45). God’s heart of compassion to care for the vulnerable is a consistent theme in the Bible. In fact, Deuteronomy 10:18 describes God as the champion of the “fatherless and the widow.” Moreover, He invites us to partner with Him to “defend the fatherless” and to “plead for the widow” (Isa. 1:17).
Our Widows and Orphans Fund helps care for those who are often unable to care for themselves. Our food parcels help make ends meet and put food on empty tables. Will you join us to partner with God in defending the fatherless and caring for the widows in Israel?
Our International Headquarters is the hub where we work to connect the Church to Israel and Israel to the Church. Located in the heart of Jerusalem, it serves as the base for our education and international outreach initiatives and resources, including our publications, marketing, video and media departments. Your generous gift to this fund enables us to spread the message of what God is doing in and through Israel to the nations of the world.
A quarter of the nearly 200,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel live in poverty, which means that many of the precious elderly men and women who lived through some of the worst atrocities in recent history now spend their final years facing bare cupboards, lack and often loneliness. Bridges for Peace reaches out a hand of love to these survivors, who receive regular food gifts and visits from our Christian volunteers. However, what we do is about so much more than the food. Many Holocaust survivors believe the atrocities they experienced were perpetrated by Christians. Now, after the hurt, it is our privilege as Christians to carry sunshine with our food parcels into their meager apartments to bring unconditional love, comfort and companionship. Will you give generously today to ensure that we can continue to fill these precious Holocaust survivors’ final years with provision, light, love and joy?
Bless a new immigrant family and let them know that they are welcomed in Israel by Christians who believe God’s promise to bring His people back to His Land.
We give a generous gift package: a copy of the Tanach (Gen.–Mal.) in Hebrew alongside Russian or Spanish, blankets, school kits for the children, and a set of new pots and pans, utensils, and a cutting board.
This one-time gift is a great help to immigrants who most often come from their home countries with very little.
This fund enables us to meet needs of new immigrants as they come to the land of Israel in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Those needs vary greatly as each person has unique challenges.
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…” (Isa. 61:1)
Our cheer basket is filled with delicious cookies, candies, dried fruit, nuts, flavored teas, and several other items that are specifically selected to bring hope and encouragement to Israel’s shut-ins, elderly, and anyone else who is discouraged and needs a tangible expression of God’s love.
A cheer basket is also given to immigrants on the Adoption Program for birthdays, including special ones for the children. This is often the only birthday present many receive.
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name, welcomes Me.”(Matthew 18:5)
This kit contains many needed school items, including pens, pencils, sharpener, glue, scissors, markers, a carrying case, and more. We not only distribute these to new immigrant children but make them a part of the school supplies we give to our Feed a Child students.
“Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” (Isa. 58:12)
God has blessed us with skilled construction workers. Teams are busy renovating homes of the poor and elderly; some of them are Holocaust survivors. Many of these homes are one-room hovels in buildings over 100 years old. We fix leaky plumbing, replace broken windows, paint, plaster, rewire, repair or install cabinets, put on new roofs, and do general fix-up work.
Some of our workers have told us that this is the best job they have ever had in their lives. They get many hugs, plus a lot of tea, coffee, and cake from very appreciative Jerusalemites. Your gifts supply the raw materials to get the job done.
“He has sent me…to comfort all who mourn…” (Isa. 61:1–2)
We minister to anyone touched by war or terrorism, delivering special cheer baskets to the wounded in hospitals after a suicide bombing and to the bereaved. Special needs, such as wheelchairs, food vouchers, and financial assistance for medical bills are provided for those in long-term rehabilitation.
Israeli health insurance does not cover dental, 100% of the cost of prescription medications, or medical apparatuses such as wheelchairs. Often the needy, many of them immigrants, must choose between vital health needs and food. We can bring a smile to the faces of those who suffer.
Crisis Assistance Fund: Your gifts enable us to respond quickly to crisis situations. These may include critical needs, such as bomb shelters, ambulances or to extend help for emergency situations such as terror arson attacks, and more.
There are many needs in the Christian Arab community. This community is becoming smaller as many choose to reside in the West rather than being a small minority in the predominantly Muslim Arab communities. Increasingly, they face persecution from their Muslim neighbors. Your gift helps us to minister the love of the Lord as we give them food.
Are you zealous for Israel? Pass the fire to the next generation (ages 18–30)! Help them catch the vision by bringing them to Israel on tour! Each summer Zealous8:2 hosts a tour. It is a life-changing experience, and you can help make it happen.
Living in Israel can be very expensive. With additional funding, our team members are enabled to continue their work in Israel. We also draw from this fund to subsidize special activities from time to time for our volunteer staff. This is your opportunity to bless those who have sacrificed much to live and work far from home.
You can also support a specific team member through this fund. When you do so, your donation is passed on to that person to meet their particular needs.
Bridges for Peace has national offices in eight countries that are staffed by sincere and dedicated individuals working selflessly on behalf of Israel. By reaching out to the Church with information and educational opportunities, building relationships with local Jewish communities, advocating for the nation of Israel, and raising the funds necessary for us to continue our projects in the Land, our national offices are the hands and feet of Bridges for Peace the world over.
Often working on a shoestring, their efforts are foundational to our ongoing work of building bridges to the Jewish people through practical expressions of Christian love. Your gift to the national office of your choice helps to insure that their work of blessing Israel and the Church, at home and in the Land, can continue.
We have several vans to help us do our work: for home repair, for pick-up and delivery of food both food in Jerusalem and around the country, and for postal pick up and other administrative needs. When they wear out, we draw from this fund to purchase or lease new ones, which is very expensive in Israel.
Our newest project partners with Magen David Adom National Blood Services to save Israelis in need, whether during surgery or hurt in a car accident, terrorist attack, or war. Your gift helps keep the hearts of this beloved nation beating. Save a life today!
The Bnei Menashe (literally “Sons of Menashe”) are descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel living in northeastern India and have steadily been fulfilling their dream of many generations to return to the Land from which they were exiled more than 27 centuries ago. Bridges for Peace helps the Bnei Menashe turn this dream into reality. We offer financial support for the preparation and the journey from the land of their birth to the Land of their promise, and once in Israel, we help them through the challenging period of settling into a new country and culture, learning the language and finding a job. The Bnei Menashe have come to know Bridges for Peace as the people who help and will turn to us in times of crisis.
By supporting the Bnei Menashe, you can tell these new immigrants who returned to Israel in fulfillment of God’s prophecies that they are not alone, that Christians around the world stand with them.
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