Testimony From a Single Mother in Ashdod

Shalom.  I want to thank all the workers who have been behind the humanitarian help offered to many in Israel, through the distribution of various products to the people who need it most. I am one of these people. I’ve lead a difficult life as a single mother of three children; I’ve got a daughter who has just turned 2, a son who is eight years old and another who is eleven. When I first started receiving assistance my children were even younger, and I was in the midst of a lot of financial difficulties to the extent that I could not afford food. Fortunately, you would provide us with the food packages just as my children would start asking for more food. The people who can empathize with this situation most are those who have been in similar situations, and thankfully my disposition has bettered since, but your help remains a blessing. I would also like to thank the organization responsible for this work, Jacob's Hope.  They provided me with all the necessities that my newborn daughter needed -even diapers. I know how many people benefit from the distribution of foodstuffs and clothing, and are able to solve their problems thanks to you.
A huge thank you to you all,
The Family of Maria S.

Passover Lamb

This year, Tikvat Yacov sponsored 5 Passover outreaches in the cities of Akko, Karmiel, Kiryat Shmona, Maalot and Tel Aviv.  We were very excited to hold these events this year as we could see God preparing the hearts of many of these individuals to hear about their Messiah in the story of Passover.
 
In Kiryat Shmona our partners, Rivers of Living Water had 80 people, half of which had never been to one of their outreaches before, came to see a musical drama of the story of "Exodus."  Many of these people were so touched by the drama that they came to the leadership to inquire about attending services or to learn more about the God of Israel and His plan for salvation.

We also sponsored a Passover Seder with our partners, Rivers of Living Water, in Karmiel.  More than 100 people came to the Seder.  When we were finished, we asked those interested in receiving salvation through the Passover Lamb to stand up.  Immediately two people jumped up and in all over 30 people stood to pray for salvation.


We are not only touching the needy in Israel, but many people are being touched when they see what we are doing to help their communities.  In one of the cities where we held an outreach, a government official thanked us for the work we were doing and wanted to make sure that we had everything we needed from them in order to continue our work in that city.  This official knows what we believe, and was still interested in helping us.  This is not always the case in Israel where we have been denied the opportunity to rent various locations because of our beliefs.

You can see more information about our outreach in Tel Aviv, with our partner Agape, from Avi Mizrachi in our previous post.

If you would like to support our work in Israel, please click here to make a financial donation.

Celebrating Passover at the Distribution Center

By Avi Mizrachi | May 2, 2012 |




Passover, also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, commemorates the Exodus, a time when God delivered the Jewish people from their enslavement in Egypt before bringing them to the Promised Land. As Messianic Jews, we are also reminded that it was during Passover that Yeshua ate his last supper, bore our sins, died, was buried, and resurrected. He is the Lamb of God whose blood has redeemed all mankind from our sin and iniquity and has brought us salvation and freedom. Praise the Lord!

Every month, the Dugit: Agape Distribution Center, in collaboration with Tikvat Yakov, serves 80 families with food and clothing. During the holidays we give additional gift baskets of love. This month’s basket for Passover included special items to clean and tend to the home, along with matzoth (unleavened bread) and grape juice, both for the traditional Passover meal known as a Seder. It was a wonderful opportunity to bless the least of these in our community and spread joy for the Gospel of Messiah. The families were very happy and thankful for all that they received.

Several months ago, an Israeli man named Joseph came to receive food and told us that he was suffering from cancer. He was very sick and even had difficulty seeing.  I, Avi, prayed for him to be healed in the mighty name of Yeshua. Joseph returned recently to the Distribution Center to receive his Passover gift basket and was happy to report that the Lord has healed him. He is now completely free of cancer – Hallelujah!

Please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry on a monthly basis.  You can express the love of Yeshua by assisting these families with their physical and spiritual needs.

Click here to support this ministry!

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

Why Our Family Is Not Participating In Lag B'omer

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day who you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:14-15 (NIV)

While we are living in Israel, we often participate in many of the community events, but this year, we will not be participating in the school's celebration of Lag B'omer.  

What is Lag B'omer?

Lag B'omer is the 33rd day in the counting of the Omer.  The counting of the Omer is the biblical mandate given in Leviticus 23:15-16, which is the 50 day count to the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot in Hebrew.  The Feast of Weeks is also called Pentecost, meaning fifty, by Christians in the New Covenant.  According to Rabbinical tradition, this 50 day count from Passover to Shavuot also corresponds to the number of days it took the Israelites to reach Mount Sinai to receive the Torah after they departed from Egypt.

The word "Lag" comes from the Hebrew letters for the number 33.  The Hebrew letter ל or lamed (corresponds the letter "L") which represents "30" and ג or gimel (corresponds to the letter "G") which represents "3".  According to tradition, one of Rabbi Akiva's students, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the purported author of the Zohar, a book of Jewish mysticism, died on Lag B'omer after he revealed the deepest secrets of the Kabbalah. This day is seen as a celebration of the giving of the hidden, mystical Torah through Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, as a parallel to Shavuot, which, according to Rabbinical tradition, celebrates the giving of the true Torah through Moses.

The lighting of bonfires on Lag B'omer are seen as a tribute to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, representing the "light" he gave to the world through his revelations in the Zohar.  I say, the lighting of fires on Lag B'omer is akin to worship of an idol and has no place among believers in the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

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Ianna - a single mother in K'far Saba

I am a single mother to two children.  I came from Ukraine about 10 years ago.  Since I was a little girl I heard from my parents how they yearn for Israel, the land of the Jews. My Grandmother is a Holocaust survivor and she went through hell in the concentration camps.   With God's help she survived.

My other Grandmother suffered persecution for being Jewish.  Her family name was recognizably Jewish, so she had to change it.  She would tell me about her hard life; poverty, lack of warm clothing, lack of basic needs and desperate needs. She taught me about values, to be an independent person, to be mature and to deal with life no matter how hard it gets.

The connection I have with Israel is a very special one.  My whole time growing up I waited for the moment I would move to Israel.  I am now here, but my parents are still in Ukraine because they are too sick and too old to move here.  I am happy that I am here in Israel, raising my children, even though it is very hard for me financially.

I work, but my salary is very low, minimum wage.  The cost of living in Israel is very high and I am having a hard time keeping up with the cost of living.   This is why I have a debt in the bank.  Cost of living, rent, school and other things make it very hard for me to function on a daily basis.

I receive help from the non-profit Love for the Needy [supported by Jacob’s Hope], many years now.  Mostly it is food, clothing, shoes, school supplies and grocery store vouchers.  I have no doubt in my mind that the help that I receive is a blessing for me and my children.

I want to thank Love for the Needy, Jacob’s Hope, Chaim [the manager in K'far Saba] and his staff. They help with ALL their hearts.  They care and want to help.  They impress me very much and I thank them for that and for the food I receive every month.  I bless them for all they do for my family and others.

Thank you,

Anna