This Passover the UMJC and our supporters helped provide food for the holiday to families of fallen Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers, as well as soldiers without families-270 big, heavy boxes to help these Israelis celebrate Passover with joy. I believe God is calling the Messianic Jewish community to embrace the ancient Jewish and biblical practice of tsedakah, or support of the poor and needy. I'll tell you below how our involvement at the IDF base is part of a bigger effort of tsedakah that includes the Messianic Jewish community in Israel.

 

I spent a few days in Israel just before Passover to observe the food distribution and bring a greeting to the officers and soldiers on behalf of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations. Before visiting the base, I went to the rented warehouse where supplies were gathered and then divided into boxes for distribution all over the country.

As we pulled up to the warehouse, we saw men and boys in religious garb, some hanging around, some working, and soldiers wheeling dollies of boxes to a military truck and loading it up. Inside were long rows of boxes filled with matzah, oil, wine and grape juice, canned goods, sugar, salt, rice, and other supplies.

People came by to thank us-and you!-for being part of this mitzvah of providing food for Passover to those in need. All the while, soldiers were pushing dollies with boxes through the warehouse to their truck, and teenagers in black pants and kippot were cleaning up with push brooms.

From there we drove up to the IDF base, which was the focal point of our specific contribution to this effort. As we drove in, we saw more rows of boxes lined up for distribution. Many were going to soldiers without family in Israel, who often have nowhere to go during Passover. Others went into small trucks to be delivered to impoverished families of soldiers. The families of fallen soldiers-our initial focus in this project-had already received supplies. Because of the tremendous response of our donors, we were able to meet other needs as well.

At the base, officers and soldiers were quick to tell us how much our contribution meant. The officers maintain contact with about 130 families that have lost loved ones in the service. Passover supplies are a vital part of their outreach to these families. The base commander told us how he had brought a Passover box a day or two earlier to an elderly widow living in a shack on the edge of Tel Aviv. She lost a son in the Lebanon conflict in the early 80s, has another son in America, and no one else-except for him and this military base.

Other officers and soldiers told us how important the supplies are for what they term "lonely soldiers" and other soldiers and families in need. One officer, a young woman, heads up social welfare for the base. She said that the food boxes can make all the difference between a week of extra need and a happy holiday. They provide a huge boost of morale for new recruits without families, even helping some to remain in the service.

We met some of the "lonely soldiers,"-three young women who recently made aliyah from former Soviet republics, and another from Colombia, all without their families. Other "lonely soldiers" are native Israelis estranged from their families for one cause or another, who may have nowhere to go for Passover and remain on base for the holiday.

We had a simple presentation for some of these soldiers, and I brought a greeting from the Messianic Jewish community, ending with some words from Psalm 107:

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (107:8-9)

I said, "This Passover may God satisfy our souls, and may he fill us with his goodness. Hag Sameach! [Happy holiday!]

Some friends have asked us why we got involved with a project like this, when there are so many needs and opportunities among the Yeshua-believing community in Israel. I should say first of all that a number of Messianic Jewish groups and individuals in Israel have exemplified the tsedakah that we are all supposed to practice. We want to support groups like that, and mainstream Israeli efforts at the same time.

In 2003, the UMJC brought one of the largest tours of the year to Israel. We also brought money that we had gathered at our offering for Shavuot, or Pentecost, which we shared both with the Messianic community and with a mainstream charity in Israel. This both/and approach was a powerful way to help worthy causes and to magnify the name of Yeshua.

This year, we will do the same. We've already contributed to a mainstream Israeli effort. Now we are in the midst of a Prayer Campaign through the seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot. The theme is "Two Loaves-One Lineage," to emphasize solidarity with Messianic believers in Israel. As the conclusion to seven weeks of prayer for the Messianic Jewish community, on Shavuot, June 1-3, we will receive an offering of "Two Loaves," based on Leviticus 23:15-17.

One "loaf" or half of the offering goes to help the UMJC continue to strengthen and represent the Messianic Jewish community. The other "loaf" goes to the Messianic community in Israel, to support projects like these:

• A grant to help Yeshua-believing Israeli families who are undergoing harassment and intimidation because of their faith.
• A donation to a Messianic Jewish group working to advance civil rights and freedom of religion in Israel, especially on behalf of Messianic Jews.
• Messianic Jewish feeding programs for the poor in Jerusalem and Nazareth.
• A dental hygiene program for the Israeli Ethiopian community.

This campaign of prayer and tzedakah that will strengthen the Messianic Jewish community, and bring credit to the name of Yeshua, in Israel and abroad-and you can be part of it! Download your prayer guide right here, or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to request a copy in the mail. Contribute to the offering for Shavuot by clicking here or send your contribution marked "Shavuot" to UMJC, 529 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. 

In Yeshua,
Russ Resnik
Executive Director