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Subject: May Newsletter
May 2022 Newsletter
Aliyah of Rescue from Ukraine
Listening to testimonies from our team at the Ukraine-Poland border crossings is heart-stirring. Particularly moving are the stories of Holocaust survivors seeking to make aliyah. At one point a couple in their nineties arrived at the border in a Ukrainian ambulance.
We brought them to our base and together, provided hot food and accommodation for them, at the same time arranging their onward journey. In cooperation with Jewish Agency representatives we could arrange for them to fly to Israel on a special flight. What a joyful moment when the news of their safe arrival in Israel reached our base.
It's becoming increasingly difficult for Jewish families in the eastern regions of Ukraine to leave Ukraine. Just finding their way to the borders is now hazardous and fraught with danger. Men of military age are required to stay behind to help defend their country. They send off the women and children, and the elderly, on a quest to safety. Reaching border crossings may mean passing through areas affected by the hostilities.
Some feel stranded. To met this need, we've been able to help mount special rescue operations in which pre-arranged safe transport is provided to groups of Jewish people from specified departure points. Once assembled in a secure area, groups are boarded onto buses which take them to the border crossings. From there they can be given aid and the onward journeys can be planned and organised.
The Jewish Agency has sent additional consuls into neighbouring nations, including Poland, Hungary and Romania, to help process approvals for aliyah. Clearly this is a potential bottleneck and it is refreshing to see Israel's Minister for Aliyah and Integration, Pnina Tamano-Shata, taking the initiative to accelerate the process. Having originally made aliyah from Ethiopia, she brings with her a deep understanding of the process and also a dedicated commitment to her portfolio. We've included a media report on her initiatives in this edition of our newsletter. May the Lord prosper her efforts and bring other key members of the Israeli government alongside to support not only her push to for more aliyah, but also for the infrastructure preparation needed to receive the olim.
A week ago we were able to help charter an aliyah flight from Poland, bringing Ukrainian Jewish refugees to Israel in cooperation with the Jewish Agency. Here we see the flight arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. What a delight to see relieved and joyful faces as they disembarked and set foot into their destiny!
Pete Stucken
Pnina Tamano-Shata expects 6,000 to 10,000 immigrants to Israel each month
A report by ZVIKA KLEIN published in Jerusalem Post on 3 April 2022
“I instructed the Ministerial Committee on Aliyah and Immigration to grant approvals in principle and not to delay anyone who wants to come to Israel,” Aliyah and Integration Minister said.
Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata is seen greeting Ukrainian refugees arriving in Israel through Operation Israeli Guarantee on 6th March (photo credit: Noga Melasa/Aliyah and Integration Ministry)
The government will ensure that the increased rate of immigration continues, Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata said Sunday.
“I instructed the Ministerial Committee on Aliyah and Immigration to grant approvals in principle and not to delay anyone who wants to come to Israel,” she said. “I am currently in advanced negotiations with the ministers of finance and housing for the release of urgent housing budgets for the immigrants... I expect the arrival of between 6,000 and 10,000 new immigrants every month.”
Jewish Agency acting chairman Yaakov Hagoel on Sunday said the Jewish Agency had paid for 65 airplanes that flew Ukrainian Jews to Israel from neighboring countries to make aliyah.
“This is the biggest rescue operation in the last 30 years,” he said at a press conference, adding that “400 buses from Ukraine brought Jews from the country to neighboring countries.”
“The past week has seen a slowdown in the flow of refugees leaving Ukraine,” Hagoel said. “There is a fear of people leaving the country because of the massive shelling. We want to offer our help... We want Israelis who have family members in Ukraine to send us their information so we can approach them and assist them to leave the country. Whoever chooses to do so will also be able to immigrate to Israel. We think there are hundreds of thousands of relatives in Israel who can tell us about those Jews who are in Ukraine.”
Yehuda Stone, Yaakov Hagoel, Amira Aharonovich (credit: Jewish Agency)
Jewish Agency COO Yehuda Setton said: “I have spoken to 60 of the agency’s emissaries in Europe and asked them to go to the refugee centers in their cities to see if there are any Jews there who are interested in immigrating to Israel.”
More than 10,000 new immigrants have so far arrived in Israel as part of Operation Immigrants Come Home. More than 4,000 olim from Ukraine and bordering countries have chosen to stay in hotels rented for them by the Aliyah and Integration Ministry.
Employees of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration at Ben-Gurion Airport welcomed 157 new immigrants over the weekend. Another 300 olim from Ukraine are expected to land on flights from Poland and Romania on Sunday.
In addition, there is a sharp increase in immigration from Russia. More than 10,000 Russians have filled out immigration application forms digitally, the Jewish Agency reported. Another 10,000 people from Ukraine and 500 people from Belarus are interested in immigrating, the Jewish Agency said.
Why Social Media?
Did you know 4.62 billion people worldwide are social media users and on average spend 2hrs and 27minutes on these platforms each day?
We are now living in one of the most ‘connected’ societies there has ever been.
With messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and video platforms like YouTube, we’re constantly being exposed to new ideas, technologies and societies which never were so widely available before.
Psalm 96 encourages us to ‘declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all peoples’ and it’s good for us to ask, “how can we reach ‘all peoples’?”
As opportunities arise to speak about Aliyah in churches, bible schools and home groups, let us also consider how social media may be able to reach those who sit outside of these spheres. Many in the younger generation simply haven’t received any education about Israel, are hungry for knowledge and can quickly become misled by captivating content creators who present ‘information’ simply.
We want to use these same forms of communication to share the truth about Israel & Aliyah in a dynamic way. Paul reminds us in Romans 10 that we have a responsibility to proclaim the full gospel, otherwise “How can they hear without someone preaching to them?”. The full gospel message includes the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.
Nothing can replace the Godly calling for us to come together in person, to fellowship with one another, pray and practically serve the Jewish people. However, a social media post could be the initial seed which draws someone closer to the heart of God for the Jewish nation.
As we endeavour to speak the truth online about God’s eternal plan to regather the Jewish people to the land of Israel, to declare that Israel shall never cease to be a nation and that God has not replaced Israel with the church, we remind ourselves that God’s Word will not return empty but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11).
Ruth Linnell
If you've been wondering who the face is behind Ebenezer's growing presence on social media, here she is:
Ruth Linnell, who lives in the UK and is our Social Media Coodinator.
Ruth shares a brief testimony below...
.... As a young girl, I distinctly remember my parents sharing with me the importance of loving the Jewish people. When I was around 7 years old, we went to a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and despite not fully understanding its significance, I knew there was joy, goodness and God in that place.
Fast forward a few years and I hit my teenage years. My relationship with church became more about my friends than God. In many ways, I dismissed my parents’ love for the Jews and often found myself in conversations with friends where they might ask questions like ‘why do you have a map of Israel in your kitchen?’ - I had no answers. I couldn’t understand how caring for Israel was any different from having a heart for any other marginalised part of society.
When I was 18, I really came into intimate relationship with God. It was during these first few months of being filled with the Holy Spirit that I wanted to settle in my mind what this whole ‘Israel thing’ was. I started to read Why Israel by Derek Prince, which totally opened my eyes to the logical arguments in Scripture explaining why we should care.
I decided to go on the EOE Engage trip to Israel in summer 2018. In the garden of Gethsemane, we received a teaching on Romans 11 – this was the moment where God really touched my heart. It was all there, in black and white, God hadn’t rejected the Jews! Being in the Land showed me more of God’s character. He never abandoned the Jewish people even when they didn’t obey him and because of this, I knew he would do the same for me.
The Lord then took me through a process of shifting my focus from me, to Him.
If He was displaying His faithful character through His plans to bring the Jewish people back to Israel, Aliyah was about Him! It was about glorifying His Name. Was I ready to set aside my own ambitions and dreams to serve Him in this?
During the last year of my Fine Art Degree, God spoke to me about Ruth in the Bible. She was a gentile who not only stood with the Jewish people but helped Naomi make her journey home to Israel - I knew God was calling me to do the same.
Ruth Linnell
May 2022 Newsletter
Aliyah of Rescue from Ukraine
Listening to testimonies from our team at the Ukraine-Poland border crossings is heart-stirring. Particularly moving are the stories of Holocaust survivors seeking to make aliyah. At one point a couple in their nineties arrived at the border in a Ukrainian ambulance.
We brought them to our base and together, provided hot food and accommodation for them, at the same time arranging their onward journey. In cooperation with Jewish Agency representatives we could arrange for them to fly to Israel on a special flight. What a joyful moment when the news of their safe arrival in Israel reached our base.
It's becoming increasingly difficult for Jewish families in the eastern regions of Ukraine to leave Ukraine. Just finding their way to the borders is now hazardous and fraught with danger. Men of military age are required to stay behind to help defend their country. They send off the women and children, and the elderly, on a quest to safety. Reaching border crossings may mean passing through areas affected by the hostilities.
Some feel stranded. To met this need, we've been able to help mount special rescue operations in which pre-arranged safe transport is provided to groups of Jewish people from specified departure points. Once assembled in a secure area, groups are boarded onto buses which take them to the border crossings. From there they can be given aid and the onward journeys can be planned and organised.
The Jewish Agency has sent additional consuls into neighbouring nations, including Poland, Hungary and Romania, to help process approvals for aliyah. Clearly this is a potential bottleneck and it is refreshing to see Israel's Minister for Aliyah and Integration, Pnina Tamano-Shata, taking the initiative to accelerate the process. Having originally made aliyah from Ethiopia, she brings with her a deep understanding of the process and also a dedicated commitment to her portfolio. We've included a media report on her initiatives in this edition of our newsletter. May the Lord prosper her efforts and bring other key members of the Israeli government alongside to support not only her push to for more aliyah, but also for the infrastructure preparation needed to receive the olim.
A week ago we were able to help charter an aliyah flight from Poland, bringing Ukrainian Jewish refugees to Israel in cooperation with the Jewish Agency. Here we see the flight arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. What a delight to see relieved and joyful faces as they disembarked and set foot into their destiny!
Pete Stucken
Pnina Tamano-Shata expects 6,000 to 10,000 immigrants to Israel each month
A report by ZVIKA KLEIN published in Jerusalem Post on 3 April 2022
“I instructed the Ministerial Committee on Aliyah and Immigration to grant approvals in principle and not to delay anyone who wants to come to Israel,” Aliyah and Integration Minister said.
Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata is seen greeting Ukrainian refugees arriving in Israel through Operation Israeli Guarantee on 6th March (photo credit: Noga Melasa/Aliyah and Integration Ministry)
The government will ensure that the increased rate of immigration continues, Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata said Sunday.
“I instructed the Ministerial Committee on Aliyah and Immigration to grant approvals in principle and not to delay anyone who wants to come to Israel,” she said. “I am currently in advanced negotiations with the ministers of finance and housing for the release of urgent housing budgets for the immigrants... I expect the arrival of between 6,000 and 10,000 new immigrants every month.”
Jewish Agency acting chairman Yaakov Hagoel on Sunday said the Jewish Agency had paid for 65 airplanes that flew Ukrainian Jews to Israel from neighboring countries to make aliyah.
“This is the biggest rescue operation in the last 30 years,” he said at a press conference, adding that “400 buses from Ukraine brought Jews from the country to neighboring countries.”
“The past week has seen a slowdown in the flow of refugees leaving Ukraine,” Hagoel said. “There is a fear of people leaving the country because of the massive shelling. We want to offer our help... We want Israelis who have family members in Ukraine to send us their information so we can approach them and assist them to leave the country. Whoever chooses to do so will also be able to immigrate to Israel. We think there are hundreds of thousands of relatives in Israel who can tell us about those Jews who are in Ukraine.”
Yehuda Stone, Yaakov Hagoel, Amira Aharonovich (credit: Jewish Agency)
Jewish Agency COO Yehuda Setton said: “I have spoken to 60 of the agency’s emissaries in Europe and asked them to go to the refugee centers in their cities to see if there are any Jews there who are interested in immigrating to Israel.”
More than 10,000 new immigrants have so far arrived in Israel as part of Operation Immigrants Come Home. More than 4,000 olim from Ukraine and bordering countries have chosen to stay in hotels rented for them by the Aliyah and Integration Ministry.
Employees of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration at Ben-Gurion Airport welcomed 157 new immigrants over the weekend. Another 300 olim from Ukraine are expected to land on flights from Poland and Romania on Sunday.
In addition, there is a sharp increase in immigration from Russia. More than 10,000 Russians have filled out immigration application forms digitally, the Jewish Agency reported. Another 10,000 people from Ukraine and 500 people from Belarus are interested in immigrating, the Jewish Agency said.
Why Social Media?
Did you know 4.62 billion people worldwide are social media users and on average spend 2hrs and 27minutes on these platforms each day?
We are now living in one of the most ‘connected’ societies there has ever been.
With messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and video platforms like YouTube, we’re constantly being exposed to new ideas, technologies and societies which never were so widely available before.
Psalm 96 encourages us to ‘declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all peoples’ and it’s good for us to ask, “how can we reach ‘all peoples’?”
As opportunities arise to speak about Aliyah in churches, bible schools and home groups, let us also consider how social media may be able to reach those who sit outside of these spheres. Many in the younger generation simply haven’t received any education about Israel, are hungry for knowledge and can quickly become misled by captivating content creators who present ‘information’ simply.
We want to use these same forms of communication to share the truth about Israel & Aliyah in a dynamic way. Paul reminds us in Romans 10 that we have a responsibility to proclaim the full gospel, otherwise “How can they hear without someone preaching to them?”. The full gospel message includes the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.
Nothing can replace the Godly calling for us to come together in person, to fellowship with one another, pray and practically serve the Jewish people. However, a social media post could be the initial seed which draws someone closer to the heart of God for the Jewish nation.
As we endeavour to speak the truth online about God’s eternal plan to regather the Jewish people to the land of Israel, to declare that Israel shall never cease to be a nation and that God has not replaced Israel with the church, we remind ourselves that God’s Word will not return empty but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11).
Ruth Linnell
If you've been wondering who the face is behind Ebenezer's growing presence on social media, here she is:
Ruth Linnell, who lives in the UK and is our Social Media Coodinator.
Ruth shares a brief testimony below...
.... As a young girl, I distinctly remember my parents sharing with me the importance of loving the Jewish people. When I was around 7 years old, we went to a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and despite not fully understanding its significance, I knew there was joy, goodness and God in that place.
Fast forward a few years and I hit my teenage years. My relationship with church became more about my friends than God. In many ways, I dismissed my parents’ love for the Jews and often found myself in conversations with friends where they might ask questions like ‘why do you have a map of Israel in your kitchen?’ - I had no answers. I couldn’t understand how caring for Israel was any different from having a heart for any other marginalised part of society.
When I was 18, I really came into intimate relationship with God. It was during these first few months of being filled with the Holy Spirit that I wanted to settle in my mind what this whole ‘Israel thing’ was. I started to read Why Israel by Derek Prince, which totally opened my eyes to the logical arguments in Scripture explaining why we should care.
I decided to go on the EOE Engage trip to Israel in summer 2018. In the garden of Gethsemane, we received a teaching on Romans 11 – this was the moment where God really touched my heart. It was all there, in black and white, God hadn’t rejected the Jews! Being in the Land showed me more of God’s character. He never abandoned the Jewish people even when they didn’t obey him and because of this, I knew he would do the same for me.
The Lord then took me through a process of shifting my focus from me, to Him.
If He was displaying His faithful character through His plans to bring the Jewish people back to Israel, Aliyah was about Him! It was about glorifying His Name. Was I ready to set aside my own ambitions and dreams to serve Him in this?
During the last year of my Fine Art Degree, God spoke to me about Ruth in the Bible. She was a gentile who not only stood with the Jewish people but helped Naomi make her journey home to Israel - I knew God was calling me to do the same.
Ruth Linnell
