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Hope in Difficult Times

June 17, 2024

For the past nine months, Israel has fought a war on multiple fronts: Hamas in the south, Hezbollah in the north, Islamic Jihad militants in Judea and Samaria and the ever-present threat from the mullahs [Muslim clergy] of Iran, who no doubt are planning their next attack. It is evident that Israel is facing one of the most challenging periods in recent history. In northern Israel, close to the Lebanese border, entire communities have been evacuated. Families who once enjoyed peace and security are now scattered, seeking refuge wherever they can find it. Schools are closed, businesses shuttered, and the agricultural sector—so vital to the region’s economy—is in disarray. The relentless attacks have created an environment of fear and instability, forcing over 100,000 people to flee their homes and disrupting the daily lives of many more.

Food deliveries to those in need

No End in Sight

Recent reports indicate that Hezbollah has significantly increased its attacks, launching hundreds of rockets and explosive drones into northern Israel. Last month, in one of the heaviest barrages, over 200 Hezbollah rockets were fired at northern Israel in a single day, while in another incident rockets ignited wildfires destroying 2,500 acres of forest and threatening 10 villages. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have responded with airstrikes, but the danger remains ever-present, with no end in sight. The emotional and psychological toll on the displaced individuals is immense, as the constant threat of rocket fire and explosive drones shatters any semblance of normalcy.

Amid this unfolding chaos, Bridges for Peace continues to provide critical support to communities in northern Israel: Avivim, Karmiel, Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya and Maalot Tarshiha. Our organization has a long-standing commitment to these Israeli communities, and in these times of heightened need our efforts are more crucial than ever. For many, our deliveries are a beacon of hope, providing not just physical sustenance but also a sense of solidarity and support. Beyond food assistance, we also offer financial aid to help displaced families cover basic expenses. With incomes disrupted and the cost of living rising, this support is vital. It allows families to pay for rent, utilities, trauma counselling and other necessities and helps them maintain some stability during these turbulent times.

The Need is Great

We are being flooded with additional requests from displaced communities who are seeking immediate assistance through our food program, which has become a lifeline for many displaced families. An emergency food bank has been established in Katzrin in the Golan Heights to assist displaced families in the region who have no means to sustain themselves due to the ongoing war. Liach Tubi, the coordinator of the fledgling food bank, sent an urgent request to our team in Jerusalem asking if Bridges for Peace could provide much-needed food to stock their shelves.

Another pressing request came from a group home in northern Israel where victims of post-traumatic stress disorder come to stay for immersive counseling and trauma therapy. Due to deteriorating mental health these individuals can no longer live in their homes and need round-the-clock observation. The director of the facility reached out to us asking if we could please provide food for their cafeteria so that daily hot meals can be prepared for the residents of the home.

Our fervent desire is to answer these requests with a resounding “yes,” but unfortunately the financial reserves in our food program are depleted. We desperately need a boost of funds to the Food Project in order to meet these additional requests. The need is immense, and we cannot do this alone. We urgently need your help to continue and expand our efforts. Your generous donation will directly support our food program, ensuring that displaced Israelis receive the sustenance they need to survive and those traumatized by war receive the necessary treatment to rebuild their lives.

Bridges for Peace Food Bank

We NEED Your Help

Bridges for Peace operates one of the only Christian food banks in Israel, and it is only by the grace of God and the donations of faithful Christians that for so many years we have been able to fulfill the mandate of Jesus laid out in Matthew 25. And now in this time of need, we call out to you, our faithful supporters to step into the gap. Please consider making a generous donation to the Food Project today.

Your gift, no matter the size, will make a profound difference in the lives of those affected by this conflict. Your support is more than just a financial contribution; it is a message of solidarity and compassion. It is a testament to the enduring bond between Christians and Jews and the power of community in times of crisis. Together, we can stand with Israel, offering practical assistance and a beacon of hope in these dark times.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. In these challenging times, your generosity and compassion are a source of strength and hope for many Israelis. Through your act of love and tangible support, Bridges for Peace is conveying a message of hope to the people of Israel in this troubled time.

 

With heartfelt gratitude,
Rev. Peter Fast
International CEO

Photo Credit: Click on photo to see credit

Bridges for Peace is committed to blessing the people of Israel in a variety of ways.

Greatest Ministry Need

Your contribution to this fund will be used to support the educational and operational costs of running Bridges for Peace.

Greatest Israel Need

This fund gives us the flexibility to meet needs not covered by our regular projects and to respond quickly to urgent needs.

Food Project

“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.

Adoption Program

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!

    

Feed a Child

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.

    

Project Rescue

“‘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.

    

Education and Advocacy Fund

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.

Adopt an Israeli Town

Bridges for Peace sponsors 23 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.

    

Project Tikvah (Hope)

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.

Widows and Orphans Fund

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?

International Headquarters Fund

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.

Holocaust Survivors

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?

Immigrant Welcome Gifts

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.

New Immigrant Fund

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.

Cheer Basket

“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.

School Starter Kit

“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.

Home Repair

“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.

Victims of Terror

“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.

Dental/Medical Aid

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

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.

Arab Family Assistance

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.

Zealous8:2 Scholarship Fund

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. 

Volunteer Support

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.

National Office Support

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.

Vehicle Fund

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.

Save An Israeli Life

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!

Bnei Menashe

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.