| Shalom to you Friend of Israel,
Beauty from ashes and gladness from suffering
Jewish people throughout history have endured much suffering, but have held tightly to the prophecies of “ALIYAH” – the Return to the Land Promised by God to our forefather Abraham in sacred covenant.
“that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, and rejoice in the gladness of Your Nation, and give glory with Your inheritance” – Psalm 106:5
We’ve learned to treasure the sweet with the sour
Sometimes the smallest thing, like Shabbat dinner with friends, unlocks singing, and joy… it’s the blessing of “being a free People in our own Country, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem” (to quote the Israeli National Anthem) by celebrating life in every moment of every day, in spite of (some would say “to spite”) the misery our forebears went through, in order to fulfill the legacy they fought for, and to try as we may to completely experience all that life in this Land offers, as it were on their behalf.
Aliyah Day – joy through sadness
On Wednesday we commemorated Aliyah Day with a sobering tour of the “Atlit” Aliyah Detention Camp, followed by a celebratory Aliyah Return Center outing at the nearby beach, where you heard personal Aliyah testimonies from members of our own ARC Team, interspersed with tastes of many different foods ethnic to our countries of origin.
– watch the replay HERE
“The parched and wasted land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. It shall bloom abundantly and spring forth with joy and singing. The beauty of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, and the excellence of our God.” – see the entire chapter of Isaiah 35
We are excited that our beloved annual Bloom Project is launched!
Its vision this year is to
-> replant the burned-out and charred hectare-wide swaths of the Galilee and throughout the Land, that were ravaged by the recent wildfires.
-> restore the horrific eradication of the majestic forests that had been lovingly planted as saplings on the hillsides by the caring hands of the first pioneers when the State of Israel was yet in its infancy,
-> return the local exiled wildlife to their natural habitat.
“I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this Land, with all My Heart and with all My Soul, thus says the LORD” – Jeremiah 32:41-42a
Near and dear to His Heart
Just as the Jewish People have endured unimaginable hardship throughout history, time and time again, yet our Faithful Father GOD has always restored us; as from a barren ruin to the fullness of completion in Him, and as from purged and desolate terrain to be:
“…trees planted by the rivers of water in the Land of Promise” (Numbers 24:6; Psalm 92:12).
We see this Project of renewal from ashes as historically symbolic and biblically prophetic; where fires of death and destruction rage, there, new life will begin again! Praise the LORD!
The long hard road
“Save now, I pray, O Lord; send now prosperity” – Psalm 118:25
This will take time for sure, as well as a lot of effort and much needed funding; yet we remain steadfast in faith, and our goal is to see this Land returned to its former lushness in time for the Holiday of the Trees – what could be called the Israeli “Arbor Day” (the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat – t”u b’shvat) which falls in the middle of January 2022 by the Gregorian calendar. We’ve also updated our donation page with an option to contribute specifically towards this Project.
– watch our last Bloom Project video HERE
Chaim is coming to the States this November for a speaking tour!
See the picture below for his schedule, and the free spots for which you may still catch him. Also, click HERE for a special message from him about this.
May the Grace and Peace of the God of Israel be with you this Sabbath.
Shabbat shalom from the Aliyah Return Center |
