Messiah’s Love Reaches South Africa

by Rob Berman, South Africa Branch Leader

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of October 7, we wanted to do something significant to share messages of love and support with our Jewish people in South Africa.

We partnered with two local churches to handwrite two thousand cards with encouraging messages to distribute among the Jewish community. Our volunteers wrote Bible verses and phrases such as “We love and support Israel,” “We bless the Jewish people of South Africa,” and “#BringThemHome.” The cards were designed by a local Jewish artist with images from the Tanakh (Old Testament). The envelopes featured a yellow ribbon and the phrase “Let My people go” in reference to the Israeli hostages. We also included “I Love Israel” bracelets that had been donated to us years ago.

After a busy day of handing out cards, my wife, Elize, was walking back to her car alone when a middle-aged man pulled up alongside her. He asked if she was part of the group distributing cards. Elize wasn’t sure if he would be aggressive or sympathetic. She happened to have one last card in her hand, and as she showed it to him, he burst into tears and thanked her repeatedly. Joel introduced himself and said he never cries, but these messages meant so much to him and his family. Joel told her that as Jewish people, they felt so alone, and this had touched them so deeply. They exchanged phone numbers, and Joel said that he wanted to connect soon.

Joel is just one of the many Jewish people who has been moved by this outreach. Please keep Joel and the rest of the South African Jewish community in your prayers, that as they receive the support of Christians, they will also receive Messiah’s love.