By: Nicole Yoder, ICEJ Vice President for Aid and Aliyah

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Over the year 2022, your generous giving has made it possible for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem to impact the lives of so many Israelis, demonstrating Christian love and showing practical care to give each one a brighter future and renewed hope.

From expectant mothers and newborn babies, across the spectrum of life to the elderly, the Christian Embassy has been your extended hands and feet in reaching out to many Israelis who so desperately need our help due to unemployment, financial hardship or simply someone to lean on. This is all in keeping with the biblical command to “defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.” (Psalm 82:3)

May you be encouraged as you look back at how Israelis in need were touched this past year through the ICEJ’s support of projects under our Aid program for “Giving a Future and a Hope”:

General

• Sponsoring food distribution and a truck used to pick up and deliver large and fresh loads of donated food items for the poor.
• 170 Women in crisis received Aid (This encompassed Pro-life Aid for counselling and practical items for supporting 10 babies first year, out-reach to women on the streets in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Central Israel).
• House repairs were made for 28 disadvantaged families.
• Providing basic monthly support for 18 elderly Ethiopian Jews in a protected employment program that uses the artistic talents of each to make products for sale. Along the way they enjoy an enlarged old age pension and community.

Education

• Two schools received essential upgrades: A Druze girls school received a new computer room and a local believer school received a new playground.
• Vocational Educational Photography course for deaf students. The medium of photography is a marvellous way to communicate. The ICEJ is honored to support this vocational training project by providing essential equipment and covering the expenses of the course. Assisting these hearing-impaired students and helping them gain new creative and technical skills offers them the opportunity to turn their photography into a source of income in the future.
• Youth-at-risk education project – providing mentors/educational support for some 50 youth in two schools who are in danger of dropping out of school.
• 88 Scholarships were given for Druze, and for local Believers families still struggling to pay school fees following the corona crisis. We also provided support for 20 teachers and staff at the school.
• Our Aid team took the opportunity to help Israeli youth-at-risk and disabled national servicemen learn computer repair and restore 100 computers for disadvantaged families in the community. What a great way to help close social gaps through technology!

Vocational/Economic empowerment

• The crisis employment hotline gave advice/assistance and restored hope to approximately 50 people looking for employment.
• Vocational training: 42 Israelis were assisted with some type of scholarship or educational assistance towards a brighter future (these included single mothers who received certification as Insurance Agents and Arab youth who enjoyed a web-coding course that will open up new job opportunities for them).
• 37 Small businesses coming out of the corona crisis were strengthened. The ICEJ recognized the challenges of small businesses during this critical time and supported a local business association and social community initiative which provided mentoring for small businesses in Israel’s periphery. It also encouraged community business owners to work together to lower the costs of getting their product to the larger markets in the center of the country. Business owners were given various tools, such as developing a website to improve their marketing. Our support also allowed them to find creative ways to adapt their businesses to the changing times.

Holiday Food/Gift Distribution

• 990 Jewish families received food parcels for Pesach. Working together with local Israeli social workers to identify the needs, the AID team went from home to home to visit with the families or met them at a centralized location to present their care gift baskets and wish them well for the Passover holidays.
• Over the High Holidays, 50 Ethiopian Jewish families received Teff flour, a daily staple of their diet, so they could bake their traditional flat bread for the holidays. 
• Christmas: The ICEJ gave gifts to 1300 children and food packs for families in Nazareth and Haifa. We also gave 90 gift cards for Christian Arab families in Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.

Children and youth-at-risk

• Providing equipment and furnishing of a new cottage in a children’s home which receives traumatized children removed from their families. This home is a place they can stay until they find a suitable solution for them. (Houses 15 children at a time.)
• Aid for a religious kindergarten looking after 50 children. We supplied games and painted.
• Supplying furniture, equipment, games for a youth center in the north of Israel that offers after school tutoring and provides a positive environment to keep kids off the streets and in school.  (15 Arab youth).
• Provided basic needs (educational supplies, clothing, towels, bedding) for 90 orphans. By partnering with ICEJ, together we can give these children a second chance to be loved and cared for, and have their basic needs supplied.

Please visit our website at icej.org to read more about these wonderful projects that we have been able to support.

Thank you for your faithful giving. Please continue supporting the ICEJ in our mission to bless and comfort the people of Israel.  Donate at: give.icej.org/givinghope