By ICEJ Staff Writers

Dear friends and prayer partners,

On Wednesday (16 October), the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem began its annual Feast of Tabernacles with a moving Remembrance Ceremony at the HaBsor National Park in the western Negev, just seven kilometers from the Gaza border.  The Feast’s opening event was held to honour the 1,200 Israelis killed and 251 taken hostage during the horrific Hamas terrorist onslaught on October 7 one year ago. 

Despite the ongoing fighting along the Gaza and northern borders, over 400 Christians have arrived in Israel to stand with the embattled nation and take part in the Feast. At the opening ceremony at HaBsor Park, they heard from Michal Uziyahu, the incoming Mayor of the Eshkol Regional Council, as well as the Eshkol region security chief Ilan Isaacson, who shared about his stressful experience trying to defend the surrounding Israeli communities on that fateful Shabbat last October. The gathering also heard from Elisha Mizrahi, a senior representative of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund.

The morning ceremony ended with the Feast pilgrims potting hundreds of red and yellow tulip bulbs in memory of the fallen and those abducted during the brutal Hamas pogrom. The ICEJ will partner with KKL-JNF to now plant the red tulips in the shape of a heart and the yellow ones in the shape of a ribbon at the memorial site to the victims of the Nova music festival massacre.

“The Feast of Tabernacles is traditionally a feast of joy and celebration, but given the ongoing war and the immense tragedy that struck Israel one year ago, we had a duty to begin with a solemn remembrance ceremony in the area hit so hard last October 7,” said David Parsons, ICEJ Senior Vice President & Spokesman. “Our presence here at this difficult time and the lovely tulips we will leave behind send a strong message of Christian support and concern for this nation and what they have suffered.”

In the afternoon, the Christian visitors were able to tour the Gaza border region, including the Nova festival site and the ‘car graveyard’ near Tekuma, to get their own impressions on what took place there.

As the sun was setting and the full moon of Succot began rising in the East, the Feast pilgrims journeyed to the tranquil Judean desert oasis of Kfar Nokdim for an evening of worship by several musical artists, as well as a powerful time of ministry by Suzette Hattingh.

The Feast entourage will now ascend to Jerusalem for the remaining week of Feast events, beginning this evening at the Pavilion. The Feast is being held this year under the biblical theme of “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”  (Zechariah 4:6)

Meanwhile, thousands of Christians are joining the Feast online through our unique streaming platform. Please let your family and friends know that they can still join the online Feast at:  feast.icej.org

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