Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Prayer shawl used at a bar mitzvah ceremony in Bat Yam with the writing "Blessed are you o Lord our God, who has fulfilled all the Torah in Yeshua the Messiah and covered us all in his righteousness" (Photo: WhatsApp group)
Everyone at a bar mitzvah ceremony in a Bat Yam synagogue was singing siman tov u’mazal tov (a good time and good luck), until the rabbi noticed something “strange” about the tallit (prayer shawl) of the bar mitzvah boy. The inscription in Hebrew caused panic.
“Blessed are You O Lord our God, who has fulfilled all the Torah in Yeshua the Messiah and covered us all in his righteousness,” it read.
I received the image through the WhatsApp group of the secular Israeli radio station where I have a weekly program in Hebrew, about Brazil. The person who sent it, an Orthodox Jew himself, attended the event. His message to the group, along with the picture, read: “Oy vey!”
What I found interesting were the many and varied comments among broadcasters, some secular, some religious, as well as those in the “scoops” Hebrew website rotter.net.
Comments ranged from “Oh My!” to “Yuck” to curious and genuine questioning. There were even some who wrote: “What’s is the big deal? After all, Yeshua was a Jew.” One of the broadcasters noted that it was “Yeshua,” not Yeshu (a rabbinic term and a curse for the name Jesus). Surely everyone wondered where the boy’s father bought the “impure” tallit.
“It is likely that it was purchased in a store owned by Messianic Jews,” wrote someone on rotter.net.
But this tiny story, published as an unimportant piece of news, included two images, the headline, “You must really check when purchasing a tallit,” and the caption, “A synagogue in Bat Yam.” And yet, it sparked a deeper debate. Those commenting in the scoops’ website, discussed the issue of Messianic Judaism, as well as the question, “Who is a Christian after all?”
“Dilbert” wrote in the forum: “Messianic Jews define themselves as Jews in every aspect, as Jews who believe in Yeshu as the Messiah. They never converted to Christianity, not in a church, not before the [Israeli] Interior Ministry. Just as the Chabad Chassidim are Jews who believe that Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the messiah. Incidentally, the Chabad Chasidim tend to weave ‘Long live our rebbe, our king, King Messiah’ on their sacred objects.”
Another Israeli Jew asked rhetorically, “Why is it so hard to say ‘Christian’? Even the first Christian was originally a Jew … (probably).”
One of the authors was accused of protecting the mission, and of being a fan of Christianity just because he warned against the hatred of becoming transparent in that particular forum: “The bitter hatred here against Yeshu and his disciples is irrational.”
What is clear is that the name Yeshua and his title Messiah is known among the people of Israel, even if they still insist on calling him “Yeshu.” But what is even more clear is that if we won’t share more about the Messiah, objects may do so, such as stones, prayer shawls and more.
When it comes to the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish movement's financial resources, it might seem that they have it all: expensive media campaigns to boycott Israel products; bullying of artists who announce their tours to Israel; purchasing Israeli products in supermarkets abroad in order to destroy them as well as other means of aggression.
And when it comes to pro-Israeli and pro-Jewish activism, sometimes it looks pale comparing to Israel's enemies. For the many thousands of millions in U.S. dollars, euros and British pounds invested by BDS, it seems that pro-Israel activism is still many steps behind.
But an Israeli company is changing that, radiantly.
Radiant Group, a young and thriving company based in the Galilee region, is bringing tour groups to Israel, connecting them directly to Israeli ministries and thus investing and sowing in the land of the promise. Radiant Group created also a new movement in order to fight boycotts against Israel: UBIS, which stands for Unite, Bless, Invest and Support.
"Radiant Group was founded in January 2016 in response to the pressing need for real and intimate relationships between the body of Messiah in the nations and the body here in the land of Israel," says Gilad Rosinger, founder and CEO of Radiant. "On the macro level, Radiant Group was founded to counter the growing BDS movement and the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide. Specifically to the insane statistic of NGO's spending a total of over 100 million euros per year to delegitimize the state of Israel."
Here is a question-and-answer with Rosinger about Radiant's mission and efforts:
RS: Tell us about the vision for the tour groups. How is that different from other tour companies?
GR: Radiant Tours has launched "Bless Israel Tours." This vision has come to life to help supporters of Israel connect with the Land and the people in a way that has never been offered before. Our focus is on relationships. We understand that supporters of Israel around the World are tired of the "cookie cutter" tours that operate like a factory and are somewhat mechanic in their nature. The typical tour lands at the airport and is then rushed from hotel to hotel and site to site without truly connecting with the land or the people. "Bless Israel Tours" are custom designed, focused on connecting with believers and ministries in Israel. We organize prayer meetings, worship gatherings, volunteer opportunities, meetings in the Knesset, Shabbat dinners in a believing Jewish home and many other activities that are designed to truly impact all people involved. The main goal is to establish lifelong relationships and introduce the kingdom family from the nations to Israel.
RS: Do you work only with local believers, such as tour guides, bus drivers, guest houses and hotels? Or do you work also with unbelievers you reach out to?
GR: We are open to blessing Israel in any way that the Holy Spirit leads us. Our focus, however, is the believers in Israel, and helping them grow in stability so that they can walk into their true calling. Our vision for Radiant Group is not only to bless the tourists, but to bless many ministries, believers and businesses here in the land. We work with guest houses and hotels that are run by believers and also nice hotels that are part of the economy of Israel. We specifically get to know the hearts desires of the group and then we match them up with their wishes.
RS: How does this is going to change the actual picture of tourism to Israel?
GR: This completely changes the game as far as tourism in Israel. Because of our unique connections here, and over 30 years of developing friendships and relationships, we have been blessed with some of the best connections and insight into the real needs in the promised land. We are able to make connections for tour groups that they have been longing for a very long time, but were unable to make. The reason they were unable to do so, is that the conventional tour companies don't deal with relationship connections. The response has been incredible, and we believe that this is the time for action. We live in a time where there is a pressing need to go deeper in our understanding of God's Word and the true spiritual principle of blessing Israel. Radiant Group provides just that.
RS: That is encouraging! Please tell us about UBIS.
GR: UBIS is the global movement we are launching to counter the BDS movement. BDS stands for Boycott, Divest and Sanction. UBIS stands for Unite, Bless, Invest and Support. We have a large network of ministries, businesses and organizations that are doing big things in Israel to bless the Land and the people. Through UBIS we are providing a trustworthy and transparent platform for people to bless Israel and stand with Israel in this critical time.
RS: How can pro-Israel Christians join the UBIS movement?
GR: Pro-Israel Christians and supporters of Israel can take a few actions to support the UBIS movement.
They can book a "Bless Israel Tour" through Radiant Tours.
They can use a Radiant Group business expert to handle their business needs (website development, video production, project management, marketing services and so forth). They can visit our website radiantisrael.com and click on the UBIS tab and make a donation toward the UBIS movement. This will help us create social media campaigns, bless various ministries and organizations in the land and much more.
RS: How can Israel-based ministries be a part of what Radiant Group is doing?
GR: We are here to serve. Israeli ministries can simply contact us for any other needs or ideas on how you would like to bless Israel. We can add them to our network and, depending on a group's wishes, we can make the connection between them.
RS: Here is a tough question, but it needs to be asked: Do you direct the groups toward certain ministries more than others?
GR: That's a great question. Yes we do. We take our mission seriously and want to make sure that only organizations and ministries which are trustworthy and righteous are being blessed. Currently, we have many partners and we know them personally. This is why people can count on with Radiant Group, that the seeds they sow here, will be sown in fertile soil. We are also open to working with any ministry or organization that is walking in truth and blessing people.
RS: What would you like the Israeli believers both Jews and Arabs would know about Pro Israel Christians around the world?
GR: Israel and the people of Israel are not alone! First of all, the Holy One of Israel has their back! And He is raising awareness—about the local believers and their struggles to minister in Israel—through Christians who truly and wholeheartedly love the God of Israel, His Word, His people and His Land, and they wish to be connected to them—directly. The words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah 60:1-5 are very much a part of these pro-Israel Christians' lives:
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. The nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather themselves together; they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried at your side. Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and rejoice because the abundance of the sea shall be converted to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you."
So it is time for the body of Messiah in the nations and in Israel to unite and be radiant.
Rachel Scapa studied journalism at the Open University TLV under Yedioth Aharonoth's journalist Dudi Goldman. She served as news correspondent for various radio stations abroad, including BBC 3 Counties and Voice of America, both in English and Portuguese, giving the best reports from Israel. Currently she has two radio shows--one in Portuguese, which she has had for more than 13 years, presenting News from Israel and the ME. In the other, in Hebrew, she presents Brazilian music, on an Israeli secular radio station. Rachel is also a columnist for a Christian newspaper in Brazil, distributed over the triple border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Presently she writes for the Israeli Messianic Jewish magazine Kehila News, published in Englsih, Hebrew and Spanish.
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