ALIYAH IS UP!

aliyah is up - Operation Exodus USA is a Christian Ministry that helps Jewish people go home (making Aliyah) to Israel.

ALIYAH IS UP!

GOING UP – ASCENDING UNTO ZION – THE MOST HOLY PLACE

Things are looking up despite the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Christians, we have a perspective that is unlike that of the world around us. We see things differently than the world does; we recognize the signs of the days we are living in. We look up to our God, and we testify of the abundance of His grace and mercy in our own lives, and His faithfulness to the covenant He made with the Israelites. In these days of extreme uncertainty, we stand confident that our God does not change, He Is the Great I AM! He Is all that we need to make it through the shakings that our nation and the nations of the world are experiencing. Jesus said “…So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up! For your salvation is near.” Luke 21:28 (TLB)

Operation Exodus USA has such a unique call, and we are honored, especially in these days, to serve God, and to be a blessing to His chosen people. Jewish communities all around us have been hit extremely hard with high numbers of loved ones who have lost their lives. What an opportunity we have to encourage them with God’s Word, to speak to them tenderly, comfort them, and be carriers of His love to them.

Aliyah is holy; it’s the Father’s heart’s desire to reunite His family unto Zion, His holy place. Our King Jesus is soon coming. This is not a time to be a bystander and just watch; this is a time to obey God, to pray, stand, and take action. Now is the time to partner with God, and to be that instrument in His Hands—to bring and carry His sons and daughters home.

Aliyah is up! Jewish people are now looking up toward Israel as their permanent home. Despite the pandemic, planes are flying from all over the world, bringing God’s people to Israel. Our team at OEUSA is filled with joy at the increase and the acceleration of applications we are now receiving.

Your obedience to the LORD in prayer and giving is the fuel that carries the assistance we provide to those making Aliyah. Now, more than ever, we need your participation. We encourage you to communicate with us about how the LORD is speaking to you to be directly involved with the work of Aliyah. These are the days preceding the 2nd Exodus, and we are fully confident the LORD will make all provision. He is faithful!

We value and appreciate all our partners and friends. We thank God for you, and we keep you and your families in our prayers. Stand strong, look up, and walk in divine health!

ADONAI is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will glorify Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. …Your right hand, ADONAI, is glorious in power. Your right hand, ADONAI, dashes the enemy to pieces. Exodus 15:2, 6 TLV

John Prosser
President/CEO

“My heart’s desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great so that you may be a blessing. My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Gen. 12:2-3 TLV

Please download our Scripture Brochure, Promises for Israel.
What the Bible teaches about the Jewish people and their return to the Promised Land.

ON THE CUSP OF A STILL GREATER ALIYAH

Operation Exodus USA is a Christian Ministry that helps Jewish people go home (making Aliyah) to Israel. Article - On The Cusp of a Still Greater Aliyah.

“…I will save my people from lands east and west; I will bring them back, and they will live in Yerushalayim. They will be my people; and I will be their God,…” Zechariah 8:7-8 CJB

 

John BeckettWe are currently witnessing the greatest in-gathering of Jewish people to the Land of Israel since the time of the Exodus under Moses. This historic phenomenon is recent—occurring primarily in the past 25 years.

Why isn’t this headline news? Perhaps it is because of ignorance or denial, but possibly spiritual blindness. Every “earth is flat” mindset traps people in a distorted view of reality.

I could easily be among those oblivious to this massive global re-gathering. As I was growing up in the 1940s and ’50s, anti-Semitic jabs and slurs were common. I unwittingly adopted some myself. My bias was reinforced as a student at MIT, where Jewish classmates would incessantly lobby professors for higher grades—somehow feeling they were being mistreated. It was annoying, and I allowed my annoyance to fester.

Then, in the late ’50s, I was invited to a campus lecture. I don’t remember a word of the speech, but I will never forget the images—unvarnished footage of the extermination of Jewish people in German concentration camps. General Dwight Eisenhower had insisted that this human tragedy be captured on film, fearing the world would one day deny and forget this monstrous evil.

My attitude toward Jewish people was permanently altered. Of course they deserved a homeland – not just any land, but the land promised them for millennia! How could I imagine that, in my lifetime, we would witness millions pouring into Israel in this modern-day exodus?

Those of you who read this vital newsletter don’t need convincing. You are already making a huge difference. You’ve had your own kind of “revelation” that Aliyah is fully on the heart and in the purposes of God. And you are acting on this revelation in ways that are appropriate for your circumstances and capacity. For my wife Wendy and me, this has meant prayer, influence and decades of financial support.

Many close observers are convinced that the recent outpouring is but prologue—that we are on the cusp of a still greater Aliyah.

This is a call, underscoring a unique opportunity to engage this miracle in whichever way the Lord directs. Think long-term, considering how strategic the next decade will be. Think sacrificially, deeming yours an investment with eternal consequences. We have a calling before us worthy of the journey.

John Beckett – Chairman, The Beckett Companies

“My heart’s desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great so that you may be a blessing. My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Gen. 12:2-3 TLV

Please download our Scripture Brochure, Promises for Israel.
What the Bible teaches about the Jewish people and their return to the Promised Land.

In The Latter Days…

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days (“achariyt he ‘yamim” in Hebrew.)

This term is found several times in the Bible and is connected to the Aliyah.  It means “in the last days, or end days.”  One place is Micah 4:1-2.  The time will come when every living Jewish person will make their Aliyah and return to Israel (Ezekiel 39:27-28), even from North America.  In the 46 years I have been involved with the Aliyah, prayer has been the basis of all the Lord has shown me and allowed me to witness.  To Him be the glory, all I have done is obey Him. 

When I first met Gustav Scheller in 1982 and we began Operation Exodus, prayer was always the central theme out of which we received our direction of what to do, and by God’s grace today, more than 200,000 Jewish people have been assisted to make Aliyah.  Today, there are about 7,000,000 Jewish people in North America and I know God has the plan that will make the way for them to go to Israel. 

The question is How?  That’s where the prayer comes in.  Yeshua said without Him we can do nothing (Jn 15:5) and He only did what He saw His Father do (Jn 5:19), and He only spoke the words His Father taught Him (Jn 8:28).  We must follow His example, pray, hear and obey His voice and He will reveal His plan to help, finance (if it is His will, it is His bill) and be the instruments to see His eternal purposes and plans fulfilled. 

Gustav and I started with $1 each in our kitty, so with a capitalization of $2 we began, trusting we were hearing from the Lord and being guided by Him, the rest is history.  In God’s mathematics 1 + 1 does not equal 2, one fights off a 1,000, two fights off 10,000 (Deut 32:30).  When Gustav and I had the charter contract in front of us for the first ship with a $1,000,000 bill attached to it, and we only had $2 in the kitty, but God… we were given the ship with a crew of 91 seamen on our signatures. 

With the contract on the table, the Lord opened my spiritual eyes and I saw we were surrounded by angels, I signed and after sharing with Gustav, he signed.  We never missed a payment.  It’s the end of days, will you pray and help?

Steve Lightle
International Speaker & Author

Please download our Scripture Brochure, God’s Purposes of Aliyah.
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PESACH PASSOVER

Experience and Celebrate the Power of Yeshua’s Resurrection

Dear Friends and Partners,

Each one of us, our families, our communities, our nation and the world are living in unprecedented days. This year, the celebration and remembrance of the Jewish Feast of Passover and the Christian Resurrection Day will look and feel very different. During this unusually quiet weekend, may we desire to know Christ as written in Philippians 3:10-11
 …“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” (NIV)

Thank you for your faithfulness to the work the LORD is doing through Operation Exodus USA. He is preparing us for the greater Aliyah that is upon us. Our prayer is that you will personally experience the power of Yeshua’s (Jesus in Hebrew) resurrection and all those whom you love and serve. Remember that Jesus came so that we may have life—life in its fullest measure. Our God is alive; let us rejoice, for HE IS RISEN!

Please read the following powerful Passover article prepared by our National Prayer Coordinator, Quay Messner.

John Prosser
President/CEO, Operation Exodus USA

Pesach – Passover

“This day is to be a memorial for you…keep it as an eternal ordinance.” Exodus 12:14 TLV. And so, “this day”, the 14th of Nisan, according to the jewish calendar, has been kept by the Jews ever since their miraculous deliverance from bondage in Egypt. The celebration is centered at a table, with special edible symbols and a meal that makes them “re-live” the event.

“Do this in memory of Me.” Luke 22:19b TLV. The establishment of what Christians call “Communion” took place at the Passover table. As Christians, we participate in a mini Passover Seder whenever we “re-live” our miraculous deliverance from bondage through Communion.

“…[W]hen…your children ask, “What does this ceremony mean…You say, “It is the sacrifice of ADONAI’s Passover…” Exodus 12:26-27 TLV. Passover is His celebration — remembering and rejoicing in what He has done for us through the Lamb. The Jewish understanding is that each Jewish person spiritually experiences the first Passover as if he/she had been there. As Christians, we also understand that the work of Calvary is personal. The reality and power are released when we remember that we are not remembering a dead person or god, but the Living God.

Yet there is more to the story! 

“And Pharaoh rose up in the night…Then he summoned Moses and Aaron…and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord…” Exodus 12:30-31 ESV

So, they went out! It truly was a miracle. But a few days later, they were in dire straits—trapped (by God’s design) and being pursued by Pharaoh and his powerful army. There was no hope in the natural. They were doomed, BUT GOD said…

“Don’t be afraid…see the salvation of ADONAI…” Exodus 14:13 TLV. The LORD appeared as a pillar of cloud and fire (The Holy Spirit), a spiritual barrier between His people and Pharaoh. The Red Sea was split by the power of God; the Israelites passed through; God drew the army of Pharaoh to pursue; the waters covered them—never to be seen again. 

Resurrection Life for the Israelites! This event took place on the 17th day of Nisan—on the third day after leaving Egypt! The Red Sea event was a real-life symbol of the Resurrection!  As believers, we are assured of victory over the enemy who pursues us. 

We are grafted into the fullness of Passover. May the LORD bless His Jewish people as they celebrate—to come to full revelation—and may He bless us to appreciate more deeply the precious root that supports us (Romans 11:18).

 Happy Passover—Resurrection!

Quay Messner
National Prayer Coordinator, Operation Exodus USA

Response to COVID-19/ Corona Virus Pandemic

Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you; don’t be distressed, for I am your God. I give you strength, I give you help, I support you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 CJB

Dear Friends,

Let us keep building ourselves up through our most sacred faith, praying in the power of the Holy Spirit, and keeping ourselves hidden in the love and faithfulness of God. The panic and unprecedented hysteria continue to build around the corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic. As I listen to the daily news, I am amazed at the many life-changing events that are taking place all around us.

The authority of God’s Word is the most powerful weapon we have against the corona virus and any other pestilence that would come against us. His living Word is the vaccine we need to build up an immunity to the current virus that continues to spread throughout our nation.

A synagogue not far from our home has become the epicenter of an outbreak of this current virus in Westchester County, New York. The rabbi is one of the many congregants who have tested positive for the virus. This outbreak accounts for 108 of New York State’s 173 cases reported thus far. The governor of New York has called in the National Guard to a “containment area” established around a community in New Rochelle in an attempt to limit the spread of this virus.

Here is a statement in part by Rabbi Reuven Fink: A crisis can bring out the best in people. It is bringing out the best in us. But as we see, despite all these measures, the amount of people testing positive is increasing. We all have to be careful to comply. We still have a way to go in handling our communal situation. Together, we can persevere and triumph over these challenges. With our ever-abiding faith in G-d who is the healer, we pray that we, as well as our fellow Americans and the peoples of the world, will conquer this disease. 

We need to come together in prayer for our Jewish brothers and sisters who are in great need of healing, much comfort, and encouragement. Please pray for God’s wisdom for those in authority to know how to combat this virus so that lives will be saved and disruptions to their normal lives will cease.

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it be given to him.” James 1:5 NASB

Together, let us proclaim Psalm 91 over every state on the map below, decreeing that the coronavirus will cease in our nation, in Israel and all other nations. Pray God’s healing power over all who are currently affected by it. Let us encourage one another with this scripture: “Tell everyone who is discouraged, BE strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4 GNT

During this time of shaking and uncertainty, we are sensing a strong unction from the LORD to go deeper in prayer and wait upon the LORD for His direction. No matter what happens in the days ahead, Aliyah will continue! In obedience to God’s call, we must be prepared and ready to assist hundreds upon hundreds of Olim who will make Aliyah this year.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to bring you faultless and joyful before his glorious presence — to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, from all ages past, and now, and forever and ever! Amen. Jude 1:24-25 GNT

John Prosser
President/CEO
Operation Exodus USA

The Feast Of Purim

Feast of Purim

PURIM – CELEBRATION OF GOD’S DELIVERANCE AND PROTECTION

 

Every year, our Jewish friends celebrate the Feast of Purim, also known as the Feast of Esther.  During this day of celebrations, they remind themselves of the deliverance of their people in the days of the King of Persia. This year it starts from sunset, on Monday, March 9, 2020, until sunset, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. On this day, the Jewish people celebrate with great laughter and joy because God has turned despair into hope! As they read the whole history of Queen Esther, they recognize the enormity of what God had done for them and then they burst out in great laughter and joy!

This Feast, recorded only in the book of Esther is read in its entirety in synagogues throughout Israel and in many nations on this one day. People dress up, armed with toys and whistles that can make much noise in celebration of God’s protection and promise to deliver His covenant people. The story of Purim is a clear testimony of God’s hand of protection upon His children. Even when things do not look good, God is there!

A Purim service in the Synagogues is a noisy place. Kids specially enjoy taking part by blowing whistles, banging on drums and shouting with loud voices when the name of Haman the enemy is read. In the past, I attended Purim services in Israel. It always reminded me of the following words …“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” Psalms 126:2 NIV.  This scripture also reminds me of when Olim return to Israel, their lives are changed and we hear their testimonies. Their living in the Land is filled with joy, peace and, yes, laughter, celebrating God’s provision for them to make Aliyah, to go home to Eretz Israel!

Purim teaches our Jewish friends and us as well, that whatever we may face, if we ask for the courage to trust and obey God, no matter what the circumstance, all things will work together for good. The real hero’s in the Megillah (scroll, long complicated story) is not Esther or Mordecai, but God, who was working behind the scenes, and using ordinary but willing men and women to preserve the Jewish people against all odds.

Esther – the feast of Purim teaches us and all peoples and nations, that God will not abandon His people, He will and is fulfilling His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

To God be the Glory!
Chag Purim Sameach!! Happy Purim Holiday!!

Please download our Scripture Brochure, God’s Purposes of Aliyah.

Are You Listening?

Are You Listening?

This can be your breakthrough appointment with God, one of the 

most significant opportunities in your entire life!

Mark 4:23 NKJV “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Revelation 2:29 NKJV “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

As the Body of Christ, we have a massive assignment. It’s a world-wide assignment. It’s a Kingdom assignment. It’s a people assignment. Part of that assignment is, we’re held responsible to fulfill prophecy, because we carry the testimony of Jesus in our hearts. Revelations 19:10b says “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The Body of Christ is a “prophetic people!” Prophecy includes hearing, speaking, and seeing what God is saying.

As a prophetic people, we don’t just stand by passively looking for prophecy to come to pass, we must also become engaged by being a part of prophetic fulfillment, by participating with the plan of God in the earth.  As 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We walk by faith and not by sight.”  In fact, a simple definition for faith is, acting on the Word of God! As a prophetic believer, are you doing your part? Are you acting and responding to the Word of God for our generation? Are you listening?

The Scriptures place a high importance on hearing God’s voice. You know as well as I do, that in the day and time we’re living in, you need to fine tune your hearing and tune in to what the Spirit is saying to the Body of Christ. In fact, Jesus Himself said in John 10:27 NKJV “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

God is always challenging us to come higher and expand more! And one way that He does this, is by speaking a Word to us that causes us to become committed to a Kingdom cause. All Kingdom causes require Kingdom commitment. Are you operating in your life by a Kingdom Commitment? A Kingdom Commitment is a resolve of a course of action based on a conviction that’s established by God’s Word that I’ll go above and beyond because I have this compelling desire to please God.

Jesus Himself said in John 8:29 NKJV, “And He Who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

Aliyah is the heart of God!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are given the ability to not only hear God, but to also see what God is doing. Have you been paying attention to what God is doing with Israel and the Jewish people? Have you been listening to the Holy Spirit, to catch the revelation of Aliyah? Aliyah, which is a Hebrew word that can be translated as “ascent,” is also the heart of God because He is bringing back the Jewish people to the land of Israel, for His Name’s sake, according to Ezekiel 36:22. At Operation Exodus USA, we have purposed to do our part by being a part of prophetic fulfillment, as we assist Jewish people who desire to move to Israel from the United States.

I can’t recall where I got this statement from, but I read where one person said, “Since the Holy Spirit lives in every born again believer, and He is each person’s Helper, He will never lead us into being simply a spectator. He cannot help the believer to be what He has never been – a spectator! The Holy Spirit will lead every believer into being a participator with God.” Are you listening?

Did you know that when you have a delayed response, that’s disobedience? Not only that, but also a divided heart response is disobedience, as well. But God is looking for a devoted heart response, which is a “Kairos moment” response. It’s the response that God Himself searches the earth looking for, for the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”    Are you listening?

Hear the Word of the Lord in these 2 verses:

2 Samuel 7:10 NKJV “Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously.”

Jeremiah 23:3 “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.”

As prophetic people, we must make ourselves available to yield to the Holy Spirit and become instruments in the Hand of God to assist Jewish people everywhere to perform Aliyah, so they can encounter a dimension of God’s supernatural power in a manner they’ve never experienced before! Are you listening?

Now it’s time for you to do your part.

Please download our Scripture Brochure, God’s Purposes of Aliyah.

ALIYAH – God’s Love Letter to His Treasured People

ALIYAH - God's Love Letter to His Treasured People. Operation Exodus USA is a Christian Ministry that helps Jewish people go home (making Aliyah) to Israel.

ALIYAH – God’s Love Letter to His Treasured People

ALIYAH comes from the unconditional love of a Father’s Heart! Beginning in Genesis, and ending in Revelation, the Bible reveals God’s everlasting love, faithfulness, and passion for the Aliyah of His chosen people. The Heart of the Father yearns to restore His people and Israel back to Himself. Aliyah – God’s love letter to His treasured people. The LORD said in Deut. 14:2 TLV “…For you are a holy people to Adonai your God from all the peoples on the face of the earth, Adonai has chosen you to be His treasured people.”

God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and through one of their own, He brought salvation to the world. John 3:16TLV says, “For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   We are living in historic and amazing days. As the Church of Jesus Christ, we have a unique and glorious invitation to participate with the heartbeat of our Heavenly Father. The LORD continues to beckon His sons and daughters to come home. He is carrying His children home and He invites us to join Him. What an honor and privilege to be entrusted, and included in God’s ultimate desire to become one as Jesus prayed.

“…In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them and carried them….” Isa 63:9 TLV

Operation Exodus has a specific mandate from God with a unique purpose. For this reason, God calls us to assist and bless Jewish people to make Aliyah. Together with Operation Exodus International, we have assisted over 200,000 precious souls return to Israel from all over the world. There is still over six million Jewish people that reside in the USA. It’s the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. These numbers leave no doubt that the USA will become the focal point for worldwide Aliyah in the future, and as prophecy unfolds, it may be in the very near future.

Please join us by praying and supporting this holy work. Aliyah is God’s prophetic Word in motion, a modern-day miracle! Help us to grow the awareness and the importance of God’s Kingdom purposes for the restoration of Israel and the Jewish people’s God-inspired motivations to make Aliyah.

During this unprecedented time, please consider supporting God’s holy work of Aliyah. By making a gift you become part of God’s plan to bring His people home to their God given Land.

“My heart’s desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great so that you may be a blessing. My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Gen. 12:2-3 TLV

Please download our Scripture Brochure, Promises for Israel.
What the Bible teaches about the Jewish people and their return to the Promised Land.

Celebrating Yom Ha’Aliyah in Israel

Operation Exodus USA is a Christian Ministry that helps Jewish people go home (making Aliyah) to Israel.

Celebrating Yom Ha’Aliyah in Israel

by Chanale Chanale: “This week’s Torah reading is Parshat Lech Lecha, the portion of the Bible that tells the story of Abraham’s journey from the land of his father from the land of Canaan out into the unknown, in direct adherence to G-d’s instruction. He leaves behind the land of his birthplace, and home of his father, to travel to the Land of Israel, where G-d promises him descendants that will be as many as the stars and sand. As a Jew, Abraham’s courage lives on in my DNA and with this courage, I too, packed up my life and left behind all I’ve ever known to relocate to Israel, a tiny country in the Middle East surrounded by its sworn enemies. As a Jew, I believe that this land was promised to me and my children and so long as we live righteously and walk in the ways of G-d, we too will flourish and succeed in this special country surrounded by G-d’s Love and protection. Today, as we enter our third year in the Holy Land, and celebrate Yom Ha’Aliyah with the hundreds of other families that migrate to Israel each year from all 4 corners of the earth, I am thankful for the opportunity to experience our culture, heritage, and traditions in a country where all citizens are treated equally and have unlimited opportunities to grow in all material and spiritual matters. I am still an American patriot and will always appreciate visiting the States and enjoying all it has to offer but I am also an Israeli citizen and therefore proud to hold two passports to two Countries that put G-d first and respect the word of the Bible. May we all have the freedom to live safely in our homes and worship G-d in a meaningful way and like Abraham, receive G-d’s generous blessings.” Here is a song Chanale wrote and performed: “We are the Jews”
by Chanale

The Jewish High Holy Days Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

THE JEWISH HIGH HOLY DAYS –

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Having lived in Jerusalem, I remember that the High Holy Days were always exciting, filling me with much respect as I joined our Jewish friends to prepare our hearts and minds for the two most important days in the Jewish year. 

The preparation for these days goes hand in hand with being challenged to use each day as an opportunity for growth and discovery.  The sound of the shofars everywhere is a beautiful reminder that all are coming together, focusing on these most important days.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two High Holy Days in Israel.  These days are about putting God first in our personal lives, and the recognition that God is in control of everything in our lives and the lives of our family.  These days are a time of celebration and reflection. 

First the Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah—a time to reflect on the goals we want to achieve in life, the direction we want to move into, and the destination we want to reach.  One of the most popular customs involves eating apple slices dipped in honey—a wonderful treat shared by everyone with everyone.  It is believed that the apple brings healing, and the honey signifies the hope that the New Year will be sweet.

Yom Kippur is a day of fasting—an opportunity to look at the decisions we have made during the year and to reflect on our directions, decisions and choices.  Then, as needed, we ask forgiveness and enter the new year focused on having success.

People attend services at the synagogues reading the Scriptures and praying prayers of forgiveness.  It is a day—the only day in Israel—when everything becomes quiet.

These days are very important to our Jewish friends but also to those of us who stand with them and Israel in these important days.

L Shana Tovah (Greeting during the High Holy Days)

Shirley Lawrenson

NYC Aliyah Director
Operation Exodus USA