Celebrating 50 Years of Integrity

"I was 19 years old when I first came face to face with the massive stones of the Wailing Wall. I had come on a tour with my parents and several other well-known ministers. One of these ministers who was known for his boldness turned to the wall and began to pray. “No, no, no!” the local guide whispered in panic. They’ll arrest us if you pray.”

Ari acted in about 100 films and TV shows, like C.H.I.P.S., Hawaii Five-0, and the original Wonder Woman series. He played football in the NFL, competed in international track and field, and became a champion heavyweight boxer. But he left it all behind to pursue a radically different calling in Israel.

Ari and Shira’s congregation was not the first congregation planted in Israel, but it was the first of its kind—unapologetically geared towards building a Spirit-filled Hebrew-speaking community of Israelis.

“Ayal! Wake up!” My pleading and shaking did nothing to stir him until the first explosion hit. Instantly, Ayal bolted from his bed and ran to Shani’s room—as it was our designated “safe room”—and threw on his protective gas mask and suit. Then the six of us—plus the family dog—sat in the bedroom waiting for the promised instructions that would come on radio and TV if we were attacked.

This resistance gave birth to a sort of “underground railroad” of boats landing in the dead of night near the seashores and overland treks through mountain ranges or deserts.

By divine intervention, a Christian Millionaire and a Lebanese military commander became friends and planted two powerful spiritual weapons that have brought the Gospel to the dry and thirsty lands of the Middle East.

This resistance gave birth to a sort of “underground railroad” of boats landing in the dead of night near the seashores and overland treks through mountain ranges or deserts.

After Juliette and her daughter committed their lives to Yeshua, her husband took her to court. The right of a Jewish woman to believe in Yeshua without the State of Israel taking her children and home from her was on trial. We had to stand with our fellow believer.

For years, as a nation, we would live day-to-day, in survival mode. PLO chief Yasser Arafat urged on his suicide bombers and creative killers—and you never knew where they would appear. It was a bit like the coronavirus of today. The danger was invisible—until it hit.

As our nation celebrated 3,000 years since Jerusalem became its capital, our small group of believers gathered to celebrate our first service together a few miles north of Tel Aviv. We called it “HaSharon Congregation” as we lived on the Sharon plain near the Mediterranean Sea. We would eventually outgrow our home, move our meeting place to Tel Aviv and rename the congregation Tiferet Yeshua (The Glory of Yeshua).

Rabin folded the words of the song and put it in his left shirt pocket. He thanked the mayor of Tel Aviv for arranging the peace demonstration and told him this had been one of the happiest nights of his life. A few minutes later, that paper would be pierced by a bullet hole and saturated with blood. Ari and Shira's story continues as it intertwines with dramatic moments in Israel's history.

When the journalist asked to attend our youth conference we knew we had nothing to hide so we told her, "Sure!". She met with a number of the teenagers and talked to them about their faith. She was amazed to see young people so turned on to the God of Israel. After the conference, she called one of the youth team leaders and said, “I have been so moved by what I have seen, that now that I am home, I am afraid to turn on the TV or the radio for fear I will lose this wonderful feeling. The public needs to know about you all,” she enthusiastically exclaimed... Three weeks later an article with a screaming title, "Soul-Hunters", was published...