Dreams, Worship and the Promised Land

Shalom from Jerusalem!

The Jews of Ethiopia had dreamed of returning to the Holy Land for generations. In our generation, this dream became true. Today, over 180,000 Jews of Ethiopian background reside in Israel. Half of them were born in Israel.

 But coming from a very impoverished nation, they came with little education and skills for living in Israel. And Israel wasn’t the heavenly Jerusalem they had imagined.

Many Ethiopian Jewish immigrants have fallen into a criminal path, while others have defied the odds and worked to be successful and an asset to the nation. Yet only 4,000 young people of this community have managed to receive a higher education! 

Some of the greatest “success stories” are those who have met Yeshua and received Him as their Lord. These young people are on fire for Yeshua; they are smart and energetic, ready to serve and witness at every opportunity. And, by the way, with their gifts of evangelism, there are new Israeli believers from different backgrounds now attending Beresheet!

Several of the members of Beresheet Congregation in Jerusalem have terrific talents in praise and worship—like Emuna who wrote Kama Hesed (Overwhelming Grace)! As first-generation immigrants, none of the families they grew up in could afford proper music lessons and so they learned what they could entirely on their own or with a few “lessons” here and there. 

There are some who have worked long and hard to save up to purchase basic instruments and are learning from friends or YouTube clips. These precious people are hidden gems who have proven they can create something beautiful with the breadcrumbs they have received—but we want to see what they can do with a whole bakery!

Israel is an expensive country, especially when it comes to music, but we are eager to give these young people every opportunity to study musical instruments and enhance their singing abilities for the glory of God. We need to raise $2,500 a month (or $30,000 for the year) to cover the costs of music studies and technical training for sound production, along with the cost of equipment. There are about 10 of them already involved.

They have been told by so many they will never be good enough. But we invite you, our Maoz partners, to give them a chance to prove the naysayers wrong and that God is able to do above and beyond our wildest dreams.