Shavei Tzyon | Return to Zion Congregation
Haifa, Israel
The ongoing war, frequent rocket attacks, running to bomb shelters, and concern for loved ones serving in the IDF put great strain on all of us. Every Israeli may not personally know someone that was injured or killed, but all have relatives or friends who do. Our lives are inextricably intertwined.
Israel is going through an internal shake-up. The initial national unity following October 7th, is giving way to familiar tensions between the Right and the Left, the Secular and the Orthodox.
War is expensive. Taxes are increasing to cover the costs.
The Middle East map is changing rapidly. Conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, China and Taiwan, the Turks and the Kurds, Libya and Sudan – all in some way or another influence Israel.
Stability can only be found in relationship with the Heavenly Father, Messiah Yeshua and the Spirit. It is wrong to put our trust in people and ambitions of leaders. Paul offers believers the formula: “May the grace of the Lord Yeshua Messiah, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
For this to happen our spiritual eyes must be opened. We need to be fully aware of God’s care for us, resist the lies of the world and refuse to be pawns in its chess game.
Please pray for us in Haifa and for our daughter congregations, for believers in Yeshua in Israel to have the strength to stand in God’s peace.
In 2024, by the grace of our God and your unfailing friendship:
Shavei Tzion Congregation, daughter Congregations Or Chai and Netzer ha-Galil continued in outreach and sharing Yeshua Messiah’s testimony. We held out water immersions for those who chose the way of salvation! Each congregation celebrated Purim, Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, and Hannukah with abundant guests. We had three inner healing seminars. Our youth group grew and met regularly. Our home groups are proving an encouragement to those attending. In difficult times we have seen Messiah’s power demonstrated within the congregational family.
Humanitarian projects. We were able to provide hot meals to 60 elderly people 3 – 4 days a week. Also, in cooperation with the municipality, we assist needy people with food supplies during the biblical festival seasons. The New Immigrants Project has reached hundreds of people. We give them food, bed linens, kitchenware – and encouragement. Our humanitarian “Secondhand” warehouse operated full time, with a few short breaks. The warehouse is located in a bomb shelter, so during the intense weeks of rocket attacks the distribution was paused so that it could shelter residents from the nearby apartments. We also served foreign children who come to Israel for medical treatment by providing them with food supplies.
The “Rainbow of Sounds” Music and Art School has grown – now we are serving approximately 130 students, mostly children. We have opened a small branch of the school in the Nazareth area and conducted several concerts. The children did wonderfully. Many of the students come from underprivileged families so our ministry subsidizes around half of the tuition fees to enable them to develop their giftings.
Serving IDF Soldiers. Throughout the year, volunteers from our congregation made food for soldiers and we delivered it to them in various remote locations.
We organized events for Holocaust Survivors.
May you have a blessed 2025, with God’s peace and protection over you and your loved ones.
