FROM SARAH, OUR SABRA
ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL

Dear Friend,

Shalom from Israel. As a native Israeli-born citizen, I have never had to consider aliyah. But I contemplated the profound topic after recently hearing of events signaling changes that could undermine the process globally.

Aliyah refers to the immigration of Jewish people to the Land of Israel. The Hebrew word aliyah derives from the verb la’alot (לעלות), which means “to go up” or “to ascend” in a positive, spiritual sense.

Prophetic Words

Many Biblical prophets wrote about aliyah:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will save My people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be My people and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God’” (Zechariah 8:7–8).

“They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. … Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours” (Isaiah 61:4, 7).

“… This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. … They will live in the land I gave to My servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever…’” (Ezekiel 37:21, 25).

God makes it clear in His Word that the diaspora (Jews dispersed or scattered in the nations outside Israel) was never intended to be forever: “… This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone’” (Ezekiel 11:16).

God made two promises concerning the land and nation of Israel. First, He said that the Land of Israel will be for the people of Israel: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘I will gather you from among the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again’” (Ezekiel 11:17).

The second promise was that the nation of Israel will always remain: “‘Only if these decrees [the sun, moon, stars, and sea] vanish from My sight,’ declares the Lord, ‘will Israel ever cease being a nation before Me’” (Jeremiah 31:36).

An External Shift

In July of this year, two major shifts occurred concerning aliyah.

First, an outside shift occurred when Russia imposed significant limitations on the Jewish Agency’s operation in the country.

The Jewish Agency is an organization that aids Jews in different countries in their process of aliyah. It acts as a liaison between the Israeli government and Jewish families or individuals wanting to move to Israel.

Working with the Jewish Agency involves gathering documents to prove a person is Jewish, planning the move, and receiving benefits from the Israeli government. Russia imposed an information-sharing policy on the Agency so that the Russian government would know in advance about Jews who were planning to leave the country.

Soon after Russia enacted this policy, a court case began between the Agency and the Russian government. This new policy seriously threatened the Agency’s operation in Russia. Should this happen, it would be almost impossible for Jews to leave Russia and immigrate to Israel.

Israeli media theorized that the harassments by the Russian government were initiated to appease the Iranian government following Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Iranian leaders. The Iranians had complained about Russia’s failure to deal with Israeli air strikes against Iranian military posts in Syria.

Discussion of closing the Jewish Agency in Russia and blocking Jewish immigration out of that country brings to mind another of Jeremiah’s prophetic announcements: “‘But now I will send for many fishermen,’ declares the Lord, ‘and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks’” (Jeremiah 16:16).

When Yeshua called the twelve disciples, some were fishermen. He prepared all of them to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Their calling and activity remind me of the first part of Jeremiah’s declaration.

As a child, I remember watching movies about the End Times and hearing about the “time of the hunters.” Some Bible scholars teach that this refers to a time of anti-Semitic persecution that will drive the people of Israel out of other nations and back to their land. (Other scholars believe both the fishermen and the hunters are restoration agents — sent to seek out Jews to bring them back to Israel.) If the hunters actually hinder Jews from returning to Israel, the current events in Russia cause me to wonder if we are in that time.

An Internal Shift

The second significant shift in July occurred inside Israel as the country proposed a new law. If passed, it will amend the “Law of Return” that defines which persons qualify to make aliyah and become citizens of Israel.

The current law states that those who can prove they have one Jewish grandparent will be granted the right of return. This wording was chosen based on Hitler’s requirement during the Holocaust — anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent was considered Jewish and therefore sent to the death camps.

At the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, leaders adopted this condition in reverse. They declared that if the condition was enough to decide a person’s death, it was sufficient to offer a chance of life and hope in Israel. Since that time, a steady stream of Jewish people have been immigrating to Israel.

But the new law, if accepted, would limit the right of return to children with Jewish parents — removing the grandparent provision. This would negatively affect many Jewish people around the world. Thus, the aliyah window seems like it could be closing!

A Sacrifice

In Hebrew, the person making aliyah is an oleh. This word comes from the same Hebrew root as that for the burnt fat sacrifice — olah — a sacrifice with a sweet-smelling fragrance that rises up to God and satisfies Him. In a sense, the life of an oleh (Jewish immigrant to Israel) is filled with sacrifice.

My husband immigrated to Israel during his twenties. He remembers the price he paid as he first moved to and lived in the land. The language was difficult to learn, he found many Israeli people to be “prickly,” the culture was unfamiliar, and he experienced much loneliness since he left his family behind. He also took a pay cut because of the lower salaries in Israel. It wasn’t until he got a good grasp of the language, grew accustomed to the way things happen in Israel, and we met and married that he truly felt a part of life here.

It is a tough decision to adjust your life and make such a move, facing the unknown challenges of a new country. Yet this upheaval is the role of the Jewish people in God’s plan.

Gentile Believers (“Believers” is short for “believers in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah”) also play a significant role in God’s plan. Gentiles can support aliyah through encouragement and financial support. In addition, they can actively help Jewish people return to Israel. It is God’s will that all people be involved in God’s plan for the return of the Chosen People to the land. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I will beckon the nations, I will lift up My banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips’” (Isaiah 49:22).

Im tirdefu lada-at oto —
“Press on to know HIM!” (Hosea 6:3 NLT),

   
Sarah Liberman

P.S. Will you join me in praying for Jewish people making aliyah and for Israel? “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory … No longer will they call you Deserted … I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem … You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isaiah 62:1–2, 4, 6–7). ✡

: Food, Fun, Fellowship, and Bible Study

When David and I plan a trip together, we have many requirements on our checklist. Truthfully, the food we’ll eat is a key consideration! Like many travelers, we want to enjoy our adventure, have fun, and make some new friends, if possible. When you go on a Zola Tour, you will experience all that and more. Above all, you’ll find that the Bible will come alive before your eyes.

Israeli cuisine is delightful beyond anything you can imagine. Other study tour pilgrims will become your friends for life, your Biblical insight will greatly increase, and there’s nothing like praising God through song in His land.

Sandra Luttrell is our capable, professional travel manager. Contact Sandra at 214-696-9760, travel@levitt.com, or levitt.com/tours. Your deposit is fully refundable until 60 days before departure. This flexibility has helped many achieve their lifelong dreams of walking where Yeshua walked!

Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim! —
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” (Psalm 122:6),

David & Kirsten

P.S. When Zola first determined to be 100% supported by viewers and partners, he took an enormous leap of faith. Now ZLM continues to follow the path he blazed. Thankfully you, our supporters, have remained faithful through the decades.

Meanwhile, as time has passed, many of our original backers have graduated to their heavenly reward. We need new supporters to stand in the financial gap left by our faithful founding generation. We need you! Would you pray about financially helping to continue the legacy Zola established? You can help us keep marching with renewed purpose and new vigor. ✡

Our Jewish Roots TV programs in September

This month, we’re bringing back an encore presentation of one of our most popular series. We’ve had thousands of positive responses from it, and now you can enjoy the programs once again. Given today’s challenging and divisive political climate, it may surprise you to discover how America’s Founding Fathers faced comparable unrest at the beginnings of our country.

Faith of Our Fathers

In Faith of our Fathers, Dr. Jeffrey Seif spotlights pioneers who worked to build a modern, Godly nation in the New World. In addition, Christian historian David Barton chronicles their efforts to anchor our nation to belief in the God of Israel.

Faith in Our Leaders

Bible heroes like Ruth and David were not perfect. Yet, they succeeded by trusting in God. Likewise, George Washington was also imperfect, yet this man of faith often experienced God’s guidance and protection.

The Cost of Faith

Risks accompany faithful living, as the lives of Esther and Mordecai reveal in the Bible. New Englander John Adams, despite the risks, helped gather the representatives of the thirteen colonies around a set of principles that would become the Declaration of Independence.

The Actions of the Faithful

Living out faith may require boldness, like Peter when he attempted to walk on water. Benjamin Franklin, also a bold man of faith, called the members of the Constitutional Convention to prayer.

The Application of Faith

Narratives about men and women of faith abound in Scripture. Most of our Founding Fathers believed in the God of the Bible. Their actions and writings testify to how they put their faith into action.