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Jewish congregations that honor Yeshua the Messiah of Israel

 

AP Photo/Oded Balilty

Executive Committee Statement on the Return of the Hostages

On Hoshana Rabbah, October 13, we witnessed a moment of deep and biblical significance—after 738 days in captivity, the living hostages are finally home! The hopes, prayers, and tears of all Israel have been answered. As the psalmist declares:

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping . . . shall come home with shouts of joy. (Psalm 126)

How fitting that this deliverance would come on Hoshana Rabbah. For the hostages and their families, this is truly a day of great salvation. As we recited our prayers for this festival, we were reminded that the salvation of the Lord is for His name’s sake, as the Hoshanot prayer proclaims:

For the sake of Your truth and Your covenant, Your greatness and Your glory, for the sake of Your goodness and Your holiness—save us now.

Even in our rejoicing, our hearts remain steadfast and hopeful that we will yet receive back the bodies of our dead, so that we may honor them and comfort their families. In this season of joy, let us continue to hold in prayer those who still mourn, surrounding them with compassion and consolation.

We also give thanks for the enduring partnership between America and Israel, and for the leaders, both Jewish and American, whose tireless efforts helped bring about this deliverance. It is a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished when Jew and Gentile work together in the pursuit of a better tomorrow.

We are reminded, too, of the mission of Yeshua, who came “to proclaim liberty to the captives . . . to set free those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” May this deliverance be a foretaste of that ultimate redemption He will bring on the great and final day, the day of great salvation.

Above all, we give thanks to our Father and King, who has heard our prayers and answered us, turning our time of distress into a season of joy.

Am Israel Chai!

Yours in Messiah,

The UMJC Executive Board

In addition to prayer, you can also support Israel through the UMJC Israel Aid Fund, which has raised nearly $250,000 to distribute directly to Messianic Jewish war relief efforts in Israel. 

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