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Author: Admins
2022 July Newsletter
Children of Jacob Ethiopia Ministries
I am often asked, “Rabbi what does the Children of Jacob International Ministries do?” Well there is not a quick and simple answer for the many things that the International Ministries does and what is has been involved with over the last 15 + years. I have decided that it would be best to highlight some of the many exciting things that are happening!
Ethiopia is one of the most exciting works that Children of Jacob International Ministries is involved with. Did you know that Ethiopian Jewish people can trace their roots to the 325 CE. They are well known and active during the David and Soloman and have some of the deep Jewish heritage. However these Ethiopian Jews are seldom though of as part of the Jewish people of Israel.
You will not find a more worthwhile cause that the Ethiopian Jewish People. They are certainly God’s chosen people in need. Whether it is food, shelter, clothing, education or hope …. these are a people in need. That is what the Children of Jacob International Ministries is called to do. “Bless Any Jewish Person, Anywhere in the World, in Any Way Possible.”
Life for the Messianic Community
It is nearly impossible to fully comprehend the challenges of living in Ethiopia. Adding on to that the additional challenges of living a Torah observant life in a society that is not known to embrace different cultures. Intermittent power, little or no plumbing, running water is a luxury, yet their happiness is not based upon what they have or not have. Their happiness is based on relationship. What we would consider a necessity they would consider a luxury. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are some pictures of the daily life for our messianic community.
Education
As blessed Americans, we all to one degree or another have tremendous opportunities for education. Whether that is formal education through a public or private school system, trade school or even online courses, the opportunity to better ourselves, to learn a new skill, to learn about Torah or to access information to make us more qualified for jobs, we have access to opportunities. Education provides hope.
In Africa those opportunities do not exist. While public school is available in places, the teachers are not educated, the children have to pay their teachers salaries. If a child does not have money to attend the class, they are often times asked to leave, or cannot progress to the next grade level because they have not paid the teacher. I could go on, but let me say things are definitely not the same, the opportunities that we have are certainly not shared throughout the world!
Today the we are involved in providing education to nearly 100 children in this small Messianic Jewish Community. Education opportunities that without the International Ministries assistance and your support these children would not have an opportunity to learn the basic principles of education. Reading, writing and arithmetic are just the start. These children not only get to learn, but they get to learn from a jewish cultural perspective. They get to learn about their heritage and why they are God’s chosen people. With your help we have been able to provide them with not only educational opportunities but also clothing and school supplies!
Food Program
Every month Children of Jacob International Ministries provides food for the families of the Ethiopian Messianic Jewish Community. Every month not only are we involved in meeting their needs spiritually, but also understanding that as Jewish people we have a Biblical mandate to ensure that our brothers and sisters do not go hungry. We care for them spiritually and physically. Ee give, and we buy food, so God’s chosen people can realize that there are people around the world, that are not only praying for them, but we care enough about them to buy them rice or vegetables. Nothing fancy, they are not going to Starbucks and ordering Frappuccino’s, but for them the rice, bread and vegetables that we can provide help to supplement their diets.
Micro Finance Loans
The old adage “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for his life time.” No one wants to be dependent on anyone else. Self-Reliance is the goal of these Micro Finance Loans. We give money to help the Ethiopian Messianic Jewish Community not just survive but flourish. Whether it is helping them buy sewing machines, printing presses or other equipment to start a business, we want to help. However, this is not a handout. They must have a business plan. That business plan is presented before a board. If approved, they are required to repay the loan in accordance to the terms of the contract. That money is then used to help out someone else. It is perpetual program designed to “Teach a man to fish.” So that they can be self-sufficient.
What’s Next?
My heart is burden for the youth. I certainly believe, that the hope for the future of the Messianic Believers in Ethiopia rests in the providing opportunities for the youth. While it is a tremendous blessing what we have accomplished thus far, it is not enough. More can be done for the children, many only eat once a day, the class sizes are too big, they have to share educational materials.
Will you consider not just praying over these children, but asking God what He wants Children of Jacob International Ministries to do. No one else is working with this community, its only us. Think about it, pray about it. Send me a email and let me know what God has placed upon your heart.
Blessings
Rabbi Jeff Friedman
cojmessianicministries@gmail.com
rabbijefff@msn.com
Messianic Believers in Kenya
Pray for Rabbi Jeff Freidman. He has been presented with a tremendous opportunity to minister to a group of Jewish Messianic believers in a small village in Kenya. This group of believers trace their heritage to Morocco and currently have an active congregation of around 70. They have an orphanage and active ministry to children. What makes this group of believers unique is that they are separated from any support. There is no other ministry that has come alongside of them to help them mature and grow. They have requested many things to help their ministry, to include a Torah, Kippahs, Prayer Shaws, Siddur, Hebrew educational curriculum and books, projector, laptop, speakers, generator and so forth. The need is certainly great. They are located by plane flight 1.5hrs. from the capital city of Nairobi Kenya. Pray for Rabbi Friedman as he prepares for this once in a lifetime opportunity. If you think you can help, either financially or by donating any items to help with this Synagogue, please contact us!
2021 December Newsletter
2021 July Newsletter
2020 October Newsletter
2019 November Newsletter
2019 August Newsletter
Ministry Update
Dear friends of the Friеdmаn family,
As always it is a great joy to share with you all that we have been able to accomplish because of your faithfulness.
On the home front:
When I started Children of Jacob I began to look for office space. I thought I had found a perfect space. There was room for two offices a small sitting area and room for a small congregation…well a small Bible study. I thought it would meet the need for perhaps two years. We began the local congregation and six months later it was obvious that the space was just too small! Oy! Such a problem! We found a space twice as big just 4 doors down from where we were. When (not if) we need more space, we can remove a wall and this “should” accommodate us for several more years. One of the Jewish people coming to our shabbat meetings said that it was like a breath of air for a drowning person! That is why we exist, to bless any Jewish person, anywhere in the world, in any way possible.
Israel:
In June Viхiе and I took a group of 7 young women, the Pеtra dance company, to Israel. These precious young people ministered in dance 4 times to about 800 people. In addition, they were able to teach dance to a number of young people from the congregation. I must tell you that for me this trip was like a dream come true. As the Pеtra dancers presented the Gospel in dance, there was not a dry eye in the house. Old and young, men and women were weeping as the truth of G-d’s grace was powerfully presented on the congregation’s platform. As I type these words the memory of it gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes. Dozens of hands were raised when the invitation to know the Messiah was given. Because of your faithfulness there is great rejoicing in heaven over these lost souls that have come home. All I can say to you from the bottom of my heart is thank you. For these lost sheep of the house of Israel no longer lost, thank you. For these Children of Jacob, now in the kingdom thank you!
In July I traveled to several cities in Ukraine. I returned to Burdansk a city that has hundreds of refugees from the war with Russia. In November we had a wonderful turnout for a two day seminar and we continued were we left off. Teaching these Jewish people what it means to be Jewish. Most importantly we had the opportunity to teach them about the Messiah of Israel. We had with us a group of young people from Poland and Germany. These young people had come to learn about the Jewish people and to serve them. They cleaned several Jewish cemeteries and helped to deliver parcels of food to elderly Jewish people including several holocaust survivors. I had the privilege of teaching these young people for two weeks. Several of these young people expressed that the they had never heard the things I had been teaching them before and they would take it home with them. We also visited Corsun and in each of these cities we visited Jewish people and prayed with them and spoke about Messiah. I also had the privilege of leading a traditional shabbat service.
Ethiopia:
In December I will be traveling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I will be meeting with the members of the traditional Jewish community and the Messianic community. I have been to this Jewish community on many occasions. Thanks to you we have helped many of these precious Jewish people literally avoid starvation. We have also helped the Messianic congregations there with equipment and teaching. I am hoping that this trip will help solidify plans for a project that will bring meaningful change to this entire community. Please pray about what the L-rd would have you do to help these beautiful children of Jacob.