Updates – ChildrenofJacob

Children of Jacob Ethiopia Ministries

March 18, 2022
by Admins

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!

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.

New Congregation

Shalom friends of the Jewish people and the Friеdmаn family,
Once again, I have an exciting report to share with you.

We have moved into our new office space which has enough room for a small sanctuary. We should be able to begin our new Messianic congregation in the near future! The only other Messianic congregation in the area is about an hour away. Many people in this area are excited about this new congregation.

As you may know I am also helping to plant another congregation in Illinois, about 4 hours from my home. It is a long drive, but the people are eager to learn the roots of their faith and become a blessing to the Jewish people.

I have just returned from leading a Messianic group on a tour of Israel. Because of you we have been able to impact the lives of many Jewish people. We were able to renovate the apartment of a severely disabled Jewish man. We were also able to provide food parcels to about 50 people in conjunction with an evangelistic outreach.

The group I brought to Israel unloaded a container full of plastic tableware for a group home for autistic children. This was a time sensitive project and they provided the labor to get the job done. It was such a joy to see these wonderful folks from congregation Bat Tzion in Houston Texas, led by Daniel and Melanie Crouch, working to bless the Jewish people.

If you or your congregation is interested in a trip to Israel, please let me know. You will have a Messianic Jewish experience and an opportunity to serve the people of Israel. This trip will help deepen your own understanding of Scripture and the place of the Jewish people in G-d’s plan for the redemption of the earth.

I will be heading back to the Ukraine in a few months. The situation in Ukraine is deteriorating and the Jewish people are still suffering. We continue to work with our partners to bless the Jewish people in an ongoing way. We will be taking a group to clean and repair Jewish homes and cemeteries. This opens the doors to speak in these Jewish communities. We will also be distributing food and sharing Messiah. If you might be interested in a trip like this, please let me know.

We are also in contact with the Jewish community in Ethiopia and will be returning there to pick up where we left off. I had developed a wonderful relationship with the three main groups of Jewish people: Messianic, traditional and Christian. All three groups are willing to work together for the good of the greater Jewish community.

I wanted to speak a word to all the churches and individuals who have supported the Friеdmаn family in our efforts to reach the Jewish people. Some of you have been with us for almost 25 years and we love and appreciate you so much. Many of you heard about our retirement from Assemblies of God World Missions. Our retirement from AGWM did NOT mean our retirement from reaching out to Jewish people! In fact, there are things that we are able to do now that we could not do before, such as helping Jewish people return to Israel. I am appealing to those of you who have been with us for so long, please stay the course. The need is great and the doors of opportunity into Jewish communities around the world are still open.

Together we have accomplished so much through the years. I believe with all my heart that the best is yet to come. The promise of G-d is that when the full number of the Gentiles has come in, “And so all Israel will be saved…”. My friends, it is not a question of if Israel will be saved, but when. What a blessing to be a part of bringing that end-time harvest of Jewish souls that G-d has promised!

In His love,

Jеff Friеdmаn

Director, Children of Jacob

Trip to Israel

Shalom friends of the Jewish people and the Friеdmаn family,Once again, I have an exciting report to share with you.

As you may know, I am also helping to plant another congregation in Illinois, about 4 hours from my home. It is a long drive, but the people are eager to learn the roots of their faith and become a blessing to the Jewish people.

I have just returned from leading a Messianic group on a tour of Israel. Because of you, we have been able to impact the lives of many Jewish people. We were able to renovate the apartment of a severely disabled Jewish man. We were also able to provide food parcels to about 50 people in conjunction with an evangelistic outreach.

The group I took to Israel unloaded a container full of plastic tableware for a group home for autistic children. This was a time sensitive project and they provided the labor to get the job done. It was such a joy to see these wonderful folks from congregation Bat Tzion in Houston Texas, led by Daniel and Melanie Crouch, working to bless the Jewish people.

If you or your congregation are interested in a trip to Israel, please let me know. You will have a Messianic Jewish experience and an opportunity to serve the people of Israel. This trip will help deepen your own understanding of Scripture and the place of the Jewish people in G-d’s plan for the redemption of the earth.

I will be heading back to the Ukraine in a few months. The situation in Ukraine is deteriorating and the Jewish people are still suffering. We continue to work with our partners to bless the Jewish people in an ongoing way. We will be taking a group to clean and repair Jewish homes and cemeteries. This opens the doors for us to speak in these Jewish communities. We will also be distributing food and sharing Messiah. If you might be interested in a trip like this, please let me know.

In His love,

Jеff Friеdmаn
Director, Children of Jacob

See our Latest Newsletter Here: http://childrenofjacob.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Newsletter.pdf

Children of Jacob

Shalom dear Friends,

As most of you know the Friеdmаns have gone through a great many challenges and changes over the last two years. My activities have been limited due to a total spinal fusion. This has been quite a challenge for a guy who has trouble sitting still for more than a few minutes at a time! I continue to be followed by my surgeon, but the healing process is very slow.

This summer the Friеdmаn family was able to spend a month in Europe, with the permission of the surgeon of course! We ministered in many churches and Messianic congregations in Poland, sharing the promises of G-d to Israel and for those who bless the children of Jacob. In Ukraine we were able to minister to the needs of many Jewish refugees of the fighting in the Eastern part of the country. One Jewish refugee family of five, with two small children, were living in one room. No furniture, no indoor plumbing and no refrigerator. Because of you, our faithful supporters, we were able to buy a refrigerator for this needy family. We were also able to provide food for hundreds of needy Jewish people. Elisa taught the young people messianic dance and Jed worked in the warehouse and distributed food. We were invited to speak at the tenth anniversary of a Messianic congregation in the Bonn area of Germany. This was very special to me as I was able to play a big part in helping to found this community. What a blessing to see this community growing and reaching their Jewish community.

For 25 years the Friеdmаn family has been honored to bless the Jewish people spiritually and physically in your name and with your faithful support and prayers. Perhaps some of you have already heard that the Friеdmаn family has just retired from Assemblies of God World Missions. We are not, however, retiring from ministering to the Jewish people. We have launched a new 501(c) (3) international ministry to the worldwide Jewish community. This new ministry will be called Children of Jacob. We will continue to do what we have done for the last 25 years, which is to provide the Jewish people with spiritual and physical blessings. Our vision is to “bless any Jewish person, anywhere in the world, in any way possible”. This is our life. This is our calling. And we will continue to do this s long as the L-rd gives us strength.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for your faithful prayers and support over the years. We have helped thousands of Jewish people in need, from Ukraine to Germany and Ethiopia to Israel. Because of you, hundreds of Jewish people have come to a saving knowledge of their Messiah. It is very humbling to think of the trust you have placed in us. I hope and pray that our relationship will continue as we begin this new ministry to the children of Jacob and that we will see many more Jewish people come to faith.

As most of you know, I, Viхiе, was always manning the home front while Jеff was traveling and ministering. But just as Jеff mentioned, I was able to accompany him and minister with him. I had heard his wonderful stories when he came home from a trip but to be able to experience it myself was quite an eye opener, as well as a blessing. I was able to see with my own eyes what God has called us to and the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs that God’s people, the Jews, are experiencing.

I found myself wishing that you, our faithful supporters, could have stowed away in my suitcase so that you could experience it also. However, since that wasn’t possible I want to share with you some of my experiences and impressions.

In Ukraine I was quite struck by the poverty that I saw. The Ukrainian government itself isn’t able to support the infrastructure within the country as I saw (or felt) firsthand as we bounced along the main roads within the country. They were paved but . . . And as we visited the Jewish people I saw that so many things that we would have easily taken for granted here in America were painfully absent there. We visited an elderly Jewish man who lived on the fifth floor of his decaying apartment building and had been a prisoner in his own apartment for twenty years. Due to his heart condition he was bedridden and because there was no elevator in his building hadn’t been able to leave his apartment. And judging from the condition of the stairwell, I’m not sure that I would have felt safe in an elevator anyway. This precious man’s face lit up when we entered his room! Yes, he was grateful to receive the parcel of food that we brought but he was even more excited to hear that we were from America and that the food we brought had been provided by Christians in America who cared about him. This man had been a child in WW II and had lost both of his parents in the Holocaust. A Polish woman had rescued him and raised him but he knew nothing about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the love that God had for him. But he allowed us to pray for him and share God’s love with him.

We met Jewish refugees who had lost their home and everything in the war with Russia. We might not hear about this war in our nightly newscast but for these people, this is a reality that they endure daily. They receive a very small stipend from the government to assist them but it’s very small and comes infrequently. This family, representative of many, was living in a house in the Chernobyl district and I thought for a moment that we were on the set for the movie, “Fiddler on the Roof”. They were very grateful for the home that had been loaned to them but there was no work in the village and therefore very little food for their children.

Jеff spoke in a church in Ukraine that was very involved in reaching out to the needs of their Jewish neighbors through soup kitchens and food parcels. I was very humbled as I worshipped with these dear people. You see, all of the older congregants had been imprisoned for their faith at various times during the Soviet era, when Ukraine was a part of Russia.

There are so many stories that I would love to share with you but space just doesn’t permit. I do want to thank all of you for the support that you have given through the years to make it possible to help these precious people. And I also want to encourage you. As we traveled throughout Poland I met so many Christians who are praying for you and for America. You see, they understand that our country is at a crossroads and they pray for spiritual strength for you and for our country.

God bless you!

The Friеdmаns