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 It may have been cold and even snowy outside, but inside the large Jerusalem dining hall the food was hot and spirits were warmed by broad smiles and lots of Irish music.In January, the ICEJ-AID department partnered with the Irish charity Eschol to honor Israel’s 60th Anniversary celebrations by feeding lunches to over 4,000 needy Israelis during eight days of festivities that also featured Irish, Russian and Hebraic music and dancing. Some 40 volunteers from Ireland joined with Christian Embassy staff to serve up to 800 lunches a day at the Ramat Rachel banquet hall. Among the invited Israeli guests were Russian immigrants, Holocaust survivors, victims of terror, families on welfare, and residents of the embattled town of Sderot.  The Eschol Trust was founded by Ronnie McCracken, who as a young pastor in Belfast in the 1970s developed a burden for Christians suffering behind the Iron Curtain. This eventually led him into charitable work feeding thousands of needy people in Eastern Europe through mobile soup kitchens, a unique ministry which greatly expanded after the fall of Soviet communism. Having fed multitudes, he was close to retiring in 2001, but the Lord said he could not quit until he had brought his distinctive outreach to Israel.McCracken then spent six frustrating years trying to arrange such a time of ministry in Israel, before finally linking up with the ICEJ last year. “When we were first approached by Ronnie about this, I got a real excitement in my heart because it so fits our calling to bless the people of Israel”, said Yudit Setz of our ICEJ-AID department. “Over the years we have built up an enormous network of contacts with social workers and fellow charities throughout Israel. To find 800 people every day to come to luncheons sponsored by Christians was not easy, but we put out a broad invitation and they came by the bus loads, many by word of mouth.” “We did not just want to do this for the poorest people, but also for those traumatized by the conflict or just lonely and stuck at home”, said Setz.  “I have had a deep love and connection with Israel for a long time and feel particularly proud of the work we did here this week”, said McCracken. “We wanted to make this more than just an ordinary ‘soup kitchen’. From the bands to the volunteers and organizers, so many people worked hard to give these people a real treat.”“Many of our Israeli guests were not able to put into words the warmth they felt from our team, especially the older volunteers from Ireland. They brought such warm smiles and servant’s hearts”, added Setz. “In my twenty years of service in Israel, I’ve never experienced the flow of God’s love between Jews and Christians like in this event.” The ICEJ-AID department receives requests for assistance from Israelis every day. Please help us minister to these urgent needs by supporting us with your financial gifts and prayers. To support the work of ICEJ-AID, please CLICK HERE! |
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