Thursday, August 14th, 2025
1 set, 1 Tanakh and 1 Russian Brit Chadashah were given.
On this sunny day, a team of two ladies visited two local areas. The team stayed a short while at the first mall as there was very little activity due possibly to summer vacation. They did hand out several antisemitism pamphlets and comfort cards.
At the second mall, a Tanakh was given to a Jewish gentleman who was very touched as he took the Tanakh and then accepted the Brit Chadashah as well.
They met a Russian couple with their young son. Their English and French was limited but they did take a pamphlet in English. The husband was offered a Brit Chadashah in Russian, and he happily accepted it but not before going through it slowly. He thanked the team in Russian, and they returned the greeting in Russian with vam spasibo, which means you’re welcome.
Going to the farthest point of the mall, the team encountered a woman standing under a canopy waiting for her husband to pick her up. She stated that she was German but that she lived in Austria. She took the pamphlet and said that she was an atheist. Not being deterred, a member of the team continued speaking with her. She told the woman that it was not a coincidence that they had met and that God was calling her that day to have faith in His Son who had come to earth to set her free. They talked about how sin began and about Adam and Eve’s disobedience. The member told her about Moses and how he received God’s law and about the prophets who spoke of the One who would come from the line of David — that He would be the Messiah. The woman confessed that she did not know anything about these people and so the member continued telling her about the atonement of sin and forgiveness through Jesus who was the Word of God. She listened to the verse in John 1: 1. They spoke about heaven and hell and how she needed to choose between eternal life and heaven or separation and eternal condemnation. She refused to take a bible citing that she was leaving for her home the next day. At that moment the other member returned and asked if she wanted prayer. Interestingly, she said yes, and so the team prayed for her travelling mercies and that the Lord would reveal Himself to her. Just then her husband pulled up and they exchanged hugs. The woman said she would read the pamphlet and left waving.
They then met a Jewish lady who was very polite and kind. A member spoke to her about Yeshua being the Messiah, about the forgiveness of sin and how repentance was possible through the Messiah because He shed His pure, spotless blood for all mankind. She referred to Leviticus 17:11 so that the woman would understand the significance of forgiveness of sin. She took all the literature, plus one set and was thankful. At the moment of finishing the conversation, a religious mother with her four children approached this woman, rejoicing that she had not seen her for months. She ignored the team and continued the conversation with the woman. The team had approached the same religious woman earlier, but she had not wanted any literature. The first lady returned to the team then and accepted a hostage pin from them and thanked them for their kindness.
There was a short conversation with an Italian man who was steeped in his own Catholic religion. He received the pamphlet but did not want to take a bible saying, “My way is the best way”. At that point he did not want to engage in any further conversation and left.
The team met an elderly Jewish man who said he had been working in the library of a synagogue since 1977. He accepted the pamphlet and said that he knew personally about antisemitism and how it was not safe to go out at night. He thanked the team for what they were doing and stressed that it was important not to go out on the streets at night.
Then, they met a Spanish speaking man from Costa Rico who received an antisemitism pamphlet. He was Christian and stated that “wherever more than two are gathered in His name, there He is also”. He stated that he was grateful that he was taught about God by his father and how God gave him everything he needed. The team was touched by his faith and blessed him as he left them.
The team expressed how blessed they were on this outing despite the low amount of gift sets given out. There were deep conversations about God, faith and the coming Messiah and thank everyone who prayed for them and for those they would meet.
Friday, August 15th, 2025
3 sets, 1 Tanakh, 1 Brit Chadashah and 1 Bible were distributed on this beautiful sunny day.
A team of two women were at a local mall. The first set in Hebrew was given to a woman from Morocco. The team shared their faith in Yeshua and she was surprised and hesitant when the Brit Chadashah was offered but chose to keep the book. She received all the literature and the Beth Ariel card and was very thankful and grateful.
They noticed a young man walking quickly who seemed to be from the Jewish community. They said shalom and offered him the antisemitism tract. He turned around and asked them what organization they were from. They showed him, from the pamphlet, that they came from Beth Ariel and one of the team members shared that she was Messianic and believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. He answered that he respected her belief and shared a name of someone who could possibly be the Messiah. He said that whoever the Messiah is, when he comes, he will receive him. They shared that God had provided prophecies in the Tanakh to recognize Him when He comes. They stated that, for example from the Tanakh, the Messiah had to come from Bethlehem and from the tribe of Judah, but after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, the genealogies of the different tribes were destroyed. Therefore, they can no longer identify who would be from the tribe of Judah as the Messiah had to come before 70AD. The team offered him a Tanakh, but he said that he already had one. They urged him to read the chapter of Isaiah 53 as was shown him in the leaflet. They told him that the Messiah alone can make him righteous, and that He only can reconcile him to God because of sin. They showed him in the back of the leaflet that the rabbis from the first century believed that this chapter speaks about the suffering Servant, the Messiah and that God had called Israel in Exodus to be a priestly nation and a light to the nations. As he left, they thanked him for his time and thanked God for the words that were shared with this young Ashkenazi Jewish man. He did not take anything, but we are also very thankful to God that he looked at the back of the pamphlet with all the information of Beth Ariel.
One set in French/Hebrew was given to a very modest and humble man. He was very thankful and grateful to receive this beautiful gift from the Society of Distribution of the Hebrew Scriptures and received a pin.
They saw a very well-dressed man who was near his car and ready to go. One of the team members quickly ran to meet him and offered him the antisemitism tract. He took it along with the comfort card. The Tanakh was presented to him in French/Hebrew and he was very happy to receive this beautiful gift. He noticed the pin for the hostages on a team member and asked if he could have one which was given to him. He was very thankful and grateful.
They encountered a woman who had received a set the previous week at the same mall. They asked her if she had started reading it and she said that she was, and was in the book of Genesis. They were able to share about the fall of men, the first time blood was shed and said that blood had to be shed for the atonement and remission of sin. They spoke about the need for animal sacrifices at Yom Kippur and about the passage in Leviticus 17:11(that the life is in the blood) and the messianic prophecy in Genesis 3:15. This latter one referred to the Messiah and how Adam and Eve believed in the the prophecy given by God. The team encouraged her to listen to the messages and gave her a pin which she was happy to receive.
One Brit Chadashah was given in Hebrew/English to a man who told them that he already had received the Tanakh a while ago and that he was reading the Word. They told him that the Brit was written by Jewish men who believed Yeshua was the Messiah. They said that he could read about these prophecies in the Tanakh and how they were fulfilled at Yeshua’s first coming. A member shared that the Messiah, Yeshua could make him tsadik (righteous) as he was handed the Isaiah 53 leaflet and was encouraged to read the whole chapter in the Tanakh. He received a pin and Beth Ariel card as they shared that their rabbi came from Morocco.
One set in English/Hebrew was given to a woman originally from Germany. As they gave her the antisemitism tract, she told them that most of her family was killed in the Holocaust. They could feel her loneliness as she shared some personal information. She did not understand how the Holocaust could have happened, so they told her that in the Torah, in the books that Moses wrote, God had warned Israel in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 of the consequences of obedience and disobedience. They told her about the cruelty of man during the Holocaust and other historical events and that there will be a judgment for those who refuse to repent. They spoke of God’s love for Israel and how He is constantly calling everyone to repent and return to His word, to come to the Messiah, Yeshua to be reconciled with God. They spoke of redemption through the blood atonement because of Yeshua and shared the passages in Leviticus 17: 11 and Isaiah 53; that only Yeshua can make her righteous before God and remove all judgment for sin. They referenced Daniel chapter 12, that some will go to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt, and the importance of being reconciled to God. They asked her if she was following a religion— was she religious— and she answered that she attends a synagogue once in a while, mainly for the holidays. She was invited to Beth Ariel and given the Beth Ariel contact card so she could listen to the messages as well as a Holocaust pin which she put on right away.
An antisemitism tract was given to two women who were friends. They took the pamphlets and said that they were not antisemitic. A member asked if they had a Bible. One of the ladies said she had, but her friend was eager to receive a Bible. As one of the team members went to the car, the other member continued speaking to the woman (for her friend left and started walking). This woman said that she was Christian and read the Bible occasionally as it gave her hope. She also shared that her friend was going through difficult times and has a lot of pain. The team member handed her an English Bible for her friend and encouraged her to read daily as it would give great strength in difficult and stressful times.
It was a great outing, and the team thanked God for all the sets that were given, the conversations, and for the pamphlets, comfort cards and pins that were distributed. They were very encouraged that two of those people that had received the sets (one of them received the Brit Hadashah that day) were reading the Word! Praise God!