Rabbi’s Commentary

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Hope Amid Devastation in Israel

December 6, 2016

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

As the smoke cleared from the recent devastating wildfires in Israel, the nation assessed the damage and began the daunting task of rebuilding.

The scope of the disaster was overwhelming. The fires burned more than 30,000 acres of forest, about 30 percent more than were destroyed during the massive Carmel fire in 2010. In Haifa alone, one of the cities hardest hit, at least 60,000 people were evacuate – and some returned to find their homes destroyed or uninhabitable. There were no deaths, thank God, but 180 people were injured.

To make a bad situation worse, Israeli authorities confirmed that some of the fires were set deliberately by people seeking to wreak as much havoc and devastation as possible. These extremists – at least 35 people have been arrested for arson or incitement as of this writing – greatly expanded the scope of human misery caused by the natural disaster.

But, even as some did their worst, many more did their best. First responders worked tirelessly to help those in need, and aid flowed in from around the world and even from some of Israel’s neighbours like Egypt and Jordan. Palestinian firefighters worked alongside their Israeli counterparts to fight the blaze; one Palestinian said, “This is what every human being would do to help another in need, and a fire cannot see your nationality.” In the midst of chaos and despair, it is examples of kindness and compassion like this that bring hope.

I, too, feel an overwhelming sense of hope thanks to Fellowship friends like you because of your faithful prayers and support. This is a blessing, one that all the people of Israel recognize and appreciate.

The Bible tells us, “The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord” (Isaiah 51:3). Let us rest assured that God is looking over, protecting, and working for the restoration of His beloved land and people.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President and Founder, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews® of Canada

 

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