Life in Israel in the Age of Covid-19

July 26, 2020

Dear Friend,

Crises are opportunities to test our hearts as believers. A lot of questions arise in the minds of many that focus on end-times prophecy. In our congregational leadership meetings, we’ve talked about how to help individuals as they wrestle with these questions, which has led to a preaching series on the subject.

Out of shutdown: reading in Caesarea

The Scriptures have a lot to say on this subject, but many people seem to miss the point of what the Lord is trying to communicate. They tend to focus on the details of the events that Yeshua called “birth pangs” (see Matthew 24:8). In any birth, the point is to help the expectant mother navigate the process in order to arrive at the birth of a healthy child. These “birth pangs” are supposed to serve as signs to help guide us through the process. They aren’t intended to be the focus.

What is the focus? In my study of Isaiah, it seems clear that his focus was on the Lord Himself and on His sovereign control over all the events transpiring during the crisis of Isaiah’s day. His emphasis is on recognizing the foolishness of trusting in our own resources and abilities to deal with the threats we face and instead trusting Him and living in light of His promises. It is in times like these that we should be made aware of our need for a Savior and for us to recognize that it is only the Lord who can act as such for us.

For Isaiah, this meant learning to live in “quietness and trust” (30:15). Our desire as leaders at Beit Eliyahu is keep people focused on knowing the Lord, growing in His likeness and serving Him. As the world seeks political, economic and military solutions, we’re instructed to seek the Lord. Speculations regarding the Lord’s timing and discussion of conspiracy theories only tend to distract from a healthy focus on God and His word.

On March 11, Israel began to close its borders to foreign visitors and announced restrictions on travel and public gatherings. On the next day schools and universities were closed. Just two days before we had celebrated the Purim holiday (marking the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman as related in the book of Esther) together as a congregation. We haven’t held a regular worship service since.

In front of our home: wild boar!

The following Shabbat only 10 of us were permitted to gather in our congregational building as we broadcast our first live Worship Service over YouTube. On March 25 the government announced travel constraints and curfews requiring us to remain within 100 meters (~100 yards) of our home, the complete closure of all places of worship, schools, restaurants, heritage sites, parks and beaches as well as reduced public transportation. In April we were not allowed to travel between cities on the weekends. Only on May 4 did the government begin to ease lock-down restrictions.

Needless to say, we spent a lot of the month of March and April at home. At home, but not alone! Josiah and Dasha had just moved home after Shir’s birth when all the closures started. It seemed like a good idea that they come back, so they moved back in just before the lock-down came into effect. The house was full and none of us were alone.

As a congregation we attempted to deal with the restrictions through using YouTube to broadcast Shabbat Worship Services and social media, particularly Zoom for our home groups. As time passed, a sort of “online” weariness began to set in. The relaxation of restrictions allowed groups to begin to get together physically once again, mostly outdoors. Unfortunately, not all the groups have been able to “reset”, but thankfully, new groups have formed – especially women’s groups.

Zoom helped us stay in touch.

Heidi initiated women’s study groups in Hebrew and English. Initially it was all via Zoom but then moved to a combination Zoom/small get together format. The book of Ruth was studied before Shavuot and the groups are now studying Lamentations. Combining zoom and small groups has met needs of women and helped connect them more closely. This past Friday Heidi gathered the wives the leadership team for dinner and sharing as they seek to develop one heart together.

In mid-June we were allowed to hold services with up to 100 people as long as they wore masks and kept up social distancing. It was a great to be together again, even with masks and the difficulty of conversations with two meters distance. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. The first Shabbat in July, we were once again restricted to 20 people in a meeting, and two weeks later, it was further reduced to 10 as the second wave of infections starting rising quickly.

In the midst of this, blood donations nationwide went down. So in mid-May we organized a blood drive at the congregation with Magen David Adom. People had to sign up for a time to ensure that we limited the number of people in the building at any given time while doing the screening outside. We were encouraged as more than 45 units were donated! It allowed people to help in a significant way and also gave opportunities for limited interaction. Another blood drive is being planned for the end of August.

Heidi’s health continues to be a challenge as she struggles with the pain in her facial nerves caused by the shingles virus last summer. Thankfully, she is experiencing a slow healing through acupuncture treatments. Unfortunately, she has begun experiencing side effects to the nerve pain medication she has been taking and is needing to reduce her dosage quickly to get off this drug. We continue to pray for her complete healing and try to help her get the rest she needs.

Sasha has taken some significant steps in being able to define and set boundaries in recent months in particular with her mother. We recently got her a phone (she was last in her class to get one) and it will be a challenge for her to set and guard her boundaries. Many children find these tools to be difficult to manage, but our discussions together with her and our social worker highlight the added difficulty that she will experience. We’ll have to do this together.

During the initial lock-down I wasn’t able to meet with Michael and Gal, but once restrictions were eased, we began to study one-on-one again. Michael is continuing to work on memorizing Scripture, is studying the book of James and teaching Philippians to the youth group. Gal was out of work at the beginning of the lock-down, but the Lord provided a very good job for him in the Haifa port. It is exciting to see how he is trusting the Lord, working hard and growing in Him.

As you pray please be asking the Lord to:

• Create the desire for meeting consistently in home groups and give creativity in finding ways to meet together for fellowship, prayer and time in the Word.

• Heal Heidi, give her strength and the wisdom to recognize her physical limits.

• Give Sasha continued growth in dealing with boundaries, maturing into a teen and getting to know the Lord.

• Michael and Gal will continue to pursue their walks with the Lord and grow in Him.

Shabbat table during shutdown

We were “tripped up” by the travel restrictions in planning to visit the States this summer. At this point we are thinking of traveling next summer and trying to extend our time as much as possible. Of course, in addition to the complication of Covid-19 there are the issues surrounding Sasha’s freedom to travel with us and the needed permissions that entails.

Know that we are thankful for the part you play with us in this ministry and for your faithful partnership with us in the Messiah. We appreciate you!

Yours in the Messiah,