The Jews for Jesus global vision -- The Nets Are Breaking -- comes from Luke 5:6, where Yeshua calls his disciples to trust Him for a miraculous catch. Just like back then, the spiritual hunger today is abundant, but to meet these needs, the whole body of Messiah must work in unity.

Jews for Jesus is the intersection between the Jewish and Christian communities. It is not just in our name but also our calling as Jewish followers of Yeshua. Last year, for the memorial of 7 October, we had an opportunity to bridge the gap between the church and the Jewish community by inviting Christians to write and distribute nearly 1,500 cards of love and support to the Jewish community. And this Rosh Hashanah, we had another incredible opportunity to continue building bridges through gift baskets.

Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23--25) and commemorates the Jewish New Year. The cultural symbols of Rosh Hashanah are apples and honey, which express a desire for a sweet new year. As an acknowledgement of cultural sensitivity and a show of love and support for the Jewish people, we partnered with 12 churches and Christian groups across Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town to assemble gift baskets and write greeting cards to take to Jewish friends and colleagues.

This is where we saw the blessing of the body of Messiah working in unity. Through connections and personal relationships of numerous individuals and pastors, we connected with Jewish groups and not just individuals. This opened the door for us to multiply the number of Jewish people we could bless with gifts -- but also presented a complex logistical challenge. Here again, we saw the body of Messiah come together to achieve what seemed to be the impossible. In total, 2,000 gift baskets of apples, nuts, honey and sweets were assembled, each with a handwritten card, and all the baskets were given out across the three cities just ahead of the start of Rosh Hashanah.

From random encounters with strangers on the street to meeting Jewish people in their homes, Christians across the country showed the love of Messiah by giving out these gift baskets and cards. What made it all the more special is that it was at a time when global anti-Semitism is at a multi-generational high and the Jewish people feel incredibly isolated, abandoned and forgotten. This simple act of love has been a powerful display of Messiah's love, a way to show the Jewish community the love that we have received from the Lord through Messiah Jesus.

The response and feedback were overwhelming, with many people moved to tears of joy and heartfelt gratitude beyond words. There were numerous invitations for those delivering the baskets to come back to visit and even to join the family for Shabbat dinners. In a completely unplanned turn of events and absolute move of God, one family received a randomly selected gift basket with a card from the exact same person who wrote their 7 October card last year, with the family so moved that they reached out to the church to thank the author.

But one story stood out as it so clearly illustrates the fear and isolation of the Jewish community, but also the power of a simple gift to bridge that gap. Beatrice from Sandton shared:
'My last encounter that evening was most challenging, but I saw the hand of God at work. I had it on my heart to give a basket to a religious family that I often see walking to Shul. Over the years, our interactions had gone no further than a polite wave. I didn't even know where they lived, but somehow -- miraculously -- I found their door. When I knocked, the door opened to a barrage of questions and scepticism, but I smiled and handed her the gift basket. Her voice softened; her eyes welled up with tears. She told me how fearful and isolated they feel. But that evening, she said, they felt seen. Her guardedness melted into warmth, and she asked me to share their deepest appreciation with our church community for this beautiful gesture of love. We exchanged details, and as I was leaving, she said, "I'll call you one Friday; we'll break bread together."'

Friends, this initiative could not have been possible without the unity of the body of Messiah coming together, with each member fulfilling a different role. Some of you helped pack baskets, some wrote cards, some covered the initiative in prayer, and others delivered the baskets. What a privilege and joy it has been to see the body of Messiah working in unity to build bridges between the Christian and Jewish communities.

Thank you to each one of you who participated in any way; we are so grateful for your partnership in helping us show the Jewish community the love of their Messiah. Please consider donating towards this initiative and helping us to prepare for the next opportunity to bridge the gap.

In Yeshua, who removed the dividing wall of hostility,
Rob Berman