The Fellowship Invests in Israeli Christian Community.

Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv recently published an article about The Fellowship’s partnership with The Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum. This organization, led by Father Gabriel Naddaf, encourages Christians of all walks of life to fully integrate in Israeli society, especially by serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Father Naddaf calls this support, “an historic development.” 

The latest announcement is that The Fellowship, in partnership with The Forum, will award 40 Christian students who performed military or national service with academic scholarships for future schooling. This is one of many ways The Fellowship is offering support to this often-marginalized community.  

In the past year, The Fellowship has helped the community by funding the infrastructure and the opening of the offices for members of the Christian community. This year The Fellowship will team up with the Forum, in addition to the scholarships, for joint projects and will hold festive conferences such as the Christmas event which was attended by the Minister of Defense, Father Naddaf and Rabbi Eckstein. During the festive event, Forum volunteers and outstanding soldiers from the community were awarded. Notable persons in the Christian-Aramaic community were also awarded.

The Fellowship is also partnering in arranging conferences for army recruits and for those discharged from military and national service who are in need of guidance for the future, as well as providing assistance to police recruits and arranging workshops for discharged soldiers and national service graduates.The Fellowship’s total investment for next year will be about $100,000.

. . . Amit Barak, director of projects and government relations at the Forum, explained that, “The relationship with The Fellowship is important for implementing the projects and is most important for strengthening the relations with Christians abroad. This is exposing the truth that Israel is the safest place for Christians in the Middle East, along with the efforts to integrate and create co-existence based on shared values, and a partnership with constructive criticism and a correction of the deficiencies in order to strengthen Israeli society and the State of Israel.”