Rebuilding Israel After The War

Dear friend,

I recently returned from Israel where I spent a week with our staff who have been deeply impacted by the wars with Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran. Quite a list! There is so much damage, and Israelis often feel a sense of helplessness as they do not know if the peace accord—more like a truce—will hold!

On the other hand, I am also writing with a heart full of gratitude and hope, even as we reflect on one of the most challenging chapters in Chosen People Ministries’ 131-year history of serving the Jewish people.

On June 18 of this year, an Iranian missile struck our newly dedicated center in Tel Aviv. The building we had built out for more than two years—finished just days before—now stands severely damaged, likely unusable for the next several months. Yet, amid this devastation, I see God’s faithfulness and an unprecedented opportunity for ministry.

A Dream Interrupted, But Not Destroyed

Let me take you back to June 15, when we dedicated our new center with joy and thanksgiving. We were finally ready to expand our outreach to the families and young Israelis of greater Tel Aviv. The location was perfect. It was right on the light rail connecting downtown Tel Aviv to the religious suburbs, accessible to families with children who had moved to the area for more affordable living, yet still within easy reach of the young singles working in the city.

We envisioned hosting our monthly concerts and Sabbath dinners that regularly drew over one hundred people—mostly young Israelis, some already believers in Yeshua (Jesus), many still seeking. We planned multiple adult Bible studies each week and special events for children. This was not just about having more space; it was about creating opportunities for life-changing encounters with the gospel. Then, less than a week after our dedication, the missile hit.

The thirty-unit condominium building above our property was hit by a ballistic missile and was heavily damaged. However, our commercial space on the ground floor experienced only moderate damage. We believe we can use it again by May, if the building is deemed habitable and safe to enter. But for now, we continue ministering full-time from the rental property nearby that we have used for several years.

Ministry During The War

The bombing of our center is just one challenging story among millions in Israel right now. For months, our staff and the families we serve faced the constant threat of missile attacks, rushing to shelters, wondering if each night might be their last. The psychological toll has been immense—not just from the bombings themselves, but from the political upheaval, the hostage crisis, and the profound losses experienced socially, emotionally, and spiritually across Israeli society.

Even as I write this, Israel and Hamas have just signed a peace treaty. We are cautiously hopeful, approaching this development with both faith and humility, because we simply do not know if the treaty will hold. We rejoice that all the living hostages have returned to their families, bringing closure to one of the most painful chapters of this conflict. But regardless of what happens politically, one thing is certain: The needs in Israel are greater than ever, and so are the opportunities for ministry.

What We Have Been Doing

Despite the disruption and destruction, our twenty-plus staff members in Israel continue to reach out with the gospel to fellow Israelis. We have continued providing practical relief work alongside spiritual care. We deliver cooked meals to elderly Israelis and distribute food packages containing oil, flour, and other staples, with a particular focus on Holocaust survivors who have endured yet another trauma in their lives. We also offer short-term housing assistance for five to ten people when needed.

Most importantly, we are providing intensive biblical counseling to help people process their post-traumatic stress. We sit with them and share their pain, help them make sense of the chaos, and point them to the hope found only in Yeshua. We visit the elderly, offering companionship to those isolated by fear and circumstance. We support single mothers overwhelmed by the burden of protecting their children through air raid sirens and shelter stays.

We distribute Bibles and provide spiritual care, which is really our forte. We are committed to benevolent work as love is the best witness for the gospel. But we also do all we can to tell our beloved Jewish friends and neighbors directly about Jesus the Messiah. Most of our evangelism happens through relationships, walking with people over time as they see the reality of Yeshua’s love demonstrated through our actions. We have also launched strategic outreach initiatives like Psalms of Hope, a program that encourages

Israelis to read the Psalms and discover a wonderful insider’s view of David’s intimate and personal relationship with God.

Why Tel Aviv Matters

You might wonder why our greater Tel Aviv Center location is so important and why we are committed to its restoration. Let me explain.

Ramat Gan, the section of greater Tel Aviv where our center is located, is a distinctly Israeli neighborhood—you do not hear much English on the streets here. The light rail accessibility means we can reach both the family-oriented communities of Ramat Gan and the young professionals working in the city center. There is also a direct connection to Bnei Brak, one of the most religious suburbs of Tel Aviv.

When we lost access to this newly built-out center, we lost more than a building—we lost capacity. We lost space for the larger concerts, Sabbath meals, Bible studies, and gatherings that were just beginning to flourish. Space creates opportunity. Right now, we are working with only 1,600 square feet in our rental property. It is enough to keep ministry going, but not enough to grow into the fullness of what God is calling us to do.

This is why we bought the new building. We need the room—and opportunities—to expand.

A Vision For Rebuilding—And Growing

We are beginning a $3 million Rebuilding Israel Campaign, and we hope you will want to give a generous gift to the campaign or choose one of the following building blocks of the campaign to support. This is not just about repairing a building. This is about seizing an unprecedented moment for gospel ministry in Israel.

Here is part of what we are asking you to help us accomplish:

• Rebuilding with New and Under-Supported Israeli Staff ($350,000)
  
  Our current team of 20-plus staff members is stretched very thin. We would like to add 3–5 staff members to meet the expanding opportunities before us. Each new staff member costs approximately $60,000 annually, including salary and benefits (and Israel’s heavy taxation means their take-home pay is about 50 percent of the full package). Would you consider supporting one for a month at $5,000 or half a year at $30,000? More if you can. But, whatever you are able to give to help these beautiful young Israeli ministers of the gospel will be of great help! These are not just employees—they are men and women who are called to provide counseling, lead outreach initiatives, disciple new believers, and minister to hurting families.

• Restoration of the Damaged Tel Aviv Center ($250,000)
  
  By May, we should be able to access our new center again. We need to complete the restoration work, ensuring it is not only safe but optimized for the expanded ministry we envision

• Rebuilding Lives, Homes, and Families ($750,000)
  
  We need funds for our gospel outreach events, online campaigns, and relief work among displaced and suffering Israelis, including soldiers returning from the front lines. These ministries span a variety of age groups and include the distribution of food staples, housing assistance, biblical counseling for PTSD, companionship for the elderly, support for single mothers, Bible distribution, and pastoral care. We hope to be able to provide displaced Israelis, many from the condos above our new center, the help they need to repurchase household items that were destroyed by the Iranian missile.

An Invitation To Rebuild Together

Chosen People Ministries has maintained a faithful presence in the land of Israel since before Israel became a modern state. We maintained a powerful ministry within Israel in the past and will do the same now and until He returns because of your prayers and generous support. Many of you have supported us through our Watchmen for Jerusalem program, making recurring gifts that sustain our year-round operations. I hope you will sense God’s leading to become part of our Rebuilding Israel Campaign.

Let’s rebuild together—not just a facility, but lives, families, and ultimately a nation’s understanding of their Messiah.

The peace treaty gives us reason for cautious optimism. However, regardless of political outcomes, spiritual needs will remain—and perhaps intensify.

As the immediate danger subsides, people will begin processing their trauma. Questions about God, suffering, and meaning will surface with new urgency. This is our moment.

Please prayerfully consider how God might be calling you to participate in this Rebuilding Israel Campaign. Every gift—whether $50 or $50,000—moves us closer to our $3 million goal and the expanded ministry it represents.

Together, we will rebuild—stronger, larger, and more effectively than ever before.

Thank you for standing with Israel, Chosen People Ministries, and Jewish people who desperately need to know their Messiah.

For our Messiah Jesus and for the people of Israel,

Mitch