I stood in the middle of a sea of blue and white, stretching two miles – the entire National Mall. It was the biggest pro-Israeli rally in the history of the United States. With 290,000 people, it even outnumbered the famous march on Washington in 1963, when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the famous “I Have a Dream speech” in front of 250,000 people.
A group of women who appeared to be my mother’s age walked alongside me and 700 other Christians who had flown in from across the country to stand with Israel and the Jewish people. These women wore scarves, sunglasses and shirts with the Star of David. They stopped when they saw our signs saying “Christians stand with Israel.”
“Thank you for coming today,” one of them said with emotion.
Another held out her hand and I took it.
The third woman said, “We love you. »
“We love you,” I replied.
This happened several times. With a lot more people. Jewish families and individuals seeing our signs and shirts and smiling in a surprised and relieved way. They waved. They took photos, perhaps to prove to their loved ones that they are not alone.
A week before the gathering, Passages prepared to send 500 people – thanks to our generous partners. Just days after announcing the opportunity to our network, these spaces were filled with Passages alumni and friends from the Christian community. The participation rate was much higher than expected.
Before our group began the march to the National Mall, Passages CEO Scott Phillips addressed the audience with this charge: “Let’s go live history. Let us take up the call that God has given us and stand with Israel and the Jewish people.
Our Chief Advancement Officer, Paul Weber, also shared: “As Christians, we are called to defend Israel and its people around the world, beginning – I said beginning, not ending – right here, in our capital, Washington, DC. And from Washington DC to New York and from New York to Los Angeles, from UCLA to Georgetown and from Georgetown to Harvard and at the University of Illinois, Arizona State, Louisiana State, and every campus in the United States of America.
AT PASSAGES, our Christian faith obliges us to defend the interests of our Jewish brothers and sisters. We oppose anti-Semitism, which was already increasing at an alarming rate before October 7 and has more than tripled since then – an unprecedented increase. Jewish people around the world live in fear of violence as reports of heinous acts against them circulate. Even in suburban Dallas – where Passages is headquartered – Jews feel the need to hide their identities to protect themselves and their families.
As Christians we cannot let this continue.
The Christian bond with the Jewish people
The history and roots of our faith would not exist without the Jewish people. Christians should appreciate, admire and learn from this Jewish heritage. We are bound by common scriptures and shared values of moral clarity, human dignity, self-determination and the Jewish concept of tikkun olam – healing the world and caring for the excluded. All this would be enough to bring us together.
But in the wake of such horrors as the world has not seen since the Holocaust, the need for Christians to stand with Jews has never been clearer or more urgent.
We were there with 700 of our followers because we wanted our Jewish friends to see our t-shirts and our signs that read “Christians stand with Israel” and let them know that they are not alone .
We wanted our words of support to be backed up by actions. And we want that, in generations to come, Israel and the Jewish people will find in their Christian neighbors not only alliance, but also friendship – especially when it matters most.
This is what Passages is here to do.
Our mission is to lead emerging Christian leaders in Israel to discover the roots of their faith and build bridges of alliance and friendship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel. When the events of October 7 took place, the Passages team and alumni were ready to stand with Israel in a practical way.
Some of our leaders arrived in Israel in the days following the massacre to meet with those directly affected and express our strongest solidarity.
In the weeks leading up to the gathering, our team worked to mobilize our alumni across the United States.
Hundreds of alumni participated and helped organize pro-Israel events, handed out white roses and messages of solidarity to Jewish synagogues in their hometowns, held prayer vigils on their college campuses for the hostages and have posted messages on social media to combat widespread misinformation and propaganda. perpetuated by Hamas and its supporters.
Christians of all ages across the United States joined a daily prayer movement for Israel and contributed to a fundraiser to support two communities visited by Passages students during their trips to Israel – Netiv Ha’Asara and Kfar Aza. So far, Passages has raised nearly $600,000, with a goal of reaching $1 million in the coming months. The funding will be used in three ways: to address the urgent needs of families most affected by Hamas’ brutality, to help communities stay together during their displacement, and to fund future reconstruction and commemoration efforts in these communities.
As Christians, it is not enough to say that we stand with Israel and the Jewish people.
We have to introduce ourselves.
There’s something about showing up that makes it personal. It leaves an indelible mark on the human spirit to meet three Jewish women, mothers and grandmothers who remind us of our own, living with such visceral fear and trauma, and yet grateful to be seen and supported by Christians.
So we must make what affects our Jewish friends personal to us. We have to introduce ourselves. Hold the signs. Wear shirts. Give a hand. Say “I love you” and we will always be by your side.
