Celebrating Twenty Years!

Leon Mazin
Nov 29, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Dec 7, 2021

In the Torah portion “Chayei Sarah (the life of Sarah)” the original Hebrew text says that Sarah lived for one hundred years, twenty years and seven years (In Hebrew, they are in that order - Genesis 23:1).

Commentators say that at the age of 127, Sarah was as wise as a hundred year old, as beautiful as a twenty year old, and as innocent as a seven year old. Twenty years is an age of beauty/perfection.

I have the pleasure of informing you that Shavei Tzion was founded on Hanukkah 2001, and now the congregation is celebrating its twentieth anniversary! It is a congregation of beauty & perfection! I want to thank our dear friends — those from far away and those nearby; we are tremendously grateful for your generosity and partnership with Shavei Tzion.

I remember a call from a friend who asked, "What will you call the congregation?" The name that came to my heart was Shavei Tzion — those who have returned to Zion, like my family, from the Diaspora, having heard the Voice of Heaven!

We started out as a small evangelism project from the Ohalei Rahamim congregation north of Haifa, helping new immigrants settle in their homeland. Through these immigrants we spontaneously emerged into our own congregation — “Return to Zion.” With God's help grew strong and increased!

When Noah blessed his sons, he said, “May God expand/multiply Japheth.” (Japheth in Hebrew means Beautiful/Propagating). Our congregation spreads teaching and influences many others. Internet broadcasting from Shavei Zion has been helping many messianic congregations around the world for over ten years and building the Jewish messianic style of worship. The archive of our “Oasis-Media” Broadcasting site contains thousands of lessons and sermons that still remain popular after twenty years, teaching Jews the Jewish context of belief in our Savior Yeshua, not rejecting their Jewish identity, but on the contrary, returning them to the roots of their forefathers.

For the last five-to-six years we have not done special advertisements for the needy people we support through our humanitarian programs. Word about us spread from near to far, that there is help for all who approach our door. We can barely cope with the requests that come to us, but we thank God that we can be His hands of mercy for many of those who are RETURNING to Zion (Shavei Zion).

We ask you to pray for the Grace of God to be upon us, for the ability to continue to do what we believe the Lord has entrusted to us.

Small update on my flight to the United States: My US visa turned out to be expired. It is a shame that I will not be able to see my friends. God willing, next year I will be able to make up for this lost time.

Peace & blessings to you and your loved ones in Yeshua the Messiah.