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Ever heard of Chrismukkah?
This year, Christmas and the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah coincide on Dec. 25 for a rare alignment of the two celebrations — unofficially known as “Chrismukkah.”
It doesn’t occur often because the dates for Hanukkah vary according to the Jewish calendar.
Why is it significant this year?
Both Christmas and Hanukkah celebrate God’s deliverance. Christmas, of course, celebrates the Messiah coming to earth as a baby in the manger to save the world from sin and eternal punishment. Hanukkah, also known as the “festival of lights,” marks the deliverance of the Jewish people from foreign oppression during the 2nd century B.C.
Fast forward more than 2,000 years and the Jewish people again find themselves oppressed and under siege from all sides. The State of Israel is under attack from Iran-backed terror organizations. And Jewish people everywhere face rising antisemitism, including in America where we’ve seen anti-Israel protests on college campuses and attacks on Jewish students.
As a Messianic Jew, I believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as Israel’s Deliverer, Savior, and Messiah, as foretold in the Old Testament and revealed fully in the New Testament.
If ever the Jewish people needed divine deliverance and the support of Bible-believing Christians, the moment is now. Israel needs to see that the God of Israel and Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, the Babe of Bethlehem and the Deliverer foretold by the Old Testament prophets, is the One who will vanquish their enemies and bring true peace. As Zechariah prophesied, “It will happen in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
Just as Christmas and Hanukkah are “intertwined” this year, so is the future deliverance of all those — Jews and non-Jews — who believe in Yeshua as Messiah.
As Messianic Jews, we humbly and gratefully accept the awesome gift of God, the complete deliverance from the eternal consequences of sin that the baby born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem has provided for us.
It is, therefore, particularly ironic that Bethlehem, the town where Yeshua was born, is not celebrating Christmas this year.
Bethlehem: Empty This Christmas?
Ongoing conflict in the Holy Land has turned Bethlehem into a virtual ghost town. Typically, at this time of the year, Bethlehem would be bursting at the seams with excited pilgrims, eager to visit the Church of the Nativity and soak in the atmosphere.
But, this year, the streets are largely deserted. There are no decorations, no festivities, virtually no visitors.
And the people of Bethlehem are suffering.
Many struggle to pay for food and other essentials for their children. Anxious parents don’t know where to turn. Many see no alternative but to leave Bethlehem — or stay and face a dire Christmas and desperate winter.
Just as Joseph, the biblical patriarch, prepared to avert a humanitarian disaster in ancient Egypt, the Joseph Project International is staving off hunger and suffering in Bethlehem and across the Holy Land this Chrismukkah.
As the largest humanitarian aid importer in Israel, the charitable organization has distributed $23 million worth of vital supplies since last year’s unprecedented Oct. 7 terror attack, and is helping Jews, Arabs, Muslims, and Christians across Israel and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), where Bethlehem is located.
“Many families in Bethlehem are not working due to the decline in tourism,” says the organization’s local operations manager. “Families (are) simply not able to provide for their kids. Our goal is to support the Christians, encourage them to stay, and renew their peace.”
‘I Will Bless Those Who Bless You’
This Chrismukkah, as you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, remember God promises a special blessing for those who support Israel, speak out against antisemitism everywhere, and stand with God’s chosen people:
“My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, TLV).
— Joel Chernoff is the founder and executive board chairman of Joseph Project International, the largest importer of humanitarian aid into Israel. He is also general secretary and CEO of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America.
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