Ringgold and greater Chattanooga celebrate third “Night To Honor Israel” event
Over 550 people waved a blended sea of Israeli and American flags as their national anthems played at The Colonnade in Ringgold Thursday night (Nov. 10). The group gathered to celebrate Israel and the Jewish people at the third annual “Night to Honor Israel” event.
Presented by Christians United for Israel (CUFI), local pastors and the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, the program featured keynote speakers and inspirational music from individuals of both the Jewish and Christian communities. Pastor Bret Yaeger, of Temple Baptist Church in Dalton, Ga., served as emcee. Yaeger also sits as chair of the local CUFI planning committee.
Event speakers included Pastor Lyndon Allen, Central Regional Coordinator for CUFI who gave an overview of CUFI’s mission, highlighting the membership of 3.3 million in the organization, which strives to be a unified voice against antiSemitism.
Keynote speaker and guest for the evening was Erick Stakelbeck, director of the CUFI Watchman Project and host of CUFI’s “The Watchman,” a weekly news magazine program. Stakelbeck is a sought after authority on the Middle East, terrorism and Pastor Charles Bishop, Subligna Baptist Church, Subligna, Ga.
radical Islam. He gave a comprehensive presentation on ISIS, Iran and the existential threats they represent to Israel and the world.
Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, Bet Shemesh, Israel, associate director of Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation brought greetings on behalf of the center based in Jerusalem.
“The partnership between CUFI and the center goes back many years,” he said, “and is built on a shared understanding that the
call of our times is for Jews and Christians to work together as we move toward that great day when we will all serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the House of Prayer for all nations in Jerusalem.”
Several representatives from the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga were also present including Austin Center, board member, who shared an enlightening story of a young Israeli mother, Talia, and her two daughters.
“The summer prior to my visit her family was in the line of fire from the terrorist Hamas’ indiscriminate rockets,” he said. “All summer, they lived in fear, living for days upon days in a bomb shelter. Imagine what an impact this had on her children who were four and six at the time. The sounds of constant alarms (called Tzevah Adom in Hebrew), running to the bomb shelter, staying in the bomb shelter, no sleep, no playing outside. Talia’s children would cringe at any loud noise, they did not want to be left alone. No child should experience this, and remember it is summer when kids should be outside running around and going to camp. But not for Talia and tens of thousands of others that lived within range of these terrorist rockets. When these alarms sound, innocent civilians run for the nearest bomb shelter and pray.”
Pastor Charles Bishop, Subligna Baptist Church, Subligna, Ga., said the most important thing we can do as Christians is to pray for Israel, not just at the “Night to Honor Israel” but everyday when we go to our prayer closets.
“I believe the reason America is so blessed is because we have always blessed Israel,” he said.
For the musical portion of the program Shiran Amir, Israeli Emissary, Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga shared a song in Hebrew and the Lee University Symphonic Band and vocal group, conducted by Mark Bailey, provided a moving musical presentation that brought the crowd to their feet.
Ann Treadwell, program director, Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga was honored with the “Spirit of Light Award,” given to a member of the Jewish community who has lighted the path for Christians United for Israel by going above and beyond in promoting solidarity between Jewish people and Christians in their support of Israel.
The audience also heard from Jacqueline Allen, executive assistant to the Israeli Consul General based in Atlanta, Ga., and the Mayor of Ringgold, Nick Millwood, who provided a resolution from the city declaring Nov. 10, 2016 as “Stand with Israel Day.”