Editor’s note: As a typical Jew in the diaspora, Chaim Malespin, director of the Aliyah Return Center, which is dedicated to helping Jewish immigrants in Israel, and the Faithful Galileans, which encourages lovers of Israel to pray and serve for Israel, shares his faith journey to Jesus the Messiah and his ministry to unite Christians all over the world to bless their Jewish brothers and sisters according to the prophecies foretold in the Bible.
China Christian Daily: Share something about yourself and your ministry.
Chaim Malespin: I was born in Oregon, the United States. Each of our siblings was born in a different place in Canada or America, and we traveled a lot. People like us are called wandering Jews. My dad was studying in the Ishiva, an orthodox Hebrew school when he was young. He realized that Jesus, Yeshua, is the Messiah, who is from Galilee, Israel, and does everything for the country. That meant my parents were kicked out of their community and family. They were looking for a place where they could be part of the community. I was born into that scene of going, moving here and there, and never really finding a suitable church. There are Baptists, Pentecostals, and other denominations, but the Jewish world is not connected to any of those.
One day, I went to my bed at night and asked Jesus to reveal himself to me if he was the real Messiah of Israel and the world. I was praying almost all night. I felt very light and warm in the room, and I gave my life to the Lord that night.
Our family went back to Isreal. I got mikvah (baptism) in the Jordan River almost 25 years ago. Mikvah is indeed a Jewish thing. Getting it meant not forsaking the Jewish faith. I’ve lived in Israel most of my life and speak Hebrew. I’m a master sergeant in the Defense Force of Israel and am still in the reserves. I run the Aliya Return Center, which helps poor Jewish people return to Israel, and also the Faithful Galileans, which is a charity and has a prayer house.
China Christian Daily: Are there tensions between religious Jews and Christians in Israel?
Chaim Malespin: Israel has different levels of religious people, from ultra-Orthodox to low. Some ultra-Orthodox Jews are very religious and do everything at the highest religious level: they don’t drive on Sabbath, only eat food with the kosher stamp on the packaging, etc. Some less religious people don’t follow the rules so strictly. But all of them don’t admit that Jesus is the Messiah. So the level of anger they would have toward someone who believes in Jesus depends on how religious they are. Legally, you can believe what you want in Israel, but that doesn't mean someone isn't going to try to make your life hard. People with a high level of religiousness may discourage Christians from running ministries.
China Christian Daily: Can you introduce us to the history of the church in Israel, especially the history of Galilee, where Jesus was born? What's the church doing there right now?
Chaim Malespin: Jesus was right in Galilee; he chose a bunch of disciples and went on adventures. He eventually died and rose from the dead. Jesus promised that he would return someday.
At the time of Jesus, every once in a while, there are people who are called the messiah, like Schneersohn and Bar Kochba. Bar Kochba claimed that he was the actual messiah and his great teacher Rabbi Akiva who is very loved here warned to kill those who did not believe Bar Kochba and urged the followers to fight the Romans. Jewish believers believe Jesus is the actual Messiah and did not follow Bar Kochba, and there was a great divide among Jews. Akiva wrote a curse in Jewish prayer books against Jewish believers who were called pagans by him. Then, some Jews did not allow believers to be in the synagogue and even in their own homes. Afterward, Titus destroyed the second temple. Jewish people got kicked out and were scattered all over the world. The devil wants to end Jewish people's lives, and eventually, the Holocaust happened. Inside the camps, all Jewish people died, regardless of whether they were Jesus believers or Orthodox Jews.
Throughout this whole time, especially in America, Jewish people started to come together more instead of just hiding on their own. They found that Yeshua was connected to Passover, and they can do Passover together, that's where the communion started. Pentecost, also, is a biblical Hebrew holiday that was way before the fire and is a 50-day holiday, 49 days of the Omer count. Believers in Israel started to meet in kehillah (a gathering place) also. Some of them are less religious, while others have caps on all the time and don’t drive on the Sabbath but just rest. But they have the same faith that they have in Yeshua.
They started to make Aliyah trips and join with the ones in Israel. The number reaches probably around 500,000 to 600,000, less than 1% of the total population of nine million people in Israel (seven million Jewish people and two million Arabs). Jewish believers don't call themselves Christians in a church; they call themselves believers in a kehillah.
Speaking of the church, Constantine built a church in Jerusalem in 350 AD, the first Catholic church built here, which is still here. Muslims meet on Friday in the mosque, Jews meet on Sabbath in the synagogue, and Christians meet on Sunday. Those churches, like the Coptic Christians, the Greek Orthodox Christians, the Russian Orthodox Christians, the Eastern Orthodox, the Catholics, and the Anglican - all meet on Sunday.
China Christian Daily: What is the story of Aliyah?
Chaim Malespin: Several Jewish people return to Israel to fulfill the promise of the Bible. There are around 700 verses talking about this “Aliyah” (immigrant to Israel) return. Likewise, my parents sold everything to come to Israel. Many Jews return to Israel with loneliness and fear, and they need companions. Most of them get depressed and leave again. Ten years ago, we started this ministry called the Aliyah Return Center to give new Jewish immigrants a place to stay for free, to receive job training, and to learn Hebrew or Arabic.
Our headquarters are right at the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked, lived, and chose his disciples. We have our discipleship school and launched the Prayer House Movement for Christians from all over the world to learn and bless Israel.
China Christian Daily: How many Jewish people Aliyah Center has helped?
Chaim Malespin: Thousands of thousands of people have been helped by Project Return, which is funded by churches. We help immigrants ship their belongings from other countries to Israel. We restored eight old buildings in the Aliyah Village with five million dollars, where Jews and Christians cohabitate, cooperate, and co-pioneer for Israel. We continue to give immigrants a free stay with warm hospitality in various locations, as well as feeding the poor, providing clothing in the Livracha downtown distribution center and the new Ulpan Hebrew school, raising education funds, and operating our second Lone Soldier multi-lodging complex by the Sea of Galilee. During their time with us, new Israelis are aided in finding a job, signing an apartment, obtaining translation services, connecting with Hebrew studies, making investments, and much more. In our job training center, 70 people learn for a month and a half. Teaching a man to fish in Galilee is the key to the future.
Our warehouse Ramon gets all the furniture from donors in America, Norway, and Holland and gives it away for free. In our nine private apartments, people who have completed their three years of service in the army without family can stay there and have Shabbat dinner with us. We listen to the stories told by Holocaust survivors and bless them. This year we plan to renovate the Herzl Project, a million-dollar housing project for new immigrants.
China Christian Daily: What are the Faithful Galileans then?
Chaim Malespin: As a faith-based organization, we call upon nations globally to fulfill their divine role in our joint history while learning the biblical mandate to help the Jewish people who are returning home. The core of our mandate is to provide a place for the presence of God of Israel in Galilee, and as such, we emphasize prayer through the “Aliyah scriptures” and worship. In the future, worship and teaching may even be live-streamed to Christian media to bless Christians all around the world.
We provide an Ambassador Journey in Israel for Christians who have a heart for God’s purposes for Israel and desire to be effective ambassadors in their nation. This journey includes community living on a Kibbutz; daily worship and prayer; practical work; teachings from various speakers; learning on sites where Yeshua (Jesus) taught His disciples; and touring highlights of Israel in Galilee, Jerusalem, Samaria, and the Dead Sea.
The Vertical Galilee House of Prayer serves as a prayer and worship refuge in the Galilee of the nations. The nations are welcome to come to the land and minister to the God of Israel in the heart of Galilee, the home of Jesus’ ministry.
China Christian Daily: Share with us the incoming Restoration Tour of 2023.
Chaim Malespin: Israel is a country steeped in history and tradition, with a rich cultural heritage dating back four thousand years. While the ancient ruins and holy sites are certainly awe-inspiring, there is so much more to discover beyond the old stones. Our prophetic tour of Israel will take you on a journey to discover the living stones of the country—the people who are making a difference in the present and shaping the future of Israel.
On this tour, you will have the opportunity to meet new Jewish immigrants, see the work of the Aliyah Return Center, impact Lone Soldiers, impact the lives of Arabs and Jews, receive training for job placement, learn Hebrew, receive school training, etc. Meeting believers, pioneers, and people who are making a significant impact in the government, military, and faith aspects of Israel, you get to engage with the embodiment of Israel's resilience and strength, and they are shaping the country's future.
The focus of this tour is not just on the beautiful sites but on the “living stones,” who are fulfilling prophecies for Israel's redemption.
As you travel through the country, you will gain a deeper understanding of the biblical significance of Israel and how it relates to its past, present, and future. You will discover that the role that you play with Israel in God's plan for our future is intertwined.
Of course, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful sites in Israel, such as Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee, among others, not only learning the history but also understanding how the events that occurred there are relevant to your faith today.
In conclusion, a prophetic tour of Israel is an excellent opportunity to discover the real destiny of Israel and China today.
China Christian Daily: What is the Chinese church like in your eyes, and what kind of relationships do you expect between Israel and China, especially concerning the church part?
Chaim Malespin: Isaiah 49:22 says the nations, including China, will bring the Jewish people in their arms and on their shoulders to Israel; that’s called Aliyah. Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, was not Jewish but a Moabite lady. She went to help Naomi and said to her, “I'm not going to leave you alone; I go where you go; your God's got to be my God; your people my people; and where you die, I will die and be buried there.” This is Ruth's call to the church, especially the church in China because China was mentioned in Isaiah 49:22.
What I see in churches in China is pure Christianity. There are places where replacement theology has permeated: the Bible says God will bring the Jewish people to Israel and He will gather all of us to his arms; it replaces “God will love Israel” with “God will love the church.” They took Israel out and put the church in. That's against the Bible, and that's what's happening in some areas where teachers have taught bad things for many years. But I see that China doesn't really have so much of that.
If the Bible says, “I will bring the Jewish people home,” 700 times, Christians in China believe truly “God will bring them home there.” That means they're very strong believers, and they have actually been through enough persecution to keep them pure and keep them on their toes. Also, they just show kindness to Jews. So that's what I see in the Chinese church: pure, generous, kind, and not tainted by excessively bad teaching.
Also, I think China’s church seems to understand more about spiritual warfare. When they come to places like Israel, they know how to engage in real intercession. We're trying to raise up to 100 million intercessors to pray for Israel.
原编者注：查姆·马莱斯平（Chaim Malespin）是“阿利亚回归中心”（Aliyah Return Center）和“忠信加利利人”（Faithful Galileans）的负责人，前者致力于帮助以色列的犹太移民，后者鼓励热爱以色列的人为以色列祷告和服务。作为一名散居海外的典型犹太人，查姆·马莱斯平分享了他对弥赛亚耶稣的信仰之旅，以及他团结全世界基督徒，按照圣经预言祝福他们的犹太兄弟姐妹的事工。
China Christian Daily（以下简称CCC）：请分享一下您自己和您的事工。
查姆·马莱斯平（以下简称查姆）：我出生在美国俄勒冈州。我们家的兄弟姐妹都出生在加拿大或美国的不同地方，我们经常旅行。像我们这样的人被称为流浪的犹太人。我父亲年轻的时候在伊希瓦（Ishiva）——一所正统的希伯来学校学习。他意识到那位耶稣（Yeshua）就是弥赛亚，他来自以色列的加利利，为这个国家付出了一切。这意味着我的父母被赶出了他们的社区和家庭。他们一直在寻找一个可以让他们融入当地社区的地方。他们到处走动，从来没有真正找到一个合适的教会，我正是出生在这样的环境中。有浸信会、五旬节派和其他教派，但犹太世界与这些教派都没有联系。
一天晚上，我在床上请求耶稣向我启示他自己，告诉我他是否是以色列和这个世界真正的弥赛亚。我几乎整晚都在祷告。我在房间里感到非常的轻松和温暖，那天晚上我把我的生命献给了主。
我们全家回到了以色列。大约25年前，我在约旦河受了洗（mikvah）。受洗确实是犹太人的事。受洗不意味着放弃犹太信仰。我一生中大部分时间都生活在以色列，说希伯来语。我是以色列国防军的一名高级上士，目前仍在预备役中。我经营着“阿利亚回归中心”，帮助贫穷的犹太人回到以色列，我还经营着“忠信加利利人”，这是一个慈善机构，有一个祈祷室。
CCC：以色列的犹太教徒和基督徒之间是否存在紧张关系？
查姆：以色列有不同程度的宗教人士，从极端正统派到低正统派。一些极端正统的犹太人非常虔诚，每件事都要按照最高的宗教水准来做：他们不在安息日开车、只吃包装上有犹太洁食印章的食物等等。一些不太虔诚的人不会那么严格地遵守这些宗教规则。但他们都不承认耶稣是弥赛亚。他们对相信耶稣的人的愤怒程度取决于他们的宗教信仰程度。从法律上讲，在以色列你可以信仰你想要相信的，但这并不意味着不会有人试图让你的生活变得艰难。具有高度宗教信仰的人可能会阻止基督徒管理事工。
CCC：您能给我们介绍一下以色列教会的历史，特别是耶稣的故乡加利利的教会历史吗？那里的教会现在在做什么？
查姆：耶稣在加利利传道是正确的；他挑选了一群门徒，开始了冒险之旅。他最终死了，又从死里复活了。耶稣应许他有一天会回来。
在耶稣的时代，每隔一段时间，就会有一些人被称为弥赛亚，比如施奈尔松（Schneersohn）和巴尔·科赫巴（Bar Kochba）。巴尔·科赫巴声称他是真正的弥赛亚，他伟大的老师，拉比阿奇巴（Rabbi Akiva）在这里非常受欢迎，他警告要杀死那些不相信巴尔·科赫巴的人，并敦促追随者与罗马人作战。犹太基督徒相信耶稣是真正的弥赛亚，并没有追随巴尔·科赫巴，那时犹太人之间有着很大的分歧。阿奇巴在犹太祈祷书中诅咒被他称为异教徒的犹太基督徒。当时，有些犹太人不准基督徒进会堂，甚至不准他们待在自己的家里。后来，提多摧毁了第二圣殿。犹太人被赶了出去，分散在世界各地。魔鬼想要结束犹太人的生命，最终，大屠杀发生了。集中营里所有的犹太人都死了，不管他们是耶稣的信徒还是正统犹太人。
在这整个期间，尤其是在美国，犹太人开始更多地聚集在一起，而不是仅仅自己躲藏起来。他们发现耶稣与逾越节有关，他们可以一起过逾越节，这就是共融的开始。五旬节也是一个圣经中的希伯来节期，早在圣灵的火焰降下之前就有了，是一个为期50天的节期，按俄梅珥算有49天。以色列的基督徒开始在凯希拉（kehillah，“聚集场所”）聚会。他们中的一些人不那么虔诚，而另一些人则一直戴着帽子，并且在安息日不开车，只休息。但他们对耶稣有着相同的信仰。
他们开始进行阿利亚运动，并加入那些在以色列的移民者。这一人数可能达到50万至60万左右，不到以色列900万总人口（700万犹太人和200万阿拉伯人）的1%。犹太基督徒不称自己为教堂中的基督徒；他们自称是凯希拉的信徒。
说到教堂，公元350年，君士坦丁在耶路撒冷建造了一座教堂，这是这里建造的第一座天主教堂，至今仍在这里。穆斯林周五在清真寺聚会，犹太人安息日在犹太会堂聚会，基督徒在周日聚会。这些教会——如科普特基督教徒、希腊东正教教徒、俄罗斯东正教教徒、东方正教教徒、天主教徒和圣公会教徒——都在周日聚会。
CCC：“阿利亚”的故事是怎样的？
查姆：几个犹太人回到以色列来实现圣经中的应许。圣经中大约有700节经文谈到有关这种“阿利亚”（移居以色列）的回归运动。同样，我的父母变卖了所有的东西来到以色列。许多犹太人带着孤独和恐惧回到以色列，他们需要同伴。他们中的大多数人会感到沮丧，然后再次离开。十年前，我们开始了这个名为“阿利亚回归中心”的事工，为新的犹太移民提供免费住宿的地方，让他们接受职业培训，学习希伯来语或阿拉伯语。
我们的总部就在加利利海边，那里是耶稣行走、生活和拣选门徒的地方。我们有自己的门徒学校，并发起了祷告之家运动，让来自世界各地的基督徒了解和祝福以色列。
CCC：“阿利亚中心”帮助了多少犹太人？
查姆：由教会资助的“回归计划”帮助了成千上万的人。我们帮助移民把他们的物品从其他国家运到以色列。我们用500万美元修复了阿利亚村（Aliyah Village）的8座老建筑，这里是犹太人和基督徒共同居住、合作，共同为以色列开拓的地方。我们持续在不同的地方为移民提供免费的住宿和热情的款待，同时为穷人提供食物，在利夫拉查市（Livracha）中心的配送中心和新乌尔潘希伯来学校提供衣服，筹集教育资金，并在加利利海边经营我们的第二个“孤独士兵”多人住宿舍。他们在我们这里的期间，我们帮助这些新以色列人找工作、签公寓、获得翻译服务、联系希伯来语学习，进行投资等等。在我们的职业培训中心，70人一起进行为期一个半月的学习。在加利利“授人以渔”是通往未来的关键。
我们的仓库“拉蒙”从美国、挪威和荷兰的捐赠者那里获得家具并免费赠送。在我们的九间私人公寓里，那些在军队服完三年兵役而没有家人的人可以留在那里和我们一起吃安息日晚餐。我们倾听那些大屠杀幸存者所讲述的故事，并为他们祝福。今年，我们计划改进“赫茨尔项目”（Herzl Project），这是一个为新移民提供的价值百万美元的住房项目。
CCC：那么“忠信加利利人”又是什么呢？
查姆：作为一个以信仰为基础的组织，我们呼吁全球各国在我们共同的历史中履行他们神圣的角色，同时学习圣经的使命，帮助那些返回家园的犹太人。我们使命的核心是在加利利为以色列的神提供一个存在的地方，因此，我们强调用“阿利亚经文”进行祈祷和敬拜。在未来，敬拜和教导甚至可以直播到基督教媒体上，为世界各地的基督徒带来祝福。
我们为那些怀着神对以色列的旨意并希望在他们国家作有效大使的基督徒提供以色列大使之旅。这段旅程包括在基布兹的社区生活；每日的敬拜和祷告；实践工作；来自各种不同演讲者的教导；在耶稣教导门徒的地方学习；以及游览加利利、耶路撒冷、撒玛利亚和死海等以色列主要景区。
垂直加利利祷告之家作为加利利的列国祷告和敬拜的避难所。欢迎各国的人来到这片土地，在耶稣事工的故乡，加利利的中心地带事奉以色列的神。
CCC：请与我们分享一下即将到来的2023年修复之旅。
查姆：以色列是一个历史悠久、传统丰富的国家，拥有可追溯到四千年前的丰富文化遗产。虽然古老的遗址和圣地确实令人敬畏，但除了古老的石头之外，还有更多的东西值得发现。我们的以色列预言之旅将带你探索这个国家“活石”——正在改变以色列的现状，塑造以色列未来的人。
在这次旅行中，你将有机会认识新的犹太移民，看到“阿利亚回归中心”的工作，影响“孤独士兵”，影响阿拉伯人和犹太人的生活，接受就业培训，学习希伯来语，接受学校培训等。通过与信徒、先驱者以及在以色列政府、军事和信仰方面产生重大影响的人会面，你会接触到以色列韧性和力量的化身，他们正在塑造这个国家的未来。
这次旅行的重点不仅仅是美丽的景点，而是那些“活石”，他们正在实现以色列救赎的预言。
当你在这个国家旅行时，你会对以色列的圣经意义，以及它与它的过去、现在和未来的关系有更深的了解。你会发现，在神对我们未来的计划中，你和以色列所扮演的角色是交织在一起的。
当然，你将有机会参观一些以色列最美丽的景点，如耶路撒冷、死海和加利利海等，不仅可以了解历史，还可以了解那里发生的事件与你今天的信仰有何关系。
总而言之，以色列的预言之旅是一个发现今天以色列和中国真正命运的绝佳机会。
CCC：您眼中的中国教会是什么样的？您对以色列和中国之间的关系，特别是教会方面的关系有什么样的期待？
查姆：《以赛亚书》49章22节说，包括中国在内的列国，将把犹太人放在他们的臂膀和肩膀上带到以色列；这就被称为“阿利亚”。拿俄米的儿媳路得不是犹太人，而是摩押女子。她去帮助拿俄米，对她说：“我必不撇下你独自一人；你往哪里去，我也往那里去；你的神就是我的神，你的国就是我的国。你在哪里死，我也在那里死，也葬在那里。”这是路得对教会的呼召，尤其是对中国教会的呼召，因为以赛亚书49章22节中提到了中国。
我在中国的教会里看到的是纯粹的基督教。有些地方已经被替代神学渗透了：圣经说神会把犹太人带到以色列，他会把我们所有人召聚在他的膀臂下；替代神学用“神爱教会”取代了“神爱以色列”。他们把“以色列”拿出来，把“教会”放进去。这是违背圣经的，在一些多年来一直受到不良教导的地区，这种情况正在发生。但我发现这种情况在中国并没有这么多。
如果圣经说了700次“我要将犹太人带回家”，中国的基督徒就真的相信“神会把他们带回家”。这意味着他们是非常坚定的信徒，他们实际上经历了足够多的逼迫来使他们保持纯粹，保持警惕。此外，他们对犹太人只会表现出善意。这就是我在中国教会看到的：纯粹、慷慨、良善，没有被过分糟糕的教导所污染。
此外，我认为中国的教会似乎更了解属灵争战。当他们来到像以色列这样的地方时，他们知道如何进行真正的代求。我们正在努力募集多达1亿的代祷者为以色列祷告。
加利利人为帮助犹太人返回以色列，邀请基督徒参观耶稣的故乡
Editor’s note: As a typical Jew in the diaspora, Chaim Malespin, director of the Aliyah Return Center, which is dedicated to helping Jewish immigrants in Israel, and the Faithful Galileans, which encourages lovers of Israel to pray and serve for Israel, shares his faith journey to Jesus the Messiah and his ministry to unite Christians all over the world to bless their Jewish brothers and sisters according to the prophecies foretold in the Bible.
China Christian Daily: Share something about yourself and your ministry.
Chaim Malespin: I was born in Oregon, the United States. Each of our siblings was born in a different place in Canada or America, and we traveled a lot. People like us are called wandering Jews. My dad was studying in the Ishiva, an orthodox Hebrew school when he was young. He realized that Jesus, Yeshua, is the Messiah, who is from Galilee, Israel, and does everything for the country. That meant my parents were kicked out of their community and family. They were looking for a place where they could be part of the community. I was born into that scene of going, moving here and there, and never really finding a suitable church. There are Baptists, Pentecostals, and other denominations, but the Jewish world is not connected to any of those.
One day, I went to my bed at night and asked Jesus to reveal himself to me if he was the real Messiah of Israel and the world. I was praying almost all night. I felt very light and warm in the room, and I gave my life to the Lord that night.
Our family went back to Isreal. I got mikvah (baptism) in the Jordan River almost 25 years ago. Mikvah is indeed a Jewish thing. Getting it meant not forsaking the Jewish faith. I’ve lived in Israel most of my life and speak Hebrew. I’m a master sergeant in the Defense Force of Israel and am still in the reserves. I run the Aliya Return Center, which helps poor Jewish people return to Israel, and also the Faithful Galileans, which is a charity and has a prayer house.
China Christian Daily: Are there tensions between religious Jews and Christians in Israel?
Chaim Malespin: Israel has different levels of religious people, from ultra-Orthodox to low. Some ultra-Orthodox Jews are very religious and do everything at the highest religious level: they don’t drive on Sabbath, only eat food with the kosher stamp on the packaging, etc. Some less religious people don’t follow the rules so strictly. But all of them don’t admit that Jesus is the Messiah. So the level of anger they would have toward someone who believes in Jesus depends on how religious they are. Legally, you can believe what you want in Israel, but that doesn't mean someone isn't going to try to make your life hard. People with a high level of religiousness may discourage Christians from running ministries.
China Christian Daily: Can you introduce us to the history of the church in Israel, especially the history of Galilee, where Jesus was born? What's the church doing there right now?
Chaim Malespin: Jesus was right in Galilee; he chose a bunch of disciples and went on adventures. He eventually died and rose from the dead. Jesus promised that he would return someday.
At the time of Jesus, every once in a while, there are people who are called the messiah, like Schneersohn and Bar Kochba. Bar Kochba claimed that he was the actual messiah and his great teacher Rabbi Akiva who is very loved here warned to kill those who did not believe Bar Kochba and urged the followers to fight the Romans. Jewish believers believe Jesus is the actual Messiah and did not follow Bar Kochba, and there was a great divide among Jews. Akiva wrote a curse in Jewish prayer books against Jewish believers who were called pagans by him. Then, some Jews did not allow believers to be in the synagogue and even in their own homes. Afterward, Titus destroyed the second temple. Jewish people got kicked out and were scattered all over the world. The devil wants to end Jewish people's lives, and eventually, the Holocaust happened. Inside the camps, all Jewish people died, regardless of whether they were Jesus believers or Orthodox Jews.
Throughout this whole time, especially in America, Jewish people started to come together more instead of just hiding on their own. They found that Yeshua was connected to Passover, and they can do Passover together, that's where the communion started. Pentecost, also, is a biblical Hebrew holiday that was way before the fire and is a 50-day holiday, 49 days of the Omer count. Believers in Israel started to meet in kehillah (a gathering place) also. Some of them are less religious, while others have caps on all the time and don’t drive on the Sabbath but just rest. But they have the same faith that they have in Yeshua.
They started to make Aliyah trips and join with the ones in Israel. The number reaches probably around 500,000 to 600,000, less than 1% of the total population of nine million people in Israel (seven million Jewish people and two million Arabs). Jewish believers don't call themselves Christians in a church; they call themselves believers in a kehillah.
Speaking of the church, Constantine built a church in Jerusalem in 350 AD, the first Catholic church built here, which is still here. Muslims meet on Friday in the mosque, Jews meet on Sabbath in the synagogue, and Christians meet on Sunday. Those churches, like the Coptic Christians, the Greek Orthodox Christians, the Russian Orthodox Christians, the Eastern Orthodox, the Catholics, and the Anglican - all meet on Sunday.
China Christian Daily: What is the story of Aliyah?
Chaim Malespin: Several Jewish people return to Israel to fulfill the promise of the Bible. There are around 700 verses talking about this “Aliyah” (immigrant to Israel) return. Likewise, my parents sold everything to come to Israel. Many Jews return to Israel with loneliness and fear, and they need companions. Most of them get depressed and leave again. Ten years ago, we started this ministry called the Aliyah Return Center to give new Jewish immigrants a place to stay for free, to receive job training, and to learn Hebrew or Arabic.
Our headquarters are right at the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked, lived, and chose his disciples. We have our discipleship school and launched the Prayer House Movement for Christians from all over the world to learn and bless Israel.
China Christian Daily: How many Jewish people Aliyah Center has helped?
Chaim Malespin: Thousands of thousands of people have been helped by Project Return, which is funded by churches. We help immigrants ship their belongings from other countries to Israel. We restored eight old buildings in the Aliyah Village with five million dollars, where Jews and Christians cohabitate, cooperate, and co-pioneer for Israel. We continue to give immigrants a free stay with warm hospitality in various locations, as well as feeding the poor, providing clothing in the Livracha downtown distribution center and the new Ulpan Hebrew school, raising education funds, and operating our second Lone Soldier multi-lodging complex by the Sea of Galilee. During their time with us, new Israelis are aided in finding a job, signing an apartment, obtaining translation services, connecting with Hebrew studies, making investments, and much more. In our job training center, 70 people learn for a month and a half. Teaching a man to fish in Galilee is the key to the future.
Our warehouse Ramon gets all the furniture from donors in America, Norway, and Holland and gives it away for free. In our nine private apartments, people who have completed their three years of service in the army without family can stay there and have Shabbat dinner with us. We listen to the stories told by Holocaust survivors and bless them. This year we plan to renovate the Herzl Project, a million-dollar housing project for new immigrants.
China Christian Daily: What are the Faithful Galileans then?
Chaim Malespin: As a faith-based organization, we call upon nations globally to fulfill their divine role in our joint history while learning the biblical mandate to help the Jewish people who are returning home. The core of our mandate is to provide a place for the presence of God of Israel in Galilee, and as such, we emphasize prayer through the “Aliyah scriptures” and worship. In the future, worship and teaching may even be live-streamed to Christian media to bless Christians all around the world.
We provide an Ambassador Journey in Israel for Christians who have a heart for God’s purposes for Israel and desire to be effective ambassadors in their nation. This journey includes community living on a Kibbutz; daily worship and prayer; practical work; teachings from various speakers; learning on sites where Yeshua (Jesus) taught His disciples; and touring highlights of Israel in Galilee, Jerusalem, Samaria, and the Dead Sea.
The Vertical Galilee House of Prayer serves as a prayer and worship refuge in the Galilee of the nations. The nations are welcome to come to the land and minister to the God of Israel in the heart of Galilee, the home of Jesus’ ministry.
China Christian Daily: Share with us the incoming Restoration Tour of 2023.
Chaim Malespin: Israel is a country steeped in history and tradition, with a rich cultural heritage dating back four thousand years. While the ancient ruins and holy sites are certainly awe-inspiring, there is so much more to discover beyond the old stones. Our prophetic tour of Israel will take you on a journey to discover the living stones of the country—the people who are making a difference in the present and shaping the future of Israel.
On this tour, you will have the opportunity to meet new Jewish immigrants, see the work of the Aliyah Return Center, impact Lone Soldiers, impact the lives of Arabs and Jews, receive training for job placement, learn Hebrew, receive school training, etc. Meeting believers, pioneers, and people who are making a significant impact in the government, military, and faith aspects of Israel, you get to engage with the embodiment of Israel's resilience and strength, and they are shaping the country's future.
The focus of this tour is not just on the beautiful sites but on the “living stones,” who are fulfilling prophecies for Israel's redemption.
As you travel through the country, you will gain a deeper understanding of the biblical significance of Israel and how it relates to its past, present, and future. You will discover that the role that you play with Israel in God's plan for our future is intertwined.
Of course, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful sites in Israel, such as Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee, among others, not only learning the history but also understanding how the events that occurred there are relevant to your faith today.
In conclusion, a prophetic tour of Israel is an excellent opportunity to discover the real destiny of Israel and China today.
China Christian Daily: What is the Chinese church like in your eyes, and what kind of relationships do you expect between Israel and China, especially concerning the church part?
Chaim Malespin: Isaiah 49:22 says the nations, including China, will bring the Jewish people in their arms and on their shoulders to Israel; that’s called Aliyah. Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, was not Jewish but a Moabite lady. She went to help Naomi and said to her, “I'm not going to leave you alone; I go where you go; your God's got to be my God; your people my people; and where you die, I will die and be buried there.” This is Ruth's call to the church, especially the church in China because China was mentioned in Isaiah 49:22.
What I see in churches in China is pure Christianity. There are places where replacement theology has permeated: the Bible says God will bring the Jewish people to Israel and He will gather all of us to his arms; it replaces “God will love Israel” with “God will love the church.” They took Israel out and put the church in. That's against the Bible, and that's what's happening in some areas where teachers have taught bad things for many years. But I see that China doesn't really have so much of that.
If the Bible says, “I will bring the Jewish people home,” 700 times, Christians in China believe truly “God will bring them home there.” That means they're very strong believers, and they have actually been through enough persecution to keep them pure and keep them on their toes. Also, they just show kindness to Jews. So that's what I see in the Chinese church: pure, generous, kind, and not tainted by excessively bad teaching.
Also, I think China’s church seems to understand more about spiritual warfare. When they come to places like Israel, they know how to engage in real intercession. We're trying to raise up to 100 million intercessors to pray for Israel.
Dedicated to Helping Jews Return to Israel, Galileans Invite Christians Visit Where Jesus Lived
