PRESS KIT version 1.2

Transcription

1 PRESS KIT version 1.2

2 Table of Contents About Us Videos Endorsements What We Do Fast Facts FAQ Suggested Topics/Questions Profiles Contact Us

3 Press Kit 2017 About Us About Us Operation Exodus USA is affiliated with Ebenezer Emergency Fund International, a ministry started in the United Kingdom in 1991 by Gustav Scheller. There are representatives in over 50 countries around the world. Together, we have assisted over 155,000 Jewish people with their return to Israel from many different nations particularly from the former Soviet Union (fsu). You can learn more about us by selecting one of the links below

4 Press Kit 2017 Videos Videos Who We Are For His Name s Sake Initiatives Debra Minotti appears on CBN News 4

5 Press Kit 2017 Endorsements Endorsements What we see today is a modern-day exodus that s both a miracle and a message to the world that God is faithful to His Word and He will gather His people to His land. Operation Exodus is right in the midst of this miracle. Chris Mitchell CBN Middle East Bureau Chief It is our privilege and honor to be involved with the amazing work of Operation Exodus Dick Leggatt President Derek Prince Ministries-USA The Christian Broadcasting Network is honored to endorse Operation Exodus and their important work in helping Jewish people throughout the world return to Israel. Gordon Robertson CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network As a pastor for over 30 years, I have always had a love for the Jewish people and the land of Israel and encouraged my congregation to pray for them and the peace of Jerusalem. Embracing Aliyah and Operation Exodus has revived our church in multiple ways: excitement in worship, giving, and being a part of Prophecy in Motion. Pastor David Swaggerty Senior Pastor, CharismaLife Ministries, Ohio You and your colleagues at Ebenezer (Operation Exodus) are true friends of the Jewish Agency, and the ongoing partnership that exists between our two Organizations at both an Organizational and personal level is important to all of us. Your tireless work, dedication and support for Aliyah enables us to continue this important work. Natan Sharansky Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA accredited by National Financial Accountability Organization 5

6 Press Kit 2017 What We Do What We Do Operation Exodus Partners with the Jewish Agency for Israel, and other Jewish organizations, to assist Jewish people from the USA with their move to Israel. This is called making Aliyah. Assists immigrants (known as Olim ) to settle in Israel. Partners with Ebenezer Emergency Fund International to raise funds and prayer support to assist Jewish people in other nations making Aliyah. Provides humanitarian aid to holocaust survivors and many others in need in the former Soviet Union (fsu). Shares with churches about God s ongoing purpose for the Jewish people and how we, as Christians, can be involved through prayer, giving and serving. Holds action-packed trips called Engage to Israel and Ukraine for young adults (ages 18-35). 6

7 Press Kit 2017 Fast Facts Fast Facts History Gustav Scheller opened the first Operation Exodus office in Bournemouth, England, in Later that year, with funds donated from supporters, Operation Exodus financed Jewish Agency flights that brought 720 Russian speaking Jewish people to Israel. Since inception, Operation Exodus has assisted over 155,000 Jewish people with their return to the land of Israel by ship and by plane. This immigration is called Aliyah. Operation Exodus started our humanitarian aid program in 1994, donating tons of aid throughout the former Soviet Union (fsu). Gustav Scheller passed away in the year There are now many international offices, but the main office still functions today in Bournemouth. USA Operation Exodus has had representatives in the USA since the 1990s. In 2004 we opened an office in Buffalo, New York. In 2014, Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA officially changed its name to Operation Exodus USA. Operation Exodus USA works hand-in-hand with the Jewish Agency for Israel and is connected with over 200 churches and 97 ministries. We have several staff, representatives and volunteers serving throughout the United States, including the Great Lakes Region and Alaska, as well as in our growing national office in Buffalo, NY. Approximately seven million Jewish people live in the USA, including about one million Russian speaking Jewish people. This represents about 40 percent of the Jewish population worldwide. Operation Exodus USA provides Jewish people returning to Israel with financial assistance for transportation and shipping costs. To date we have assisted over 2,300 Jewish people return to Israel. We also provide other services and support. Operation Exodus USA is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), a financial accreditation organization for Christian Nonprofits. Operation Exodus USA is NOT a missionary organization. 7

8 Press Kit 2017 FAQ FAQ Whom do you help? Our calling is specifically to assist Jewish people moving to Israel. Where do your funds come from? We are entirely funded by the generous donations of our supporters. They are Christian individuals, churches and ministries from all backgrounds throughout the United States. What are your values? Godly Character: We will fulfill our mandate while demonstrating Godly character or what the New Testament calls the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Partnership: We will work in partnership with the Jewish community and the Church. Honor: We will honor and treat with dignity those we assist and those we work alongside. Courageous Service: We will assist and serve with courage, remaining steadfast to our purpose, regardless of circumstantial pressures. Why do you assist Jewish people from the USA with their move to Israel? Gentile Christians are indebted to the Jewish People: Most Christians are Gentile (non-jewish) believers in the God of Israel. Accordingly, they are indebted to the Jewish people (see Romans 15:27). They have given us everything we believe in: the Bible, the Church founders and even Jesus Himself. Nevertheless, throughout the history of the Church we have frequently rejected and persecuted Jewish people. We are deeply ashamed of this part of our history. Today we have a unique opportunity to reverse the wrongs of the last 2,000 years and write a new chapter in the relationship between the Church and the Jewish people. Now is the time to bless them and assist them with their return to Israel, the land God promised to give them as an everlasting and unconditional possession (see Genesis 17:8). In the Scriptures, God clearly invites Gentiles to participate with Him in this process: Isaiah 49:22 states, See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up My banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. (NKJV) Their return makes God known among the nations: Ezekiel 36 and 37 tell us the main reason why God is bringing His people back to the Land of Israel. He says He will do it so that both Israel and the nations will know that I am the Lord. 8

9 Press Kit 2017 FAQ There is no greater privilege than to partner with the Lord in making His Name known among the nations. What is an Olim? Olim is the word used to describe Jewish immigrants to Israel. It is a plural of oleh (masculine singular) or olah (feminine singular). What does making Aliyah mean? Making Aliyah is the process of Jewish immigration to Israel. The Hebrew word Aliyah means to go up. How many immigrants have you assisted from the USA? As of 2017, Operation Exodus USA had assisted over 2,300 people. How many immigrants have you assisted worldwide? As of January of 2017, Operation Exodus USA and our international counterparts had assisted over 155,000. Are you on Facebook? Yes, Operation Exodus USA has a Facebook page. Do you have a newsletter? Yes, we have a bi-monthly USA Newsletter which you can view online or receive by mail. Our International Bulletin and Humanitarian Aid Bulletin are also available online. How can people get involved? We need people to pray, give financially, volunteer and more. Visit our website at for information. Who is the President of Operation Exodus USA? Debra Minotti is the President of Operation Exodus USA. What is For His Name s Sake? For His Name s Sake are our current fund-raising initiatives. It has two prime objectives: to expand the presence, and the awareness of Operation Exodus USA. This includes offices in two strategic areas, Brooklyn, NY, where by some estimates, the New York City area is the temporary home of at least two million Jewish people, including 500,000 Russian speaking Jewish people. And it includes a permanent presence in the Great Lakes Area, as well as increased funds to provide more than one thousand additional Aliyah scholarships, and finally our National Awareness initiative spreading the heart of Aliyah. 9

10 Press Kit 2017 Suggested Topics/Questions Suggested Topics/Questions OE USA President Debra Minotti is often asked to speak on the following topics: U.S A. Jewish people moving to Israel (U.S. Aliyah) Non-profits assisting Jewish people moving to Israel Restoration of Israel Jewish immigration from the former Soviet Union (fsu) and Central Europe Partnering with the Jewish community Assisting Jewish people making Aliyah worldwide Bible prophecy, Israel and Aliyah Why Christians should assist List of suggested questions: What is Operation Exodus USA? Why assist Jewish people in moving from the USA? What are your values? Where do your funds come from? What are the For His Name s Sake initiatives? Why get involved now? How can people get involved? 10

11 Press Kit 2017 Profiles Profiles Debra Minotti President Debra Minotti was appointed President of Operation Exodus USA in Previously she volunteered at the Ebenezer Operation Exodus International base in Odessa, Ukraine, and assisted in several sailings taking hundreds of Jewish people from Odessa to Haifa, Israel. She also served in Ebenezer s United Kingdom International office from 2003 to Debra believes it is crucial to proclaim God s purpose for the return of the Jewish people to Israel and to be fully involved with helping them back to the Land from all nations. Debra was a registered nurse and volunteered in various church ministries for thirty years. In 2001 she read Gustav Scheller s book Operation Exodus, which answered many questions and explained the love she had for the Jewish people since she was a young child. She is a mother of two and grandmother of four. Shirley Lawrenson Operation Exodus USA Representative Shirley Lawrenson joined Ebenezer Operation Exodus in She worked in Ukraine for almost ten years. She coordinated the transportation by ship of over 40,000 Jewish people making Aliyah from Odessa, Ukraine, to Haifa, Israel. Since 2004 she has been serving as Olim (Immigrant) Liaison at our International Jerusalem office. Shirley has now been released to be a representative at our new office in Brooklyn, New York. New York City is home to the largest Jewish community in the Western Hemisphere. Shirley s heart is filled with the desire to pray for the release of the Jewish people in this area and to assist with their Aliyah decision to move to Israel. Pastor David Swaggerty Senior Pastor, CharismaLife Ministries, Ohio Pastor David Swaggerty and his wife Miriam have been in ministry for the past 33 years. They pastor CharismaLife Ministries (CLM), in Whitehall, Ohio, and have two daughters and three grandchildren. God connected David to the Jewish people as a teenager, and his relationship and genuine influence within the Jewish community have flourished over the years. CLM recently established the Gesher Center (Gesher is Hebrew for bridge) within its walls, and this room which commemorates the Holocaust has allowed CLM to host the Jewish community in a growing friendship. Several years ago, God clarified CLM s vision to assist Jewish people making Aliyah. This vision to strengthen ties between Jews and Christians is shared by the people who attend CLM, which now hosts one of OEUSA s several hubs in the U.S. Steven Harper Communications Specialist Steven Harper was a participant of the Engage 2013 trip to Israel. Engage:Israel is the young adult ministry of Ebenezer Operation Exodus. This life-changing experience provided him with a deeper understanding of God s covenant promises with Israel and the roots of his Christian faith. He responded to the call to volunteer by joining Operation Exodus USA s ministry of intercessors in His passion to pray for the return of the Jewish people to Israel and to assist them has brought him from Chicago, IL to Buffalo, NY to join our staff in Steven is proof God is touching the hearts of younger believers to serve the Jewish people. 11

12 Press Kit 2017 Contact Us Contact Us Mailing Address PO Box 568 Lancaster, NY Phone Fax Website President Debra Minotti Communications Specialist / Media Contact Steven Harper SHarper@operationexodususa.org 12