Comfort My People, a ministry of Advancing Native Missions (ANM), partners with Be’ad Chaim for the pro-life movement and spreading the love of God in Israel. This article is written by one of our new interns, Valerie.
As a volunteer at ANM, I first heard of Be’ad Chaim, a pro-life organization in Israel dedicated to ending abortion in Israel. I have worked for the pro-life cause in the U.S., but I never considered the problem of abortion on a global scale. Within two days at ANM, I learned that abortion is proportionately far more rampant in Israel than in the U.S., with one in every four babies aborted. This does not even include the lives ended by the “morning after pill.”
Moreover, Israeli law permits abortion up to the day before a child is born, because Israelis do not affirm the humanity of a baby until the umbilical cord is cut. According to rabbinical teaching, the baby has no soul until the 40th day of pregnancy.
Israeli women face overwhelming discouragement from preserving the lives of their babies:
- High national levels of poverty make women feel unable to provide for another child
- High divorce rates leave many unstable families and single mothers
- Parents, husbands, and partners often aggressively pressure women for abortions
In the U.S., adoption offers an acceptable second option, but Israelis consider it a great shame. Why?
Aborting a fetus that is not “human” would not carry any moral connotations in their minds, but giving away a “human” baby would be considered a form of abandonment.
Women also experience encouragement to abort:
- Israel sponsors an estimated 20,000 abortions per year
- The Israeli Army automatically provides 2 abortions for each female soldier
- The government authorizes 98 percent of abortion requests
A “danger to mental health” legal clause allows broad interpretation to authorize abortions
As a result, many pregnant woman’s first thought is to abort, explained Gillie, a Be’ad Chaim staff member.
How sad this story of Israel is to me!
But in the midst of sorrow, Jesus the Messiah is revealing His light and good news. A group of Messianic Jews—Jews who follow Jesus—serve these women through Be’ad Chaim, a non-profit, pro-life organization, and a recent partner of ANM.
Their Hebrew website with information and hotlines ranks fifth in a Google search, effectively reaching Israeli women. The women can then speak to counselors at Be’ad Chaim’s centers.
A vast majority those who come to the centers choose life. With their goal to end abortion, the believing staff of Be’ad Chaim provides an atmosphere where women in need can experience love and acceptance. They lay other tasks aside to warmly welcome the women who walk through the door, treating them like family.
Financial concerns are Israel’s leading cause of abortion, according to a local alternative-family organization in Israel. In response, Be’ad Chaim’s Operation Moses program pairs Israeli women with sponsors from around the world. The sponsorship provides them with baby supplies, parental counseling, and other resources for a year.
ANM hopes to support Be’ad Chaim in three specific ways:
- Supporting Operation Moses
- Sponsoring volunteer staff who cannot always remain at Be’ad Chaim due to financial struggles
- Encouraging staff at Be’ad Chaim by visiting them in Israel
How You Can Help
With so many unborn lives hanging in the balance, the most important way you can help is to PRAY!
Pray:
- Pray for wisdom, strength, and grace for the mothers and fathers of the unborn children
- Pray for the staff of Be’ad Chaim that they will have the wisdom to provide Godly counsel and comfort
Donate:
Donations are greatly appreciated and will be used solely for the purpose of promoting the work of Be’ad Chaim in Israel.
It’s quick, easy, and secure!
Comfort My People is a ministry of Advancing Native Missions (ANM)
All gifts are tax-deductible
ANM is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and abides by IRS regulations requiring non-profit organizations to exercise complete discretion and control over the use of all donations. A financial statement is available upon request from the State Division of Consumer Affairs of the Commonwealth of Virginia.