Kehila.org wants to Connect You to Israel
You may have visited Israel before, maybe you’ve studied her history and geography with a passion. But have you ever wondered if there was a way to connect with people – the believers in Israel? Well, get ready to hear the best news ever, because kehila.org is about to make your dreams come true!
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
ALL THINGS ISRAEL
Meet Kehila.org – an online portal for friends of the Messianic/Christian Community (Kehila) in Israel. Here you will find helpful resources, all in one place, whether you are in Israel or wish to connect from another country.
Additionally, it is also a fantastic resource for your next trip to Israel – once possible. The comprehensive directory of Kehila Ministries will answer common questions like:
- Which congregation could I join on Shabbat?
- How do I find a tourist guide who knows the Bible?
- Where can I spend the night in the cities I visit?
- Are there events I could attend during my trip to Israel?
Kehila (pronounced K’hee-lah) is a Hebrew word for both “community” and “congregation”.
Kehila.org is the best place for you to start networking. In other words, this virtual community is open to anyone who wants to connect with the Body of Messiah in Israel. And you can rest assured that all persons and organizations on the website have given their permission to be included in the directory.
Even just twenty years ago, there was a lot more concern among believers in Yeshua (Jesus) about facing persecution from the orthodox or more traditional communities. But today, the messianic congregations in Israel are bigger and stronger. And in the era of social media their work has become very public. The next generation is discovering that their presence online is met with more curiosity than animosity.
A NETWORK OF FAITH
The vision for a body-wide web portal of the Messianic community started already in 2006. A word from Paul’s letter to Corinthians, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all it’s many parts form one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:12, sparked a desire to cultivate unity among believers.
Initially kehila.org was a private member-only bulletin board in Hebrew and English. It facilitated inter-congregational communication among the believing community in Israel. This board continues to this day, but also grew to be so much more.
The first public version of kehila.org was launched in 2012. It introduced a growing directory and shared content from local ministries. Soon the kehila.org portal expanded into Kehila News (news.kehila.org) – a news site of the Messianic body in Israel. It provides original content along with aggregated articles and videos from over 100 ministries, collected in one place.
Kehila News produces high quality content in a wide range of topics through a grassroots community effort. In addition to having a small team of part-time staff writers, they are building a team of freelance writers and translators from the Messianic/Christian community. They help produce content and translate Kehila News into multiple languages.
ROOM TO GROW
Today, Kehila.org includes a directory, a news service, teaching resources, and a bulletin board. The prospects are to launch a catalogue of worship songs in Hebrew and Arabic, products by Messianic believers, volunteer opportunities, and a directory of Messianic ministry-led tours (when tourism returns to Israel).
A passage from the New Testament remains the driving force of the organization: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10
Kehila Ministries International is hoping to expand the resources they offer online, but also grow their paid staff and add original video productions. They want to maintain a high quality of their content, through which they bless the Messianic community in Israel and the Christian supporters of Israel worldwide.
We invite you today to explore kehila.org and get involved! Get in touch with believers in Israel and raise your awareness of what is happening in the land of the Bible. Support Kehila Ministries International (KMI) in building unity across the Body of Messiah in Israel!
Check out this video to learn more about Kehila.org and how you can be a part!