The special evening which took place
on Sunday the 21st of October, at the premises of Camps Bay High
School, facing the magnificent shores of the Atlantic ocean in Cape Town, was a
celebration of sounds and colours, including singing, dancing and prayers, all
aimed at highlighting the uniqueness of Israel; its achievements and its
exceptional contributions to the world.
The key note speaker, Michael
Utterback of Ministry to Israel inspired the audience by showing how the
prophecies of the redemption of the Land and the People of Israel are being
fulfilled in front of our eyes. "I shall bless those who bless you, and
whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed
through you." Utterback quoted
from G-d's promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3), indicating the importance
and the benefits for South Africans to from strong ties with Israel.
The main organizer and the living
spirit behind the initiative is Sharon Ellwood, who has coordinated this event
for the third year in a row. "It started 3 years ago with roughly 200
people"- Sharon recalls. "Last year we had about 800, and now just
about 1,200 people!” Sharon believes
that as the criticism among anti-Israeli factions in South Africa becomes more
aggressive, more and more Christians around South Africa feel the need to come
out and be more vocal about their love and support for Israel and the Jewish
People by participating in events like this, as well as in many other ways.
Among the many guests who greeted
the event were Ms. Reeva Forman, Vice Chair of the SA Zionist Federation
National Board, Mr. Daniel Levitt, Vice-Chair of the SA Zionist Federation
Cape-Council and Deputy Ambassador Ya'akov Finkelstein, who brought a message
from the Embassy of Israel in Pretoria.
Proceeds
from the evening will be going towards two organizations based in Israel:
The
Haifa Holocaust Home for Survivors and 'Be’ad-Chaim'- Pro-Life association.