Awake to Israel - Believers in Israel

Assembies and Congregations in Israel

Help in connecting with believers in Israel

Types of Assemblies and Congregations

As anywhere in the body of Christ, congregations in Israel vary in many different ways; however, here are a few general things you might want to be aware of...

Languages: Since there is such a diverse population, there are many different languages spoken in Israel. The most prominent is Hebrew, English, Russian and Arabic. Most congregation leaders speak more than one language, so for Australians, communication with them is relatively easy.
Assembly Sizes: Most congregations are relatively small, numbering 50-200 people with a handful growing upward of several hundred. There are many small home groups which are the seeds of new congregations. Over 1 million Russian Jews have returned to Israel since the fall of the USSR. They represent about 20% of the entire Israeli population and an even greater percentage of many of the local congregations. It is a great challenge for the congregations to serve the needs of all the various people which make up the body.
Facilities: Most congregations rent facilities, very few own their own buildings. As many people in Israel struggle financially, assemblies in Israel also struggle financially on small budgets. Outside support can really make a large difference in their ability to meet their basic needs.
Security: Because of the real threat of persecution, it is important for people to be sensitive to the security of individuals and assemblies in Israel. Some congregations don't advertise their meeting place and many people don't feel comfortable being photographed or videotaped.

Tips for making contact

Phone: 972 is the country code for Israel. The next digit (or two) is the city code, much like an area code. When dialing from Australia you need to dial 0011-972-(cc) and then the seven digit phone number. Remember that Israel is 7 hours behind us. So, to ring Israel at their 9am in the morning you would have to ring at 4pm in the afternoon from Sydney. Check out the clock below to see the actual time in Israel
Email: Israel is very small and many of the leaders are working very hard, wearing many different hats and dealing with a lot of challenging issues. Do not be discouraged if you email someone and they do not respond immediately, as they are generally just very busy and emails are sometimes low on the priority list. Do not give up though. Try phoning if you find emailing difficult.
Post: Australian mail generally takes 4-6 days to get to Israel. The address format is the same for mailing a letter in Australia. Just remember to put ISRAEL after the area code. Most congregations use a P.O. Box for mail. This is quite normal and is usually done for practical reasons, and in some cases for security issues.
Some Hebrew words you might like to know: KEHILAT (KAY-HE-LAT) is the Hebrew word for congregation / BEIT (BAIT) is the Hebrew word for house.