Inside View Nov/Dec 2026
As the Festival of Lights approaches, my thoughts turn to one of The Friends of Israel’s special initiatives: our Hanukkah gift box ministry, a loving act of friendship that makes a deeply meaningful difference.
In the days leading up to Hanukkah, our representatives joyfully hand deliver special boxes stuffed with Israeli delicacies—chocolates, nuts, spices, honey, coffee, and more—to our Jewish friends around the world. This personal touch captures the heart of our ministry. More than delicious food, each Hanukkah box is a simple yet powerful beacon of light, representing friendship and the message of love and hope our workers’ presence brings to its recipient.
The Jewish people are suffering a growing number of acts of terror and hatred in an increasingly antisemitic world. Many of them are ostracized and vilified simply for being Jewish. So, when Christians knock on their doors with gifts designed to celebrate Hanukkah, they demonstrate a lovingkindness that shatters a long-standing and painful narrative. For centuries, many who claimed the name of Christ were the ones causing the Jewish people to fear. By bringing Hanukkah boxes, we rewrite that story with a message of genuine Christian love.
Historically, Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean victory and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. For Jewish people, it’s a celebration of light and survival—namely, the preservation of their identity despite those who sought to extinguish it. By standing with them during this time, we are saying, “We see you, we love you, and we stand against the darkness that targets you.”
Our Jewish friends greatly appreciate this expression of friendship. An elderly Holocaust survivor’s reaction to receiving a Hanukkah box best demonstrates why we seek to share our love this way. When one of our ministry representatives handed her the festive gift, she was overwhelmed not by the treats, but by the fact that someone—specifically, a Christian—remembered her during a Jewish holiday. She remarked that Hanukkah meant more to her that year because she realized there were “still kind people in this world.”
Such a visit is the heart of love and compassion. We build bridges of trust by showing the Jewish community a different kind of Christian than the ones many have experienced throughout history. Our compassion for God’s Chosen People is rooted in our passion for His Word. The blessings I enjoy are the result of God’s eternal promises to the Jewish people. I thank the Lord that He extended grace even to me, a Gentile living thousands of miles away from the land of the Bible thousands of years after Scripture was written. Because of Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, I am adopted into the spiritual blessings promised to Abraham’s line, making me part of God’s family (Gal. 3:14).
The shamash (Hebrew for “attendant” or “servant”) is the ninth candle on the hanukkiah and is used to light the other eight. Like the shamash, our Hanukkah gift boxes allow us to serve or attend to our Jewish friends with genuine care. In doing so, we follow the example of the Messiah, who came not to be served, but to serve (Mt. 20:28).
Thank you for standing with us as we carry this light into the homes of our Jewish friends. Your support makes it possible.
To learn how you can support our Hanukkah gift box ministry, visit store.foi.org/donate/hanukkah-gift-box-ministry.
