THE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL GOSPEL MINISTRY
Global Report
EASTERN EUROPE | SUMMER 2025
Dan Price
Director of International Ministries
Relief in Eastern Europe
Silently praying, Friends of Israel (FOI) Poland representative Timothy Rabinek waited
while the Belarusian border guard inspected his bags containing 20 Hebrew and
Russian Bibles. He knew the risk of bringing religious literature into Belarus. The simple
act of carrying Scripture is considered suspicious, sometimes even illegal. To Timothy’s
surprise, the stern security guard finally looked up and said, “You’re okay; you can go.”
Relieved, Timothy quickly passed through the checkpoint.
Not long after, while serving the Belarusian church where the Bibles were needed,
Timothy encountered a surprise: The very border guard who had searched his bag was
attending the church service! As the two talked, the guard revealed that he was secretly
a Christian. Being at the border that day turned out to have been a divine appointment.
As Timothy reflected, “God had gone ahead of me, placing the right person in the right
place at the right time!”
Ever since our founding in 1938, FOI has offered relief, support, and humanitarian aid to
Jewish people in Eastern Europe. While significant needs remain 80 years after World
War II devastated the region, the heart of our founders’ love for the Jewish people still
beats strong in our incredible teams in Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Russia,
and other countries. As I tell you how FOI ministers to “the least of these” (Mt. 25:45) in Eastern
Europe, would you please prayerfully consider partnering with us in this great
work to bless more Jewish families in need?
If giving from the UK or NZ, please designate your gift as "Eastern European Relief."
War Relief
Once again, war ravages Eastern Europe. Today, as the war in Ukraine has ground on, nearly 7 million people have been displaced, and tens of thousands have died, creating a staggering, ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Yet, God continues to open new doors to reach His Chosen People by our teams’ work to provide humanitarian aid. The estimated 200,000 Jewish people that have remained in Ukraine rely heavily on volunteer organizations and their local synagogues for daily needs. It is our joy to supply these communities with much-needed clean water, food, heating units, batteries, clothing, and medicine.
FOI Camps and Retreats
Within the beautiful mountains of Wisla, Poland, our FOI facilities provide respite via retreats and children’s camps to families living under the stress of war. Each hospitality experience at our FOI center is designed to build real, lasting relationships. There, families receive homemade meals, comfortable lodging, and outdoor leisure activities.
Our teams also study the Bible with our Jewish visitors. For many, this is the first time they ever read a copy of the Hebrew Bible. When families return home, they leave with gift bags full of clothing, food, hygiene items, gift cards, and Bibles. Often these retreats are the beginning of lifelong relationships—both with us and with Messiah Jesus.
Frequently we hear stories of adults who attended FOI camps or retreats in Poland in their youth encountering them again later in life. Recently, on an aid delivery in Belarus, we encountered Demitri, a young man who came to faith in Messiah at one of our camps. In the 10 years since he was a camper, his entire family had come to Christ, largely through his witness and example. As his mother explained, “He returned from camp completely changed!”
Never Forget
Each year, thousands of Jewish people from around the world gather for a memorial called “The March of the Living” at the site of the Auschwitz–Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. It commemorates the date of the camp’s liberation by Allied forces during World War II, as well as the lives lost at the camps in the Holocaust. FOI staff members in Eastern Europe annually participate in the event as a stance against rising antisemitism and a show of solidarity with Jewish people.
This year, FOI sponsored 44 Jewish Ukrainians’ attendance at the event. One young participant named Margarita said, “The names of those we lost are being kept alive in our family stories. Memory is not only about the past; it is what we preserve for the sake of the future. Special thanks to FOI, because of which Ukraine is now part of the March and raises its flag to show that we stand with Israel and with all Jewish people around the world.”
World War II turned the world upside down for Jewish survivors in Eastern Europe. War is still turning life upside down. It is just as important now for Christians to stand with the Jewish people of Eastern Europe as it was back then.
The need is urgent in Eastern Europe. You can make a meaningful—even life- changing—difference in the lives of people searching for the peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7).
Will you consider partnering with FOI’s ministry teams in Eastern Europe to provide much-needed relief, humanitarian aid, and Christian love to the Jewish people?
You can provide much-needed relief in Eastern Europe today.
If giving from the UK or NZ, please designate your gift as "Eastern European Relief."
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Photo credits: Adobe Stock, The Friends of Israel Archives, Victor Malyushev via Unsplash
