This season reminds us that no matter how dark things get, nothing can extinguish God’s light! The glow of Hanukkah candles commemorates how—against all odds—God empowered a small Jewish army to overcome Antiochus, the evil dictator who desecrated God’s holy Temple in 167 BC. To this day, Jewish people light the Hanukkiah (nine-branched menorah) to celebrate how God freed us from forced idolatry so that we could worship him.

As wonderful as the victory of Hanukkah was, we all need the greater miracle that only Yeshua (Jesus), the Light of the World, can bring. We all—Jews and Gentiles—have an inner pull towards idolatry. The worst part is, without Jesus, most of us are in the dark about who or what we really worship. Jesus’ light penetrates the darkness of our own hearts so that we can see and turn from our idolatry and worship him in truth. Then he empowers us to bring that light to others.

Bringing God’s Light has been the purpose and destiny of the Jewish people all along.

Bringing God’s light has been the purpose and destiny of the Jewish people all along. Simeon knew it when he held the baby Jesus and blessed God, saying, “My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30–32 NKJV).

And though a partial blindness still affects so many Jewish people (Romans 11:25), God’s light is still breaking through to many Jewish hearts. I’m so thankful and grateful for how God allows our ministry to participate in those breakthroughs. Looking back on 2025, it has been a year of extraordinary challenges and, at the same time, extraordinary ministry opportunities.

I’ve traveled across the world to spend time with each of our team leaders and to connect with as many of our missionaries as I could. And I have to tell you, I’m proud of our staff. With every visit I make, I am amazed and inspired to see how God is working through them despite some pretty dark situations. This month’s cover story about ministry in war-torn Odessa gives you just a glimpse of what I’m seeing.

I have also been so proud of our team in Israel this past year. As with Ukraine, the effects of war are palpable, and the gospel light shines that much brighter in the dark uncertainties of what each day will bring. Our staff is not immune to these uncertainties, yet they model the certainty that God is good to their communities. Whether they’re leading worship in bomb shelters or going out on the streets to talk about Messianic prophecies, they stand as beacons of hope to those around them. In terms of the latter, I want to encourage you about the responses to our So Be It! YouTube channel (created by one of our teams in Israel).

Our So Be It! team posts videos of on-the-street gospel conversations, testimonies of Jewish believers in Jesus, and a podcast that addresses challenging theological questions. During one of my visits with our staff in Israel, I went out with the So Be It! team. We had a great time talking with Jewish people on the street about Messianic prophecy. See how the video turned out here: j4j.co/sobeitot.

To date, So Be It! has had 83 million views, and we estimate that at least 8.3 million are Jewish views! Read about one of the people behind those numbers in our “Ministry Moments” on page ???.

Another area where we are seeing God’s light breaking through darkness is in our outreach to Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) communities, where asking or talking about Jesus can lead to loss of employment or even family. Many of our first contacts with Haredi seekers come through our website, and meeting in person can be challenging.

Earlier in the year, I mentioned that building and serving new partnerships would be a big part of our ministry mindset going forward. Jews for Jesus has always been happy for opportunities to collaborate with others, but this year, we’ve been very intentional in reimagining new ways to do so. We are seeing encouraging results, particularly with our Haredi contacts. These brothers and sisters need to learn to follow Jesus with other Jewish people in immersive situations that are culturally familiar. I can’t disclose details, but with the generosity of our financial supporters, we arranged for two believers in Jesus from Haredi backgrounds (one of them together with her husband and four children) to participate in just such an experience with a ministry that we know and trust.

The impact was profound. Both individuals chose to be baptized during their time with this ministry, each testifying to the life-changing nature of the experience. Through this strategic partnership, we were able to provide these believers with discipleship resources and community far beyond what we could have offered alone.

Another way we are seeing partnerships shining gospel light through the darkness is through powerful “Christians Against Antisemitism” events we’ve helped organize with local Christian volunteers across North America. The Jewish communities have been stunned by the rise in outspoken hatred toward our people and have responded to expressions of Christian love with overwhelming warmth.

Nici, serving with the Haredi team, described the impact: “One elderly woman, Ruth,* stopped at the table and gently rolled up her sleeve to show me the numbers the Nazis had tattooed on her arm. Then she paused, looked at our sign that identified us as believers in Jesus, and after a moment of reflection, broke into a warm smile. She hugged us and said, ‘You give me hope.’”

We are now in partnership with Life in Messiah to equip members of local congregations to participate in “Christians Against Antisemitism” with their own churches. The more we work with like-minded ministries and congregations, the brighter our collective light shines.

We could not do any of this on our own. The prayers and support of God’s people are a vital part of everything we do. Together, we are proclaiming the hope of Messiah and bearing witness to a light that no darkness can extinguish.

This December, my heart is filled with deep gratitude for what God has done in 2025 and with great anticipation for what he will do in 2026. Thank you for standing with us, shining his light, and making this ministry possible. We cannot wait to step into the next season with you!

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.