An Israeli organization that works to defeat abortion simply by offering support to new mothers and their infants during the first year of the child’s life has been honored by the Israeli government.
The Operation Moses program run by Be’ad Chaim provides moms with a baby carriage, bed, chest of drawers, diapers, clothing and formula, if needed, to make that first year just a little smoother. It also coaches about nutrition, fetal development, stages of pregnancy and offers ultrasound imaging and well as housing help.
Now, the Messianic pro-life and women’s health group has been honored by the government, according to a report from Israel Today.
The honor recognizes what started out as a small Messianic prayer group for its “significant contribution to the protection of mothers and children.”
The report explained, “It began back in the 1980s, when Messianic Pastor Tony Sperandeo, together with other local believers, initiated a fight against what they called ‘the shedding of innocent blood’ in Israel. They started a regular prayer meeting, lectured in congregations across the land, and passed out fliers on street corners teaching people that abortion is a sin against God, and against our own people.”
In Israel, abortion is legal and there are tens of thousands performed annually.
Now the organization has 12 offices, estimates more than 1,500 babies have been saved through the program, and generates support for Israel from around the world.
“We have donations from China, Hawaii, Finland – all over the world. If they want, sponsors are able to have a personal relationship with mom and baby. They share pictures, and many are in regular prayer for the young families,” Sandy Shoshani, a director for the group, told Israel Today.
On its website, it explains one case in which it was able to help.
“We received a call from a very distraught husband who heard about us from a friend. David said that his wife was pregnant, but overcome with nausea and planning an abortion. Just a month before he had been released from prison after serving two very difficult years away from his wife and two sons. David was adamant that Carly should not abort, but he had no job and no way to support his family.
“Because Carly was too sick and weak to travel to the office, the counselor and I visited her in their tiny, one-room apartment. Carly was in bed – the same bed where she slept with her 10 year old and 5 year old son because she had no other beds. Her husband slept on the floor on a mattress.”
Be’ad Chain provided a connection to get a larger apartment at a discount, beds, tables, chairs and an oven, as well as cooked food and groceries.
Shortly later, David got a job, and Carly gave birth to Talia, “a beautiful baby with big brown eyes. Her name means ‘Dew of God.'”
“It is very significant in our short history that a Messianic Jewish organization is now recognized as a well-known, humanitarian organization in Israel,” Shoshani said. “I am humbled, honored and appreciate all those who went before me.”
In an interview with Israel Today, Shoshani said the group helps all mothers.
“Sudanese, Arab and Jewish mothers all come to us,” she said.
She explained the costs are a major driving force for abortion.
“We ask the women if they would keep their babies if they knew that the baby’s stroller, crib, diapers and other needs would be provided for during the first year. Almost all of them say yes, they would. So we developed the concept of Operation Moses where we find sponsors to pray and provide for Israel’s babies until their first birthday.”
The organization runs a Hebrew language website, www.lovelife.org, and also presents its pro-life message in schools, to youth groups and to women’s groups when it can.
It provides its newsletters in Dutch, German and English, too.
It asks supporters to pray “for open doors to meet with legislators and Knesset members who will defend life. The security of our nation depends upon the security of our weakest members. … We pray for laws to protect the personhood of the individual, including the unborn.”
