“Our mouths shall be filled with laughter, our tongues, with songs of joy. Then shall they say among the nations, “Hashem has done great things for them!”” Psalms 126:2 (The Israel Bible™)

Some 100 Jews and Christians participated in a joint megillah reading service at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Proclaim 18 convention on Thursday, March 1 in Tennessee. The reading was organized by Israel365, NRB and Tennessee’s Congregation Sherith Israel.

“This is a first at the Convention and truly a blessed occasion when Jews and Christians can celebrate God’s miracles together,” wrote NRB in its official announcement about the reading.

The megillah (scroll) was read by Cantor George Lieberman, who has been the cantor at Sherith Israel for more than 20 years.

The Jewish holiday of Purim, known as the Feast of Lots among the Christian community, commemorates God’s victory and deliverance for His people. Jews rejoice in the bravery of Queen Esther who recognized that she was given the position to defend and stand with the nation of Israel “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

This megillah reading comes on the heels of the first-ever Jewish-Christian Bible study at the Knesset (Israeli parliament), which took place on February 20. That event was orchestrated by the Schindler Society, the Knesset Caucus for the Encouragement of Bible Study and Israel365.

The Schindler Society is a US-based Christian group run by Pastor Jim Garlow, a member of US President Donald Trump’s Faith Advisory Board, and his wife Rosemary Schindler Garlow. The society has introduced ongoing Bible study in the US Congress and the United Nations.

Israel365, based in Israel, strives to be the Biblical bridges between Jews living in the land of Israel and lovers of Israel around the world.