Feast of Tabernacles celebrations move online due to coronavirus
The embassy will also be celebrating its 40th anniversary at the event. This will be the first time in four decades the feast was unable to be held in Israel.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFPeople walk with face masks on Jaffa street in Jerusalem on September 4, 2020(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) will be holding a "Feast of Tabernacles" celebration online this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, considering the traditional gathering of Christians in Jerusalem is off the table due to coronavirus restrictions.The ICEJ will also be celebrating its 40th anniversary at the event. This will be the first time in four decades that the organization was unable to hold the feast in Israel."We were expecting a record crowd for this year’s special anniversary Feast of Tabernacles celebration in the largest hall in Jerusalem. But for the first time in our 40 years as a ministry, we cannot hold our large Sukkot gathering in Jerusalem," said ICEJ president Dr. Jürgen Bühler. "So we have moved the event online and our Global Feast package will now feature more content, with more international speakers and worship artists, and more seminars and lectures than we have ever offered before."In a normal year, the annual celebration hosts around 5,000 Christians from 100 different countries. Considering the restrictions on travel, the recent closure and isolation orders upon entering the country, it was not feasible to hold the celebration in Israel this year.The feast will hold seven daily live broadcasts, streamed from locations around Israel, to be aired on Christian television networks across the globe. There will also be an online conferencing platform hosting 125 seminars and virtual tours."For the past forty years, we have seen first-hand God’s faithfulness in restoring Israel, and in expanding our ministry around the world," Bühler said. "The relationship between Christians and Israel has radically changed compared to when we were founded in September 1980, and we are humbled and thankful to be part of this historic reconciliation."
