Eagles’ Wings held its 10th annual Jerusalem Banquet at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park on June 2, 2016. The room was packed to capacity with dignitaries, celebrities, business leaders and religious leaders from both the Jewish and Christian community.
The high-energy evening included an address from Consul General of Israel in New York, Ido Aharoni. Prominent leaders of the evening included Jon Loew, Bishop David Thomas, Dr. Charlotte Frank, Irwin Hochberg, Pastor Juan Rivera and Kathie Lee Gifford.
Culminating the gathering, Aharoni presented Gifford the Ha Tikvah Award in honor of her strong support for Israel. Mrs. Gifford, an author, recording artist and Emmy-award-winning television host of the Today Show, recently traveled to Israel and did a series of segments helping her audience see the beauty of Israel and its people.
“We read in Genesis that the Spirit of God, which is translated in Hebrew as shalom, hovered over chaos before creation,” Gifford said. “Each of us has the opportunity to bring shalom to the chaos of our world. Thank you Rev. Stearns for this honor and the great work you are doing to bring shalom.”
Event chair Rev. Robert Stearns spoke to the crowd, enthusiastically sharing, “Tonight we are standing together as Jews and Christians united in our love and support for Israel and the Jewish people. Tonight in this room, we can change history.”
The event centered on celebrating the legacy of amazing leaders in the Jewish and Christian communities, and equipping the next generation to be strong voices in support of Israel and the Jewish people. Dr. Charlotte Frank, vice president of McGraw Hill Education and chair of the Executive Committee of America-Israel Friendship League, was honored for her life of impact in education, advocacy and strengthening ties between Israel and America. Thomas, senior leader of the 5,000-member Victory Christian Center, whose ministry has touched many tens of thousands around the world, was honored for his years of faithful leadership and his steadfast support for Israel.
One of the highlights of the evening was hearing passionate speeches from young Israel Experience Scholars. The Israel Experience which has been dubbed the “Christian Birthright” trains the best and brightest Christian college and university students to be informed ambassadors for Israel in the midst of a rising tide of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment on university campuses.
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