Hag Sameach (Happy Holidays), Song of Israel family! 2022

Hag Sameach (Happy Holidays), Song of Israel family! 

It’s been a year of traveling, growth, incredible ministry opportunities, and family time. From our work with Holocaust survivors in Israel to performing for Ukrainian refugees in Poland, teaching Kingdom Healthcare in Samaria and Europe to being a keynote speaker in conferences, our hearts are full from all the Lord is doing! 

Over the last few months, our work with the Holocaust survivors has continued as we volunteered with Helping Hand Coalition, visited the survivors in their residents, and welcomed them into our home. Many of the survivors don’t go out or have contact with other people, so we make it a point to pour out the oil and wine of Yeshua’s love, showing them who He is in action through our lives. Each moment we spend with these precious people is a joy to our hearts, so we want to thank our supporters for enabling us to do this work; without you, none of this would be possible.

Mila Fleitman, a leader of a large organization of survivors and veterans in Netanya, wrote this message after visiting our home: “The road leads to Zichron Yaakov, to the house of Alyosha and Jody Ryabinov, open, sincere, and very benevolent people who receive guests from different parts of the world and their fellow Israelis. Alyosha Ryabinov — pianist and composer — under his fingers, the keys of the black piano become his interlocutors. They talk about the power of life, the brightness of the world, faith, hope, and love. They affirm the power of goodness and joy. From these sounds, the soul becomes brighter; everything around takes on colors. Smile, attention, care - it would seem so little, but how much it means! This day will be remembered for a long time.” 

Inviting our friends to participate in these concerts for the Holocaust survivors is always a highlight!

Chanina, a widow and mother of seven, whom we’ve written about before, has grown so much this year. It’s been a blessing to watch the Father heal her heart and use her gift of compassion to touch the survivors through dance. 

Another recent arrival to our community, who also lives with us, is Eve, a talented professional guitarist from Houston, Texas. With a radiant smile and a passion for jazz, her contribution to these concerts has brought a new musical flare that the survivors love! She has also learned some Yiddish songs like “Tumbalalika,” which she and Alyosha play together for sweet memories.

Whether we’re performing for a small group in Nazareth or a large group in Haifa, it’s not about the multitude but the one-on-one. Being able to touch the survivors is genuinely healing. In August, we had Annekathrin and her husband, Bodo, from Germany, join us for a few weeks on these visits to give essential oil hand massages. That point of contact was a ministry in itself as the aromas filled the room and the survivors relaxed to our touch, and their hearts were healed. 

A vision I, Jody, have had for a while has been to teach Kingdom Healthcare and train people who have a gift in this area to serve their communities through healthy living and preventative lifestyles. I had the honor of doing a few of these lectures during our travels in Europe, to a group of religious women in Samaria, and recently in our area in Israel, which were all well-received. 

This summer, we traveled to Slovakia and Poland so Alyosha could speak at conferences about Israel. Not only was Alyosha a keynote speaker at both events, but we had the honor of speaking into the lives of a group of Germans from Shalom Ministries. It’s never easy going to Auschwitz, but watching them kneel at the selection point and repent for what their ancestors and countrymen had done was truly impacting. 

During this trip, we also visited a camp of Ukrainian refugees in Oświęcim. We performed a concert for them and spent time serving them. It also was a very emotional and powerful experience. 

In April and May, one month apart, our family again expanded with the arrival of two beautiful grand-baby boys to our son and daughter!! There are no words to express our excitement and the love that is overflowing in our hearts for them. Our cup is overflowing after visiting Josiah, Sarah, and 3 grandchildren in Virginia (including our new grandson - Shai) and then flying to Finland to meet Ville and Yasmine's firstborn - Benjamin Emet! 

Our weekly gathering, we call “Comings and Goings,” continues to expand as local believers and visitors come to our home to celebrate life and faith each week. We love our community and enjoy seeing what the Father will do as we worship Him together. 

We want to thank you all again for your support and prayers. It’s been an eventful year, but it’s not finished yet! We will be flying to the US in December to visit Alyosha’s mom and the rest of our family and friends. During this trip, we will have meetings in Jacksonville, Port Orange, and Ormond Beach, Florida (December 1-5), and Houston, Texas (December 7-11) before flying home on December 12th. If any of you are in these areas and want to meet, please write to us, and we’ll give you our schedule to plan a time! 

We hope you have a blessed Sukkot and look forward to seeing some of you soon! 

Sending our love to each of you, especially those in Florida after the devastation of Hurricane Ian, our thoughts and prayers are with all of you!

May the Lord bless and keep you,

Jody & Alyosha