“Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?” (Malachi 2:10)

The Amish are typically recognizable by their traditional garb and anti-technological stance.  The group that visited Israel last week, however, is anything but typical.

Keshet, an Israeli educational tour company, brought a group of about 30 Amish Christians to Israel for their third Reconciliation Mission to Israel aimed at repairing Amish-Jewish relations in the wake of what they deem to be Amish community’s apathy at generations of Jewish suffering.  While in Israel, the group toured the country, visited sites holy to both Jews and Christians, and met with Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau, as well as members of Knesset.

The group’s mission statement says, “We, the Amish and Anabaptist people turned away from the Jewish nation, while they were in their darkest hour of need.  We hardened our hearts against them, we left them — never lifting our voices in protest against the atrocities that were committed against them. We want to publicly repent of this and acknowledge our support of Israel.”

If nothing else, their visit signifies a break from the traditional Amish community — after all, the Amish generally don’t fly in planes.  Members of the group come from various Anabaptist sects, including Amish and Mennonite, but have been shunned by their respective communities for questioning some long-standing traditions, including the ban on technology.  Many of the members have been excommunicated outright from their home communities.  “The bishop tells you, you need to not be associated with us anymore,” explained Steven Girod from Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho, whose father Ben is one of the founders of the group. “This saddens our heart, because we do want to be associated, and in our hearts we still are.”

David Lapp of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, came on the trip along with several members of his family.  He expresses the groups forgiving view of their home communities: “We feel it’s more of a misunderstanding,” said Lapp. “I feel if they’ve had the experience we’ve had over the years, it’d be more of an open flow. But if we step out of the way it’s always been done, then it’s frightening for them.”

The Times of Israel reported on the group’s meeting with Rabbi Lau.  He was moved by the group’s singing, asking them for another song.  “I want to add warmth, to add light, all my life,” said Lau, telling the group a little about Hanukkah, and explaining the lighting of the menorah. “I can’t sing at your level, but if I could do it, maybe I’d sit with you,“ he joked.

“In order for us to come to our destiny with the Lord, we need to bless our Jewish brothers,” one of the group’s leaders told the chief rabbi, as he presented him with a traditional Amish lamp. “We are commanded to pray for Jerusalem. The Lord told Abraham that those that bless you shall be blessed. We in our past and in our history have had a somewhat anti-Semitic view of Jews. And we have come to repent for that. Now we want to develop a relationship with you. We want to draw close to you.”  The speaker indicated the connection between the lamp and the lights of Hanukkah.

MK Aliza Lavie, who was in the building at the time and came when she heard the singing, said, “We need your friendship, we want your friendship.”

The group began about 20 years ago, and grew through personal networking.  Lloyd Miller, the trip’s leader and a bishop from Montana, explained, “I happened to be at the right place at the right time. We were visited by these Amish brothers, and we became friends. And just connected and began to walk together… At the time, there was nothing about reconciliation. From then, I’ve been friends with leaders. Wherever they went I went. It wasn’t a planned thing.”

Ben Girod said that when the group came together, “We understood that not only did we have our own persecuted past, from Europe, from our forefathers — there’s that suffering identity — we also realized that we have a present-day obligation to identify with the Jewish people because they have a destiny from God, and our destiny is tied to yours.”

The need for reconciliation is not limited to the Jewish people, according to Lapp.  He sees a need to connect to other communities, such as other churches of Native Americans.  “What we feel called to do is to find the good in everybody. To find the golden nugget that God has given everybody. If we meet someone we can always find something bad, we can always find someone good. And our heart is to find the good in everybody.”

“The Amish people’s hearts are in the right place, but they just don’t have the understanding yet to go there and step out,” said Miller. “If you’re a voice for truth and righteousness, you’re vulnerable, and they’re just not ready for that vulnerability yet. But their hearts are very good.

“We as a group have given up and compromised our voice, and we are now silent,” he lamented. “We need to repent for not speaking out.”