This is the second piece in the Nugget series: Israeli Businesses Started and Run by Olim. While the Israeli government does offer some support and incentives to promote new businesses, many Olim Chadashim face difficult challenges when navigating strict regulations, permits, and financial hurdles upon making Aliyah and setting up their business. This Nugget Series tells the story of Olim who successfully made Aliyah and launched their businesses in Israel.

Each story is different; each person’s journey is precious. And each person and successful business is important to Israel, showing the spirit, vibrancy, and unique contributions of Olim to the one and only Jewish State

Jonathan Feldstein, founder of the Genesis 123 Foundation, a U.S. based non-profit that offers programs and events for both adults and children, is all about building bridges and mutually beneficial relationships between Jews and Christians and Christians with Israel in ways that are new, unique, and meaningful. “If we are creating relationships, we need to approach people where they are,” said Jonathan Feldstein. “I have built a network of projects we support and programs we offer in order to engage Christians where they are and use that as a foundation to build deeper relationships and create understanding. Unlike so many others whose sole purpose is to raise money, I am in the business of making deep relationships and creating understanding as a two-way street vis-à-vis Jews to Christians and Christians to Jews.”

Jonathan Feldstein was born in New York City, but was raised in New Jersey from the age of one, in Kenilworth Park and Princeton. Feldstein attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1980s, majoring in International Studies and today studies with a specialty in the Middle East. After college, Feldstein returned to New Jersey and made Aliyah from Teaneck, New Jersey in 2004.

“Since moving to Israel,” says Feldstein, “I say that I’m living in my own petri dish.”

Feldstein continues, “as far as wanting to live in Israel, I have wanted to do that since I was about 15. My father was born here and my identity was always Jewish and Israeli. When I came to Israel for the first time as a teenager, I realized that it was a better place to raise children and I wanted to live here and be part of making Jewish history, not watching from the sidelines.”

“My experience in moving here is that it definitely has its challenges, even still after more than 20 years. However, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The best proof text of that is all of my children realizing everything that we left behind with our families and our lives there and being grateful to us that we made the choice when they were little. Overall, our absorption experience has been a great success. I think the only regret is that we didn’t do it earlier, but everything at its right time.”

Nothing in Jonathan Feldstein’s growing up pointed to starting the Genesis 123  Foundation, “except,” he says, “for the overall ecumenical attitudes instilled by my mother. I grew up with the typical Jewish resistance to Christians and Christianity, largely just from my awareness that historically Christians and Christianity were not very good toward the Jewish people. Even though that was never overtly stated in my life, it was an overall feeling I had.”

“In the late 1980s I spoke in a church—in fact, entered a church for the first time. I got a sense of the love and support for Israel and the Jewish people from Christians, which puzzled and confused me. After making aliyah, I began interacting with Christians coming here on a much more significant basis and felt drawn and compelled to do my part to understand, create understanding, and build bridges.

So after working for other organizations that were happy to have me raise money from Christians but without any sense of commitment, relationships, or integrity on their part—what I call the objectification of Christians as a faith-based ATM—I started the Genesis 123 Foundation in 2017 to build bridges between Jews and Christians and Christians with Israel in ways that are new, unique, and meaningful, and relational.”

Feldstein told Israel Seen, “Jews and Christians appreciate my integrity and sincerity. Many Jews look to me with awe, albeit puzzlement, because they know what I do is important but they don’t understand and would never do it themselves. For many Christians, I am the entry into the Jewish people, not only today in Israel, but historically. That plays out on many levels.

COVID and the war caused us to pivot away from the basics and become responsive. We’ve done many successful things since 2020, particularly launching the webinar and podcast series “Inspiration from Zion” which is at its 240th episode and our Israel Emergency Campaign which was equally about raising funds for urgent projects as well as awareness, advocacy, and truth. Christian friends need these details to understand realities here and counteract the lies.”

It is important to note that the Genesis 123 Foundation continues to respond to the times and evolve and grow. “We have pivoted from the reactive Emergency to proactive long-term programs now” says Jonathan Feldstein.

These programs include publishing their book “Israel the Miracle” (Israelthemiracle.com), Feldstein’s fabulous partnership with Marziyeh (Marzi) Amirizadeh and a partnership bringing Christians to harvest olives in Israel with Root& Branch, and other long-term projects the Genesis 123 Foundation is launching to support soldiers and their families, and another one among Christian children. “All to make long-term lasting relations,” said Jonathan Feldstein.