The homepage of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem website. Credit: ICEJ.

The homepage of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem website. Credit: ICEJ.

(JNS.org) The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) is partnering with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/Conela, one of the largest Hispanic Christian organizations in the U.S., in order to deepen Hispanic engagement with Israel.

According to NHCLC/Conela, one of the goals of the partnership is to increase Hispanic Evangelical participation in ICEJ’s annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem.

“Our objective is to exponentially increase Hispanic participation and attendance at the annual Feast of Tabernacles, held each fall in Jerusalem under the sponsorship of the Christian Embassy,” Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the NHCLC/Conela, said in a statement.

Since 1980, ICEJ has annually hosted the Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem to coincide with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. This year, the event drew more than 5,000 Christians from 80 countries.

According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing segments of the Evangelical Christian population, with 16 percent of American Hispanics identifying as Evangelical in 2013, up from 12 percent in 2010.

“We are excited about partnering with Dr. Samuel Rodriguez in this new initiative to bring more Hispanic pilgrims to the Feast each year,” Dr. Jurgen Buhler, ICEJ’s executive director, said in a statement. “Their presence in Jerusalem will have a great impact on the Israeli people, and it will only enhance the incredible fellowship we enjoy with Christians from across the globe at this unique biblical festival.”

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