The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) has launched its second annual ‘Flags of Fellowship’ campaign to commemorate the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre.
From October 2-8, over 1 million Americans across the United States will plant over 1.5 million Israeli flags, and every participating church, synagogue, and university will have their own display fields of 1,200 flags, in honor of those killed on October 7, 2023.
“Every one of these 1.5 million flags carries a simple and sacred truth: Am Yisrael is not alone,” said Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
“Across America, from churches to synagogues to universities, people of faith are standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel. Each flag honors the lives stolen on October 7, but it also proclaims that love, faith, and fellowship are stronger than hate. Together we are turning remembrance into action and grief into light.”
‘Flags of Fellowship’ was designed as a way to bring attention to the October 7 massacre, as antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment continue to rise on a global scale.
The first flags were planted in Nir Oz
The first 1,200 flags were placed during a ceremony at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where nearly a quarter of residents were murdered or taken hostage during the massacre.
After the ceremony at Nir Oz, the international campaign was launched on October 5 in Tennessee with the congregation of the Outreach Church of Murfreesboro.
"As Christians, we carry a sacred responsibility to bless Israel and the Jewish people and to stand against evil in all its forms,” said Pastor Allen Jackson of World Outreach Church.
“Planting flags across our campus provides a tangible way to remember what has happened in Israel since October 7, 2023, and the importance of our continued prayers for the Jewish people and the peace of Jerusalem."
IFCJ has invested over $10 million in various programs to combat antisemitism, focusing on educating Christian public figures and leaders, allowing them access to the information they need to educate their communities.
“October 7 was a massacre that shattered families and a nation, but it did not break our spirit,” Eckstein said.
“These fields of blue and white tell every Jew, everywhere: you are seen, you are remembered, you are not alone. They remind the world that standing with Israel is not only an act of solidarity, it is an act of conscience, of faith, and of fellowship. Each flag is a promise that we will bring every hostage home, that we will honor every life lost, and that light will always rise from the darkness.”