Sherly America was born and raised in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. She was shocked to see demonstrations against the State of Israel, at which the Israeli flag was burned, and decided, as a Christian believer, that it was her obligation and privilege to protect and support the State of Israel and the Jewish people. For the past decade, Sherly has been lecturing in churches and meeting with leaders and businesspeople to tell them about the blessing that the State of Israel brings to the world and the miracle that, after 2,000 years of exile, the Jewish people has returned to its land. Sherly helped Keren Hayesod build a network of support in southeast Asia, which led to the establishment of the KH-FOI campaign in Singapore, in partnership with Indonesia and Malaysia.
Today, as president of the Keren Hayesod Friends of Israel International Women’s Division, Sherley works to encourage businesswomen to support Israel through Keren Hayesod. This is just one example of the growing support from Christian Friends around the world. In the early 2000s, Keren Hayesod realized the tremendous importance of connecting with Christian Friends of Israel. In 2008, the Friends of Israel Division was founded and it has not stopped growing. The first event in Singapore was held about 10 years ago, with a few dozen participants, for example. Since then, another 13 branches have been opened in neighboring countries, and the number of participants at events and fundraisers has increased by hundreds of percent. Friends of Israel groups are now operating all over the Christian world, connecting Jews and Christians who contribute to the strengthening of the State of Israel. Friends of Israel donors are an integral part of Keren Hayesod’s activities and we value them tremendously.
Photo: 2016 I-Witness Leadership Mission to Israel