Jewish Groups Raising Funds for Galilee Church; Help Rebuild Church Where Jesus Fed 5K People

Various Jewish organizations have contributed funds to help rebuild a church located at the site where Christians believe Jesus fed 5,000 people by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish. The church was burned down in June by anti-Christian Israeli extremists, the Christian Post website reports today (August 16, 2015).

Elijah Interfaith Institute -- the organization that initiated a crowd funding campaign that has raised over $17,000 -- set out to rebuild the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha, Israel, in an act of good faith toward people of other religions. A representative for the group recently spoke out against the arsonists who are believed to be part of a Jewish extremist sect.

"If in the name of Judaism one could destroy, in the name of Judaism one should also rebuild," said Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein, the founder of Elijah Interfaith Institute who started the fundraising campaign earlier this month.

Various prominent Orthodox rabbis and Mosaica -- another interfaith organization in Israel -- are helping out with the efforts. Similarly, American Judaic groups such as the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League have also donated funds.