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Jon Nacionales first went to Israel with Passages in December of 2018, an experience that deeply impacted his life. He remembers sitting in the Garden of Gethsemane a few days before New Year’s, writing down goals for the next year on a napkin. One of his top goals was to stay involved with Passages and hopefully, one day return to Israel.
Today, Jon remains actively involved in interfaith dialogue and advocating for Israel around the world, even studying Biblical Hebrew at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem International School this summer.
Jon described learning about Jewish-Christian relations during his first Passages trip as deeply impactful.
“I remember being excited about this interfaith dialogue.” he said. He was excited to continue the work of interfaith dialogue in his own community.
“There’s something beautiful about Jews and Christians coming together, and Passages really showed us," he said.
When October 7th happened, Jon David saw a real need for education on antisemitism in his own community and around the world. He began by arranging a special briefing for his church’s youth group where he serves as a pastor.
“I just gave like a pretty succinct history of Israel leading up to October 7th, including the Hamas charter and the foundation of the state of Israel,” he said. But more than just students desired to be educated on antisemitism. Parents attended Jon's talk and streamed it to their friends and families as well.
But the need to educate others on antisemitism extends beyond the United States. Jon David and his father, Dr. Jose Nacionales, noticed a real need for pastors to be educated on Israel in the Philippines. With antisemitism on the rise in the Philippines, Christians need to be educated on the roots of their Christian faith but also how to stand with the Jewish People today.
“We decided we are going to go there and teach about Israel. We love the Jewish People, and we also love Israel, and we believe that it’s biblical for people to support Israel,” Jon said.
Just one month after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Jon and his dad spent several days teaching extensive lessons on Israel in the community of Dagupan in the Philippines. Through educating pastors in the Philippines on antisemitism and the roots of their Christian faith, it can have a ripple effect in the country.
Whether in the United States, Israel, or the Philippines, Jon David stands as an advocate for the Jewish People. Through honest conversations about Israel, standing with the Jewish community around the world and educating the next generation on Israel, his experience in Israel has sparked change in his own community and around the world.
Photo credit: Hebrew University of Jerusalem
