BAKERSFIELD, CA — CityServe International is pleased to announce the upcoming “Faiths United: Standing Up for Israel Tour” which includes two visits to U.S. churches on August 4 and August 11 in Tennessee and Alabama. “Faiths United” will feature Dr. Gepner, whose heroic account of fighting off Hamas in the village of Ein Habesor on October 7 has headlined media reports both in Israel and the United States.

When Hamas terrorists opened fire on Israeli families in an agricultural village just a few miles from Gaza on October 7, Dr. Yiftach Gepner ran to the city gates where he knew his older brother Eldad was stationed as a prime defender. Without a weapon when he arrived and unsure what to do next, he instinctively picked up a rock to ward off the terrorists.

Gepner soon learned his brother had been shot in the shoulder and was bleeding badly. As a professor at Tel Aviv University’s medical school, Dr. Gepner knew what that meant. The clock was ticking and his brother’s survival would depend on how quickly he could get him to the nearest hospital. He loaded his brother into his car and raced for the back entrance before the terrorists could cut him off – but the attackers had other ideas.

“Anyone who hears the Gepner family’s story will never again doubt that God’s protective hand is over the nation of Israel and its people,” said CityServe co-founder and CEO Dave Donaldson. “For all those looking to understand what happened on October 7, or looking to help those who’ve had their lives and livelihoods upended by the attack, they need to hear from Dr. Gepner.”

“American audiences will have a unique opportunity to hear first-hand the Gepner family’s full story of how the vital Ein Habesor region, which accounts for a vast majority of Israeli produce farming, survived despite its close proximity to Gaza,” said CityServe Vice-President of Strategic Partnerships Todd Lamphere. “Miraculously, Ein Habesor did not suffer a single fatality. In an era and a region marked by violence and turmoil, we want the world to hear this story that’s filled with hope.”

The tour schedule is as follows:

8/4 at One Hope Church in Nashville, TN

8/11 at Pathways Church in Mobile, AL

Among the highlights:

• Hear how a last-second decision to close a single security gate saved an entire community.
• Learn how fearless defenders with only four rifles kept an entire squad of terrorists at bay until help could arrive.
• Hear the Gepners’ detailed account of their race to a local hospital while ambushed by Hamas.
• Learn about the situation facing the Ein Habesor community that desperately needs to get back to life as normal, especially for its seniors, for young people, and for food security in the region.

The Gepners’ tour is part of a fundraising campaign for a new senior activity center and a sports complex where young people can engage in physical activity to help overcome the trauma of the attack. Basketball, soccer, pickleball, and tennis will be just a handful of the activities available at the new facilities constructed for this community. Other Israeli neighborhoods are expected to benefit as well.

Lamphere and CityServe Israel Director Uri Steinberg will lead the conversation with the Gepners and provide valuable details about this campaign to help a devastated region of Israel. They’ll discuss why CityServe Israel has adopted the Ein Habesor community, and how U.S.-based faith organizations and the village leaders are coming together to rebuild the region and restore hope for its citizens. CityServe International is a non-profit, church-based support network of over 5,000 churches that provides rapid-response relief to disaster-stricken regions in the U.S. and around the globe.

The Gepners will be available for interviews and members of the press are invited to attend either of these special events.

About CityServe

CityServe International is a collaborative network of churches and community leaders who help those in need live better lives. CityServe empowers the local church to fulfill its purpose to overcome despair and transform lives by resourcing them with tangible goods and capacity building. CityServe brings the church to the table to address community challenges by offering long-lasting relationships that lead to transformation and has been designated a “Community of Faith and Opportunity” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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