By: Jonathan Feldstein
President, Genesis 123 Foundation
Jerusalem, Israel, November 27, 2023… Among the more than 1200 people massacred and more than 240 hostages kidnapped on October 7, there were citizens of more than two dozen countries including many foreign workers and students. One of the foreign students murdered by Hamas was Clemence Felix Mtenga, a 22-year-old agriculture student from Tanzania. Mr. Mtenga’s body was discovered a week and a half ago, his death confirmed by the Tanzanian government, and he is scheduled to be buried on Tuesday in his home village in the Kilimanjaro region.
In addition to being an agricultural student in Israel, beginning training to bring back to Africa the best of Israeli knowhow to build up his own country, Clemence Mtenga was a Christian, a member of his church choir, and understood Israel’s significance Biblically. As an agriculture student, no doubt he not only understood how modern Israel fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel 36:8, but witnessed it: “And you, the mountains of Israel, will produce your branches, and you will bear your fruit for My people Israel because they are about to come.”
Immediately upon hearing of Mtenga’s death, Jonathan Feldstein, President of the Genesis 123 Foundation sprung into action. With a mission to build bridges between Jews and Christians all over the world, Feldstein has been a long-time advocate for Israel to honor and recognize the families of non-Jewish citizens of other countries to be enveloped within the support network of Israeli and Jewish terror victims. “It’s all the more important in Africa,” he says.
Feldstein called upon Bishop Daniel Ouma, a friend and early member of the Genesis 123 “Africa Praying for Israel” network to be the Genesis 123 Foundation representative in Tanzania to the funeral, the media, Tanzanian society in general, and to comfort the Mtenga family. Bishop Ouma has been a long-time advocate for Israel, leading prayers and building support throughout Tanzania for decades. He accepted immediately. He was a recent guest on the Inspiration from Zion podcast, sharing how and why he has been a staunch advocate for Israel all these years.
In order to help cover expenses related to the travel and other needs of Bishop Ouma, Feldstein transferred funds to Tanzania the next day. Not just with responsibility and privilege to do so from the Israel Emergency Campaign, but Feldstein realized that as cash was needed in Israel to make the transfer, he drew upon funds donated to him earlier this year by a church in Congo. The donation to Genesis 123 was meant to be a blessing TO Israel, but in the end was a vehicle through which Israel and Genesis 123 was able to be a blessing to the families of the world, mandates derived from the same scripture, Genesis 12:3 from which the organization gets its name.
Bishop Ouma has reiterated how honored he is to represent the Genesis 123 Foundation and Israel. He has been humbled by the wide positive reception he has received from government officials, police, civic and religious leaders, and the Mtenga family. He’s realized that the Mtenga family had placed their hopes for their community’s future in Clemence. “By representing an important organization from Israel such as the Genesis 123 Foundation, we will provide comfort and condolences to the family. Also, by being a representative of Genesis 123, the significance of the brotherhood and solidarity established with Israel and all the people of Tanzania cannot be ignored.”
Bishop Ouma expressed “joy” in the Tanzanian government expressing its support, respect and honor. So much so that the government has elevated him, providing respect and dignity as the Genesis 123 representative, even with a police escort in the official VIP reception. “I am honored to have been elevated to this level nationally, even being asked to conduct seminars about Israel in churches around the nation.”
Feldstein summarized, “of course this is a humanitarian effort and one that brings our mission to build bridges between Jews and Christians and Christians with Israel to the most personal level. But it’s more than that. Especially during war, when Israel is the front line of a broader war against Islamic terror, we must all stand together. Israelis know too well about Islamic terror. The minimum we can do is to support one another, especially when victims are around the world.”
Following the funeral and official meeting with the Mtenga family, Bishop Ouma and Feldstein will discuss an ongoing project in memory of Clemence Felix Mtenga that preserves his memory and fulfills the mission of building bridges and solidarity with Israel.
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