Shalom! Light of Zion is an Israeli intercessory prayer and teaching ministry dedicated to revival in Israel. Founded and directed by American-Israeli Messianic Jews Kerry and Sandra Teplinsky, we are passionate about spiritual revival in Israel and raising up God loving, priestly-prophetic, watchman intercessors for Israel with a Kingdom of God perspective.
Prophetic Intercession
Mobilizing and Networking Prayer ● Live Intercession Online ● Strategic Initiatives ● Prophetic Liaison ● Governmental Focus ● International and Kingdom Orientation ● Teachings and Resources on Prayer
Balanced Bible Teaching
Israel in the Word and Heart of God ● Relationship of Israel and the Church ● Yeshua and One New Humanity ● Yeshua and the Biblical Feasts ● Overcoming Anti-Semitism ● Why Christians Should Want to Care about Israel
Outreach
Needy Israelis Fund (Jews and Arabs) ● Israel War Relief Fund ● Humanitarian Aid ● Bringing Good News to Zion
Unity and Reconciliation
Jews and Christians ● Arabs and Jews ● One New Humanity
Writing
Widely Published Books ● Articles ● Posts
Our Story
How It All Began
Light of Zion began from a life changing encounter Sandra experienced with the Spirit of God. She had come to faith in Yeshua several years earlier, while trying to disprove the New Testament and messiahship of Yeshua. Years later, alone in her home, He sovereignly visited her with His overshadowing presence. In that encounter God shared with her his heart of His fiery, covenant love and longing for the Jewish people. She was left with an unstoppable passion to carry His heart for the Jews to both Israel and the Church. She spent years in prayer and seminary study, then began teaching in her local church and in Messianic Jewish communities. For over 40 years, Sandra’s focus has been on God’s heart expressed in and through Israel.
Meanwhile, Kerry was in medical school studying to be a physician. He met Sandra early in his career as a cardiologist and shortly after that, surrendered his life to Yeshua. Kerry and Sandra were married in 1991. That same year they began teaching in local churches about Israel and the Jewish roots of Christianity.
How the Ministry Developed
Through much of the 1990’s the Teplinskys served in Jewish outreach in the former Soviet Union. There they mobilized and networked prayer for the Jewish people among different churches and denominations. They also started a medical humanitarian outreach in connection with another Messianic ministry. As ordained pastors, the Teplinskys launched and led a home fellowship focused on worship and intercessory prayer for Israel for 12 years. Sandra’s first book, documenting revival in in the former Soviet Union, was published in 1998. The ministry grew exponentially when her third book, Why Care About Israel? was published by one of the largest Christian publishers in the US. The book is still considered by many leaders a classic introduction to Israel for evangelical Christians. Since then, Baker Publishing Group has published two more of Sandra’s books about Israel.
When Sandra’s books led to increased interest in prayer for Israel, the Teplinskys helped establish the first House of Prayer in Israel owned and operated by Israeli Messianic Jews.
Since 2009, the Teplinskys have made a home in Jerusalem, where they mobilize and lead prayer, teach locally and internationally, and serve in humanitarian medical outreach. They lead several prayer networks, including Reshet Tefilah.
What We Do Today
In the spirit of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Isaiah 61, Light of Zion is passionate about Jewish revival in Israel and the nations. We are dedicated to raising up priestly-prophetic, Word based, watchman type intercessors for Israel with a Kingdom perspective whose priority is God Himself. Today we lead or guest lead intercessory prayer and prophetic initiatives in Israel and internationally. We lead several prayer networks focused on Israel. Sandra teaches and speaks on God’s heart for Israel and the Church, addressing the phenomenon of today’s rising global anti-Semitism.
We are formally affiliated with the Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries and King of Kings Community – Jerusalem. Our satellite US base is in Florida with an office in California.
Light of Zion views the ministry of justice as critical to God’s purposes. We reach out in practical ways to sick, elderly, and needy Israelis. We also maintain an emergency war relief fund to aid needy Jewish and Arab Israelis, both believers and those who do not believe in Yeshua. Because we regard the unborn to be among the most needy, we also partner financially with pro-life Messianic Israeli ministries.
In the US, Light of Zion is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization and member of the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability.
Igniting Israel and the Church
Sandra Teplinsky
Sandra Teplinsky, an American-Israeli follower of Yeshua, is co-founder and President of Light of Zion Ministries. She and her husband Kerry lead Reshet Tefilah, an indigenous Israeli Prayer Network comprised of Jewish and Arab Israeli believers. She is an international speaker, prophetic liaison, author and teacher. An ordained pastor, she has served in the Messianic Jewish movement since 1979.
Sandra and Kerry ministered in evangelical outreach to Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union throughout the 1990’s. They helped establish prayer networks, Messianic congregations and humanitarian aid projects in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. They also started and led a Messianic home fellowship and outreach in the US for 12 years.
Sandra comes from a modern Orthodox Jewish background. Surrounded by violent anti-Semitism throughout her youth, she came to faith in Yeshua in 1975 while trying to disprove the New Testament and messiahship of Jesus. Her husband, a retired cardiologist, is also Jewish. They have a grown daughter who serves the Lord as a nurse in Jerusalem.
Sandra has a BA in political science from the University of Illinois and JD from Indiana University School of Law. A former business litigation attorney, she also attended Talbot Seminary in Los Angeles.
Sandra is passionate about the restoration of Israel with Yeshua at the center. She also carries a strong “one new man” perspective for revival in the nations. Her teaching is Messiah centered with an intercessory/prophetic/pastoral edge.
Sandra’s professionally published books include Why STILL Care about Israel The Sanctity of Covenant, Moral Justice and Prophetic Blessing, published by Chosen Books in 2013; Israel’s Anointing: Your Inheritance and End-Times Destiny through Israel, Chosen Books, 2008; Why Care about Israel? How the Jewish Nation is Key to Unleashing God’s Blessings in the 21st Century, Chosen Books, 2004; The Blessing of Israel and Out of the Darkness: The Untold Story of Jewish Revival in the Former Soviet Union, published by Hear O Israel Ministries, 1998. She has written numerous articles for Messianic and Christian media outlets and maintains a blog.
Dr. Kerry Teplinsky
Kerry is co-founder and Vice President of Light of Zion. A former medical doctor, he now serves full time with the ministry in overseeing all operations, in teaching and facilitating prayer, and in humanitarian outreach. He is ordained as an itinerant pastor and has served with the Messianic Jewish movement since 1992. Kerry’s expertise is on modern Israeli history and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Kerry comes from an American Conservative Jewish community. He came to faith in Yeshua after achieving educational, career and worldly success, but finding no genuine fulfillment in them. Kerry earned his BA at the University of Illinois and MD at the University of Chicago. He was a member of the teaching faculty of the University of Chicago School of Medicine; served as volunteer faculty at Ben Gurion University in the Negev; and worked as physician volunteer with Hadassah Hospital Hospice Center in Jerusalem. He is certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, and Critical Care Medicine. For over 25 years, Kerry brought his faith in Yeshua to his practice of medicine and witnessed supernatural healings.
Kerry organized medical missions to Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, where he saw thousands of people make commitments of faith. He has been called the “Messianic heart doctor” for one’s spirit as well as body.
Kerry has a heart for the sick and needy in Israel. He reaches out to individual Israelis in personal and group homes, guided by the biblical parable of sheep and goats. In that parable Yeshua speaks to His followers about caring for His family in the last days: “The righteous will say ‘Lord, … When did we see you sick … and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:31-46)
Kerry and Sandy have a daughter who serves the Lord as a nurse in Jerusalem in pediatric oncology.