Leave a Legacy for Israel’s Future: The Story of Kfar Aza’s New Music Center
By Shannon Bennett, ICEJ USA Director of Communications
Some legacies are measured in what we leave behind. Others are measured in what they make possible for those who come after us.
For Betsy Rigell, her love for Israel became that kind of legacy.
Betsy was a longtime friend of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) and a member of the ICEJ USA Shomer Society. After her husband, Sid, passed away, Betsy spent time volunteering at the ICEJ headquarters in Jerusalem, faithfully serving in the mail department and helping during the Feast of Tabernacles. She loved Israel and the Jewish people, and she wanted her life to make a difference.
When Betsy passed away in 2024, she left a legacy gift to the ICEJ through her estate. Today, that gift is helping bring hope and healing to Kfar Aza, one of the Israeli communities devastated by the October 7 massacre.
Rebuilding More Than Buildings
The people of Kfar Aza experienced unimaginable loss. Homes were destroyed, lives were shattered, and the future residents had envisioned for their community was suddenly uncertain.
Yet they are choosing to rebuild.
The ICEJ is partnering with the Kfar Aza community to build a new music center that will provide space for music, creativity, community, and healing. The project is being funded by ICEJ offices around the world, including ICEJ USA, with Betsy’s legacy gift helping make this work possible.
The music center is now in its final stages of planning. Acoustic recommendations are being developed , and the interior space is being designed as the community prepares for the next phase of rebuilding.
Some Kfar Aza residents may begin returning home toward the end of 2026, with the majority expected to return in summer 2027.
Recently, residents gathered to plant trees and recognize those who have helped them rebuild. One offered a powerful picture of what the community is doing:
“True life begins with roots. … Planting chooses tomorrow over yesterday’s pain.”
Looking at the young trees, the speaker described a future when they would “be taller than the pain,” bearing the fruits of hope for the next generation.
That is also the picture of a legacy.
Betsy planted something she would not live to see fully grown. But because she chose to leave a legacy for Israel’s future, her generosity is helping create a place where future generations of Kfar Aza residents can gather, create music and find healing.
A Legacy for Israel’s Future
August is Make-A-Will Month, a natural time to consider how you can extend your love for Israel beyond your lifetime.
Through the ICEJ Shomer Society, you can leave a legacy for Israel’s future by remembering the ICEJ in your will or estate plans. Your gift can help provide for Israel’s needs today while investing in the generations who will inherit the land and its story.
Betsy’s legacy is a beautiful reminder that we may never know exactly how God will use what we plant in faith.
Like the trees now taking root in Kfar Aza, a legacy planted in faith today can grow into something beautiful for generations to come.
Become a Shomer Society member and leave a legacy for Israel’s future.
Related Articles
The Story of One Kfar Aza Resident: Shattered Dreams, Renewed Hope
ICEJ Helping Rebuild Destroyed Communities in Southern Israel