Dear Friend, Humiliated!  That’s how I felt when my friend Bill, also my client and an evangelical Christian, challenged me with some questions from the Bible.

“Why don’t you believe in Jesus?” he asked.  “There are so many references about him throughout the Bible.”  He then quoted verse after verse until my head began spinning.   

Confronted with his compelling proof-texts to substantiate Jesus as the messiah, the one and only reply I could think of was, “I’m Jewish… and Jews don’t believe in Jesus.”

“But why not?” asked Bill.  Embarrassed by my ignorance… I admitted, “I don’t know.”

“Well I know!” he exclaimed.  “You cannot accept Jesus because you Jews are blind to the real truth of the Bible… because you’re under the control of Satan… because scales cover your eyes.”  And then he quoted even more biblical references to support his claim.

Why did Bill know so much about the Jewish Bible… and why didn’t I?  If my non-Jewish friend can quote both Moses and Matthew so easily, what was I missing?  

How could he present such convincing Biblical evidence for Jesus that I could not refute?

Some Jews would have just succumbed and fallen into the clutches of the evangelical movement.  Others would have just brushed off this intrusion.  I got angry… with myself! 

Why was my religious birthright so irrelevant to me and yet so relevant to Bill? Ironically, his sincere interest in “saving my soul” inspired me to become a defender of my faith, that at age 52, I had ignored for such a long time.  But now that my latent pride in being Jewish had been ignited…  What was I to do?  Where should I turn for help?  

I was able to turn to Jews for Judaism, an extraordinary counter-missionary organization.

Coincidentally, or maybe it was “beshert”, at the time of my encounter with Bill, I saw an ad for Jews for Judaism’s Counter Missionary Survival Seminar.  So I signed up for their 6-week course, hoping to fortify myself with the knowledge to deal with Bill’s questions.

I was not disappointed… In fact, I was exhilarated!

Every lecture systematically dismantled the missionaries’ claims and techniques and clarified the foundations of Jewish thought and practice that have unified Jews for three millennia.  For the first time, I truly appreciated my Jewish heritage… but most importantly, I acquired the tools and knowledge to confidently respond to Bill’s missionary challenges.

But wait… Bill was my client and friend… I had never considered him to be a missionary! 

Like many Jews, I had always stereotyped missionaries as professionals, wearing aJews for Jesus T-Shirt or a cleric’s collar and cross, preaching hell-fire and brimstone. Today, since missionaries are seldom on street corners, Jews don’t believe or perceive there’s a threat.

Absolutely wrong!  Aside from missionary activity on the Internet, today, most Jews are exposed to Christian proselytizing through a personal contact with someone they know. 

Based on the principle that people feel most comfortable talking with a peer… a friend, neighbour, colleague, fellow student or client… “Peer-to-Peer Proselytizing” is now one of the most popular and successful techniques used by Christians to convert Jews. 

It happened to me… and it’s happening to thousands of Jews every year and everywhere.

With your generous support, Jews for Judaism can continue to fight back and provide:

• Dynamic preventive educational programs and materials that help keep Jews Jewish
• One-on-one counselling that rescues Jews from missionaries, cults and assimilation

But Jews for Judaism can’t continue without your help.  I know that their life-saving work is effective because I’ve seen it in action… and I have also greatly benefited from it.

Over time, with Jews for Judaism’s help and encouragement, I developed a deeper appreciation and commitment to the precious Judaism I had once totally ignored… and I also became involved in the wealth of resources that our Jewish community provides.  

The next year, when doing Bill’s tax return, he asked what sparked my newfound Jewish commitment.  I told him it was all his doing… and thanked him for igniting my interest.  “You can take credit for another convert,” I explained, “but this time it’s back to Judaism!”

But, the real credit goes to you, because without your past support, Jews for Judaism could never have helped me, or the thousands of others like me, that they help every year.

This Purim, as we celebrate our victory over those who tried to destroy the Jewish people, let us also celebrate our victory over a modern day Haman… the missionaries.

Please, join me and give as generously as possible to Jews for Judaism.  Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Len Goldberg, CA
Chartered Accountant and Business Advisor
Jews for Judaism Student, Volunteer and Supporter

PS. Each year Jews for Judaism rescues countless Jews from missionaries, cults and eastern religions and prevents many more from falling into the clutches of evangelical groups, like Jews for Jesus… or Peer-to-Peer proselytizers, like my “friend” Bill.  This Purim, seize the opportunity.  Contribute to Jews for Judaism and help keep Jews Jewish.  Thank you.

The post Len Goldberg appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

I was raised with no understanding of Judaism, but nevertheless still felt a sense of Jewish pride and identity because of my Israeli heritage. When a Christian acquaintance suggested that I visit a “new” type of synagogue with her, I thought it would do me good to learn something about Judaism.

When I arrived on Shabbat morning, men were wearing kippot and a Menorah, Israeli flag and Star of David were on display. The lively music included some familiar Hebrew songs, but the services opened and concluded with the words, “and we pray this in Yeshua’s name.”

Because the concept of Jews believing in Jesus was confusing to me, I approached the “rabbi” after the service. He explained that there was no contradiction between these two ideas. In fact, I could become a “completed” Jew if I believed that Jesus died to save me from my sins.

So, I read all the materials he gave me, and attended services and Bible study groups at this “Messianic synagogue” on a regular basis. I was so pleased to be invited to their many parties and dinners, and soon I considered the possibility that Jesus might be the Jewish Messiah.

At the congregation, I met an older woman who was very concerned about her nephew who had been “Messianic” at one time, but no longer believed in Jesus. She wanted me to meet with Sasha and help bring him back to the fold.

When I met with Sasha, he told me that he had once believed in Jesus, but was now an observant Jew. We spoke for many hours, and I quickly began to realize how very little I knew about Judaism. Because Sasha couldn’t answer all of my questions, he suggested that I meet with Julius Ciss from Jews for Judaism, explaining that I owed it to myself to examine both sides of the issues.

When I met with Julius, I was surprised to discover that he, too, had once been a believer in Jesus. Unlike my “Messianic” friends who pushed me to accept Jesus on faith, Julius urged me to do the very opposite. He encouraged me to ask questions and use my reasoning abilities to understand the Bible. When I did so, the Jewish perspective instantly made sense to me. When I confronted the “Messianic rabbis” with all these contradictions I had discovered in Christian belief, they were totally unable to explain the inconsistencies, discrepancies and misinterpretations in their teachings.

Thanks to Jews for Judaism, I am now much closer to my Jewish roots. I am deeply grateful to have learned where I came from and where I am going. And wish me “Mazel Tov!” I recently married a wonderful Jewish man.

The post Susan Mandel (Name changed for privacy) appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

After completing high school, I decided to live on my own, determined to “make it” as a musician. One of my band mates had become a born-again Christian and this created tremendous friction within his family. Feeling concern, I let him move in with me. After several months, he presented me with a King James Bible and urged me to pray that G-d show me the truth about Jesus.

I immediately sensed that my roommate had a rich experience of G-d in his daily life that I never found in the Judaism I had experienced in my youth. Soon, I began to study the Christian scriptures with great intensity and became absorbed in its teachings. Finally, I committed my life to Jesus and began looking for opportunities to preach my newfound faith at every opportunity.

One day, while taking out the garbage I noticed a pile of newspapers near the chute, and the paper on top instantly caught my eye. On the cover of the Canadian Jewish News was a story and accompanying photograph about an organization called Jews for Judaism. I read the article, and learned that they would be offering an eight-week course called, “What Every Jew Should Know About Missionaries.” There and then, I decided to attend the class and convert the teacher, Julius Ciss, along with the other students!

Already in its fourth week, the class was discussing the Jewish concept of the Messiah. Julius demonstrated how Christianity quoted passages from the Bible out of context to build its case for Jesus. I was shaken! I began to review the class material at home and develop an uneasy feeling in my stomach. For the first time, I was having serious doubts about Christianity.

The following week, I returned for the lecture, and soon, my confidence in the Christian faith started to crumble. By the end of the seventh class, I knew for certain that I had been terribly wrong for the last three years. Obviously, a shaky Jewish background had left me vulnerable to another faith.

Jews for Judaism arranged that I attend a traditional Shabbat where I witnessed Judaism’s spiritual richness for the first time in my life. At a later date, the organization helped to send me to Israel to continue my Jewish studies and
pursue my dream, namely to live a full Jewish life. Today, I am living that life, with my wife and children in Israel.

The post Mitch Goldberg appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

I was raised in a traditional Jewish home, but by age 16, I had lost interest in Judaism and began experimenting with drugs. I began making other bad choices as well, and was getting into serious trouble. I was vulnerable, confused and wanted to ask G-d for help. Unfortunately, the closest synagogue was over 70 miles away, so against my better judgment, I went to a nearby church and began to pray.

The pastor came over and said, “G-d will help you if I you turn your life over to Jesus.” I answered, “That’s impossible because I’m a Jew.” Then, he assured me it was OK and stated, “Actually, many Jews today believe in Jesus. His first followers were all Jews. By following Jesus, you will become a fulfilled Jew, a Messianic Jew.” Using the Old Testament, he showed me many passages that he claimed prophesied Jesus as the Jewish Messiah.

After speaking with this pastor for six months, I was convinced I was finally on the right track. I could become a Christian, still remain a Jew and start my troubled life over again. All my sins would be “washed away” and I would be “born again.” Even though my parents disowned me, I was still convinced that I had discovered the truth.

I began attending a “Messianic” synagogue for Shabbat and the Jewish holidays where I learned more and more about “Messianic” Judaism. The following year, I was even asked to become the “rabbi” at a newly formed congregation called “Beit Shalom.”

As the leader of this congregation, I led many people to faith in Jesus and some of them were actually Jews. Ironically, becoming a “Messianic rabbi” was the beginning of my return to Judaism. While preparing sermons and trying to place Christian teachings into the context of the Tanach (Jewish Bible), I began to notice many troubling inconsistencies.

Seeking answers, I sent emails to numerous rabbis and Jewish organizations. The only person to respond was Rabbi Michael Skobac of Jews for Judaism. We exchanged countless emails and spent hours on the phone as he explained the many fallacies used by missionaries to convert Jews. Rabbi Skobac helped me understand the true meaning of Judaism and I eventually realized that I could no longer be a Christian.

In my final sermon to my congregation, I explained what I had learned from Rabbi Skobac, and demonstrated how Jesus could not be the Jewish Messiah. By the end of that service, 28 of the Jewish congregants began their return to Judaism!

Today, I am enjoying the beauty, spirituality and richness of Judaism. If not for Jews for Judaism and Rabbi Skobac’s vast knowledge, patience, kindness and willingness to help, I truly do not know where I would be! I remain eternally grateful to Jews for Judaism for helping to keep Jews Jewish and for their amazing efforts in assisting my family and me.

The post Fred Rubin appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

Although my family maintained some Jewish traditions, I only attended Hebrew school until the second grade. After my Bar Mitzvah, I had no desire to continue learning about Judaism because I did not find it relevant to my life.

As a teenager, I felt adrift in a world that I believed could never change for the better. Eventually, I met three girls in my high school who shared my concerns – and they seemed to have some real answers. We became friendly, and they began to speak about meetings they regularly attended which helped them deal with the big questions about life.

It turned out that these three girls were fundamentalist Christians, and although this fact greatly bothered my mother, I felt very comfortable being with them. As they shared more and more of their beliefs with me, my mother became more and more concerned. Without question, I was becoming deeply inveigled into their religion.

At this critical time, my mother received a mailing from Jews for Judaism advertising their counter-missionary course. Two weeks later, she told me that she attended the first lecture and asked me to accompany her to the second. Realizing that it made good sense for me to hear the Jewish response to Christian claims, I agreed to go.

I was very impressed by Rabbi Skobac’s presentation on the origins of Christianity and the reasons why Jews never accepted Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. When I related this information to my Christian friends, they became very defensive and were unable to respond. Eventually, they even refused to speak with me.

Without Jews for Judaism, I would still be involved in Christianity, trying to convince other Jews to follow my lead. Rabbi Skobac helped me discover my true Jewish roots and the way back to my family, community and the beauty of Judaism. Thank you!

The post David Silverstein appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

I grew up in an assimilated Jewish family and, as a teenager, was devastated when my parents divorced. I tried to distract myself by dabbling in the New Age world of the occult and Eastern gurus who had attracted so many of my friends.

I was seeking peace from the pain of life, but unfortunately none of these avenues provided solid answers to my many questions. Around this time, a Christian woman befriended me and invited me to her church where I found the atmosphere to be warm spiritually. The teachings truly resonated with me, and after five months of increasing involvement, I was baptized.

As the only Jew in a sea of gentiles, I started to yearn for my “Jewishness.” When I noticed a newspaper ad for a “Messianic” congregation that worshipped on Shabbat instead of Sunday, I believed I had discovered the best of both worlds. Now I could enjoy being Jewish and worship Jesus at the same time.

One day, I received a newsletter from Jews for Judaism. I had already heard about this organization from a number of “Messianic” groups in Toronto who warned me to stay away from this “demonic” group and never read any of its material. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to confront the “enemy” and I called Jews for Judaism.

While on the phone with Julius Ciss, I was determined to win him over to the Christian faith. Suddenly, he truly shocked me by revealing that he had once been a “Jew for Jesus” for over five years. Eventually, he came to understand that Jesus was not the Jewish Messiah and he returned to Judaism. I was stunned! I tried to argue with him, but he patiently countered all of my arguments and encouraged me to attend Jews for Judaism’s Survival Seminar taught by Rabbi Michael Skobac.

Armed with a large pile of Christian books, I arrived at the seminar, prepared to do battle. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening! Rabbi Skobac astonished me with his vast knowledge about Christian faith. It was obvious that he knew the “New Testament” much better than all the leaders of my “Messianic” congregation. I was amazed at his ability to thoroughly dismantle the theology that I had come to accept.

Rabbi Skobac totally shook the foundations of my belief in Jesus. I had come to undermine this Jews for Judaism’s program, and I certainly did not expect the tables to be turned on me so dramatically! Julius Ciss and Rabbi Skobac invited me to their homes for Shabbat, and as my thirst for discovering my Jewishness increased, they introduced me to other families and classes in the community. I bless Jews for Judaism for rescuing me from a near-disastrous religious detour in my life. Meeting them when I did was one of the best things that has ever happened to me!

The post Linda Lewis appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

I was born with a congenital hearing difficulty and at the age of 22, I suffered a serious stroke that left me walking with a limp. A Christian co-worker told me that I could be miraculously healed if only I would put my faith in Jesus. Knowing that it was wrong for a Jew to believe in Jesus, I withstood her spiritual enticements – even though deep down, I fervently wanted to hear and walk perfectly.

For five years, the thought of being miraculously cured of my two handicaps seldom left my mind. Then, I met another Christian co-worker who assured me that if I would come to church with her, I could pray to be healed. After years of wrestling with such offers, I accepted her invitation.

The people I met at church were very loving and the song service was so uplifting. When I met with the pastor after the service, he assured me that if I prayed to accept Jesus as my saviour, I could be healed and become “born again.” I plunged in and began attending church regularly and reading the New Testament every day.

When I told my parents that I had become a Christian, they were extremely upset. Desperately searching to find help for me, they were referred to Jews for Judaism by an acquaintance who had attended one of their programs. With my parents’ encouragement, I agreed to meet with Rabbi Michael Skobac, Julius Ciss and their wives for a Shabbat lunch.

I arrived at the Skobac’s home with lots of questions and was determined to challenge these “anti-missionaries.” Rabbi Skobac and Julius responded to my barrage of questions very genially, with great patience and amazing detail. They provided many authentic reasons why Judaism does not accept Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and how miracles cannot prove the truth of any religion since all religions experience them. I learned so much that afternoon that I was forced to humbly admit that I had made a terrible mistake in embracing Christianity.

Soon after, I attended Jews for Judaism’s Counter-Missionary Survival Seminar, as well as several adult education programs. Through the teachings of Judaism, I’ve been able to accept myself the way G-d created me, as a Jew, and I’m enormously grateful to Jews for Judaism for helping me find the path to the truth.

The post Barbara Steinberg appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

I grew up in Montreal and had a fairly typical Jewish background. Because I never really understood how Judaism could apply to my life in a meaningful way, after my Bat Mitzvah, I decided that I’d had enough of Jewish learning.

I looked forward to attending university and the experience of real independence. However, the novelty of partying soon wore off and everything began to feel so empty. I sensed that there had to be more to life, something more meaningful worthy of my total devotion.

One day, a friend from school invited me to his birthday party. I didn’t know at the time that he was a practicing Christian. I met several of his church friends and was very impressed with their sincerity and genuineness. They were all very committed to applying their religious beliefs to their daily lives and I felt magnetically drawn to them.

I had never met any Jewish peers who took their faith as seriously, and after a while, I began attending church with this new crowd every week. I began to see positive changes in my life, and the sense of meaning I discovered was so different from the superficiality I experienced among other students on campus. Six months later, I decided to convert to Christianity.

Telling my parents about my conversion was certainly not easy, and my grandparents strongly urged me to first find meaning in my own religion before abandoning it. While continuing to attend church, I also went to the Hillel House at my university to find out about Judaism. While there, I noticed a newsletter published by Jews for Judaism. That night, I casually went on the Jews for Judaism website and, to my surprise, stayed up all night reading their fascinating information.

I finally got the courage to email the Jews for Judaism office in Toronto. Rabbi Michael Skobac contacted me immediately, and we began corresponding. Because I felt totally accepted, just as I was, it was very comfortable communicating with him. His long emails in response to my questions about Judaism were always very clear and convincing.

When Rabbi Skobac told me about an upcoming all-day Jews for Judaism seminar, I came to Toronto for that weekend and met with him at his home over Shabbat. He spent over four hours with me, answering my questions about Christianity and encouraging me to slowly explore Judaism. The seminar I attended the next day was a real eye-opener and provided me with a deeper appreciation of the Jewish perspective on Christianity. I was also able to meet with Julius Ciss, Executive Director of Jews for Judaism. We spent an inspiring hour together as he shared the amazing story of his five-year journey from a Jew for Jesus activist back to Judaism.

When I returned home to Montreal, I knew I could never go back to the church, and instead, decided to spend a year studying Judaism at a religious seminary in Israel. I returned to New York to pursue a career in social work and wound up meeting my soul mate and getting married. I feel so blessed, now, in my new life and will be eternally grateful to Jews for Judaism for helping me
become the person I am today.

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BACK FROM THE BRINK: My Brush With Christianity – by Rafi Levy

Pastor McDonald and my “friends” told me that I must be possessed by Satan and that I had better think twice about my decision to deny Christ or I would burn in Hell forever.

Nevertheless, I was determined to end a two-year chapter of my life as a believing Christian. I could no longer listen to this mind-controlling propaganda. I had to listen to my mind, my intellect and my soul.

Here’s my story …

I was born in a coastal town in Israel in 1998. My mother had also been born in Israel, into an Orthodox Jewish family. My dad came from a secular Jewish family in the Ukraine. I was always hungry for spirituality, longing to be closer to God. Synagogues held no appeal for me because I did not feel that there was any spirituality there, only boring, mind-numbing services and davening.

I had grown up with negative feelings towards Christians because of the Holocaust. I felt that Christians stood by and either did nothing or were responsible for aiding and abetting the Nazis as millions of innocent Jews were killed, including members of both sides of my family. I was brought up to believe that Jesus had been a traitor and an enemy to Jews. That is essentially all I knew about the man.

My family immigrated to Canada in 2006. In October 2013, while in Grade 10, I had my first exposure to devout Christians. I became friendly with a girl who was a very active member of Calvary Evangelical Church. When I found out that she was a Christian, I decided to put my knowledge of Judaism to the test.

She began debating me about God, sin and atonement, heaven and hell, and whether Jesus was the real Messiah. I didn’t have any answers. I was ignorant of the issues. Eventually, she lent me a book about a Jewish man who felt betrayed by his daughter’s conversion to Christianity. The man later became a Christian himself, as did the rest of his family. I found the book quite compelling, but I had turned a blind eye to the fact that the central character of the book knew virtually nothing about Judaism when he renounced it and converted.

In February 2014, my friend invited me to attend a meeting of my high school’s Christian group, known as Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC). Although no one approached me directly during the meeting, I was amazed by all the love and passion that seemed to flow in the room. It appeared to me that these people possessed something warm and special, which I had been seeking for a long, long time.

That night, I decided to take a closer look at Jesus and watched a lot of Christian YouTube videos. I began to attend more worship services at Calvary Evangelical Church and particularly enjoyed the lively praise and singing. The pastor presented me with a Christian bible. He specifically asked me to read the New Testament books of Hebrews and Romans. As a result of my reading, I began to consider that the Torah of the Jews must now be null and void, having been replaced by the “New Covenant” of the Christian “Messiah” Jesus. Slowly, I was becoming more convinced of the claims of Christianity.

Without telling my parents, I attended an Easter Sunday service at the church. Filled with stirring hymns and powerful sermons, it was the most beautiful service and spiritual event that I had ever experienced. A skit about the alleged resurrection of Jesus really blew me away. My parents were freaked out when they found out that I was going to church regularly and reading the New Testament daily. Even though they punished me, it didn’t deter me. The following week, when Pastor McDonald asked if anyone in the service wanted to accept Jesus into their heart, I went forward to the altar, confessed Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, and asked him to forgive me for my sins. I became a “born-again” Christian.

I attended Calvary Evangelical almost every week, occasionally going to the Wednesday youth group bible studies. I decided that Christianity had more relevance to my life than Judaism ever had.

I met twice with Jeff Schwartz, the “rabbi” of the local “Messianic Jewish Synagogue,” and attended their “Erev Shabbat” services a few times. I also attended an inspiring Jews for Jesus concert and found myself enjoying their music while rejecting their proselytiz¬ing approach. I was unimpressed by the “Messianic Jewish” movement and felt that its adherents were living a double life, fooling themselves by hanging on to Jewish tradition and practice. My inten¬tion was to assimilate into the Calvary Evangelical congregation and to become an elder there someday. I was convinced that Christianity had become the new covenant of the God of Israel.

In March 2016, I was baptized at Calvary. My speech that day contained many references to my Jewish background because that was where I had come from. I was convinced that if Jews were to see the life I was living, they too would come to accept Jesus into their hearts. I did not realize at the time that my baptism was both the high point … and the beginning of the end … of my life as a Christian.

My parents were devastated after I told them that I’d been baptized. I often heard them crying at night. I would pray to Jesus that they would understand. One day, my mom gave me a booklet published by Jews for Judaism. It was called The Jewish Response to Missionaries: Counter- Missionary Handbook, and it directly challenged many of my essential Christian beliefs. The claims it made shook me to the core, so I put it aside and decided to continue being a Christian, despite my new doubts, which began to weigh on my mind as a result of reading this booklet.

In December 2016, I travelled to Israel with my parents. I was totally captivated by the beauty of the land, especially Jerusalem. I met a lot of religious Jews who were passionate about their Judaism and happily shared their insights. It made me think a lot about my faith. The trip kindled a spark within me. That spark reignited the doubts I developed from reading the Jews for Judaism booklet and forced me to confront my decision to be a Christian.

I returned to the Jews for Judaism Jewish Response to Missionaries hand¬book. It finally opened my eyes. With it, I started carefully studying the Bible. The Jewish and the Christian scriptures were utterly inconsistent on every issue and Messianic proof that I studied. The alleged Messianic prophecies about Jesus didn’t hold up to scrutiny.

Then I found Rabbi Michael Skobac’s YouTube video, A Rabbi Cross- Examines Christianity. It was amazing. I was discovering just too many contradictions and inconsistencies. I began to realize that I had made a huge mistake in becoming a Christian and that I couldn’t continue with my faith in Jesus anymore.

I immediately contacted Jews for Judaism and attended their six-week Counter-Missionary Survival Seminar, which started a few days later. With the help of that compelling information and some amazing one-on-one counselling from Rabbi Skobac, I did teshuvah (repentance) and returned to Judaism.

I called my Christian friends and informed them of my decision to leave the church and return to my Jewish faith. They made many powerful emotional appeals to sway me to remain in the church, but their attempts were futile. I was convinced otherwise.

There was no turning back.

Thanks to the information I learned from Jews for Judaism, I successfully defeated three of my missionary friends in a debate. I thank God for Jews for Judaism. I feel confident and happy about my decision to reject the claims of Christianity and embrace my Jewish heritage. My parents are happy, too.

Thank God, I am now on the road towards living a spiritually fulfilling and rewarding Jewish life. Thank you to Jews for Judaism.

(Names and details have been changed for privacy)

The post Rafi Levy appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

By myself, as a young vulnerable teenager, I immigrated to Toronto from the Ukraine.

My aunt was the only one person in the city that I knew. When I discovered she had converted to Christianity and later realized she was trying very hard to make me embrace her Christian faith, I was really shocked!

One day, she took me to a congregation of Jews, called a “Messianic synagogue”, who all believed in Jesus. Because these people were very friendly to me, I really enjoyed their company, and very soon, I was attending all their parties and meetings.

At first, I was resistant to accepting their belief that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. However, their arguments eventually started to make sense and the “Jewish” ambience of their congregation made the experience very comfortable. To join seemed like the natural thing to do.

Because I wasn’t happy with my living accommodations, I wanted to find an apartment in a better part of town. Late one Friday afternoon, my search led me to a basement apartment in the home of a Russian Jewish family. When they discovered I was Jewish, they invited me to stay for Shabbat.

I was immediately impressed by their genuine friendliness to a perfect stranger, and because I had never experienced a traditional Shabbat, I accepted their invitation. Throughout three very delicious meals, we sang Hebrew songs and shared lively conversations about Jewish topics. Eventually, I began sharing my Christian beliefs. My hosts said they didn’t know how to address the issues I had raised, and suggested that I meet with someone who had much more expertise.

I agreed to speak with Julius Ciss, whose experience as a former Jew for Jesus enabled him to clearly explain both sides of the debate over Jesus’ messianic credentials. We studied together for several months, and I soon began to realize
that my acceptance of Jesus was a serious mistake. Julius also gave me many books and tapes produced by Jews for Judaism, some even translated into Russian, that helped me understand how I had been misled by my “Messianic” congregation.

In so many ways, Jews for Judaism helped me explore my true Jewish heritage. The organization provided me with scholarships to Jewish educational seminars and student conventions, and assisted me in my learning. Julius even helped me find an apartment in the home of a wonderful family right in the heart of Toronto’s Jewish community. To this day, I continue to grow in my commitment to live a full, rewarding Jewish life – all because of Jews for Judaism.

The post Sasha Katz appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

I started university with no idea of who I was or what the purpose of my life could possibly be. Alienated and confused, I dropped out at the end of my first year and became a definite candidate for membership into that group of people lacking both direction and answers to life’s questions. So, when really friendly people living on a Christian commune shared their faith with me, I prayed that the truth also be revealed to me. Very soon, I experienced an epiphany and I gave my heart and soul to Jesus.

I joined a Christian organization and turned my life around, dramatically, in many positive ways. For hours every day, I read the Bible, wrote missionary tracts and devoted myself to spreading the message. To Christians I met, being Jewish was a big “plus” because they claimed that G-d had saved me in order to bring salvation to my own people and save them from eternal damnation.

Therefore, I formed a group called “Teshuvah Ministries” which had three goals: to convert other Jews to Christianity, to develop fellowship around the Jewish holidays for “Messianic Jews”, and to teach Christians about the Jewish roots of Christianity.

Over time, one of the Jewish people in our group began to have doubts about Christianity, and she challenged me to listen to Jews for Judaism’s “Counter-Missionary Survival Seminar”, a 12-part audiotape series, so I could tell her what was wrong with it. I expected to hear some low blows, statements full of fear and ignorance. Since I knew that Christians had deep misconceptions about Judaism, I expected to hear the same from the Jews for Judaism camp.

But when I listened intently to the teachings of Rabbi Michael Skobac, I was amazed to hear objective scholarship instead of the polemics I had always been forced to endure. He had extensively studied the Christian message, knew the New Testament, and had taken the time to investigate all critical Christian “proof-texts.” Furthermore, he answered all my questions about the Hebrew concept of the Messiah with an analysis that I found amazing and incontrovertible.

Over the next few months, I continued listening to the tapes and researched all the verses that Rabbi Skobac spoke about. His research was impeccable! After 23 years of practicing Christianity, I finally understood why Jews do not and cannot believe that Jesus is the Messiah. When I realized my devastating mistake, I resolved to embrace the original covenant that G-d made with my people, the Jewish people. I left the Church and, amid tears of welcome, I returned to my family and my heritage.

The post Mandy Litkovitch appeared first on Jews for Judaism.

Thanks To Jews For Judaism… I’m Back Home!

Sam Levine used to go to church on Sundays. Today, he is Rabbi Shmuel Levine, the head rabbi at a rabbinical college in Jerusalem.

My freshman year at university was a wild blast! No connection to Judaism, no guilt trips – just free sailing! However, my sophomore year began with two serious blows. My beloved grandmother, who was somewhat religious, passed away. Then I broke up with my gentile girlfriend in a most unpleasant way.

I was feeling very alone and really in need of personal connection. At this time, a Christian girl in my Biblical Hebrew class invited me to a party her social group was making. Her friends were calm, friendly people interested in spiritual values. Because it never bothered me that they were all born-again Christians, within a few weeks, I started going to church on Sundays. I even hinted to my parents that I was thinking about converting to Christianity.

A few weeks later, my parents implored me to contact Rabbi Michael Skobac from Jews for Judaism. From our initial conversation, I immediately realized I was dealing with an educated, intellectually honest person. We set up a meeting at my parents’ home and within an hour, my world changed. I discovered many clear answers and viable replies to the challenges that born-again Christians present to the unsuspecting and unarmed Jews to whom they are offering eternal “salvation.”

Rabbi Skobac demonstrated amazing scholarship in both the Old and New Testaments. His pleasant personality and great sense of humor made it easy for me to open up. I started to believe that there must be other pleasant, intelligent, spiritual Jews like Rabbi Skobac who could help me find my way back to my Jewish heritage.

My trip to Israel for my 21st birthday was miraculous. The happy tears that filled my eyes at the airport were only the first of many more happy tears that followed. Thanks to Rabbi Skobac and Jews for Judaism, I found my way back home.

After finishing my degree at university, I returned to Israel to pursue Torah studies, and within a few years I became a rabbi. Today, I have the privilege of being one of the head rabbis in a rabbinical college in Jerusalem and building a happy, new generation of Torah literate Jews and families.

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