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.
