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.
