Even though I was raised in a Christian family, my life was transformed when I became a born-again Christian at age 15. While studying in Cape Town, South Africa at age 24, I realized the Jewish people needed to be “saved” and hear the “good news of Jesus.” Find out about a missionary's journey to Judaism in this article.
I attended a local synagogue regularly for 6 months to learn about Judaism so I could be a more effective missionary to the Jews. I kept my true intentions a secret until Jews for Jesus recruited me to organize their summer “Behold You God” missionary campaign in Cape Town.
Just before launching the campaign, a Jewish friend invited me to a lecture. He did not know I was a missionary or which Rabbi was speaking. I nearly fell over when I discovered that Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz from “Jews for Judaism” had come from the other side of the world to speak out against the very campaign I was so busy organizing.
Initially I was angry at the thought of Jews for Judaism combating Jews for Jesus. But to my surprise, Rabbi Kravitz spoke respectfully of Christians. However, he demonstrated that they were misguided in their attempt to convert Jews, because they were reading a mistranslation of the Jewish bible and they were studying passages out of context. He showed us numerous contradictions in the New Testament that disqualified Jesus as being the Jewish Messiah.
I introduced myself to Rabbi Kravitz and told him, “I am Christian, and respectfully disagree with you”. He was so gentle and humble, and he didn’t even try to argue with me. He suggested that I have an open mind.
His confidence in the truth and his description of the spiritual beauty of Judaism made a huge impression on me. I had been taught Jews didn’t believe in Jesus because they only studied the teaching of the Rabbis, and were spiritually blind to understanding the bible.
Rabbi Kravitz’s knowledge of the original Hebrew bible shattered my pre-conceptions.
I had serious questions, but I could not deal with this new evidence right now. I went ahead with the “Behold your God” campaign and married a Christian man. However, Jews for Jesus disappointed me. Although they wore provocative t-shirts that said “Jesus made me Kosher,” they had no qualms about eating bacon sandwiches.
In fact, they believed like other Christians that the biblical commandments were obsolete and instead were actually a stumbling block to serving God. Jews for Jesus also failed to answer my numerous questions.
Deep down I knew I had taken the wrong path. The calling to Judaism continued, and I went to live in Israel, to work for a Christian organization in the Old City of Jerusalem. I wanted to be close to the Jewish people and their heritage.
The doubts that began at Rabbi Kravitz’s presentation were nagging me relentlessly. I had no peace. I divorced my husband and felt free to make my own choice about my faith. The 16 years of confusion had to end. I told God I needed the truth. Was Jesus the Messiah or not?
I knew exactly where to go; the Jews for Judaism website. The evidence on their YouTube videos and articles was overwhelming. As my world crumbled, I finally realized I had discovered the truth; I could no longer be a Christian.
I decided to convert to Judaism and completed the intensive conversion process with the South African Beit Din at age 35. I am now married to an orthodox Jewish man and we both cherish our relationship with Judaism and God.
I am eternally grateful to Rabbi Kravitz and Jews for Judaism, without whom I never would have received God’s greatest gift to humanity, the Torah. Without Jews for Judaism I would still be a missionary and many Jews would have been converted through my efforts.
I have come full circle and I now live in Los Angeles with my husband, where I am already helping Jews for Judaism in their important work. Thank you for supporting Jews for Judaism so they could be there for me and many other people.