Gail (Gilah) Nelson Azzam Interview

Today's show was very special to me.  I have fond memories of fellowshipping with the Nelson family when we lived in NYC.  Gail's parents, Carole and Roger,  were the leaders of Beth Tefilah, our congregation in Queens.   Today I shared music written by Carole and performed by the whole family.  I only recently had the cassette tapes converted to mp3s so it was exciting to once again hear their songs.  I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane   Great interview with Gail as well!!

As a young child Gail and her brother Israel sang with their parents on a few musical projects, "The Family," and the "Ten Commandments," some of which were featured on the show today.  Music was a big part of their family life.   The Nelson family traveled across the country ministering in music.

At the age of 10 Gilah made a profession of faith but the real decision to follow Yeshua came when she was 19 years old.

She met her Christian Arabic husband at Galtronics, a company of believers in Israel.  After being a stay at home Mom for 16 years, Gilah decided to go back to work.  She had various jobs but ended up working for Nazareth Village.  They recreate what Nazareth looked like in the time of Yeshua.   She is the Assistant Manager and does guided tours and invites anyone coming to Israel to come and visit!

Kenneth Berg Interview

What a fun interview with Kenneth Berg!  Kenneth has traveled extensively throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East for over three decades producing award-winning television programs based on the Bible.

Ken was raised as a minister’s son in New York City. After serving in the motion picture division of the US Army, he moved to California, where he worked in Hollywood for a Christian advertising agency.

His is the founder of Berg Productions, Inc. which produces such programs as “Zola Levitt Presents” and “The Nazareth Jesus Knew,” which can be seen on one or more of the national Christian networks. 

Kenneth has been to Israel 73 times.

Brian and Sue Samuel

I am so very happy to share this fun interview with you!   Rabbi Brian and Rebbetzin (Rabbi's wife) Sue have been on Bagels and Blessings a few times now.   We are happy to host them tomorrow, June 5 for our Shavuot Service as well.

Sue and Brian are blessed to travel around the world, visiting congregations and sharing G-d's message of hope and healing for all of His children. They visit all congregations, both large and small, knowing that they sing to an audience of One.   

They have produced several CDs, including Promises", "Songs ...From The Secret Place," "Home Away From Home",  and their newest album, "Revive.”

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Brian and Sue are currently serving as Rabbi and Rebbetzin of congregation Mishkahn David in Rhode Island.

Rabbi Mark Rantz

Today I chatted with Rabbi Mark Rantz.  I sure enjoyed hearing his story!  Rabbi Mark is the leader of Beit Hallel Messianic Congregation | Tikkun Ambassador to Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International (PRMI) | Author | Lead Contributor and Assistant Sr. Senior for the Complete Jewish Study Bible | Senior Editor - Tikkun Restore Magazine.

As a leading Holocaust Scholar and leader with the March of Remembrance, Rabbi Rantz is presently also developing his Masters Thesis on "The Complicity of the German Church and the Nazi Holocaust" into book form and has recently written a book about the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Enjoy some great music too!!

Elyse Burkhalter-2

I met Elyse a very long time ago when I visited family in Hawaii.  I was looking to connect with other Messianic believers and got her contact info.   We have stayed in touch over the years.  I first interviewed her at the Messiah Conference maybe 10 years ago, so this is a nice refresher!

You will love her story and of course the great music too!  Here's a little more about Elyse:

Elyse grew up in the 1950s and 1960s in New York City.  Her Jewish parents were secular and didn’t raise her in the faith.  When she was in college, she started searching for meaning in life and truth. She came to the Lord Yeshua as a hippie during The Jesus Revolution.  As she grew in The Lord, she started to appreciate how significant the Judaic roots are to Christianity.  She now strongly identifies with her Jewish roots as a Messianic Jew.  Elyse lives in Hawaii and is a very talented artist.   Find her art projects here:

(1) Elisheva Inspired Art | Facebook

Rabbi Adrian Bernal Interview

Today’s delightful interview was with Rabbi Adrian Bernal. 

Dr. Adrian Bernal is a Sephardic Jewish believer. He holds a Bachelor of Biblical Studies with a major in Biblical linguistics,  a Master's of Theological Studies with a major in Biblical Counseling and minor in Jewish Studies, and a Doctor of Ministry with a major in Jewish Studies. Over the past 29 years he has led congregations in Hawaii, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alaska. He has been involved with the Messianic Movement since 1987 and has a passion for the lost. He enjoys teaching the Jewish Roots of the faith to the Church. He has also developed curriculum for the class and is currently writing commentaries on 1 and 2 Timothy. He is the senior rabbi for Beth Yeshua Messianic Synagogue in Coral Springs, Florida. In his spare time he is a golf teaching professional with the United States Golf Teachers Federation and was ranked the top 100 golf teaching professionals for the 2020/2021 season. He enjoys spending time fishing and kayaking with his wife and they make their home in Margate, FL.

Brett Weiner Interview

I was once a Weiner too -- back in the early days LOL.   I met Brett over Facebook and he agreed to share his faith journey on Bagels and Blessings.  You'll enjoy some music honoring Yom Hashoah (Day of Remembrance) and the Israeli Independence Day too.   Lots of great music.  And here's a little bit about Brett:

Brett was raised Christian, but his grandparents were Orthodox Jews. When Brett was in his twenties, the Psalms and the prayer book pronouns became personal to him.  He was told that Abraham would have descendants that would be as numerous as the stars in heaven, and the sands on the seashore and that he could be one of them. He just needed to accept his seed which was one in the Messiah. He loves celebrating the Jewish holidays, especially the Feast of Tabernacles. 

Brett and his wife reside in West Springfield Massachusetts and have two adult sons who walk with the Lord.