Eric Tokajer - 7th Time!

How wonderful to have Rabbi Eric on the show again!

Rabbi Eric was raised in a traditional Jewish home. After his bar mitzvah, he began to study the Hebrew Scriptures more closely which brought many questions to his mind. Questions like if a sacrifice had to be made once a year on Yom Kippur to cover the sins of Israel from year to year how were those sins covered now. When he was unable to find answers from the different rabbis that he asked, he became an agnostic. 

While serving in the US Navy, Rabbi Eric was challenged by a believer in Yeshua to study the Scriptures until he found answers within them. While searching the Hebrew Scriptures, Rabbi Eric found belief in Yeshua as the promised Messiah of Israel which brought answers to all of the questions he had. It is now over 33 years ago. 

Since then Rabbi Eric studied to become an ordained Rabbi in the IAMCS (International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues). He has served as a Rabbi in Mobile, Alabama. He also helped to establish five synagogues across the Gulf Coast in Slidell, Louisiana; Bayou La Batre, Alabama; Spanish Fort, Alabama; Navarre, Florida, and Brit Ahm Messianic Synagogue in Pensacola, Florida, where he serves as Rabbi today. Rabbi Eric has been married for 42 years to his wife Pammy.

In addition to God Has No Plan B, Rabbi Eric has written; With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, #ManWisdom, OY! How Did I Get Here?,Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, Jesus is to Christianity as Pasta is to Italians, Romans in Context and Simple Shabbat Siddur. 

Sharon Settel Interview

What a joy to interview Sharon Settel, widow of Jonathan Settel.  I especially loved this show, hope you will enjoy it for years to come!

Sharon Settel was born and raised in Miami, Florida into a Bible believing family. She studied and worked in the medical field for fifteen years. Sharon met her husband by divine appointment at the age of 19-years-old. They married in 1980 and were blessed with three beautiful children and four grandchildren. Sharon worked and traveled with Jonathan for over thirty years. She was the co-founder and Administrator for Settel International Ministries and The Musical Artistry of Jonathan Settel. Sharon currently resides in Dallas,Texas and is the Events Coordinator for The Nathaniel Fellowship/Foundation. 

Dawn Reaves and Heather Frykberg

I met Dawn and Heather last year at the Messiah Conference. 

Heather and Dawn are Messianic believers and have collaborated on a Trilogy being published by Olive Press Publisher.  Their books have a very Hebraic understanding.  The 1st book, "Slivers of Hell-Mosaic Steppingstones to Heaven"  reveals the ancient pictographs of Hebrew that reveal the plan of salvation for all mankind.  The pictographs are woven in the three realms between earth, heaven and hell. The second book, "More than Heather and Dawn are Messianic believers and have collaborated on a Trilogy being published by Olive Press Publisher.  Their books have a very Hebraic understanding.  The 1st book, "Slivers of Hell-Mosaic Steppingstones to Heaven"  reveals the ancient pictographs of Hebrew that reveal the plan of salvation for all mankind.  The pictographs are woven in the three realms between earth, heaven and hell. The second book, "More than Flesh and Blood-Soul Chasers Exposed exposes the evil one's plans of antisemitism, and the third book "Captivated-Intertwined" immerses the reader into falling madly in love with Yeshua!  The Trilogy will be available as an audio.Their writings were written over a 30 year time period, at first not realizing that their Messiah was putting together supernatural prophetic writings. 

Heather and Dawn live in Arizona with their husbands and their hope is that all Jewish souls understand who their Messiah is and that all are called for such a time as this.

Ben Volman Returns

It’s been several years since Ben Volman was on Bagels and Blessings.  It was great to have him on the show again. 

Ben Volman is the Canadian Regional Director of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations. He came to faith in Yeshua while he was a university student in philosophy and was a founding member of Canada's first Messianic Jewish congregation. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Toronto School of Theology at the University of Toronto. Ben has had a highly varied career winning two national religious journalism awards, writing an award-winning book on Messianic Jewish history, planting Messianic congregations, and mentoring Messianic leaders in Canada. He has travelled across North America and around the world teaching on Messianic Judaism in Europe and South-East Asia. Ben recently retired from Chosen People Ministries Canada where he served as the founding rabbi of Kehillat Eytz Chaim/Tree of Life Messianic Congregation in Toronto. He is currently in the Doctor of Practical Theology program at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, ON. He and his wife Sue live in Toronto, with their son, Jon. 

Debora Weiss Interview

Debora is a lover of Yeshua and was born and raised both Catholic and 7th Day Adventist in São Paulo, Brazil, where she started her career as a pharmacist and researcher. Her great great grandfather was Jewish. She discovered Messianic Judaism after her son showed interest in the Old Testament scriptures. They started attending Beth Yeshua in Philadelphia. In the late 90’s, she met Tom in a conference in the United States. They have been married for 25 years.

Phillip Cohen Interview

Phillip Cohen describes growing up Jewish in a strongly anti-Semitic culture and what it’s like “crossing the line” to giving his life to Jesus.  It has been a long journey that is not over yet.

Crushed by a violent, anti-Semitic world and a troubled alcoholic father, Phillip Cohen begins searching early in life for healing and love. He grew up in inner-city Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami before wandering around in three countries, searching for a life that matters. 

This long, difficult yet amazing journey continues through hippie communes and ultraconservative Anabaptist church. He runs to mainstream Christianity but doesn’t seem to fit anywhere.  Despite his efforts to find God, Phillip often finds himself in unanticipated places where God’s presence. Eventually he finds His Messiah. 

Today Phillip works with individuals and businesses bridging the work life and personal life into a God-Centered life and building success in a God-centered business.  He is the founder of Healthy Leaders, a coaching ministry that helps struggling business owners build strong, cohesive leadership teams with God in the center.

Ted VanLandeghem Interview

Here’s some info about my interesting guest:

A Believer in Jesus, who grew up in Arnold Missouri, Ted VanLandeghem is the CEO & Founder of TheReadyBag.Com /Goshen Kingdom Solutions/Kingdom Tactical Advisors which seeks to provide emergency preparedness training, community, solutions & tools to the body of Christ. Ted also serves as a speaker for Ancient Hebrew Scroll Project. The Scroll Project is the only complete set of Old Testament Manuscripts in Ancient Scroll form in the world that can be viewed by the public. Currently, there are only 5 known complete sets. Learn more: www.ancienthebrewscrollproject.com. Ted has spoken at over 400 churches, schools, conferences and synagogues worldwide. Ted served on the executive leadership team of Christian Halls International as the Assistant to the President (www.ChristianHalls.org) and formerly served as the US Spokesman & Director of Partner Relations at MAOZ Israel Ministries in Jerusalem Israel.  

Ted lives in Texas with his wife and their 6 children, 2 sons-in-laws & 4 Grand-children.

Faith Crowley Interview

Faith has enjoyed worshiping the Lord in Messianic Judaism for 45 years, though she is not Jewish. She first realized the Lord’s love for her when she was 19 years old.  The Lord brought her to Congregation Beth Yeshua in Philly, in 1978, and she was blessed to worship under the loving care of her shepherd at that time, Martin Chernoff with his wife, Yohanna Naomi Chernoff. And now, almost 76 years old, Faith is blessed to be under the shepherding of their son, Rabbi David Chernoff and his wife, Debbie. She has worked at the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America for 36 years, and is so thankful that the Lord has provided the opportunity to serve Him there all of these years with Joel Chernoff and the rest of the Beth Yeshua staff.  Faith is married to David Crowley. They are parents of two sons and have eleven grandchildren.

Jacob Cohen Interview

Jacob Cohen was born in Israel, immigrated to the United States when he was five years old and was raised in Brooklyn, NY in a traditional Jewish home. When he was ten, he attended Hebrew school at a conservative synagogue and certain passages in the Old Testamentstartled Jacob: “What’s Jesus doing in my Hebrew Bible?” Jacob assumed he was mistaken, after all, Jewish scholars would notice something this important. But is it possible. . .? 

When Jacob was in his mid-twenties, he reexamined the Tenach(Older Testament) and concluded that yes, Jesus is the true Jewish Messiah! Jacob sensed God’s calling on his life and worked in Jewish ministry before graduating Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon in 1990. 

Jacob served as a law enforcement chaplain for 14 years while he continued teaching the Jewish origins of Christianity in churches. Jacob and his wife Stephanie were visiting NYC during the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks and he volunteered as a police chaplain at ground zero and St. Paul’s Chapel, ministering in NYC for one month in the aftermath of the attack. Having retired from the police chaplaincy, Jacob and Stephanie began an outreach called Israel’s Remnant teaching believers the Jewish origins of Christianity.

Joshua Brumbach Returns

Rabbi Joshua Brumbach is the Senior Rabbi of Simchat Yisrael in West Haven, CT and serves as adjunct faculty at Messianic Jewish Theological Institute (MJTI) and The King's University. 

He is an accredited Jewish Educator, studied in an Orthodox yeshiva in Europe, and is ordained by the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and the MJRC. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in early rabbinic literature at Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership, holds an MA in rabbinic writings from MJTI, and a BA in Biblical and Jewish Studies from UCLA.  

Rabbi Joshua is an avid mountain biker, loves the outdoors, and he and his wife have two sons. 

Catherine Wriston Interview

Catherine Wriston is the Praise & Worship Leader at Brit Ahm Messianic Synagogue in Pensacola, FL. She was raised Southern Baptist and found Messianic Judaism when God led her to it as a college student. She's a writer, an artist, and now a blessed wife and mother. Catherine and her husband, Jonathan (the Assistant Rabbi at Brit Ahm), live with their wonderful little boy, Eliezer, in Pace, FL. 

Dr. Ivan Paul Mehosky

Dr Mehosky is the author of “The Story of a Soldier” about his dad as a paratrooper during WW II. He is an ordained priest in the Anglican Church and holds a Th.D. from Chesapeake Bible College & Seminary,  and is the Dean and Professor of Messianic Jewish Studies at CBCS.  Dr. Mehosky and his wife Charlotte live in North East, Maryland. They raised two wonderful children who are both married.  They are blessed with 8 grandchildren. 

Lydia Jacobs Interview

I enjoyed my interview with Lydia Jacobs. She is another person I saw at the Messiah conference in July.

Lydia Jacobs is a Jewish believer in Jesus. Both her parents are also Jewish believers and she was raised in a Messianic Jewish home in Upstate New York. Growing up, she attended Shema Yisrael in Rochester and Brith Hadoshah in Buffalo. For four years she traveled with the Liberated Wailing Wall, a traveling music missionary team through Jews for Jesus. 

Lydia is currently a special education teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas where she lives with her two cats, Tiger and Shannon. Although she does not presently attend a Messianic synagogue regularly, she still celebrates all the Jewish holidays and enjoys teaching about them to others.

Amy Stewart Interview

Amy has been a lover of Israel and the Jewish people all her life and longs to see them come to know their true Messiah. She now serves as the worship director of Or HaOlam Messianic Synagogue in Overland Park Kansas.

The Whittens

I had a great interview with Baht Rivka and George Whitten. 

George Whitten is Founder and Director of leading pro-Israel Christian news website, worthynews.com and the “Worthy

Brief”, a devotional/news brief with a daily readership of over 35,000. Focusing on Israel, persecution, prophecy, outreach, and

discipleship, Worthy News has reached millions in over 120 countries since 1999. George is a visionary, journalist, astute observer and advocate for Israel. He brings a fresh, insightful

perspective on current events in the Middle East, giving balanced viewpoints on both the political and spiritual atmosphere in the Land and world-wide.

Native Israeli Baht Rivka Whitten was born in Tel Aviv on the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Her Great-Grandparents founded one of the first settlements of its kind in central Israel in the early 1900s. As a young adult, she began to read the Bible and came to faith; she later led her parents to

the Lord. Baht is an accomplished musician, recording artist and worship leader. Her unique sound is comprised of original songs and traditional Israeli melodies, fused with

powerful vocals, Hebrew/English lyrics and rhythms from around the world. Her compelling music has impacted the nations through television, radio and the distribution of her three CDs, along with performances at international conferences and outreaches across the globe. Songs from her latest CD have played on secular Israeli radio.

Married just over twenty years, George and Baht Rivka, along with their two children, (fifth generation Israelis), pioneered a Shabbat Dinner and Music Outreach Ministry from their prayer house in Southern Israel. It still remains fruitful, bringing many seeking Israelis weekly. Together, the Whitten Family has also ministered at hundreds of conferences, congregations and outreach events. They give a powerful presentation of Worship and Word as well as a beautiful display of cds and gifts. 

The Return of Anthony Cardinale

What fun to reconnect with my friend Anthony!

Anthony Cardinale is an award-winning Christian Zionist who began writing about Israel and the Jewish people long before discovering his own Jewish bloodlines. A college instructor and member of the National Association of Scholars, he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize three times during his years as a reporter with the Buffalo News.

Anthony has written four books and has written religious articles for the Messianic Times, Jewish Voice Today, Charisma and Ministries magazines, and the Western New York Catholic.  He has also written articles on the Arab-Israeli conflict for the Jerusalem Post, the Buffalo Jewish Review, and the Orthodox weekly Yated Ne’eman in New York City. Cardinale also brings to his writings his dramatic touch as an award-winning playwright.