Zamariah Jackson

Zamariah Jackson, affectionately known as "Z," is a Jewish follower of Messiah Yeshua. She currently serves as Chair of the Living Free Women’s Conference. For quite some time, it has been Z’s heartfelt vision to host a powerful gathering for women across the Messianic and Christian spectrum—both Jew and Gentile alike. Her desire is to see women set free from every chain that holds them back, so they can walk boldly in the fullness of all that God has called them to be.

In addition, Zamariah serves as the Head Worship Leader at Congregation Ahavat Yeshua in Washington, DC, where she has faithfully ministered for 27 years.
A gifted recording artist, producer, and studio engineer, Z has joined forces with two other anointed Messianic worship leaders—Sue Samuel and Kerah Oliveira—to create a powerful new project. Together, as the the Sword & Song Collective, they have written and recorded a collection of anointed songs for their upcoming spiritual warfare album entitled Victory, set for release in 2026.

Ed and Amanita Marvin

Today's show was not only focused on Sukkot and wonderful music from Steve McConnell, Sue Samuel, Ted Pearce, Nancy Santiago, Marty Goetz and Paul Wilbur, but I had a lovely time chatting with Ed and Amanita Marvin!

Ed and Amanita Marvin are leaders of Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue in Wesley Chapel, Florida. They have been involved in Jewish ministries for many years. They have eight kids and five grandkids. They have a heart for Jews and non Jews to know the Messiah Yeshua and become His disciples.

Ed is a graduate of Columbia Bible College, currently called Columbia International University. He served with Slavic Gospel Association among Soviet Jewish immigrants in Chicago for four years in the 1980’s and then bringing the gospel to the former Soviet Union while based in Finland. In Finland he founded Shorashim Fellowship. 

Amanita is a lawyer and a native of Finland. She was involved with several Israel Friendship organizations in Finland and studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Rabbi Ed and Rebbetzin Amanita have been in ministry in Florida since 2013.

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 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.

Melanie Webster Interview

I have known Melanie for a few years, and we finally got a chance to do a phone interview.   At 23 years old, a Jewish friend showed her only from the Tenach that Jesus, Yeshua, was the Promised Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. Melanie moved to Israel 6 years ago with her husband. They are both believers in Yeshua. Melanie has been walking with the Lord for over 40 years!

Enjoy some new music from Sue Samuel too!

Sid Roth Interview

 This was originally aired in 1998!  That would have been my 2nd year on air --- and now it's been 23 years!   Where or where has the time gone?

I had a lot of difficulty getting this to record.   I won't go into all the details but it seemed as if the enemy was doing a lot to keep it off the air!

So please pardon the humming and other distortions.   Praise God I got most of it!!!

May the Lord bless you and heal you as you hear this wonderful testimony -- and enjoy the music!

Shalom!

 

 

 

 

Music and Talk -8-8-20

Sometimes you just have to kick back, grab your coffee, have a bagel and listen to FANTASTIC music!  Today I feature some new music from Beckah Shae, and you'll enjoy your favs like Jonathan Settel, Paul Wilbur, Joshua Aaron, Sue Samuel, Miqedem, John Waller, Steve McConnell, Rachel & Avner Boskey, Jeff Koch and Marty & Misha Goetz-Hoyt.

Enjoy!!

Randy Katz Again!

Decided to re-air our 2007 interview together!  Randy has been playing piano for me as I lead worship for many years and is a dear brother in the Lord!

Originally from Middletown, NY, Rand (Randy to most people) attended the University of Rochester and decided to stay and make Rochester, NY his home.  He has been part of the Messianic movement in Rochester, NY since the 70s. He's an accomplished keyboardist and has played at Jewish functions all over the Rochester area and is on the worship team at Congregation Shema Yisrael in Rochester. We chat about his testimony and have fun during this interview!

Also enjoy great music from Joshua Aaron, Joel Chernoff, Sue Samuel, Marty Goetz and more!

Marc Vidito Interview

I met the very talented Marc Vidito at the Messiah Conference.   I really enjoyed chatting with him!

Marc has been a leader in the Messianic community for over 20 years in both a worship and youth leadership capacity.  He has served as speaker, conference planner, honorary exec and worship leader for the YMJA in both the national and regional arenas and currently serves as YMJA Worship Advisor. He has recorded albums with Kol Simcha, Kathy Shooster, Growing Faith, and his current band, HaShir.  Marc's two main ministerial passions are worship and youth mentorship.  He has lived these out at home by leading the worship ministry and co-leading the youth ministry with his wife Dara in their home congregation, Beth Hallel, in Roswell. GA since 2002.  He currently serves the Messianic worship community worldwide as the Ministry Director of Meuchad: Messianic Worshippers United, found online at Meuchad.org. He hopes to bring his two young daughters alongside in ministry as they continue to grow in the Lord.

Today's show includes music from Jonathan Settel, Joshua Aaron, Paul Wilbur,  HaShir, Sue Samuel, David & Karen Seguin, Corry Bell & Lev Shelo, and Marty Goetz. 

Elizabeth Black Interview

I met Elizabeth Black at the Beth Zion Women's Retreat January 27-29 this year.   She was one of the speaker's on Saturday night and I was very impressed with her!

Elizabeth currently serves with Jews for Jesus in New York City.  Jewish ministry was her lifelong goal, growing up in a Jewish community in Baltimore Maryland. She received a BA in biblical studies from Washington Bible College and has been serving in formal Jewish ministry for over 5 years. She serves alongside her husband Eryn Black and has two young boys, Jude and Ezra.

Enjoy wonderful music from Sue Samuel, Liberated Wailing Wall, Zemer Levav and Greg Silverman too!

Jeanne Nigro Interview

This week I had the privilege of interviewing Jeanne Nigro, a sweet woman of God.  Jeanne is a frequent speaker at conferences, retreats and congregations, and her blogs are featured regularly with the Messianic Times and Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA). She is the founder of Jeanne Nigro Ministries, which seeks to transform lives around the world through a more intimate relationship with God. The ministry provides teaching and tools to enable believers to receive healing from the lies they have believed about God and themselves, so that they can experience more of His love, wisdom and power in their life.

Prior to her teaching ministry, Jeanne worked in the corporate world for seventeen years as an organizational change consultant. Jeanne and her family reside in Plano, Texas and attend both Bat Zion Messianic Congregation and Prestonwood Baptist Church. Her passion in ministry comes from the healing work that God has done in her own life and her desire to share what she has learned and experienced with others.
Whether she is bringing truths to life from Tanakh, healing strongholds of the heart or preparing believers for the Millennium, her teachings are relevant, practical and life-transforming. Jeanne propels her audiences into an excitement and readiness for Yeshua's return and fosters an experience of greater intimacy with Him. She is passionate about mobilizing the body of Messiah out of their state of fear, passivity and apathy during these uncertain times and into action and purpose. Jeanne's latest book, "Unafraid in these End Times," will be released by Destiny Image in August, 2016.

Paul Wilbur, a well-known Integrity Recording Artist, had this to say about Jeanne, "Healing of the inner man is a life mission for Jeanne Nigro. She has invested many years of research together with volumes of solid Biblical instruction to produce the life-changing teachings she now brings. I have personally attended her classes and have witnessed the eager involvement and results of hurting people. I highly recommend Jeanne and her insights to anyone desiring to walk away from the past and move into freedom".

You'll also enjoy the music of Beckah Shae, Nate Benjamin, Sue Samuel, Joel Chernoff, Marty Goetz and John Waller.

Rabbi Steve Weiler Interview

What a pleasure to chat with Rabbi Steve Weiler and learn about his faith journey!  Rabbi Steve was

born in Manhattan, New York , to Jewish parents who had escaped Austria during the Holocaust.  Living in a primarily Jewish town (Great Neck, Long Island ), he had never been aware of anyone who believed that Yeshua is the Messiah, nor had anyone share their faith with him.  But at age 18, Steve went to see the movie The Greatest Story Ever Told, and his life was changed forever. Shortly thereafter, he dedicated his life to serving the Lord.

 

Rabbi Steve spent his college years in Baltimore , MD where he received a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Peabody Conservatory of Music.  Later he received a Masters Degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University while teaching at an inner-city high school for four years.  Also during this time, he was a cantor at various conservative synagogues, sang at several churches, and attended Beit HaMashiach, a Messianic Synagogue.

  

In 1979, after a career in sales and business, Steve moved his family to Philadelphia , PA , where he became the principal of Chalutzim Academy - a private K12 school of Congregation Beth Yeshua.  Here he also served as the chief administrator, taught various courses including "Fundamentals of Biblical Judaism", led a children's chorus group called Growing Faith, produced two Messianic children's albums, helped produce two musicals, led the youth program, and led an adult singing troupe called "Shivat Tzion" (Return of Zion) which produced two albums.

 

Steve was ordained as a Messianic Rabbi by the leadership of Congregation Beth Yeshua. which is under the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) and the International Association of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS).  In April 1999, he moved his family to Tampa, FL to become the rabbi of Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue.  He has always had a burden for youth, strengthening families, having unity in the Body of Believers, and to see his fellow Jewish people accept Yeshua as their Messiah.  Rabbi Steve also serves on the boards of:  The Messianic Family Bible Project, The Tampa Bay Committee To Bless Israel , Ner Tamid, and BayshoreChristian School and others.  He also served on the Executive Committee of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA).

 

Rabbi Steve is blessed with a wonderful wife, Pat, who leads praise and worship, and is the leader of the Shoresh David sisterhood.  They have two daughters together - Rebecca, who lived in Israel and worked for God TV, and now lives in Tampa with her husband and daughter.  Sarah, who graduated from Southeastern University in 2009 and Sandford Brown in 2011 with a degree in Sonography is the manager of a pregnancy center in Tampa where she lives with her husband and soon-to-be son.

You'll also enjoy the music of Jonathan Settel, Sue Samuel, Greg Silverman, Marty Goetz, Rivka Whitten, John Waller and the Schleps.

Rabbi Eric Tokajer

On today's show Rabbi Eric discussed his new book, "Transient Singularity," which is about Senator James Madison. Senator Madison forms a secret government agency whose role and unique ability is to manipulate individual moments in time. Every event in life, no matter how wonderful or tragic, is completely dependent upon many smaller events. Such an adjustment of a single, seemingly insignificant event can change the entire course of history.

Rabbi Eric is the founder of The Messianic Daily News website, which was introduced in 2006. The Messianic Daily News merged with the Messianic Times in July of 2012, and in January 2013, he took over as the executive director of the Messianic Times.

Tokajer is also the rabbi of Brit Ahm Messianic Synagogue in Pensacola, Florida and a member of the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues. His first venture into published authorship was "Oy! How Did I Get Here?" a book on the many challenges he's experienced in ministry over the years.

For more information on Rabbi Eric Tokajer, please visit www.rabbierict.com.

And of course, fantastic music by Michelle Gold,  Sue Samuel and Joshua Aaron!

Rabbi Ira Brawer Interview

Shalom!   Today's show is one hour of total fabulousness!   New music from Joshua Aaron and Nate Benjamin, plus some super songs from Ted Pearce, Sue Samuel & Sharon Wilbur!   Of course each week begins with Shabbat Shalom from Jonathan Settel!

Today I interviewed Messianic Rabbi Ira Brawer of Ayts Chaim Congregation in Boca Raton, FL. 
Rabbi Ira and his wife, Gloria, are the founders of "Heritage House," a healing and restoration ministry. Rabbi Ira is an ordained Messianic Rabbi under the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and has served as senior rabbi of Ayts Chayim Messianic Synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida for 20 years. As of September 20th, he will stepping down and turning over leadership of the synagogue to Rabbi Jesse allowing the Brawers to focus their efforts and energy full-time on the work of Heritage House.
As the founders and leaders of Heritage House Ministries, their heart is to help God's people and especially youth and young adults to walk in the fullness of their calling in the Kingdom.

Justin Kron Interview

It was wonderful chatting with Justin Kron.   He is a second generation believer and I was intrigued by his story.  Justin became a follower of Yeshua at a young age and grew up with one foot in the Jewish world and one foot in the Christian world. He has subsequently developed a passion for acquainting Christians with the Jewish roots and heritage of the Christian faith, and to become better equipped and engaged in living an authentic faith among their Jewish friends and neighbors.

Since 1998, Justin has served as a National Ministries Representative with Chosen People Ministries and is the founder and director of experience Israel, a short-term ministry and spiritual pilgrimage program for young adults. He is also the founder and coordinator of the Kesher Forum in Chicago, an interdenominational learning community for those who are interested in learning more about Jewish culture and building bridges with their Jewish friends and neighbors.

Justin has served with the Danny Byram Ministries, a concert ministry to the U.S. military, and as an Area Manager with Promise Keepers in Chicago, where he represented the organization as the national liaison to the Messianic Jewish community. Justin studied at the Moody Theological Seminary and is a frequent contributor to various blogs and radio programs on topics related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, historical anti-Semitism and the Jewishness of Jesus. He is a member of Willow Creek Community Church where Justin serves on the Leadership Advisory Council, and his wife, Judy, directs Women of Willow at their North Shore congregation in Northfield, Illinois.

You'll also enjoy wonderful music from Jonathan Settel, Greg Silverman, Sue Samuel, Paul Wilbur, Kathy Shooster and The Schleps!

Melissa Moskowitz Interview

Melissa Moskowitz is a dear friend and a strong believer in Yeshua.   I was honored to speak with her a few days ago.  Here is some info about her:

Melissa Moskowitz has been a part of Jews for Jesus since 1975. She was born and raised in the Bronx and came to believe in Yeshua while in college. She moved to Brooklyn with her husband Jhan (the late North American Director of Jews for Jesus) when the branch opened in January 2007. Throughout her 36 years of service with the ministry she's had the opportunity to use her giftings in youth and young adult work, publications, photography and for the past 13 years in young adult ministry. Now from their 108-year old Victorian home in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, Melissa holds Shabbat fellowships for young adult students and professionals, as well as other events which include food, fellowship and the Word.

You'll enjoy some great music too -- Joel Chernoff, Sue Samuel, Lamb, Jonathan Settel, Corry Bell & Lev Shelo and Ted Pearce!

Rabbi Jim Appel Interview

It was a fabulous day in the studio as I once more welcomed Rabbi Jim Appel to the program.  Rabbi Jim has been the spiritual leader of Congregation Shema Yisrael since 1996 and a Jewish follower of Yeshua since 1977. He is ordained by the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues.
Rabbi Jim previously worked for Xerox Corporation in Webster, N.Y., for 24 years as an optical engineer and engineering manager. He holds more than 45 patents in the areas of copier imaging systems and laser printing. Rabbi Jim received a bachelor's degree in optical engineering from the University of Rochester in 1967 and a master's degree in physics from the University of Southern California in 1970.
Rabbi Jim decided to follow Yeshua after a long spiritual search. He grew up with parents who taught him that God did not exist and organized religion deceived and oppressed people. In 1967 after completing college, Jim became disillusioned with life as an atheist. He rejected his parent's teachings and began his search for spiritual reality. This search took him into the world of mind-altering drugs and yoga meditation, and ended with a dramatic encounter with Yeshua the Messiah, who revealed himself to Rabbi Jim in the privacy of his bedroom without the assistance of any other person.

Today Rabbi Jim discussed the "blood moons" - what is their spiritual significance and what has happened in the past during these eclipses.   Plus you'll enjoy some great Passover music from Nancy Santiago, Sue Samuel, Michelle Gold, Rachel Boskey, House of Peace, the Schleps and Jonathan Settel.

Robin Citron Interview

Two nice Jewish girls get together and anything can happen!   Robin grew up in a Jewish home in Brooklyn, NY and in this interview she shares her journey of faith.     Robin is a dear friend and I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her and learning more about her life.

You'll also enjoy some wonderful music from Sue Samuel, Ted Pearce, Zemer Levav, Barry & Batya Segal, Jonathan Settel and Joshua Aaron.

Brian Samuel Interview

It's always good to talk to my buddy Brian Samuel.   You'll enjoy great music, including songs from Sue Samuel (of course!).   Brian gets us up to date on what's happening in Haiti.

Brian Samuel, along with his wife Sue Samuel, has been in the Messianic movement since 1997 when he first accepted Yeshua as his Messiah. Brian served at Beth Zion Messianic Synagogue in New Jersey as elder and worship director until 2007, when he and Sue moved to Rhode Island. Since then, he has served at Mishkahn David Messianic Synagogue in Rhode Island. In the summer of 2013, Brian and Sue were ordained as Rabbi and Rebbetzin of Mishkahn David, and they have served in this capacity since September 2013. Brian has been and continues to be blessed to minister, along with Sue, in support of the music ministry that Adonai has entrusted to her.