Judith Benhamou Returns

It was fun chatting with my long-time friend Judith Benhamou. Judith was raised in a Jewish home but was drawn to Jesus when she was a little girl. She met her Jewish Messiah at 25 years old and fell in love with him. She discovered many other Messianic Jews and has never looked back. This year Judith celebrates 50 years (herJubilee) as a Jewish believer in Yeshua.

Judith’s professional career has been in Education and she loves working with children and helping them to discover the joys of learning new things.  In this broadcast Judith will share information about our congregation’s upcoming Messianic Jewish VBS program for children. 

Peter Oliveira

I really enjoyed interviewing Rabbi Peter Oliveira! Formerly the Messianic Rabbi of Congregation Mishkahn David in Rhode Island (Rabbi Brian Samuel is the current Rabbi) Rabbi Peter and his wife Lisa felt called to work at an orphanage in Haiti. They sailed with their children on a sailboat from Rhode Island and it took almost a year to arrive there. They saw miraculous healings while there. It’s truly an  amazing story. 

Currently Rabbi Peter is the Rabbi of  Congregation Mishkahn Nachamu (Tabernacle of Comfort) in Litchfield, Connecticut on Saturdays and on Sundays he is the Pastor of the famous First Congregational Church of Litchfield. 

Ellen Herr Interview

Gotta love social media!  I found another Messianic believer!  Fun interview!  Here is some background on Ellen Herr:

Ellen was born into a Jewish family and raised in Lancaster, CA where her parents started the first synagogue.  As a young adult Ellen moved to Los Angeles and began to search for a relationship with God. This was during the Jesus revolution where many young Jewish people came to faith in Yeshua. Ellen visited a Messianic congregation in the San Fernando Valley and gave her heart to Yeshua. She began attending the congregation and became the office manager there. Later Ellen worked for the Anti-Defamation League for a few years. Ellen met and married a wonderful Jewish believer. For the past thirty years they have lived in Las Vegas and her family has been very involved with the Messianic community there.

Joe Miterko Interview

I enjoyed getting to know this talented young man.  

Joe Miterko grew up in a Messianic gentile home and has been involved in music ministry for as long as he can remember. In 2008 while on a trip to Israel, he felt the powerful presence of the Lord, and it changed his life forever. Originally from the Connecticut area, he now lives in Boston, teaches piano, plays at various Messianic functions, and has a deep love of the Lord. 

Dr. Jay Christianson Interview

I was delighted to find Dr. Jay on Facebook.  He is a fascinating man.  Here is some background:

Dr. Jay Christianson is the founder and President of High Beam Ministry and has faithfully served in ordained ministry since 1994. He is a pastor, teacher, worship leader, speaker, Israel tour leader, independent researcher, Jewish-Christian Dialogue participant, and outspoken advocate for Israel and the Jewish community.

 

Through his online High Beam Ministry, Dr. Jay hosts the weekly Truth Barista Podcast, authors the Frothy Thoughts Blog, teaches Bible classes, and produces Bible study resources.

He is an enthusiastic teacher who focuses on understanding the Bible from the original Hebraic-Jewish context. He first became excited about the Hebraic heritage of Christianity in 1986. Since then, he has led tours to Israel and twice participated in Bridges for Peace’s Institute of Israel Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. He enjoys teaching Christians about the Jewish foundations of their faith and encouraging interfaith understanding between Christians and Jews.

Dr. Jay Christianson holds a Bachelor of Arts (University of Minnesota), a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Studies (North Central University), a Master of Arts in Judeo-Christian Synergism (Masters International University of Divinity), and a Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies (Master’s International University of Divinity).

Jay and his wife, Jeanne, reside in Naples, Florida.

Check out his website:  The Truth Barista Podcast | Highbeam Ministry

Rabbi Jim (Appel) Returns!

It's always an honor to chat with my Rabbi.  Here's a little bit about Rabbi Jim:

Rabbi Jim Appel 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.

In this broadcast we discussed the miracles surrounding our purchase of our beautiful new building, miracles in his life, and the meaning of Shavuot.

Rabbi Carmen Welker Leannah

Carmen was raised in a gentile home but discovered later that she was Jewish.  Rabbi Carmen Welker is a graduate of Messianic Jewish Rabbinate.  Author of several books and host of a major Messianic website, The Refiner’s Fire, she is a former U.S. Army Sergeant Major who served 22 years as a journalist and newspaper editor, administrator and German language translator. Originally from Germany, she came to the United States in 1960 when her mother married an American soldier.

Carmen has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the State of New York and is also a graduate of Mid-America Business College (Springfield, Missouri); the Defense Information School (journalism) at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; and the prestigious United States Army Sergeants Major Academy in El Paso, Texas, where she also worked as a lesson developer and instructor.

A former Bible study teacher and leader in the prison ministry “Friends in Transition,” she is now a Hebraic Faith/Netzari teacher and author who had the distinct privilege of being the original editor/proofreader of the Aramaic English New Testament.