Israel (MNN) — “If I give my life to Jesus, can I still be Jewish?”
The question came from Sarah Rabinovitch, a Holocaust survivor living in Israel. She lived through the Nazi reign, a harrowing ship journey to Israel, and extreme poverty.
Growing up, Sarah’s main exposure to Christians came through Germans and Russians who claimed the name of Jesus while murdering her people. She was suspicious of Christians and especially of Messianic Jews who followed Christ.
But when Sarah went to a Holocaust Survivor banquet hosted by Uncharted Ministries, her heart stirred when she heard Jesus’s words read from the New Testament.
Israeli flags (Photo courtesy of Cole Keister via Unsplash)
JoAnn with Uncharted Ministries lovingly replied to Sarah’s question:
“Of course you will still be Jewish! Following Jesus is the most Jewish thing you can do! It doesn’t change your ethnicity, but it does trade in religion for a relationship with the Living God.”
As Sarah spoke with JoAnn, she felt the movement of the Holy Spirit. There, Sarah began a relationship with Jesus. Uncharted Ministries’ Tom Doyle says their outreach to Holocaust survivors like Sarah is crucial in this generation.
“The Israeli comptroller estimates that all Holocaust survivors will be gone in about eight years. Some are even saying it may be five years and there won’t be any more Holocaust survivors in Israel. They’ll be gone. The average age [of a Holocaust survivor] right now is 88.”
Doyle says most Holocaust survivors today come from an atheist background. Like Sarah, they tend to be wary of those who call themselves Christians.
“Because of what they endured, they can’t fathom there is a God. But through love and reaching out to them and just spending time with them, they see it in people. They start to have that spark again. ‘Okay, maybe there can be a God.’ And then of course, the Father draws them to Jesus.”
Last year, Uncharted Ministries saw over 60 Holocaust survivors begin relationships with Jesus and get baptized.
You can follow more stories with Uncharted Ministries and get involved at their website here!
Meanwhile, Doyle asks, “Pray for Holocaust survivors. It’s a short fuse on this ministry. We don’t have a lot of time left, but they need Jesus.”
Header photo of Jerusalem courtesy of 8thirty8.
