David Brickner became executive director of Jews for Jesus in 1996 and was the first to succeed our founding executive director, Moishe Rosen. Under his leadership, Jews for Jesus advanced internationally with missionaries in 12 countries, the largest number being in Israel.

David comes from five generations of Jewish followers of Messiah Jesus. Though he turned his back on his upbringing in high school, David had a unique encounter with God in college that prompted him to attend a Jews for Jesus Bible study. David says, “I surrendered my life to Jesus in 1976 and haven’t looked back.”

David has authored several books, including the soon-to-be-released Does the Jewish Bible Point to Jesus? 12 Key Prophecies that Unfold God’s Plan. He has been interviewed on secular and Christian radio and television shows, including Larry King Live and In the Market with Janet Parshall.

A graduate of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, David also has a bachelor of arts degree in Judaica from Northeastern Illinois University in conjunction with Spertus College of Judaica. He has a master of arts degree in missiology with an emphasis on Jewish studies from the Fuller School of Mission and Theology.

David is an avid reader, hiker, and mountain climber. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Sabra, and is the proud father of Isaac, Ilana, and Sivan, and grandfather of three. Learn more about David ›

David “Moose” Garrett and his wife, Kathleen, have served on staff at the Jews for Jesus international headquarters in San Francisco since 1981. Currently, David ministers to those who have grown up in our children and youth programs as well as to those who have served on staff with Jews for Jesus. Kathleen serves in our Philanthropy Department. The Garretts have two married daughters: Virginia (married to Joshua) and Monica (married to Noah). They also have six little friends (grandchildren): Simeon, Malachi, Eli, Lylah, Daniel, and Clay.

Susan Perlman is one of the founders of Jews for Jesus. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents and came to faith in Jesus in 1971. She thought she was the only Jew in the world who believed in Jesus. A year later, Moishe Rosen invited her to join the newly formed Jews for Jesus group in California.

Susan is a big proponent of partnerships, believing that together, God’s people can do more kingdom work than alone. She leads their partnership focus with like-minded mission agencies, Messianic congregations, churches, associations, and theological institutions. Susan also serves as first assistant to CEO David Brickner and is on their executive leadership team as well as their US board of directors.

Susan wears a lot of hats, but if you ask her, she would tell you that what she loves to do the most is tell other Jews about her Messiah Jesus. She continues to meet with Jewish seekers and skeptics and has a blog called Two Jews Schmooze, available on Facebook. Learn more about Susan ›

Rich grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a Reform Jewish home. He came to faith in Jesus in 1973 as a student at Syracuse University following several years of spiritual searching and exploration. He has served with Jews for Jesus since 1978 as a missionary at several North American Jews for Jesus branches. He was also a pianist and songwriter with the music team The Liberated Wailing Wall.

Rich currently serves in San Francisco as senior researcher, where he works on writing, editing, and researching the Bible, Jesus, and Jewish culture. He is author of the books Christ in the Sabbath and The Day Jesus Did Tikkun Olam: Jewish Values and the New Testament, and co-author of Christ in the Feast of Pentecost. Rich received his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1978 and a PhD in biblical studies and hermeneutics from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1993. Read more of his story here.

Rob Wertheim is a senior missionary serving with the Online Evangelism Team of Jews for Jesus. He was raised in a Conservative Jewish home in New York, the son of Holocaust survivors from Germany. While visiting his brother, Steve, in Los Angeles, he found out that Steve had come to faith in Jesus. During this time, Jews for Jesus was having a Messianic Passover Seder, which Rob attended with his brother. It was here that he heard messianic prophecies for the first time. Months later, Rob committed his life to the Lord. Rob is married to a Jewish believer, Sandy, and they have three adult children: Saul, Rose, and Josh.

He has been on staff since 1988 and meets with Jewish people seeking to know about Jesus or wanting to learn and grow in their faith. Rob participates on our website LiveChat platform, where he meets Jewish seekers as well as believers. In addition, he attends local Jewish classes, where he meets Jewish people hoping to bring a messianic testimony as opportunities arise.

Ruth Rosen, daughter of Jews for Jesus founder Moishe Rosen, is a staff writer and editor with Jews for Jesus. Ruth has a degree in biblical studies from Biola College in Southern California and has written and/or edited quite a few of our evangelistic resources. She has also helped many other Jewish believers in Jesus tell their stories. That includes her father, whose biography she authored in what she says was “one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.” For details or to order your copy of Called to Controversy: the Unlikely Story of Moishe Rosen and the Founding of Jews for Jesus, visit our online store.

Ruth says, “I love my work and never know what projects might come my way, from writing gospel content for our website to helping edit a messianic version of Tyndale’s Chronological Life Application Bible, to collaborating with David Brickner on a new book about messianic prophecy.” Ruth also edits the Jews for Jesus Newsletter to keep our ministry partners in the know about how to pray for our ministry and our missionaries.