You Helped Unite Michael and Beverly in Jesus

Michael and Beverly’s love was radical back in 1961, when only 6 percent of Jewish people intermarried. And when Beverly found a living relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the Messiah Jesus, Michael—who was raised in traditional Judaism—developed a deep respect for her Christian convictions. He was even curious enough about her faith to attend church every so often.

In 1999, while visiting New York City, the couple “happened” to walk by the Jews for Jesus office and our window display caught their attention. Beverly requested information to share with Michael, and they received our publications for seekers over the next 20 years. Michael began to see how it might be possible to be Jewish and believe in Jesus.

What is salvation, and why should it matter to me?

In 2021, Michael was diagnosed with terminal cancer. When a Christian chaplain visited him in the hospital, Michael found himself seriously considering the gospel. Once home, he finally wanted to meet with a Jewish believer in Jesus. I had the privilege of visiting Michael, and he got straight to the point: “What is salvation, and why should it matter to me?”

We had a deep conversation, and I left Michael with a little booklet I wrote called Turning to God.* We kept in touch, and I prayed with him and for him.

In December 2021, after Beverly’s nightly routine of making Michael comfortable, he told her matter-of-factly, “I’ve had an epiphany: I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior.” He and Beverly got to experience seven months of shared faith in Jesus before Michael passed into His presence forever.

Salvation is not just a what, it is a Who, and in Him is eternal life.

Beverly called me shortly after Michael died and asked if I would help officiate at his memorial service. She wanted his friends and family to know what God had done for her dear husband. I was grateful for the opportunity to share with them the answer that I’d been able to give Michael: that salvation is not just a what, it is a Who, and in Him is eternal life (John 17:3).

The rate of Jewish intermarriage has increased dramatically since Michael and Beverly were married. According to Pew Research May 2021, almost half of all American Jews are now intermarried. Several of our staff now specialize in reaching out to these couples. Later this year, in addition to our usual work with this group, we will be having a “capstone” outreach as part of the Jews for Jesus Jubilee, proclaiming liberty to 22 of our key audiences.

Thank you so much for partnering with us to help Jewish people like Michael find their forever life in Jesus. Please be praying for the many Jewish-Gentile couples whose search for spiritual harmony is opening doors for them to talk about the Jewish Messiah—and pray especially for our upcoming outreach to them.

If you or someone you know is interested in our resources for Jewish-Gentile couples, please visit our website: jewishgentilecouples.com.

I’ve also developed a book to train others to help Jewish-Gentile couples understand and communicate with each other about spiritual matters. You can find it at j4j.co/jgcbook.

 

*Contact  Tuvya@jewishgentilecouples.com if you are interested in the booklet.