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Aaron Abramson is a chief operating officer with Jews for Jesus. He was raised in a Jewish family in Seattle before relocating to Israel as a teenager. He attended an Orthodox Jewish seminary and served in the Israeli military. Upon completion of his service, Aaron took a year to travel, which proved to be both a physical and spiritual journey. He was challenged to read the New Testament and had a life-changing encounter with God. Out of a passion to see others’ lives similarly transformed, he joined Jews for Jesus in 2000. During his time with Jews for Jesus, he’s served as a missionary, director of recruitment, launched Jews for Jesus’ Young Adult Ministry, launched Massah, our outreach to Israeli backpackers, as well as served as our New York mission’s director. He holds a BA in biblical and intercultural studies from All Nations Christian College in England and an MPA from New York University. Aaron and his wife, Victoria, have three children and currently reside in New York City.

I grew up in a family that had already accepted Yeshua as the Messiah. However, during my early teenage years, I went my own way and got involved in the punk movement for a short period of time. Eventually, through an encounter with the Holy Spirit, the LORD convicted my of my sin and showed me that I was wasting my life if I wasn’t living for Him. After spending four and a half years working with Jews for Jesus in Hungary, I am very excited to be able to start a new branch in Berlin. We want to share the life-giving message of the Messiah Yeshua with the thousands of Israeli, German and Russian Jews along with the thousands of tourists who travel there. Every prayer is so much appreciated!

Branch Leader, Berlin

Adel Ben David is an outreach worker in Jerusalem, Israel. She has been married to Yoel, who also serves with Jews for Jesus, for 20 years. While supporting her husband in ministry, she raised her four children in three different countries. In January 2018, Adel joined our staff to contribute to our Jerusalem campaign with her artistic talent. She paints and creates glass mosaics, though her main passion and skill is in pottery. Prior to coming on staff with Jews for Jesus, she worked for a studio to gain experience. She now teaches children, and uses her talents to create events for all ages that help facilitate gospel ministry. Adel speaks four languages: German, Russian, English and Hebrew. Her husband Yoel has been a missionary with Jews for Jesus for over 15 years. They have four children: Noa, Boaz, Nati, and Naomi.

Svetlana Adelson lives and serves in the Land of Israel, but she is originally from Ukraine. She holds an RN degree as well as a BA in biochemistry. She didn’t hear about Yeshua (Jesus) until her early 20s, but all along, she knew in her heart that God exists. When she volunteered as a nurse at a Christian summer camp, she heard about Yeshua and what He had done through His sacrifice. That summer, Svetlana gave her life to Yeshua, and God changed her and helped her to grow spiritually. 

In 2011, Svetlana met an Israeli-Jewish man, Alexander, who served with the ministry of Jews for Jesus in Israel. After they were married, Svetlana moved to Israel. They now have two beautiful children, Daniel and Eliana.
 
A couple of years ago, Svetlana joined Jews for Jesus and now serves as a missionary. She especially loves to help young mothers and women who struggle with fear and lack of self-confidence, as she once did. She knows that only true faith in Messiah Yeshua can bring about real change in one’s heart and give “shalom,” or peace, as she experiences today.

Alexander Adelson came to faith at the age of 20 after much soul-searching while he was in the Israeli Defense Force. As a man who had grown up in a secular home, he did not have much knowledge of religion, and wanted to learn. When he read the Bible he was surprised to discover that it is not just a historical book, but is full of life truths, facts, and prophecies. One promise caught his eye (see <a href="https://biblia.com/bible/esv/jeremiah/31/31-33" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jeremiah 31:31–33</a>).
Alexander recognized that the prophet was speaking of a God-initiated covenant in which the Lord Himself puts His law in the heart of man. The desire to live in this covenant with God compelled him to continue searching. Providentially, he met some Messianic Jews, and through them, discovered the New Testament. As he studied it he saw that Yeshua (Jesus) confronted religious hypocrisy and underscored God’s requirement that we love Him wholeheartedly, as He loves us. Alexander soon found a personal relationship with God by trusting in Yeshua’s promise of forgiveness and peace through His sacrifice on the cross. He became a member of a local Messianic community where he continued to increase in his knowledge of God and develop in his desire to tell others about Him.
Since 2011, Alexander has been serving with Jews for Jesus Israel as a missionary and leader of the missionary team in Tel Aviv. He is married to Svetlana, who serves with him in Israel. They have two children. In 2019, Alexander completed a BA in theological studies.

Alexander Vasserman serves with Jews for Jesus in Tel Aviv, where he organizes large street evangelistic events aimed at reaching young Jewish people. He also coordinates and leads camps and ministries for all ages. In addition to his service with Jews for Jesus, Alexander is part of the leadership of the Christian community in the city of Bat Yam. He has an undergraduate degree in logistics and also a theological education degree. He is married to Valeria, who supports and inspires her husband in his service to the Lord. They have a little daughter, Yael.

Amer Olson is a senior missionary at the New York branch of Jews for Jesus. In addition to studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Amer received his theological training at All Nations Christian College. Amer’s wife, Paige, is also an artist. They have five children: Josiah, Abigail, Zechariah, Samantha and Benjamin.

Anatoly Emma was born Odessa, Ukraine, in 1976. Odessa is a large seaport city which at one time had a Jewish population of approximately 300,000. Anatoly came to believe in Jesus as his Messiah in 1993 and was actively involved in the church he began to attend. For two years he was part of a group that worked in the hospitals for drug addicts, alcoholics, TB and venereologic patients. In 1995, the Lord called him and another brother to start a new church in Odessa, and up to 1999, he was ministering in this new congregation. Then, in 1999, the Lord called Anatoly to start ministering to his Jewish people, and he joined the Jews for Jesus ministry. For the last two years, Anatoly has been the leader of the Kiev branch of Jews for Jesus. He and his wife Olga have two little children, Elizabeth and Christina.

Andrew Barron is the Director of Jews for Jesus Canada. He and his wife Laura live in Toronto with their children Rafael, Ketzia and Simona. Andrew first heard the Gospel while a science student at Florida Institute of Technology. A friend shared a Gideon’s New Testament with him and challenged him to read it. Andrew used to work as a crew activity planner and orbit designer on the early Space Shuttle Missions.

Annette grew up in Fresno, CA in a Jewish Christian home. Her grandparents were the first people in her family to come to faith in Jesus. Annette came to faith at a young age and was baptized at age 13. She graduated from Biola University with a bachelor's degree in music and a minor in Bible. After college she toured the U.S., parts of Europe and South Africa with Jews for Jesus' mobile evangelistic music team, the Liberated Wailing Wall. In 1993 she moved to New York City to begin training as a missionary with Jews for Jesus. It was there that she met and married, Josh, who was also a Jewish believer from California and was a Brooklyn College student at the time.

In their early married years Josh and Annette served as missionaries with Jews for Jesus in New York City, then for another five years in Los Angeles. They felt called to return to New York so that Josh could develop Jews for Jesus' youth and camp ministries on the East Coast, so Josh and Annette served in New York from 2000-2011, during which time their daughters Eliana and Taliah were born, and Josh became the branch director. During those years Annette was a full-time mom, with side duties such as leading a moms Bible study and helping wives of missionary trainees transition to life in ministry. In 2011, the Sofaer family moved to Portland, Oregon so that Josh could complete a master's degree at Western Seminary.

In August 2012 the Sofaer family moved back to Los Angeles so that Josh could begin directing the Jews for Jesus work in Southern California. Though the family is still very much in the midst of transitioning to a new area, Josh and Annette are excited to see what the Lord will be doing through Jews for Jesus there. In 2015, Annette returned to part-time staff with Jews for Jesus, first in the church relations department, and now as a missionary to the Jewish women in the Southern California area.

Arielle Randle was raised in a Messianic Jewish home. Originally from New York City, she studied theater and worked in that field before coming onto the missionary staff of Jews for Jesus along with her husband, David, in 2012. After serving as missionaries in the former Chicago branch for five years, Arielle and David relocated to its ministry headquarters in San Francisco. Arielle is the director of communications and David is the director of recruitment, and they now live in the New York City area. They have two young children: their daughter, Yael, and their son, Gideon.

Asher’s connection to Jews for Jesus goes all the way back to his mother, who was raised in a secular Jewish home and then came to faith through a Jews for Jesus Bible study. She eventually worked in our New York office. Asher grew up with parents who raised him to know it was okay to be Jewish and believe in Jesus. He accepted Jesus at a young age and while a student at Brooklyn College he connected with Jews for Jesus and after a number of internships and projects with the ministry decided to serve in the ministry full-time. Asher Korycka is serving in New York City. Part of his ministry will be using his experience and training in video production to create content that will point Jewish people to Yeshua.

Dinah is a missionary in the New York branch of Jews for Jesus. She is passionate about studying the Bible with others. Not only does she do one one-on-one Bible studies but she also hosts a weekly Hebrew speaking Bible study in her home. Dinah leads worship at her local congregation. She coordinates local events such as the ladies’ tea, clothing exchange, women’s Bible study and others! She is currently taking classes through Western Seminary for Masters of Arts with a focus on Pastoral Care for w/Women.

Avi Snyder is a veteran missionary and former director of the European work of Jews for Jesus. He joined our ministry in 1978 and served as the Los Angeles director, then moved to Ukraine as the Soviet Union collapsed.  He pioneered Jews for Jesus’ ministry in Russia and Ukraine, before launching works in both Germany and Hungary. He will share with you what is happening in Jewish evangelism in Russia and Eastern Europe. Avi received his theological training at Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Missions. He and his wife, Ruth, have three grown children, Leah, Joel and Elizabeth.

Avigail Rantanen was born in Israel. Her father is Israeli and her mother is a Finnish convert to Judaism. Avigail became a believer in Jesus in 2004. Soon, she was sharing her faith with others and felt God calling her to reach her Jewish people for the Lord. She left Finland and moved to Israel, where she participated in several of our outreach events before joining our missionary staff. Avigail is married to Markus and they have two children.

Bob Mendelsohn is the director of Jews for Jesus in AustralAsia which covers Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Kansas City, but became a college drop-out when he decided to look for the meaning of life in the counterculture of the '60s. He found meaning and relevance in Jesus which caused him much trouble at home. But he says, "it was worth the cost." Bob has worked for Jews for Jesus since 1979, and served as the leader of our work in Washington DC and New York City before moving to Sydney in 1998. Bob and his wife Patty both graduated from the University of Kansas and Fuller Seminary. They have three adult children and four grandsons.

I grew up in a believing household; my parents came to faith when I was 6 years old. My step-dad started visiting a congregation in Beer Sheva (south of Israel) and accepted Yeshua as his savior. Not long afterwards my mum came to faith as well. I grew up in a congregation called ‘Grace and Truth’ and was part of the youth group, went to conferences in the summer and acted like a believer. Although I knew from an early age that God had His hand on my life, I was never willing to accept Christ into my heart. I felt that giving God my life was an irreversible step and I wasn’t ready to totally commit to Him. I was sitting on the fence trying to benefit from God and from the world.
At the age of 16 I started practicing music and at 17 formed a rock band. I loved being on a stage, playing and singing for my ego and my own “glory”. At the same time, I was also part of the worship team in church. I felt like I was serving two lords; God and myself, mainly myself. A time came when God touched my heart, I couldn’t do it any longer. I decided to put all my talents, all my capabilities, all that I am into God’s hands. I gave it all to Jesus, asking him to be my Lord, repenting of my pride and sin. I accepted Jesus as my Messiah giving him all that I am and decided to live my life building His kingdom – not mine.
I honorably discharged from the army in 2012 with a thirst for God’s word. There was a hunger to get to know Him more, spend time with Him and enjoy Him. I opted to serve and study at the “Shelter” Eilat, then did a 3-month discipleship program, where I met my beautiful future wife, Gefen who I married in 2014. Shortly afterwards I went on an outreach program with Jews for Jesus to India and started working with JFJ in the young adults ministry, evangelizing at cultural events and on the streets of Tel – Aviv, sharing the good news about Yeshua.

Carolina Flores grew up in a Messianic Jewish home in Israel. However, after a painful separation of her parents, the family simply abandoned their belief in Yeshua and Carolina grew up completely secular. As a young woman, after her time in the army, she worked in Israel in a facility where volunteers from Germany served. One day, some of these volunteers invited Carolina to church. This first visit was the beginning of a change in her life and there she met a member of the Jewish staff for Jesus who would take care of Carolina in the near future. After a few meetings, Carolina came to believe and was baptized.

God's ways are unique and they led Carolina to Germany to study and later to Berlin for an internship with Jews for Jesus in Berlin. Now she is taking the big step to work full-time for Jews for Jesus in Berlin.

Chaim Birnbaum was raised in a Messianic home. His family moved from the United States to Israel when Chaim was very young. Though he received Jesus at an early age, as a teen he was the “wildest” of his siblings. At age 18, Chaim repented at an Israeli youth conference and became serious about serving the Lord. He led several youth groups and was involved with ministry in Africa for two and a half months before beginning an internship with Jews for Jesus. He planned and organized a unique outreach from the Moishe Rosen Center in Tel Aviv, inviting graffiti artists to show their art. Chaim is currently serving with Jews for Jesus in Tel Aviv as a young adult and youth leader. In this role, he is the leader of <a href="/experience-massah/">Massah</a>, a discipleship/outreach program that reaches Israeli trekkers around the world. Chaim’s older brother Eli is the Jews for Jesus Israel director.

Dan Sered was born in Israel to a secular Jewish family and later relocated to the United States while he was in his teens. Dan attended Stony Brook University in New York where he met Dinah, a Jewish believer in Jesus who showed him how Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah. Dan’s eyes were opened and he committed his life to the Lord. In 1999, Dan &amp; Dinah were married and soon after began serving as missionaries, joining Jews for Jesus and later moving to Israel. In 2006, Dan became the Israel Director of Jews for Jesus, which quickly became the largest branch of the ministry worldwide. In 2019, Dan was appointed as a Chief Operating Officer for the organization and specifically supervises the day-to-day efforts of the branches in Europe, South Africa, Israel, and Australia. Dan received his M.A. in Ministry and Leadership from Western Seminary and his D. Min. in Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the President of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism and serves as Co-Catalyst for Jewish Evangelism in the Lausanne Movement. Dan is also an adjunct professor at Israel College of the Bible in Netanya and helped to pastor All Nations Church in Petah Tikvah, Israel for 17 years. He &amp; Dinah have 3 children; Yael, Eithan, and Yoav.

Danielle Stavi was born in Israel to a believing family near Tel Aviv. At the age of 16 in the midst of difficult circumstances, she realized she had never made a commitment to Jesus. Though Danielle knew of God, she followed her own path. In 2009, through teachings at a conference for high school graduates in preparation for their military service, Danielle came to realize that a life without God is not worth living. It was then that she first understood that she could not reach God through her deeds, but only through the sacrifice made by Yeshua (Jesus). As she trusted in Him, God filled her emptiness with joy and gave her boldness to share regularly about Yeshua during her two years of army service. Danielle then participated in an intensive discipleship course and volunteered in a Christian hostel for backpackers in Amsterdam.
While studying for her BA in social work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Danielle joined our Israeli Massah (journey), which focuses on reaching young Israelis as they travel through India and South America. Through that experience, her passion and calling for sharing the gospel moved her to join Jews for Jesus at the end of her studies. In 2018, Danielle initiated and began leading the Mekomi team, a ministry for addicts, the homeless, and prostitutes. Applying her education in social work, Mekomi serves the street population, meeting their immediate needs, while focusing on long-term impact. As Danielle says, “I want to help others have a deeper revelation of who God is and to be bold in proclaiming Him as Lord of their lives.”

David “Moose” Garrett and his wife, Kathleen, have been involved with Jews for Jesus since 1975 and have served on staff at the international headquarters in San Francisco since 1981. Currently, David is the Children and Youth Ministry Director and Kathleen serves in the Development Department. The Garretts have two married daughters, Virginia (Joshua) and Monica (Noah) and three little friends (grandsons): Simeon, Malachi and Eli.

David Liebman is a second-generation Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus). David grew up attending the Jews for Jesus summer camp program, Camp Gilgal.  While serving with Jews For Jesus David has helped lead several short-term mission programs in NYC, Israel, and India. He is a graduate of Phoenix Seminary with a degree in Leadership Development.  He and his wife Rachel have two children, Micah and Eden.

David Randle is the director of recruitment for Jews for Jesus and works at our New York office. He was raised in a believing home by an African American father and Jewish mother. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Point Loma Nazarene University. He served for five years as the children and youth Midwest ministry director at the former Chicago branch. He is married to Arielle, another Jewish believer, and they have two young children: their daughter, Yael, and their son, Gideon.

David Brickner is executive director of Jews for Jesus. David oversees the world-wide ministry from its headquarters in San Francisco. David received his Master’s degree in Missiology with a concentration in Jewish Evangelism and Judaic Studies from the Fuller School of World Mission. He has authored several books, and has been interviewed on national television shows such as Larry King Live. David’s daughter Ilana is a graduate of Biola. His son Isaac is on the missionary staff of Jews for Jesus. Isaac and his wife Shaina have one daughter, Nora, and a son, Levy, which makes David part of the grandparent club, a membership he is very proud of. <a href="/david-brickner-bio">See more here.</a>

Delphine grew up in a secular Jewish home and came to faith later in life after attending a Billy Graham crusade. She was one of thousands that stood up at the altar call. Delphine never quite understood her Jewishness until coming to work with Jews for Jesus. That was one of the motivating factors for her interest in the mission. Jews for Jesus is where she met her husband Joshua. Delphine has a master’s degree in American Literature from the Sorbonne in Paris.

I was born in Odessa, Ukraine, in 1951, but for the first 17 years of my life I lived in Magadan with my mother. Then we returned to Odessa. I studied music, technology, and clothing design. When the doors of the Soviet Union began to open, I tried to emigrate to Israel, but could not do so because my mother would not give me a written permission for the embassy. So I went back to my study and to my work. I got married but ten years later my husband died. God however blessed me with a wonderful son during that period. I came to know the Lord when my son was very young. I’d been seeking God for some time when I read a tract of Jews for Jesus and gave them my contact information because I wanted to learn more. Soon after that, I took my little son to Kiev for a complicated heart surgery, and in the hospital, the mother of another little patient shared the Gospel with me. When I saw how God spared my son, I returned to Odessa with my heart open to the Lord. When shortly after that a Jews for Jesus missionary called to meet with me, I was fully ready for that and prayed to receive Y’shua in that meeting.

In 1993, I began to help Jews for Jesus as a volunteer. In 1995, I joined the ministry and continue to serve with Jews for Jesus now, after my move to Germany.

Eduard was born in a Jewish family in Ukraine. From the age of 12, he was part of theater productions and went through many different stages, all to become a professional theater director. He came to know the Lord at the age of 36, first in the traditional Russian Orthodox Church, then joined an evangelical church. After graduating from the Grace Seminary in Moscow, he decided he no longer wanted to play on stage, but to carry the good news of Jesus to people around him. Eduard was ordained and became an assistant pastor in his church. In 1998, Eduard joined Jews for Jesus. He took part in numerous evangelistic campaigns of Jews for Jesus in FSU, USA, and Israel. For several years, Eduard served in Moscow, then in Ukraine. Now he is part of the Kiev branch in Ukraine. Eduard is married and has three children.

Eli Birnbaum was born in the U.S. and moved with his family to Israel at the age of seven. He came to believe in Yeshua (Jesus) at a very early age, as his father was a pastor. Although as a child Eli was indifferent toward his faith, his passion for God was rekindled while attending a summer camp as a teenager. He returned to school, started sharing about the Lord with his friends, and soon became known as “the missionary.” 
 
Eli joined Jews for Jesus in 2009, after completing his mandatory military service. He developed the Tel Aviv branch’s ministry to soldiers and youth, and helped found our Israeli Massah (journey) program, which focuses on reaching young Israelis as they travel through India and South America. He showed great leadership ability early on and was tasked with the planning, designing, and renovating of the Moishe Rosen Center. Upon its completion, Eli was promoted in 2013 to oversee the Center and to lead its children, youth, and young adults department. He became the Israel director in 2019. 
 
Eli has his bachelor’s degree in economics from the Open University and is currently in his second year of studies at Western Seminary for his MA in biblical and theological studies. He is an astute and insightful thinker with a heart to serve and strategically find ways to minister to people, no matter where they stand spiritually. He has been married to his wife Shoshana, who also serves with our ministry, since 2011, and the couple has two boys.

Liz Goldstein is a missionary at the New York branch of Jews for Jesus. Liz also coordinates opportunities for Young Adults in North America. Liz received her bachelor’s degree in art history from Hunter College. Liz’s late father was one of the founders of Jews for Jesus in the early 1970s.

Elizabeth Black is a missionary at the New York branch of Jews for Jesus. Elizabeth grew up in Baltimore among a large Jewish community. At an early age, she felt a strong calling to share Jesus with the Jewish people, and attended Washington Bible College with the aspiration to serve in Jewish ministry. She has been working hard to reach out to Jewish young adults and young families in NYC. She is married to Eryn, and is the proud mother of two sweet boys, Jude and Ezra.

Emmanuel was born in Tehran, Iran and is a 4th generation Jewish Believer in Jesus. He likes to say he is a descendant of Queen Esther, but he can’t back that up. Emmanuel has innovated evangelism on JewsforJesus.org since 2007 and is now serving as a specialized online missionary. He says, "We leverage the anonymity of the web to allow those, who might not otherwise be reached with the truth of Jesus, to get connected with a real person who can help!" <a href="https://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/issues-v22-n05/from-iran-to-tehrangeles-five-generations-of-jewish-faith-in-jesus/?utm_source=jewsforjesus&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=websitebio">Read more about his life story</a> and <a href="https://jforj.org/net/?utm_source=jewsforjesus&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=websitebio">how to take part in this flourishing online ministry</a>.

Gefen grew up in a believing home in Israel. When she was 14 years old, Gefen accepted Yeshua as her savior, but struggled with her faith during high school and military service. After finishing the army, she renewed her relationship with the Lord and participated in a 3 month discipleship program, where she also met her future husband Boris. In 2013, Gefen joined the staff of Jews for Jesus as part of the Youth and Young Adult Missionary team; helping to host events at the Moishe Rosen Center and to lead weekly meetings for women, youth, and soldiers. Over the last few summers, she has also been a part of training and sometimes leading our Massah teams, where groups of young messianic believers travel to India to share the gospel with Israeli backpackers. Because of her faith struggles as a young adolescent, Gefen truly has a heart to minister and disciple teenage girls, soldiers and young women.

In 1996, when I got a new job as a salesman, I met a young couple that worked next to me, Yury and Natasha. Once, I learned that they never work on Sundays. I got very surprised at this because in sales one could earn a lot of money on a weekend. I asked them some questions, and Natasha began to tell me about Jesus. In about six months, they invited me to attend a church service with them. To be completely honest, I did not really like it in church. But when I looked at my new friends, I could not help noticing how everything seems to work out for them and how happy they are.
Seven or eight months later, I reconciled with God and invited Jesus into my life. This happened in 1996.
Soon, Yura was invited to join the Jews for Jesus ministry as an administrator, and he invited me to take part in the ministry as well. Periodically, I took part in outreaches of Jews for Jesus. Some more missionaries of Jews for Jesus were part of my church and shared a lot about this ministry with us. So, you could say that I grew up spiritually with Jews for Jesus.
In 2003, leader of the Odessa branch invited me to participate in the Behold Your God campaign in Odessa, Ukraine. I agreed. For a month, we all went out to the streets of Odessa, gave out tracts and shared the gospel message  with people. After this campaign, I felt a fire in my heart towards the Jews for Jesus ministry. So, in March 2004, I joined Jews for Jesus in Odessa as an outreach worker.
I have a wonderful wife named Lina and two  sons Alexander &amp; Mark.

Genevieve is the Communications Director for Jews for Jesus in France. She was formerly the Director of International Publications for the prestigious Larousse publishing company. Genevieve is not a missionary, but God uses her greatly to bring Jewish contacts through a very unique ministry to Jewish people (monthly gatherings in her home). Genevieve speaks 4 languages, including Hebrew and Russian! She works on Jews for Jesus social networks, organizing ministry events, and being a direct line between Jews for Jesus and many churches..

Giselle Bruce is a missionary at the New York branch of Jews for Jesus. Giselle studied music performance in her native Australia, and has been involved in music ministry with Jews for Jesus, as well as in their summer missions program to Israel and India. Giselle is married to David Bruce.

A Jewish follower of the Messiah Yeshua, I started volunteering with Jews for Jesus during our 2012 “Life from the Dead” Budapest campaign. A natural evangelist, it soon became clear that the Lord wanted me to be serving full-time. So, I took that step of faith of leaving the job I had for the past several years in order to devote all my efforts to proclaiming the Good News. “We Jews were called to be a light to the nations,” she says. “Budapest is such a key city for bringing the gospel to Jews and non-Jews alike.”

Ilya Khaimovich is a Jewish believer in Jesus who joined the Moscow branch in 2000. He feels extremely blessed in this ministry to lead people to Jesus and see them come to a saving faith in Him. Apart from direct evangelistic work, he is also part of the music team of the Moscow branch. The team leads worship at the weekly Shabbat meetings and in concerts on major Jewish holidays. His wife’s name is Luba, and they have three daughters: Liza, Leah, and Emma.

Irina Volodarska was born in Kiev, Ukraine. Like most Jews in the Soviet Union, her parents were atheists. But, by God’s grace, Irina came to know Jesus as her Messiah at age fifteen. She served in several different ministries, focusing on translation of Christian literature and work with disabled children. For several years, Irina did translation work for Jews for Jesus. In 2000, she joined Jews for Jesus in Kiev as the publications director. Since then, Irina co-led many international outreaches and campaigns of Jews for Jesus. In 2019, she got married and moved to the USA to continue translating, working on publications and to be PA to Avi Snyder, the European Ambassador of Jews for Jesus.

Isaac is the branch leader of Jews for Jesus in Los Angeles. The first Jewish person in Isaac's family to follow Yeshua (Jesus) was his great great grandmother Esther from a shtetl in Zhitomir, Ukraine. Since then, every generation of Isaac's family have been dedicated to sharing the news of the Messiah with their own people. Isaac was raised in San Francisco and grew up attending the Jews for Jesus summer camp program Camp Gilgal, serving as staff in his teenage years. It wasn't until a trip to Israel and India in 2008 with the Jews for Jesus program Massah that Isaac truly owned the calling that God had placed on his life to be a witness for Yeshua. In August 2010 he married his wife, Shaina, a second-generation Jewish believer in Yeshua, who currently serves as a Labor and Delivery Nurse in Santa Monica. They have 3 kids.

My name is Jeff Morgan and I was born and raised in a secular Jewish home in the U.S. I love the arts and especially athletics, so I became a personal fitness trainer. At the age of 24, I moved to Israel where I learned Hebrew and worked on a kibbutz in the southern Negev. After 20 years of practicing New Age spirituality, I found myself depressed and hopeless. It was then that Yeshua (Jesus) revealed Himself to my wife, Yael, my eldest son, and me—all at the same time, but individually. Yeshua saved me from despair, gave me a new life, and turned me into a new creation overnight! 
 
I spent 13 years in Israel, which is where I met Yael. She and I have three sons. After finishing missionary training in San Francisco, we moved back to Israel. We are now living in Tel Aviv where I serve the Lord with Jews for Jesus as a full-time missionary and media team member.

Jesse grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and belongs to a Gentile family of faith tracing back several generations. During his senior year in high school, he had an experience with God where he truly felt that he was put on this earth to share the message of Yeshua (Jesus) with any Jewish people who were willing to thoughtfully consider if he could in fact be their long-awaited Messiah.
 
This led him to attend Biola University where he studied Biblical &amp; Theological Studies and where he met his now-wife, <a href="/staff-page?firstname=Lucy&amp;lastname=Eshleman">Lucy Eshleman</a>. After getting married, Jesse went on to Talbot Seminary to get his M.A. in Christian Ministry and Leadership. Having served at a local church in Los Angeles and eventually pastoring there, he felt led to join Lucy and serve with Jews for Jesus in 2020. He now serves in the LA Branch’s café space called Upside Down sharing Jesus with students and professionals alike who are curious to know more.

Josh Sofaer is a missionary and senior advisor with the Los Angeles branch of Jews for Jesus. He is one of four boys, but no one else in his immediate family have come to faith yet. Josh previously led the organization’s New York branch and pioneered their children’s program on the East Coast. He received his theological training at Western Seminary. He and his wife, Annette, have two children, Eliana and Taliah.

Joshua Turnil is the leader of the Paris branch of Jews for Jesus. Josh will fill you in on what is happening in Jewish evangelism in France. Joshua was born in New York and has a bachelors degree in French literature. His wife, Delphine, who is French, has a degree in American literature.  He has three children, Ilan, Lilya and Levia. Josh has participated and produced 5 albums of music including “Praise and Glory” and most recently “Shoresh”. Among the many video projects he has produced, is “Ruth Gottlieb, a poignant life”.

London born and bred, Julia first worked with Jews for Jesus as a volunteer, playing her guitar at special events such as our annual Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) service. She joined our staff in 2004

Karol was raised in a Conservative Jewish home in the suburbs of Boston. After becoming a believer in Jesus in 1988, she got involved with the local branch as a volunteer until joining the staff full-time in 1990. Since completing her own missionary training in NYC, Karol has served as a missionary in Boston and LA, and led our branch in Toronto, Canada; she returned to NYC in 1998 to head up our New Missionary Training program and serve on the branch leadership team. Karol was one of the leaders of our 2018 BYG campaign in Jerusalem, and now resides in South Florida where she serves on the team reaching out to Haredi women.

Karol earned master’s degree in Missiology with emphasis on Jewish studies from the Fuller School of World Missions in Pasadena, CA in 1998.

“Rejoice in the LORD always, I will say it again, REJOICE!” Phil 4:4

Kata Tar was born in Hungary, Dunaújváros in the time of Communism. She is single, yet she has a big family. She has got 3 brothers and one sister, 7 nephews and 5 nieces. Her mother is Jewish. She received the Lord in 2016 and now she is with Him. Her father is alive but he does not know the Lord yet. Kata got saved in 1988 through the witness of her Gentile friends. Kata has got 9 years of ministry experience with other organizations that seek to bless the Jewish people, and 17 years of teaching experience at elementary and high schools. She has taught English, Hungarian and Russian. Before she joined Jews for Jesus she taught English at the school of the Jewish community in Budapest. Her ministry with Jews for Jesus has opened many opportunities for her to plant Gospel seeds in Jewish and non-Jewish hearts and to lead several Jewish people to their Messiah, Jesus.

Kyle Young is a California native, born and raised in the Los Angeles area. He currently serves as a missionary with Jews For Jesus in Los Angeles. Raised in a secular mixed Jewish and Gentile family, Kyle did not grow up with a sense of Jewish identity or practicing Judaism. He came to faith in his early twenties shortly after graduating from college and his entire life changed. Kyle is a first-generation believer in Messiah being the first person in his family to come to faith, although his parents have since decided to follow Jesus. His family has been in Los Angeles for five generations. While many come to a city like LA to gain a new identity, Kyle’s family over time lost their connection with their Jewish heritage. It wasn’t until Kyle started to follow Jesus that he realized God cared very much about his family’s Jewish identity and has begun to restore what was lost.  He has a passion for others to experience the redemption and joy that come through knowing Jesus.

Laura Barron is a missionary at the Toronto branch of Jews for Jesus. Along with her husband Andrew, who heads up the Jews for Jesus work in Canada, Laura pioneered the South African ministry of Jews for Jesus.  She is a fluent Hebrew speaker and regularly takes part in the organization’s outreach ministry in Israel.  Laura and Andrew have three children: Rafael, Ketzia and Simona.

Leia Brown is a missionary with Jews for Jesus in Los Angeles, California. Her Bubby (grandmother) was the first person to introduce her to Jesus and she eventually gave her life to the Lord at age 6.  She is a graduate of Biola University with a degree in Christian Ministries and a minor in Bible. Starting at 8 years old, Leia attended the Jews for Jesus summer camp program, <a href="/camp-gilgal">Camp Gilgal</a>, and returned as staff when was 16. Camp Gilgal was one of the first places Leia truly felt God’s presence in her life. During her years at Biola, she interned with Jews for Jesus, doing youth work in Los Angeles, as well as the Camp Gilgal internship, which ultimately led her to find her calling to ministry. Leia became full time missionary staff in the Spring of 2020 and primarily works with our West Coast Children and Youth programs. She is passionate about sharing Jesus with young people and having the most fun she possibly can while doing it!

I am a Jew who believes in Jesus as the Messiah. I was born in Odessa, Ukraine and grew up there in a secular Jewish family. I had always been told that a Jew has to learn a lot. Because of this, I read a lot of books - just not the Bible. Because the Bible is not a book that is suitable for Jews. My parents did not obey the Jewish commandments. And my grandma usually only celebrated two Jewish festivals - Passover and Yom Kippur. When I once asked her why she did this and what the meaning of the holidays was, she replied that her grandpa always did it that way.

I first heard the gospel and believed in Yeshua in 1991. My family was strictly against it. However, after coming to faith, my life changed radically. In 1996 I became part of Jews for Jesus and then, in 1998, I moved to Kiev to open a branch of Jews for Jesus there.

In 2018 I did my doctorate at the Theological Seminary in Kiev, now I have a doctorate in theology. I write and teach about what it means to be Jewish and at the same time believe in Jesus. For me, both the spiritual aspect and the spread of the gospel are important.

I have now been working as a missionary with Jews for Jesus for 24 years. I firmly believe that God wants to bless the body of Christ in a special way through mission among Jews. I want to continue to preach the Good News to the Jewish people. I also want to show churches and congregations how important it is to bring the gospel to the Jews. But at the same time I want to convey the best way to do it.

I strive to orient my life accordingly and to inspire others to bring the gospel to Jews and non-Jews alike. I am currently living in Berlin with my wife Natascha and our three children to preach the Good News among Russian-speaking Jews.

Leonid is the leader of the Odessa branch of Jews for Jesus and a member of the CIS Jews for Jesus Committee. He received Y'shua as his Lord and Savior in 1995 through the witnessing of his wife Olga. In December 1995, he first met with Jews for Jesus and began to help them as a volunteer. And in November 1996, he joined the staff of Jews for Jesus as an outreach worker. Before leading the Odessa branch, Leonid has also led the ministry of Jews for Jesus in Kharkov. Leonid has organized dozens of outreaches and campaigns of Jews for Jesus in different countries: Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Moldova.

Lionel was born in Lausanne, Switzerland to a multicultural family with his Jewish father being from Argentina and his mother from a Swiss/English background. He came to the Messiah in 2003 and began full time missionary work in Switzerland two years later. Lionel received a bachelor's degree in theology in 2012.  He continues to be passionate about mission work and is now serving in Paris. Lionel is also a qualified fitness instructor and used sports and fitness to reach out to young and old alike during Behold Your God Jerusalem in 2018.  He continues to use it in ministry today through his online show “Fit and Faith”. He is married to Valérie and they have three awesome boys named Marc, Luca, and Noa.

Lisa Smolowitz Weisbaum is a missionary at the Florida branch of Jews for Jesus. After retiring from a 29-year career with the New York City Department of Education, Brooklyn-born Smolowitz joined the staff of Jews for Jesus in 2013.

Liz Stout was raised in Rochester, New York in a Messianic Jewish family. She always knew the Lord, but only dedicated her life to Him on her 18th birthday. She received her BA in religion and philosophy from Roberts Wesleyan College. She moved to Israel in 2005 in order to study for an MA in education at Tel Aviv University, where she met her husband Simon. For much of the last decade, Liz has been an elementary school teacher at a private Christian school. However, in mid-2019, she joined the Jews for Jesus family and now serves missionary in Jerusalem. Liz has a heart to see children come to know the Lord in a deep way, and to see them actively serving in their community. Liz asks that you please pray with her for the children whom she serves, that they will “dedicate their lives to the Lord and know His voice!” Liz and Simon currently reside in Jerusalem and have two young children.

Growing up in Northern California, her next door neighbors where the first to introduce Lucy to Yeshua (Jesus). She first felt a calling to minister to her Jewish people while spending a summer in Israel during college. After graduating from Biola University in 2018 with a degree in Intercultural Studies, Lucy began working with Jews for Jesus as an intern. Her work and ministry focuses predominately on a community-oriented space called Upside Down?a coffee shop, art gallery, and event space?near the campus of UCLA. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, <a href="https://test.jewsforjesus.org/staff-page?firstname=Jesse&amp;lastname=Eshleman">Jesse</a>, who also graduated from Biola University with a degree in Biblical &amp; Theological Studies.

Maayan Shoshani is a missionary with Jews for Jesus in Tel Aviv. She was born and raised in the area of Jerusalem to a Messianic family. After her army service, she decided that Jesus was the only One for whom she wanted to live and dedicate her life. Maayan was part of a ministry in Africa for eight months prior to serving with Jews for Jesus, and it was at that time that she became passionate for serving the weak and poor. She currently serves with the Mekomi team in south Tel Aviv, connecting volunteers who desire to build relationships with those of the population struggling with homelessness, prostitution and drug addiction.

Born in Moscow, Ammosov is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has a PhD in optics and atomic physics. He received Jesus as his Savior in Quebec, Canada, in 1994 and joined our staff in 1998. Maxim’s wife, Olga, came to faith at the same time he did. Maxim directs Jews for Jesus in Moscow. The Ammosovs have two daughters, Katya and Liza, as well as a son-in-law and two grandchildren. The oldest daughter, Katya, also works at the Moscow branch as administrator.

Melissa Moskowitz has been a part of Jews for Jesus since 1976. She was born and raised in the Bronx and came to believe in Jesus while in college. Throughout her 40 years of service with the ministry, she's had the opportunity to use her giftings in youth and young adult work; in publications; through photography; and for the past 16 years in young adult ministry. Currently living on the west side of Los Angeles (to be closer to her grandson), Melissa maintains a monthly Shabbat fellowship for young adults and other events for the LA young adult community. A new initiative for the LA branch that Melissa is spearheading is ArtShareCollective/LA, a visionary community of Jewish believing artists who desire to use their creativity for the Gospel.

Dr. Michael Sischy qualified as a General Medical Practitioner from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1993. He joined Jews for Jesus in January 1999 after being active in the state and private health care sectors for five years. Michael comes from a traditional Orthodox Jewish background. His mother's death from colon cancer in 1990 started him on a search for answers to life's tough questions, and in 1994 he found the answers in Y'shua. Michael has two sons, Eliyah and Ariel.

South Africa Director

Miri Borok was born in Russia and grew up in a believing family. Her parents came to faith when she was a baby. At age five, she immigrated to Israel with her family and moved to the small city of Nazareth Illit in the north region of Israel. Her family soon joined a local Messianic congregation, where they are still members. Being an immigrant was difficult and she often felt like an outsider. By age 15, she realized that she did not share the relationship that her parents had with the Lord, and she decided to seek Yeshua (Jesus) for herself. After coming to faith, God restored her confidence and gave her a new identity in Him. She and her friends even began a prayer group at school. 
 
Toward the end of her mandatory military service, Miri heard about Jews for Jesus’ Massah (journey) program, in which a team of young believers travel to India and South America to meet and share their faith with Israeli travelers. That year, she was one of the first team members to sign up, and she helped lead a team the following year. 
 
Since 2016, Miri has served on our youth and young adult missionary team at the Moishe Rosen Center, where she ministers at a weekly children’s club, an inter-congregational youth group, and a Bible study for soldiers. She loves building personal connections with those she serves and inspiring them in their walk of faith. Miri is married to Daniel Borok.

I was born in Kazan, Russia, in 1971. In 1993 I became a believer and met Jews for Jesus. In 1994 I participated in Moscow campaign. After my second campaign I joined the ministry, where I met my husband, Leonid. Together we were members of the music team called Messiah’s Shofar for a year and a half. Then, in 1998, we moved to Kiev, Ukraine. We have three children: Michael, Dina and Eugenia.

Ofer Levy is a missionary with the New York branch of Jews for Jesus. A native Israeli, Ofer has lived and served with Jews for Jesus in Israel, New York, and California. Currently, he is the only member of his family to come to faith in Yeshua (Jesus). He and his wife, Sarah, who also serves with Jews for Jesus as a missionary, have two sons, Ely and Matthew.

I am Olga Emma. I was born in 1978 in a small village of Marianovka, Odessa region, Ukraine. I lost my parents when I was 4 and was sent to live in an orphanage. When I was 11, I met some believers from whom I learned that God loved me. When I was 13, these believers took me into their home, and at 16, I was baptized in the church. That year, I went to work at a Christian bookstore, where I first heard about Jews for Jesus and also met my future husband, Anatoli. I volunteered for Jews for Jesus since 1999, and then joined the staff as a missionary. I am very glad that both my husband and I work together with Jews for Jesus for the salvation of the Jewish people!

Rebekah Bronn grew up in a Messianic Jewish home in New Zealand. Her Father is Jewish and came to faith in Jesus when he was eighteen, along with his parents and brother. Rebekah is grateful to have grown up in a family where being Jewish and believing in Jesus was seen as normal and she placed her faith in Jesus at a young age. Some of her favorite childhood memories are celebrating Shabbat and Passover with her family.
In recent years, Rebekah has spent time traveling and living and working in London, which is where her Father is originally from. She has also spent time in Israel and volunteered with a Messianic Jewish organization in New Zealand that reaches out to Israeli travelers. It was while she was working with this organization, that she began to feel called into Jewish ministry. In July 2019 she began a one year internship with Jews for Jesus in Sydney and upon completion, joined staff.
Rebekah loves working among the Jewish community in Sydney and is excited to see the new things God is doing in her life and the lives of the Jewish people she meets.

Rebekah Rood is the East Coast Director of Children and Youth ministry and the Director of Camp Gilgal East. Rebekah grew up in a Jewish believing home and personally placed her faith in Yeshua while preparing for her Bat Mitzvah. As a high schooler, she began attending Camp Gilgal East and has hardly missed a summer since. Rebekah met her husband Sam while serving with Jews for Jesus in New York City. They have been married since 2013 and make their home in Brooklyn.

Richard is a UK based-Jewish believer in Jesus (Yeshua) who has served with the Church's Ministry among the Jewish people (CMJ) and as UK Director of Jews for Jesus. He became a believer in Jesus in 1974 from a Liberal (Reform) Jewish background. He taught Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at All Nations Christian College, UK, and was Academic Dean and Director of Postgraduate Studies. He is a past President of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance (IMJA). His PhD was supervised by Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok and is published as Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology: A Constructive Approach (2009). He is now Senior Researcher with Jews for Jesus, and spends his time writing, teaching, training, mentoring and drinking coffee in UK, Israel and around the world. His most recent book “Luther and the Jews: Putting Right the Lies” (Wipf and Stock, 2017) is a timely contribution to the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. He is married to Monica, who is also a Jewish believer in Jesus, and has two children and three grandchildren. <a href="http://www.mappingmessianicjewishtheology.eu/">my story</a>

Rich has been on staff since 1978. He has served at several Jews for Jesus branches and was a pianist and songwriter with their music team, the Liberated Wailing Wall. He is now at the San Francisco headquarters, where he conducts research, writes and edits as the senior researcher. 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 M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1978 and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies and Hermeneutics from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1993.

Rob works in our Johannesburg branch. You can support him directly or send them a message below.

Rob Wertheim is a senior missionary serving with the San Francisco branch of Jews for Jesus. He has been on staff since 1988 and has participated in and led several outreaches during that time. Rob’s father and mother are Holocaust survivors, originally from Germany and are also believers in Jesus. His wife, Sandy, is a Jewish believer as well. However, she is the only one in her family that knows the Lord. Rob and Sandy have three grown children, Saul, Rose and Josh.

Roei Stanley was born in Canada to a Canadian father and an Israeli mother. The family moved to Israel when Roei was three years old. Growing up, he went to church but never understood what it meant to have a relationship with God. After his military service, he experienced many doubts about God and came close to giving up on faith altogether. At the age of 21, he attended a Messianic conference, and during the worship time, God opened his eyes and heart. Roei has been growing in his relationship with Him ever since and learning what it means to be a son and a disciple. He and his wife Katie served with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) for a number of years. He is currently helping run our soldiers’ meetings, and also helping with hosting local community events. It is wonderful to have his assistance with organizing community dinners and other projects that bring people together for the sake of the gospel.

Ruth Rosen, daughter of Jews for Jesus founder Moishe Rosen, is a staff writer and editor with Jews for Jesus. Her parents raised her with a sense of Jewishness as well as "Jesusness." Ruth has a degree in biblical studies from Biola College in Southern California and has been part of our full-time staff since 1979. She's toured with Jewish gospel drama teams and participated in many outreaches. She wrote and/or edited quite a few of our evangelistic resources. She has also helped 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 <a href="https://www.jplbooks.com/products/called-to-controversy-the-unlikely-story-of-moishe-rosen-and-the-founding-of-jews-for-jesus">our online store</a>.

Ruth also edits the Jews for Jesus Newsletter for Christians to help those who want to pray for our ministry and our missionaries stay connected. In her spare time, Ruth enjoys her personal writing projects (fiction and non fiction) and hanging out with her dog, Carli Grace, whom she rescued. Ruth says, "Some people say that rescue dogs have issues, and that is probably true. If dogs could talk, they'd probably say that people have issues, and that is probably even more true. I'm glad that God is in the business of rescuing people, (and dogs) despite—or maybe because of—all our issues."

Sahar Sadlovsky was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel. Though he was born into a traditional Jewish family, for years he had a very low view of God. Sahar was first exposed to the New Testament and to Yeshua (Jesus) in his late teens, and through difficult life events his heart began to soften. As he read about Yeshua and what He had accomplished through His death and resurrection, he could not remain indifferent to His wisdom, compassion, and love. After several years, in 2014, Sahar joined a local church in Tel Aviv. Soon he was struck with a realization that saddened him greatly: there are millions of Jewish people who are exactly as he had been, not knowing about Jesus because no one had ever told them. God called Sahar to join a team of dedicated believers at Jews for Jesus, who are eager to relentlessly pursue Jewish evangelism and make Jesus known to their Jewish brothers and sisters. In 2016, he began an internship with the ministry, and two years later, joined the staff. In 2018 Sahar married Maria and they soon welcomed their firstborn daughter, Thea.

Sam and Rebekah Rood are missionaries serving with the New York branch of Jews for Jesus. Sam leads the training of new missionaries and <a>Rebekah</a> directs Camp Gilgal east and the children's and youth discipleship ministry on the East Coast. Jews for Jesus is a missions organization on the forefront of Jewish evangelism.

Sarah Levy is a missionary with Jews for Jesus in New York. She is a second-generation Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus). Born in the U.S., she moved to Israel with her family at the age of nine. While growing up in Israel, she attended a Jewish religious school where she was provided the opportunity to learn more about the Old Testament and Jewish tradition. After completing her military service in February of 2000, she went on to participate in the Jews for Jesus New York Summer Witnessing Campaign that same year. In 2005, she married her husband, Ofer, who would come on staff as a missionary with Jews for Jesus in 2007. The couple has two sons, Ely and Matthew.

Sheer Raev was born in Canada to a Jewish mother and a Canadian father. Shortly after she was born, her mother came to faith in Jesus and her family relocated to Israel. Growing up in a Messianic home, she always believed in God but didn’t know what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Eventually her family moved back to Canada. During this time and through the guidance of youth leaders, Sheer understood that God was her Father and that she could have a personal relationship with Him. She joyfully accepted Jesus as her Savior. 
 
After high school, Sheer moved back to Israel and joined the military, where she faced many challenges and almost abandoned her faith. She knew she had to make a decision: either live for God or fight against Him. Deep in her heart, Sheer knew God was real and made a final decision to follow Him. She knew she wanted to do something meaningful with her life, and since she had a great passion for youth and children, she became an intern with Jews for Jesus’ youth ministry a few months after finishing her military service. 
 
Sheer now leads weekly children’s Bible clubs and summer vacation Bible schools, as well as helping with other gospel-based events. She loves building personal relationships with the kids she serves, answering questions they have about God and seeing them grow in their faith.

I am an Israeli-American who was born in Seattle to believing parents but grew up in Jerusalem. I moved back to the States when I was 19. While living in San Francisco in 2009, God saved me and I became involved with Jews for Jesus. In 2012 I moved to Chicago where I was pursuing a degree in Jewish Studies at Moody Bible Institute. I continued to work with Jews for Jesus during my studies. However, near the end of my time at Moody, I became very ill and underwent two serious surgeries. They say I was close to death. But God in His wisdom made me strong again. I began seeking the Lord’s will again and he led me to work with the mentally ill and destitute at Albany Care near Chicago. Many of the people I served were Jewish and I was able to minister to them with the tools I’d acquired with Jews for Jesus. After some time, the Lord led me back to Jews for Jesus to serve full time as a missionary. I have seen God’s hand clearly throughout my journey, and I am humbled by His love and sovereignty in our lives.

Shoshana Birnbaum, who came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) in Mexico City, is named after two people: a Jews for Jesus missionary, Shoshannah, who shared Jesus with her father, and her grandmother, Rosa (both names mean “rose”). She studied industrial design, and was instrumental in designing and furnishing the Rosen Center, which she now leads. In her words, “The Rosen Center is an amazing space that has enabled us to bless our neighborhood and live out our faith in public, and as meaningful contributors to other people’s lives. We get to celebrate the creativity and freedom we have found in our relationship with God and make ourselves available to share the hope we have in Jesus. Our staff will continue to explore ways in which this space can be used in the lives of Jewish people to redeem, bring together, enrich, and enable—both spiritually and materially.”
 
Shoshana is a gifted leader and Bible teacher, and is passionate about helping young women live out their faith in Jesus. She is a mother to two boys and is married to Eli Birnbaum, the Israel director. Together they planted a church in the Florentin neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Shoshana speaks Spanish, Hebrew, and English.

Shoshannah serves as a missionary alongside Stewart, her husband of 34 years. They serve on the Greater New York Team, a part of the NYC branch of Jews for Jesus.
Shoshannah was raised in a traditional Jewish home and came to faith in 1980 through the ministry of Jews for Jesus. Shortly after coming to faith, she answered a call to share the gospel with the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Shoshannah has a passion for the salvation and discipleship of Jewish women. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Shoshannah has been encouraged to see God at work in the lives of those to whom she has been extending ministry. She says, “This has been a unique season, as I have witnessed the salvation of a number of Jewish women and spiritual growth in new believers.”
Stewart and Shoshannah have two adult children: Melissa, who lives in San Francisco and is in full-time ministry, and Jonathan, who lives in Durham, NC, and is a science writer.

Simon was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to a secular Jewish family. He always believed in God but had no real relationship with Him. After, receiving his B.Sc. in Education from Indiana University, Simon moved to Israel in 2005 to teach and study for an M.A. in Education from Tel Aviv University. Little did he know that I within a year he would come to believe in Jesus as Messiah, meet his future wife (Liz), and put down roots in the Holy Land. For much of his time in Israel, Simon taught English literature at a public-school and imparted upon his students what it means to walk in another’s footsteps and to learn to love their community. In 2015, Simon became the Executive Assistant to Dan Sered, who is now the Chief Operating Officer of Jews for Jesus, and also worked with the ministry’s English communications from Tel Aviv. In mid-2019, Liz and Simon were accepted as missionaries with the organization and are blessed to be able to serve people in Israel. They currently live in Jerusalem serving with our new Jerusalem branch and have two children.

Stephen's grandparents immigrated to America from Eastern Europe in the early 20th century, ultimately settling in the Chicago area. As a boy, Stephen enjoyed sports and excelled in school. In his high school years he began to question the values he had been raised with, and instead of focusing on academics, began to spend all his time playing guitar and harmonica. Over the next few years he searched for answers to his many questions about life, eventually becoming a follower of Yeshua.

Three weeks after receiving his bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Illinois, he got married and began to work with abused and neglected youth in a residential treatment center in Chicago, which he did for 10 years (taking one year out to live on a kibbutz in Israel). He received his master's degree in social work from the University of Illinois in 1984. He and his young family attended a messianic congregation for 13 years, where Stephen served as the worship leader. 

In 1989, Stephen began missionary training with Jews for Jesus and now serves as North American Director. For 12 years he oversaw our work in Israel and still continues to be involved with our work there. Laura and he have four children, three of whom are married. He received a master's degree in intercultural and Jewish studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1997.

Stephen is known to be a warm-hearted and engaging teacher and a good listener.

Stewart Weinisch was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. It was during his bar-mitzvah in front of the torah ark (where the Torah Scrolls are kept in the synagogue) that Stewart made this promise to God. "Someday I'm going to find you". That promise was soon forgotten. When Stewart was 19 several of his non-Jewish friends "became Christians" and began sharing the Messiahship of Jesus with him. After a full year of searching the Scriptures and comparing his Tenach (the Jewish Scriptures) with the "Christian" Bible Stewart became convinced Jesus must be the Jewish Messiah. Then, Stewart remembered the promise he made to God at his bar-mitzvah, and received Y'shua as his Messiah. Soon after that, Stewart applied and was accepted to become a student at Moody Bible Institute.

In 1983, after completing his Bible education Stewart returned to New York City to bring the Gospel to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Since that time Stewart has been in Jewish ministry. He and his wife Shoshannah have served as missionaries and as messianic congregation planters in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida and most recently in Charleston SC. Stewart and Shoshannah believe God has called them to return to New York City where there are approximately 2 million Jewish people. "We have a sense of urgency to proclaim the Gospel to our people".

Susan Perlman works with like-minded mission agencies, messianic congregations, churches, associations and theological institutions for purpose of establishing strategic partnerships so that they can do more to bless Jewish people with the good news of Yeshua than they can do alone. She also serves as First Assistant to executive director David Brickner. One of the co-founders of Jews for Jesus, Susan also serves on their Executive Leadership Team.

Tamir Kugman is a missionary with Jews for Jesus in Tel Aviv and works in the media-evangelism department. He was born in Israel, and though he is from a secular Jewish family, he kept many Jewish traditions. Tamir came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) at the age of 21 during his army service, where he worked as an animator for the Isreali Defence Force. He is currently the only believer in his family. After receiving a BA in special education and an MA in learning disabilities, he worked as a public school special education teacher and as the assistant manager at a Messianic school.
 
Over the last two decades, Tamir has taught the Bible to children, youth, and adults, both in camps and in a congregational setting. In 2019, Tamir felt a new call to evangelism and began serving with Jews for Jesus. Tamir is passionate about using his artistic talents to teach about Jesus and share the gospel. Tamir says, “Jesus used vivid parables and illustrations to communicate the message of the kingdom, and we also want to communicate the beautiful message of God to His people and bring it as close as we can to the palm of their hands.” Tamir is married to Hadas and they have five children.

Tatyana Bolotov was born and raised in a non-religious family in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. They knew nothing about God, and all her Jewish friends were also secular. At the time of the collapse of the former Soviet Union, evangelists from the U.S. began to come to their city, and through their ministry, she learned about God and received her first Bible. Shortly thereafter, she prayed to receive Yeshua (Jesus) as her Savior. She first felt a call to Jewish evangelism as she was studying about the Holocaust at the Bible Institute she attended. For two years, she volunteered with Jews for Jesus and during that time, she met and married her husband, Valery. She eventually came on staff and currently serves in Israel.

Tuvya Zaretsky is one of the founders of the Jews for Jesus ministry. He was the first field missionary beginning his service in February 1974. Tuvya continues to serve the Lord, now as the Director of Staff Development internationally, based out of the Los Angeles office.
Tuvya was raised in Northern California in the institutions of American Judaism. During his bar mitzvah at age thirteen, Tuvya read from Isaiah 6:1-8 and declared with the prophet, Hineni-Here I am, send me!" However, his search for God and spiritual truth didn't come into focus until ten years later, when a Christian colleague encouraged him to seek God in the pursuit of truth. Tuvya came to believe in Y'shua (Jesus) on December 7, 1970. Ever since, he has been joyfully saying to God, "Hineni-Here am I." The full story is available by that title, in a booklet form here.
Tuvya has provided the leadership of Jews for Jesus branches and evangelistic campaigns in major cities of the US and in Israel. He headed up the Las Vegas Behold Your God (BYG) campaign in 2005 and co-led the 2006 BYG outreach in New Jersey. He is now also an administrator for the website <a href="www.jewishgentilecouples.com"> www.JewishGentileCouples.com</a>.
In April, 1989, Zaretsky was present at the Willowbank Consultation on the Christian Gospel and the Jewish people, that produced the watershed Willowbank Declaration. Tuvya has presented missiology papers at the Evangelical Theological Society, the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism (LCJE) and at the Global Diaspora Missiology Consultation in 2006. He currently serves as president for the International Coordinating Committee of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism, a networking body of Jewish mission agencies. He was editor of the Lausanne Occasional Paper 60, Jewish Evangelism" A Call to the Church in 2004. He was a contributing author of Israel the Land and People edited by H. Wayne House (Kregel Publishers, 1998). His doctoral dissertation, co-authored with Dr. Enoch Wan, was published as Jewish-Gentile Couples: Trends, Challenges and Hopes (William Carey Library Publishers, 2004). He authored or edited articles for the June 2006 issue of MISHKAN themed, "The Gospel and Jewish-Gentile Couples" (Jerusalem) . And in 2008 he was coordinator and contributor for the World Evangelical Alliance Consultation that produced "The Berlin Declaration on the Uniqueness of Christ and Jewish Evangelism in Europe Today". In 2013 Zaretsky was appointed to serve as the Senior Associate for Jewish Evangelism by the International Lausanne Movement.
Tuvya earned an M.A. Missiology in Judaic Studies and the Doctor of Intercultural Studies (DIS) degree from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is married to Ellen, who is also a Jewish Believer in Jesus. They have three adult children, one son-in-law and two grandchildren.

Valery Bolotov grew up in a small mining town in the former USSR (now Ukraine). The citizens of the town knew him as an ill-behaved and unpredictable person, and he burned many bridges with his family. During a time of prayer in a small evangelical community which he thought he had visited by chance, Valery suddenly saw the crucified Jesus the Messiah at Calvary. The eyes of the Lord were full of suffering and endless love, and Valery decided then and there to follow Jesus and to turn away from his former life. He began serving in his church, hosting a home group, and reading the Bible at the mine where he worked. He had a longing to know about the Jewish roots of his faith, which eventually led him to Jews for Jesus. Soon, he became inspired to share the gospel, and he became a missionary in 1999. He met his wife Tatiana at a Shabbat meeting two years later. In 2015, the couple moved to Israel where Valery continues to serve as the leader of the Russian-speaking missionary team.

Vered works in our Tel Aviv branch. You can support her directly or send them a message below.

My name is Victoria Negrimovskaya. I was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, in a Jewish family. In our family, nobody talked about God. I graduated from a technical school that prepared me for no job at all. I went from job to job seeking a higher salary. My marriage failed. I survived on 5 grivnas ($1) a week.

I received Jesus at a Bible study home group where I was invited by a friend and later I began to attend a church.

I met Jews for Jesus at a presentation in my church. But I had my doubts about this way of serving the Lord. When a year later I attended a Shabbat meeting of Jews for Jesus, my doubts disappeared. During the Behold Your God campaign in Dnepropetrovsk, I watched the Survivors Stories video, and it confirmed my thoughts and feelings. In 2003, I took part in the Odessa Behold Your God campaign and in 2004, the Kharkov BYG campaign, following which I joined the staff of Jews for Jesus as an outreach worker of the Dnepropetrovsk branch.

Vladimir Mitnitsky was born in Ukraine. At the age of 15, he made aliyah (immigrated) to Israel without his parents, which he was able to do because his father is Jewish. Although he knew about Jesus, he didn’t believe in Him as the promised Messiah. He studied in a yeshiva (religious high school) for three years. There he was challenged by the rabbis to think about the Jewish Messiah who would bring redemption and peace to his people. Although he was taught to do mitzvot (good deeds), Vladimir didn’t have peace in his heart. He came to faith in Jesus at the age of 20, after reading prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament. Soon after, he graduated from college with a professional diploma in engineering. 
 
Vladimir began volunteering with Jews for Jesus on the streets of New York City and in Israel, and he soon felt God’s calling to evangelize his Jewish people. After participating in four Jews for Jesus witnessing campaigns, three of which were in Israel, Vladimir joined the Jews for Jesus staff as a full-time missionary in 2009. He met his wife Yulia during a New York City Summer Witnessing Campaign and they were married in 2010. They are the happy parents of two children.

William Rosenberg is a missionary with Jews for Jesus in Los Angeles California. He is a passionate follower of Jesus and pursuer of life to the full. William has a BA from Vanguard University in Religion (with an emphasis in Youth Leadership) and a minor in business. Upon graduation he spent nearly a decade traveling the world with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Jews for Jesus, and other ministries - traveling to nearly 50 countries sharing the love of Jesus with the Nations. He went on to share a message of creativity in the business world for 6 years and returned to full time ministry with Jews for Jesus in June 2019. His main role is helping lead Camp Gilgal, our summer camp program for youth. He was actually a camper during the camp’s first year in 1991! William’s heart is to disciple young and old alike, pointing them to deeper intimacy with Jesus. William is an artist, with a passion for coffee, and great love for his wife and daughter.

Greg Williams was born in South Africa to a family of Jewish believers in Jesus. They moved to Israel when he was three years old. It wasn’t easy growing up as a believer in Israel, as he found himself very much in the minority. As a child, he hid his beliefs in order to avoid being treated as an outsider. But at the age of 13, he attended a youth conference during which he felt God’s presence, and his life was changed. He knew he couldn’t continue to straddle both worlds, and needed to choose what was more important to him. He chose to stop hiding his faith and he began to tell his friends about Yeshua (Jesus). Growing up with such struggles has caused him to want to share the truth and reality of Yeshua with other young people in order to help them stop being afraid to be different.

Today, Greg serves with Jews for Jesus in Tel Aviv as part of the ministry to children, soldiers, and young adults. He helps lead a weekly youth group, hosts a weekly meeting for soldiers, and is also part of the team that handles various events at the Moishe Rosen Center.

Yoel Ben David came to faith in Jesus in 2001 while living as an Orthodox Jew in Jerusalem and serving in the Rabbinical Corps during his mandatory military service. His knowledge and experience in the Orthodox Jewish world has been important to his ministry. He was raised in Europe but was born in Israel, and he speaks English, French, and Hebrew. Yoel has always had the heart of a teacher, and after earning a master’s degree in theology and leadership from Western Seminary, he served as trainer for our missionary staff in Israel. Yoel is now posted to our work in Jerusalem, bringing the gospel back to the city where he first believed.

Yulia Mitnitsky was born and raised in Moscow in a secular Jewish family. Although her parents were atheists and did not have a Torah nor a Bible in their home, as a child Yulia always believed in God. At the age of 13, Yulia went to an English camp organized by a Christian children’s ministry in Moscow. Immediately she was drawn to the believers she met, and was eager to learn about God and how to have a personal relationship with Him. By the end of the camp, she had opened her heart to Jesus. She was discipled by this ministry and actively volunteered with them up until her immigration to Israel in 2010.

When Yulia was 18, a friend invited her to a Messianic synagogue in Moscow. Soon it became her home congregation and she learned many things about her Jewish identity. She was introduced to the ministry of Jews for Jesus when she became part of a worship team that performed with the ministry at various events. Eventually, Yulia was invited to take part in two big summer witnessing campaigns in New York City. There, in 2009, she met her future husband, Vladimir. A year later they were married, and Yulia made aliyah (immigrated) to Israel and joined the Jews for Jesus ministry. She has been serving as a minister to children, organizing and leading Bible clubs and holiday events, and helping with camps.

When Yulia became a mother, her desire to support and uphold other young mothers drew her to women’s ministry. For the past two years she has served by preparing and delivering home-cooked meals to mothers with newborns, leading mothers’ support groups, and going on home visits to help care for infants. Yulia and Vladimir have two children, Netanel and Odeya.

Zachary grew up in Houston, Texas, and is a second-generation Jewish believer. He became a believer when he was a teenager at summer camp, and camp programs have always been close to his heart because of this. He graduated from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago with a bachelor's degree in Jewish studies. Zach is passionate about young adult evangelism, discipleship, and teaching, and has been on staff with Jews for Jesus in Los Angeles since June 2019.

After Ziggy completed his post-doctoral studies in mathematics, a friend invited him to church, where he completed a course called Christianity Explored." Ziggy then read Mark's gospel and wondered: "Have I found the Messiah?" But he reasoned, "How can I accept Jesus as the Messiah when the rabbis have been rejecting him for the last two thousand years?" After reading the life story of Stan Telchin, Betrayed, Ziggy realized it was possible to be Jewish and believe in Jesus! When he pored over the prophesies in the Hebrew Scriptures, he became convinced that Jesus was indeed Israel's promised Messiah. Ziggy joined Jews for Jesus as a full-time missionary in 2009.