Eli Birnbaum was born in the US and moved with his family to Israel when he was seven years old. He came to believe in Yeshua (Jesus) at a young age. Growing up in Israel, he was afraid to share his faith but overcame that during his military service where he became known as “the missionary.”

Eli joined Jews for Jesus in 2009. He developed the Tel Aviv branch’s ministry to soldiers and youth and helped found our Israeli Massah (journey) program. Eli and his wife (since 2011), Shoshana, conceived the multipurpose venue at the Moishe Rosen Center that has seen over 10,000 visitors. He became the Israel director in 2019. Eli also leads the media team and contributes with writing and ideas.

Eli has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Open University of Israel and a master’s degree in theology from Western Seminary. He is an astute and insightful thinker with a heart for having an open dialogue with anyone about Jesus. Eli and his wife have started a house of worship in their neighborhood where he has lived since 2008, and the couple have two boys. Learn more about Eli ›

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.

My name is Jeff Morgan, host of the SO BE IT! YouTube channel that documents our street outreach in Israel.

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 Judean Desert. After 20 years of practicing New Age spirituality and meditation, I found myself depressed, hopeless, and spirituality tormented. It was then that Yeshua (Jesus) revealed Himself to my wife, my eldest son, and me at the same time, but individually. Yeshua saved me from despair, freed me from 20 years of torment, gave me and my family a new life, and turned me into a new creation overnight!

I spent 13 years in Israel, which is where I met my wife. She and I have three sons. After finishing missionary training in San Francisco, we moved back to Israel. We are now living in the Tel Aviv area where I serve the Lord with Jews for Jesus as a full-time missionary and media team member.

Elisha Lazarus is a passionate content creator with the Jews for Jesus Israel branch. Working in media and being part of a team that reaches people from diverse backgrounds and cultures with the gospel is fulfilling to him. From creating compelling videos on YouTube and TikTok to engaging in diverse media projects, Elisha is driven by a desire to touch hearts and transform lives, one piece of content at a time. He embraces his Jewish heritage and celebrates the rich culture of Israel with a commitment to share the love of Jesus in every way possible through media platforms, ministry projects, and beyond.

Elisha’s life wasn’t always this way. Today, it is a testament to the transformative power of Jesus. However, in his past, he found himself struggling in the dark world of drug addiction and male prostitution. Eventually, a divine encounter with Jesus changed everything. Jesus’ love and grace reached into the darkest corners of Elisha’s life and broke the chains of addiction. Hope, forgiveness, and a new purpose transformed Elisha.

Today, preaching the gospel in Israel is one of the most rewarding aspects of Elisha’s ministry! People often approach him and share how the message of Jesus uplifted them on their journey. This outreach offers encouragement and hope. Witnessing the impact of God’s love firsthand is both humbling and inspiring, reinforcing Elisha’s commitment to Jesus. Additionally, his family is an anchor, grounding him in faith, love, and support. He cherishes being a devoted husband and a loving father to his four-year-old. “They inspire me every day to continue the mission of leading hearts to the loving embrace of the Savior.”

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.

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.

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. 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 the age of 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.

Toward the end of her mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces, Miri heard about the Jews for Jesus Massah (journey) program, where a team of young believers travels 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 up until today.

Since 2016, Miri has served on our youth and young adult missionary team at the Moishe Rosen Center, where she ministers at a weekly inter-congregational youth group, a Bible study for soldiers and also for college students. She loves building personal connections with those she serves and inspiring them in their walk of faith. Miri is married to Daniel Borok.

Daniel was born in the Galilee, Israel, after his parents made Aliyah from the Soviet Union. Daniel struggled with his identity while growing up. Serving as a combat medic in the Israel Defense Forces, he felt a deep emptiness and turned to prayer, seeking meaning in life. God answered his prayers and protected him during his military service, strengthening his faith. Meeting a fellow soldier who believed in Yeshua had a profound impact on his life, leading to a transformative journey.

Daniel is a certified data analyst and holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing science. He has extensive experience as an ICU nurse, caring for patients in critical condition. He also pursued further studies in pre-medicine.

Joining Jews for Jesus, Daniel became part of Mekomi, a team that helps the homeless, drug addicts, and women involved in prostitution. Through this ministry, he provides care and support, addressing their physical and spiritual needs.

Daniel is happily married to Miriam, who has been serving with Jews for Jesus since 2016. Together, they started a student group that has been running for four years, offering Bible studies and fellowship to students.

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 Israeli 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.

Danielle Malki was born to a believing family near Tel Aviv, Israel. At the age of 16, in the midst of challenging 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, 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 the boldness to share regularly about Yeshua.

Danielle is married to Natan, and they have one son. She has a BA and MA in social work. While she was a student, Danielle joined our Israeli Massah, 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 people who struggle with addiction, homelessness, and prostitution. In 2021, the Mekomi team opened a residential house for homeless women. Applying her education in social work, the Mekomi team 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.”

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.

Yulia Mitnitsky was born and raised in Moscow in a secular Jewish family. Although her parents were atheists and did not have a Torah or a Bible in their home, as a child, Yulia always believed in God. At the age of 13, she opened her heart to Jesus. She was discipled by a Christian children’s ministry where she actively volunteered up until her immigration to Israel in 2010.

At the age of 19, Yulia was introduced to the ministry of Jews for Jesus and was invited to take part in two big summer witnessing campaigns in New York City. There, in 2009, she met her future husband, Vladimir. They were married a year later, and Yulia made aliyah (immigrated) to Israel and joined the Jews for Jesus ministry. They now have two children: Netanel and Odeya.

Yulia has been part of the children, youth, and young adult ministry, serving primarily as a minister to children, organizing and leading Bible clubs, holiday events, and summer Vacation Bible School (VBS) camps. Apart from that, she has been involved in organizing and carrying out various community events at the Moishe Rosen Center in Tel Aviv.

Sahar first connected with Jews for Jesus through Rev. Yoel Ben David, who at that time was a lay preacher in the same church he attended. He came to faith through reading the New Testament online, after a genuine relationship with Arab-Israeli Christians who ignited him to read the Scriptures of “their religion.” Little did he know that it was “his religion,” and that Jesus Christ is the Jewish awaited Messiah, and through His death and resurrection, He made all things new.

Sahar says he did not accept Jesus as Messiah—Jesus accepted him. He redeemed him when he was a lost and condemned human being, and purchased and won him from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

He has a BA in biblical studies and is currently studying to get his master’s degree in sacred theology. He started working with Jews for Jesus in 2016 and serves as a missionary in Tel Aviv. He and the team deliver New Testaments to Israeli seekers and conduct online Bible studies. He also teaches one-on-one Bible studies and preaches in his church. He and his wife have two daughters.

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, and currently is living with his wife Anastasiya and their daughter, Na’ama, in Tel Aviv.

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 Jesus. Since growing up as a believer was such a struggle for him, he wanted to share the truth and reality of Jesus with other young people in order to help them live fully with God.

Today, Greg serves with Jews for Jesus in Tel Aviv as a leader of a team whose focus is ministering to children, youth, soldiers, and young adults. He’s also part of the team that handles various events at the Moishe Rosen Center.