Testimonies

Shalom, my name is Theresa. I have been a Christ follower since I was ten years old. It is a journey for me.

I realized along my journey that I needed help realizing the deeper meanings in Scripture. I attended and graduated from theology school. One of my courses was the Hebrew language. I did awful! I thought to myself, “Who can do this?”

After graduating, I could not get that challenging Hebrew course out of my mind. I signed up for several different courses online. After studying Hebrew online, I realized this is what I needed to go deeper into Scripture.

The Hebrew language is challenging to me and I am not where I desire to be in it, but, I don’t give up. When I came across Izzy’s online teaching videos at Holy Language Institute, it piqued my interest, so I signed up. I am grateful to be a part of this learning community. My goal is to learn Hebrew better and use the language to discover the truth of Scripture and to draw closer to Yeshua each day of my life. I want to learn of Him from a Jewish perspective. Studying in this way is rewarding and helps me to talk about Him to others in a way that can be understood. I look forward to our time together and the opportunity to grow with you.

I pastor a church and I work a regular job.

For fun, I love spending time with my family and taking on different adventures.

Thank you for your prayers.

Hi, I’m Cynthia

At 10 years old I heard a voice calling me twice from the sky. I replied “Yes, LORD I hear you! I love you, too! Can I go play now?” My Mom had a Torah in English and Hebrew. She gave it to me to read because I had dreams and visions about the Jewish beloved people. My parents took us to a Baptist Church and she was given a KJV Bible to read. My siblings and I gave our lives to our LORD Jesus YESHUA. We were baptized at the Baptist church.

During my marital years, I rededicated my life to our LORD Jesus Yeshua! I worked 35 years as a customer service (CSR) and spent 15 years as a crisis ministry counselor to bring souls to our LORD, Savior, and King I lived most of my life in missions. Many called me “joy” and He opened the opportunities to share HIS great love and salvation with them.

I have spent most of my years living with all my daughters (family) to help raise my grandchildren. I lived in Hawaii for 3 years with my adult military family (members). I loved attending two Messianic Synagogues in Oahu.

Let’s simply fast-forward from my childhood, teenage, young adult, adult marital years, family (members), death of my spouse, college, and graduate years until now.

Today, I spend my days with Him in His presence with Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) praying for Israel and the nations. As a watchman, seer, and believer in our LORD Jesus Yeshua, I love my brothers and sisters in Messiah Yeshua.

The most precious of all is that He is the Passover Lamb of our Abba Father, the Word made flesh that gives us faith, hope, and love. I do this in obedience to His commandment found in Yohanan (John) 13:31-34 & 17 is the will of our LORD of Spirits, our Abba.

I love our Jewish beloveds for many reasons, as I love all souls/people for His Eternal Kingdom. For this reason, I bow down to Him.

For me: Always for HIS GLORY

For you: Izzy and all your household

Selah

A California girl, I accepted Jesus into my heart at age 32. I have a BA in Photography from Santa Barbara CA and a Diploma in Medical Billing & Coding.

In 1994, I went to Argentina to learn the language and came back 6 years later with a husband and 2 baby boys. I learned the language for sure!

I began attending Messianic congregations back in 2009. I have always had a heart for Israel. I had a few lessons in Hebrew years ago.

Dec 2021, I moved to Miami. I love languages. I am not congregating anywhere right now, so when I found your site, it appears to be just what I am looking for!

My name is Leslie (nickname “Roonie”). I live in East Texas. My husband, Doug and I have been married 37 years and we have three children: Brendan, Tess and Sean.

I have an extremely lengthy testimony so for now I’ll simply say I was baptized for the third time in a Pentecostal church approximately 8 years ago though I began a relationship with the Lord at approximately age 13 (I’m now 61).

I started feeling drawn to Jewish customs around 12 years ago but it really picked up intensity last September when my mother passed away. I have been through a lot of really strange spiritual things so over time I’ll share.

Please pray for my children and all my family to seek the truth. I attend a small Messianic Synagogue in Tyler, Texas. It is the only one there and I love it! I am trying to cram as much information in my head as soon as possible. My favorite things to do are cooking, art, listen to Jewish music, sewing, and teaching.

My name is Joel Tenney I am the fourth oldest of 17 children.

I was raised in an eastern Catholic home and almost joined the priesthood. I studied Latin and Greek and I loved it.

The LORD called me out of the eastern Catholic Church to enter a personal relationship with Him. I am a full-time missionary, medical chaplain, and evangelist.

I had never heard of Holy language Institute until my friend Keith Thomas from Southern Illinois introduced it to me. He told me this would be a good place to start my studies and I should check it out. I am very hopeful and excited that through studying Hebrew, it will bring it me closer to Yeshua the Jewish Messiah.

My name is Sandra. I'm a Christian of Hebrew/Jewish descent.

After discovering my Jewish heritage from an online test, I gave the idea of more Jewish observance some thought. I wondered that ifmy not observing at key times, was I possibly causing harm to Jews as a collective. I think I am at peace that I do not cause harm at all, that it's ok to rely wholly on Yeshua who is capable of blessing Israel no matter what I do or don't do.

I have however started to set Fri - Sat aside as Shabbat. I don't know the prayers very well, but I try to say the Shema as well as I can. Sometimes, I am prevented at all from lighting the candles due to work commitments which might spill over into the later afternoon/early evening. My work is demanding but interesting too.

My husband is Ashkenazic by matrilineal descent. He nearly converted but eventually ceased his conversion. It pained him to stop, but the Lord blessed him in his obedience to keep faith with Yeshua. He uses his Jewish daily prayerbook and wears his kippah sometimes on Shabbat and when he is moved in his heart to wear it.

I studied some Hebrew and completed a Hebrew Level 1 course online. My grasp of Hebrew is very limited! I am anxious to learn more.

Because Paul the Apostle was quite strong on the idea of falling back under the law, and because my job is so demanding, and because I rely wholly on the grace of Yeshua, I do not want to slip into a mind-set where my righteousness is in any way achievable by my own efforts/merits. I lose my peace when I go that way. There are no kosher supermarkets near me either so it would be too difficult to keep a kosher diet.At a minimum, I don't purchase any pork/ham.

I recently saw Izzy’s YouTube recommendation for the New Jerusalem Bible. I have purchased it and look forward to reading it.

Shalom! I’m Sylvia and I live in Ohio. For the past year or so I’ve had a passion to learn Hebrew after a friend shared a video showing the Hebrew meaning of names in the Bible. This added another dimension to God’s Word. I wondered if there was more that I was missing by not knowing Hebrew. I started looking for all the videos and books I could find that would help me learn Hebrew. I found Izzy’s videos from holylanguage.com and decided I wanted to start learning through Hebrew Quest.

Here's a little bit about the beginning of my walk with Jesus and His Word. I was raised in a Christian home, and remember wanting to follow Jesus when I was five years old. After getting my bachelor’s degree in art I enrolled in a Christian seminary and took a couple of Bible classes. After that, I started working at a Christian bookstore and three months later my husband and I became “owners” of the store. I learned so much about following Jesus through our resources and ministering to our customers. Currently I’m an e-commerce manager for a ministry that provides resources to enable Christians to defend their faith. I enjoy playing flute in a worship band, and studying God’s Word with other believers.

I just finished the Hebrew Quest course and am excited to continue learning more about following Yeshua in a Hebrew way.

Hello there! My name is Barb. My Messianic friends call me ‘sister Barb”. I began following Torah and began following a Hebrew Roots/Messianic community about six years ago because there are no Messianic Jewish communities near me. Someone gave me a gift of a DNA genealogy test and I found out that I have Ashkenazi ancestry. It was very strange how that came to be, but once I knew, the Spirit would not allow me to ignore it. It kept coming up at every turn and there was no way to simply avoid it. I was already leaving the very pagan Catholic system I had married into so I asked ‘Him’ (Yah) to show me what He wanted me to do next. I was done doing it my way in life. I asked Him to lead me and teach me how to do it ‘His Way’. My family was not aware that we carried the Ashkenazi gene line. They proclaimed to be Christian however they never really lived it daily. Most that are still living do not talk to me now or try to make contact but I have more joy now and true Shalom than I have ever had.

I had joined the Catholic system when I got married, but it never felt right and the longer I was in it, the more nonsense it seemed to be. They should have never asked me to teach the student religion class (LOL) because that is what really began to open my eyes. I immediately began to see that what they were doing in practice did not align with Scripture and Torah. Nearly all of what they do is opposite of what they should be doing. They literally worship Paul and when I found out that our Messiah’s name was not “Jesus” and that his Hebrew name is Yeshua, that sealed the deal for me in showing how they changed or removed nearly every aspect of Jewish-ness of their faith. Red flags began popping up everywhere. The more I studied Torah/Tanakh, the more my eyes were opened to the Catholic agenda. One day I was at my max, so I went down to the ‘sanctuary’ when no one was around. I walked over to the statues (idols) inset into the walls that I had bowed before so many times. This time, I didn’t bow, but instead I tapped on the bottom of the statue of “Mary”. It was made of wood. Then I turned and stared at the huge bronze crucifix above the alter, a dead Messiah that looked dark and burnt. That was when I knew. With tears I wanted to bolt out of there. That was the day I knew I had to leave it. I was in a pagan religion that bowed before idols of wood and stone. The scales were lifted from my eyes through the study of Torah and by a miracle.

When I left Catholicism nearly a decade ago, my entire life changed. I lost nearly everything and everyone I knew. Our life was centered around the church and those we knew there. My spouse didn’t want to be married anymore if I was going to be “Jewish”. My teacher friends stopped calling me and my children stopped talking to me. I knew I had to move to get away and start over. It all sounds very grim or sad, and I won’t lie to you, at that time it was draining, but our God had His hand upon it because a Shalom came upon me that I had never experienced before in all my life. I was okay with whatever was happening because I knew He was in control and I knew it was supposed to happen. The odds that I would find out about my Jewish DNA at my age (50’s) is a miracle unto itself. And now, years later I feel like God has brought me home to Him. I cling to Him and His Word every day. I try to fellowship with the Messianic communities on-line every week. I moved away from the Messianic Jewish communities when I relocated and there are none near me at this time. I have to drive 3 hours to the nearest site so that is a rare treat. I listen to Rabbi Alon Anava and the Temple Institute teachings online often. The Reform Jewish community locally were not receptive to me being Messianic and Jewish so I do not attend there.

I have greatly compacted this testimony. It was much more involved than what is written here.

May Yah bless you and keep you near. Shalom!

Shalom! My name is Kaytee. I have always had a love for Jewish people since I was 4, long before I was in personal relationship with Yeshua as my savior. I gave my life to Him at age 15. Every thought I had a Baptist pastor answered as if he heard every question in my mind. Not just one or two coincidences, but 20 times in a row. I invited Him into my heart on the spot!

Two years later I met Jews for Jesus in Florida. God always plunked me in with Jews at University of Minnesota. My dorm was all Jewish people. I prayed at least 50 times a day and all night on Wednesdays for the peace of Jerusalem. I still do.

With 8 children I was only able to learn a few Hebrew words and the Hebrew aleph bet at night. I attended Seed of Abraham Messianic Kehilat for 20 years.That was too far so now I attend Etz Chayim in St Louis Park MN. My next pastorwas from India pastored in Jerusalem many years before coming to the US. His wife is a Holocaust survivor.She has now outlived him. I am very, very grateful for this opportunity to learn from Holy Language Institute. Jesus is Lord and Messiah! Blessings to you all!

My Name is Rajendra from Nepal. I am so happy to share with you about my story.

I was born into a strong Hindu family that worshiped so many idols, but in them, I never saw mercy and peace. In 1999, I traveled to the city from my Himalayan village to worship more big idols and please the gods to make my dream a success. I wanted to be in the UK Army. When that didn’t happen, I become so depressed and lost my hope.

It was then that I met one brother who gave me a small hand book. In that book, I found John 14:6 which said “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In that, I found hope and peace, and decided to follow Jesus.

When my family found out about my decision to follow Jesus, my family and village kicked me out. I lived by myself but I was not alone. It was so hard as many times I didn’t have food to eat or clothes to wear, but God continued to help me to walk with Him.

In 2000, I was able to attend discipleship training for five months. After this training, God give me His heart to preach the Good News and plant churches. That is exactly what I am doing now. I am sharing the Good News of Jesus and planting churches in deferent locations.

By the grace of God, my brother Edward Yablinsky, encouraged me to learn the Hebrew language. I am very excited to learn about Jesus the Hebrew Way. Please pray for me that God will help me to learn.

I thank God I found Izzy and the Holy Language website!

I was applying to the Univ. of Israel Hebrew Studies Dept., but when I asked them if their teachers were Messianic or Rabbinical, they ignored me. I do not proclaim to be a Christian nor a member of any denomination of any church. My church resides within my soul -- I am a “Yeshuan”.

During COVID, I watched Nathan Wheeler's Near-Death Experience on YouTube and it touched my soul in a profound way.

I have been a civil litigation paralegal for over 30 years--seven of those years, I was the paralegal for "special counsel" to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas for their "sex crimes" cases. I'm under a Confidentiality Agreement, but I wish I wasn't. I know things that nightmares are made of. I have nothing but contempt for the catholic church. Their rituals and teachings are a mockery of our Lord's Word.

My husband (Danny) and I have been married over 20 years. We have a blended family of 6 kids. They are all grown (5 girls and one boy) and for the most part, drive us nuts. We have a little terrier dog, Max, who is Danny's sidekick, and the boss of both of us. Yes, he is very spoiled.

I'll try to keep it this short, but I am taking HLI courses so I can read the text of the Word in Hebrew and translate to English as I go so, I can read it to my husband. God has shown me (repeatedly) how much He loves Danny. I just try to be worthy as the person reading the texts to him. I know God listens to me and loves me, but I also want a more personal relationship with Him. My Diocese "secrets" haunt me, but there is nothing I can do about that without significant legal repercussions. Danny doesn't like it when I say I believe the anti-christ will come from the Vatican. I could be wrong and if so, I'll admit it. I just know their secret behavior does not sit well with me. Especially since I know what I know. And, they are most certainly not sorry about their priest's behavior. They are just sorry it has become the source of litigation.

I am also my husband's caretaker. In 2005, Danny suffered a massive brain aneurysm and stroke and was hospitalized for over two months. He suffers from many neurological issues--anxiety in crowds, he breaks out in hives if overwhelmed, he suffers from short-term memory loss, word confusion (aphasia), and has peripheral cuts in his vision – he is right-sided blind in both eyes. He has been on SSDI since the aneurysm has been coiled. It’s the size of a “baby’s foot”—his surgeon was dumbfounded and just kept repeating those words to me. The doctor told me that a GIANT brain blister is the size of a dime. I know there’s a reason he’s alive because God has something big planned for Danny, either here on Earth or in Heaven. During a 3-day black out last year, I started reading the Bible to Danny (NIV) and we were both a little taken aback by the translation. The way it is worded is just wrong. I've tried the eSword, but reading it out loud and sifting through the footnotes puts both of us to sleep.

It was then that I made a promise to our Heavenly Father that I would learn Biblical Hebrew from a Messianic Jewish teacher so that I can read the scrolls in their original language (I'm assuming I'll need to learn biblical Aramaic and Greek?) I want us both to learn the Bible in its original language before we die. It's the most important thing in the world to both of us; especially to me since I made a holy promise. Simply put, I am on a mission to learn the biblical languages to read to Danny and for my own edification. I'll be starting the Hebrew Quest soon.

My name is Timothy. I live in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

I read and study Scriptures in the King James Version. I am a licensed and ordained minister teaching and preaching the Word of God. Yes, He gave man all languages, but man has thrown himself into the Pure Truth.

I know that His dark sayings are more than just a tabletop word, and to find that treasure is to learn the beautiful poetry of the Hebrew Language. My reason for this is so I can teach and preach better. I knew of the Holy Language a few years back but lost my access to it. The Lord brought it to my attention recently. Now I’m back to start over.

Shalom! My name is Mike and I’ve been meaning to sign up for some time now. I currently work in government and that sometimes keeps me very busy. I’d like to be able to read and speak the language of our Messiah, our Rabbi, our Kohen Gadol (High Priest), Yeshua. I read through the parsha cycle and would love to be able to read it in its original language.

I grew up in the Protestant Church but have made a spiritual journey over the last year. I observe Shabbat and the Moedim (appointed times), do my best to follow the kashrut (dietary laws) and try to be as mindful of the other mitzvot (commandments) that apply to my life at present. I look forward to learning with everyone.

Baruch Ha Shem

Shalom, my name is James and I am a believer in Yeshua. I am 68 years old and live in Circleville Ohio on a Farm that was an Old Shawnee Village called Chillicothe.

My family history is a combination of Native American as well as Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews. Both of my parents were secular and I was not raised with any religion. My Dad was a poor Jewish boy from Columbus. He grew up during WWII and the depression. One of his first jobs was to walk groups of Jewish kids from the Jewish settlement to the new Hebrew school there. Although He was just a kid himself, he was hired to protect the other Jewish kids from being attacked by German kids. My Dad was a boxer who later became a wrestler. His family was Ashkenazi and the last names of his parents were Alt and Hart.

My Mother was also born and raised in Columbus. Her Family was Native American, Shawnee and Cherokee along with Sephardic Jews from Portugal. Her Last name was Lewis that had been Luis.

About the same time, I graduated from High School, I found Yeshua in 1972. I then attended Aenon Bible School in Columbus. I did take Hebrew there. The textbooks for the Hebrew were Weingreen's Grammar and Yates grammar.

My mother told me the doctor pronounced me dead before birth. As they were preparing for a caesarean operation to get me out before my mother would die, she gave birth to me, a healthy boy.

I was born in Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe, Africa in 1971.

I experienced a war situation before the age of 9. In 1979 our home was raided by the government after my elder sisters had fallen in love with enemy troops and this information reached the authorities who believed that the enemies had camped at our home.

We were bombarded for close to 6 hours by over a thousand heavily armed soldiers. Fortunately, nobody at our rural family home died. But I still remember that bullets make hissing sounds when flying. One mortar targeted at me hit a tree and exploded. That is how God saved me.

My parents were Christians. They believed in the God of Israel. Although there is rampant sorcery and divination in Africa, this was anathema to my parents. I too hate consulting the dead on behalf of the living. I hate occult worship.

After finishing college, I was employed by then one of the largest companies as an accountant. I met a fellow Christian (many people in Zimbabwe are outwardly Christian) at this company.

One day he gave me a Koran to read. I took it home. I read a few chapters and slept. That night I heard a voice call me saying, “Take that book and return it to its owner. Never read that book again”. As soon as it was morning, I took this book and returned it to my fellow employee. He asked me why I returned it so early but I told him that I did not think I would finish it. (This is a true story). Accordingly, I shall never have anything to do with Islam in my entire life.

After this encounter I started to look for God, the true God, in earnest. Although some Christians have a tendency to anti-Semitism, during this period (1997 to 2001) I started reading the Holy Bible thoroughly. I contacted the Embassy of Israel here in Zimbabwe to find out if I could get more information about Judaism. Fortunately, they replied. They referred me to the Gemara and the Mishna. I read and understood; and developed a fair understanding of these documents. But after a comparison with the Bible I felt that the Bible was a better document. I would say I love the Jewish people. In some cases where Christians say Jews hate Jesus Christ, I refer them to the scriptures, their own scriptures which say that Jews will be hardened until the full number of Gentiles come in to worship the God of Israel.

After 2002, I fell into the hands of the devil. By then I was married. I committed adultery. To me observing the Laws of Moshe (Moses) was really nothing binding. Many Christians do the same today and take the Laws of God for granted.

God had blessed me abundantly. But when I fell into the hands of the devil by committing adultery things began to fall apart. Everything I had crumbled. My small businesses crumbled save for a few items. In this state I realized that I had committed a grave sin.

I prayed to God that since the people who knew me would laugh at me in that state, I would at least leave Zimbabwe and go to South Africa since South Africa and Zimbabwe share a border. After praying so hard, I had a dream. In that dream there was a voice which indicated that I should go to South Africa. This voice said that once I get to South Africa, I would get a job, but I would suffer greatly. I thought that I had already seen great suffering so I would not mind any suffering as I was used to it. (I am not a prophet and I do not call myself one. I believe that the last prophet was John the Baptist. However, I still believe that God can speak to His people occasionally if He wants.)

In January 2006 I went to South Africa. For sure within three days of arrival I got a job. But in accordance with the word that I heard above my great suffering began. Johannesburg is a very violent city. I had a job. I knew nobody there. I had no relative there. My employers were skeptical because they did not know me so they could not help me much. I lived on the streets of Johannesburg. I had my Bible with me and after work I would read it. I met several ugly incidents on the streets. I did not have a place to bathe, so I would arrive early at work and would use the facilities there to clean myself before work. I would leave my bag at a cloak-room. I witnessed some people murdered. I witnessed some armed robberies at work. In one of these armed robberies my ribs were broken. I have healed now but I can still feel a bump on one of my ribs.

After all this, and more, I concluded that Johannesburg, South Africa, was the headquarters of the devil. I through that all the people there belonged to satan. Then one night during those days the voice that I had heard on several occasions came again. It advised me that God created all people and that the devil had no people of his own. That all people belong to God. From that day, I know that it is wrong to stigmatize people; it’s wrong to paint people with one brush.

After several months of living on the streets I was able to get a decent place to live. But while at this place, the night that I was hurt in an armed robbery, I had yet another dream. In the dream I was with people that I knew had died. They were smoking and dead drunk. I asked in the dream what this was. Somebody explained to me that I was supposed to die and go to hell because of my sin, but God had saved me. When I woke up there was heavy cigarette smoke in my room. So much so that I had to open the windows. I thought there was a fire but there was none. I was not insane. I was normal and in full control of my faculties. To this day I cannot explain these events. Apart from my family members, you are the only one who now knows these things.

I then got in touch with my family in Zimbabwe. After living rough, I had even forgotten their phone numbers. (Generally, I am no dunderhead). But I began to remember them one by one.

From that moment onwards I thought that I needed to get deeper in my understanding of God, and of Jesus Christ. Whilst I was living on the streets, I had lost my Bible. One day as I was coming from work, I thought that I needed a Bible to read that night, so I thought about buying one in some book shop in the next few weeks if I had some money. As I got to the steps in the flat that I lived, there was a Bible left on the steps, nicely left there. At this moment I just picked it up and took it inside my room. I thought that God gave this Bible to me. I still have this Bible to this date, although it’s ageing. (What I am saying here does not make sense to somebody who does not understand God, even to some die-hard believers it may not make sense. Nevertheless, I think I have somebody to tell. I have no reason to fabricate lies.)

In April 2009, I thought that I had had enough of Johannesburg. Just before Pesach (let’s call it Easter) 2009, I told my workmates that I would be fired from work. And then I would return to Zimbabwe. My workmates could not believe me because my bosses loved me so much. They thought I was just being reckless with words.

As we approached the Easter Holidays, I was called by my bosses. They thanked me for having worked for them so well and gave me an envelope full of money as my severance. They bid me good bye. I accepted everything that they said, got my money and bid farewell to my workmates.

They were shocked. They asked me if I was a prophet to which I replied that I was not. I just said it, and it was a mere coincidence that things happened as I said.

After that, I came back to Zimbabwe in April 2009. I live happily with my family. I am not rich. By Zimbabwean standards, I am not so poor although I know that things could be better.

I have left my sinful life. I try to live a life of purity but as flesh sometimes I fail. There are however, sins that I do not commit. I worship One God. I do not worship images. I do not call the name of God in vain. It’s difficult for me to keep the Sabbath. I honored my parents when they were still alive. I have not murdered anyone. I do not steal. I no longer commit adultery. I do not bear false witness against anybody. I nevertheless am a sinner; this much I know.

By my standards I do not call myself Christian. I believe in God and in the LORD Yeshua HaMashiach, commonly known as Jesus Christ. My belief in God is not centered on any specific doctrine, but on the Bible and the Bible alone. Churches are important, worshipping God is more important that attending a Church.

In 2017, my wife wanted to formally marry me in accordance with the Church traditions. So, she enticed me to the Roman Catholic Church. They wanted me to be baptized. After the baptism I could not sleep for three consecutive days. In the dreams that I had, somebody was telling me that I should not worship as Roman Catholics do. The dream indicated to me that Roman Catholics worship the dead. So, to this day, although sometimes I go to Church, I view Roman Catholics as not serious enough about praying to the true God. On Facebook I have interacted with Messianic Jews. Many of them seem really good people and command a greater understanding of the Bible better than most Christians.

So that’s a small story about me. As you can see, I have come to believe that I am a complicated individual. I however do not take my complications to people. When I interact with people, I want them to see a normal person. I am a very normal person, down to earth. I can say, I am as innocent as a dove but as shrewd as a snake. I can be quite temperamental at times. From here, I don’t know where God will take me to.

In this note I have just highlighted a fraction of my total life.

By the way, I am Black lol.

Shalom

CHARLES

My name is Nick. I am 26 years old. I was saved in 2017 at 23 years old.

At that time, the Father told me to immediately go to Israel alone, so I bought tickets and a couple months later was in Israel experiencing Him and His people! While in Israel, God very clearly told me something one night in the hotel; "You will be a Pastor, and learn Hebrew".

10 months later I was ordained as a Pastor and started my own ministry called Revelation Church in Katy, Texas. I still hadn’t learned Hebrew nor did I know where to start. I thought, "did I hear God wrong?"

Well, fast forward to June-July 2019. I was approached by a mentor in regards to Torah and Hebrew and he connected me with Holy Language Institute! Now I am going through the entire Tanach on my own in Hebrew.

This journey has enriched my walk with God, it has enriched others around me, and has brought such an intimacy with Him and His people.

God has moved so powerfully over these last 10 or so months. I am so thankful for Izzy, and with all Izzy's Mishnah Snapshots, it's only the beginning.

God is good. I've truly learned that if God calls one to something, you don't have to make it happen, just follow Him day by day, and He will bring it all like He brought the Kingdom to Solomon in 1 Kings.

Shalom Aleichem! This is Bob. My membership with Holy Language Institute is a gift from my bride Bonnie of almost 43 years (July 23). I have been dabbling in Hebraic roots for several years and attempted to learn Hebrew on my own. I have a vocabulary of ~400 words. I get stalled out, however, with verb conjugations.

I have daily study reading times set aside. In the early 80’s, I started reading through all the scriptures each year. I spend about 30 minutes in the morning and evening. In the evenings I read Matthew - Acts each month. I also read the Apocrypha as part of my Tanakh reading. To my shame, I spent too many of those years "reading" but not READING. I also struggle with living what I'm learning. I don't memorize scripture, but I do find that over the years I make a lot of connections between books and sections of scripture, things that eluded me all of sudden jump out. I guess I'm slow.

I started out reading the NIV (I'm learning that stands for the Nearly Inerrant Version :)) but the last few years I spend more time with NASB and NRSV. I'm really looking forward to reading Scripture in Hebrew.

I’m soon to be 66, and Lord willing, will retire Dec 31st from Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant in Glen Rose, Texas, where I am employed as an engineering training instructor. Hopefully retirement will free up more study time. I serve as an elder for a local church, and will begin co-teaching a class on the Lord’s Prayer Jun 28th. My focus will be the Hebraic roots of that prayer.

My bride and I celebrate Pesach, Succoth, Shavuot, and Shabbat, but I’m not very diligent about the work. We do a Shabbat meal Friday evening with candles, blessings and homemade challah. I’m a hobby organic gardener. We have four children, and 10 grandchildren ranging from ages 2-17. I am looking forward to learning with you and the tribe!

My family moved around a bit when I was young. My mom decided she didn't like the snow so we ended up in Texas. Since I have been here for most of my life (since 12 and I am 62) I considered myself to be Texan, but no, I don't wear cowboy boots or hat.

My mom took me to church when I was 4, but then mostly dropped me off at church. My dad never went unless it was for a wedding or funeral (He said it was all a fairy tale. I hope he was kidding).

I always wanted to know more about other religions - except through my teens. I would go with friends as a child to see what their church was about. Some of them scared me! As an adult and after I had a child, I started to research many religions and even went to a sweat lodge to check out the American Indian way. My husband at the time said he had too much religion as a child so he wasn’t about to do any seeking. Not much ever felt right, but I kept searching.

My search led me to changing so many things in my life. Relationship, careers, homes and where I lived. I couldn't fill the yearning and I could not figure out what I was searching for (I know now!)

After several bad experiences in relationships with men I was about to have a breakdown, but earnestly I prayed to Jesus for help! About 3 months later I found a church I really loved, became a born again Christian and am so grateful that I know my Savior! I have to say as a youngster I never heard about the Holy Spirit except in the phrase "Father, Son and Holy Ghost". It is so amazing that The Holy Spirit lives in me! I can now read the Bible with understanding! I know now what the meaning of the living Word means, and I can keep getting more and different meanings out of the same scriptures over and over!

I have always had a soft heart for the Jewish people. My grandfather converted to Judaism but I don't know much about that, he died right before I was born. The Holy Spirit kept moving me towards wanting to know about my Jewish roots since I have been adopted in... I was thinking about getting a Jewish Bible, (I have 4 or 5 different translations of Bibles) and was thinking about getting the Tree of Life version. I use that version on my Bible app a lot. I was looking for reviews on Bibles and that is how I came across Holy Language Institute! I could go on with a book about me being a "knowledge nerd", and I can be wordy so I will leave it at this.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You!  ~Toni (Antonetta)

Shalom Dear Friends,

Let me introduce myself to you all. My name is Marshall and my early life was lived in our nation’s capital, the city of Washington, D.C., where also I was born, grew up, went to school and eventually graduated from High School. On a side note, I also managed to get into a little trouble along the way as is typical for many inner-city kids like myself. Thanks to the Lord’s providential care, I was spared any involvement with the local authorities or our wonderful American legal system.

My parents separated early in my life and my mom and grandparents were left, at least for short while, to raise my 6 siblings and myself. In the space of 6 years, beginning in Junior High School we lost both our grandparents and our mom. This was for me, the real genesis of my life.

My grandmother had always piled us into her car every Sunday morning and taken us to New Hope Freewill Baptist Church in Southeast D.C. for services. On Wednesday nights some of us would go with her to the prayer service. I really liked it. Songs were sung, the preacher would preach and afterwards there was sweet potato pie and grape soda (a real sweet deal).

After my mom passed, I dreamt every night for about a year, that she left but had come back to life. In the dream, I would become very happy (I loved my mom very much). These dreams made me wonder “what happens when a person dies?” It wasn’t long after that when I was about 13 years old that I was introduced by a friend to two ladies from her old neighborhood who were “Spirit-filled” believers in Jesus. We visited their home and begin to talk about the Bible and suddenly I remembered these stories, that they were telling me. These were the same stories told to me, as a child, by my mother. Then I remembered promises I made to my mom as she would read these stories like “I’ll never use drugs”, “I won’t steal”, “I’ll be good”, etc... (I had broken them all).

As Bobbie (one of the lady’s name) was telling me these stories that night, all of sudden, it became extremely hot in the apartment. It’s hard to describe, but it was like I was in another place at the same time. I was overcome by a presence of peace. I thought I was lying down resting, but I was sitting upright in a chair. I told her what was going on, and she said that I was in the presence of God. I didn’t want to leave, it felt so peaceful and then it was over.

They invited me to visit their church and so I did. I can’t remember exactly when but not long after visiting, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and became a tongue talking charismatic (now Torah observant and Hebrew speaking).

Fast forward 45 years. I met someone who was a Messianic believer who introduced me to the idea of the dietary laws for believers today. I decided to study and pray and see if what he was saying was true. One day while reading Mt. 7, I could, for the first time, see and understand what Yeshua meant when he said “…in that day many will come to me and say Lord, Lord, … and I will say to them depart from me I never knew you, you workers of lawlessness.” That day my life pivoted toward the path he was directing me to. It was also around this time, circa 2013, that I first found Izzy’s Hebrew Quest videos on the Internet and registered. Later I encounter others like, Karaite Nehemia Gordon and associate Keith Johnson of BFA International who have teachings about the Name of G-d.

From the age of 13 when I agreed to follow “Jesus”, I determined that wherever he would lead me; I would follow. In fact, in our marriage vows, I made a covenant to lead wherever he would lead us. The Lord brought to me my heart’s desire and lovely wife, Deborah, now of 37 years. He gave us 3 children; Joannah, Martina and Jonathan (who’s now a non-verbal adult with autism) whom we have raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

In the early days of my walk with the Lord, I fell in love with the Scripture which I wanted to read it in the original language. After 40 years, almost to the year, I legitimately began the process of speaking and reading the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint and NT are next). I carried Hebrew flashcards, and an Interlinear Hebrew/Greek Bible around for 40+ years never really understanding it, except a word here and there. But now I can read and speak Hebrew, Biblical and Modern.

I’ve been walking with the Lord now 49 years and in many ways my walk is just beginning. I’m finally beginning to understand what it means to follow Yeshua in a Hebrew way and I hope to walk this walk in community with all of you from the “Holy Language” Tribe.

Oh, by the way, I managed to get a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Alabama, learned to design computer hardware and write software. I play and love golf, and have made my first trip to Israel with BFA International (in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic—Interesting stories to tell about that).

I want to say so much more but this “introduction” is already way too long. We’ll talk later.

Love you all and Shalom,

Marshall

I grew up in Texas and spent about 6 years in Georgia after graduating high school. I now live in Mississippi on the Gulf Coast (since March 2019).

I am a Pre-Service coordinator for a mental health facility at the moment. I love to sing, workout, and I have a fur-baby by the name of Oscar.

I was introduced to God as a teen and grew up in the Christian Evangelical Church. Naturally I grew up hearing that God’s Law was abolished, and we are not responsible to keep it any longer. Recently, God has been opening my eyes to the truth about how we are to interact with his Law, as disciples.

There is still very much that I have to learn but I have felt led to grow in my relationship with God by studying His Word in the original language. My primary goal for joining the tribe is to grow in my relationship with God.

There are so many conflicting narratives out there about God’s Word and how we are to walk out of faith, but I trust that God will lead me as I follow him.