“If I give my life to Jesus can I still be Jewish?”
World War II had been over for 6 years, but Sarah Rabinovitch’s life was still hanging in the balance. Her family survived the Holocaust, but now they were attempting something that people often lost their lives doing. They boarded a ship in the dead of winter from Europe to Haifa.
It was 1951 and the family’s life savings could only scrap together four tickets in the steerage compartment alongside the baggage. The ship headed straight to the newly formed State of Israel. For Jews who lived through Hitler’s Final Solution, it was the promised land.
Sarah was 13 years old and full of life. Despite seeing the horrors of the Holocaust and losing relatives in Nazi death camps, she looked forward to the days ahead and believed a better life was at the end of her voyage. She remembers her family clutching each other with glee as the ship pulled out of the harbor
But then the family saw their accommodations that would be home for two weeks and their hearts sank. Stacks of luggage and over 100 people were crammed into the lowest part of the old ship. The steerage room was the cheapest passage ticket available and those who were forced to use it were pitied for having to sleep on the dank floor with no personal space. Soon Sarah was hungry and cold.
Her parents took turns sleeping at night to protect the few possessions they had left. None of them were as important as young Sarah, whom the men were already eyeing. The cold, the lack of food, lack of clean water, abysmal toilet facilities and the danger from other passengers made her family wonder if they could ever get to Israel fast enough. People died on these immigrant ships. Many people. But if they could survive, it would all be worth it.
“On the ship, we met a Jewish family that believed Jesus was the Messiah. We had never heard of this strange belief and wondered how Jews could possibly fall into the trap of giving allegiance to the Christian God. Nazi’s and some of the Russians that tried to kill us also believed in this Christian God. So, to us, this was meshugana (crazy in Yiddish) for a Jew to give a second thought to the God of the people that despised and murdered us.
“But we were taken aback by their kindness. They cared for us and brought food they were saved from the meals they were given on the upper cabin floor they stayed on. They gave us blankets and coats to wear too. Why did they care for us when no one else did?
“When we finally made it to Israel, we had nothing like most of the survivors. It was so bad, our family had to live in an abandoned shipping container off the coast of Israel. But we were not alone! Our friends we met on the ship helped us again and gave food to us when our rations were out. They truly loved us.
“Maybe there was a difference between people who called themselves “Christians” like the Nazis, and those who tried to live like Jesus.”
Over the next several decades, Sarah did not have much contact with Jewish believers or “Messianics” as they are often called. But one day, Beit Sar Shalom (House of the Prince of Peace) called and invited Sarah to a dinner to honor Holocaust Survivors.
“I met amazing people! The team from the House of Peace were so kind and gracious, and it was easy to see how much they truly cared for us. Survivors often are overlooked in Israel and we’re from the generation that many Israelis would like to forget. But here were these wonderful people who loved and served us just like the family on the ship all those years ago.
“The banquet was so beautiful. We ate a huge meal, we sang, and we danced to Hava Nagilia and many of the survivors spoke Russian like me. We also heard words from the New Testament about Jesus today and I felt something warm in my heart.
“But I was scared. I had always been told that if I loved Jesus then I would no longer be Jewish. I was warned to stay away from Messianics. The two could not coexist. But how could that be? Jesus was Jewish and I was so drawn to Him.”
Just a few months ago, the Uncharted Team hosted a Holocaust Survivor banquet with Beit Sar Shalom in Jerusalem and we were privileged to meet Sarah Rabinovitch. It had been 69 years since she first heard that Jesus was the Anointed One who came to save Israel. She not only heard about Jesus on that immigrant ship, she also watched people who loved Jesus in action. He filled their hearts with love that she would never forget. She was just a young teenager at the time and now she was in her 80’s. But it was as if it was yesterday.
Sarah had one question for JoAnn: “If I give my life to Jesus can I still be Jewish?”
JoAnn: “Of course you will still be Jewish! Following Jesus is the most Jewish thing you can do! It doesn’t change your ethnicity, but it does trade in religion for a relationship with the Living God.”
Sarah: “That takes a weight off of my shoulders! Do I have to say that I’m a Christian?”
JoAnn: “No you don’t have to say that! You’ll be a Jewish believer in Jesus and that’s all you have to say! The word Christian can often speak of a mere religious preference. Just like the Nazis claimed to be Christian, but they obviously weren’t following Jesus or trying to live like Him.”
JoAnn: “But you Sarah, will be a Jewish follower of Jesus, just like the writers of the New Testament. Paul was a Jewish believer and he said: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
JoAnn: “Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for you?”
Sarah: “Yes!”
JoAnn: “Do you believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead?”
Sarah: “Yes!”
JoAnn: “Are you ready to confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord?”
Sarah took a long look at JoAnn and a warm, radiant smile came over her face.
Then she said: “I already have!”
In Conclusion
Sarah Rabinovitch went on to tell JoAnn that her grandson has also given his life to Jesus the Jewish Messiah! There was a whole lot of joy in Jerusalem that day!
Sarah is a true “spiritual gatekeeper” for her family and is influencing them towards Jesus. How God pursues us to receive eternal life! She is in Bible Study and growing in her faith.
As a child, Sarah was saved from dying in the Holocaust, as a teenager, when her family immigrated, she was saved from being another causality on the ship to Israel, when she arrived in Israel, she was saved from the dangers of living with little food and in a shipping container.
But most importantly, recently Sarah was saved from spending eternity apart from Christ.
Support Them in Prayer
Pray for her family members and other Holocaust Survivors to meet Jesus the Messiah. Last year Uncharted and Beit Sar Shalom saw over 60 precious Holocaust Survivors come to faith in Christ!
And pray for Sarah. She lives in fear that some of her relatives will completely reject her and throw her out of the family. But Jesus is pursuing them just like He did Sarah all these years.
” if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9 -Paul, a (Jewish) servant of Jesus Christ
