Bagels and Blessings

Yosef was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, then at fourteen years old he was placed in the Foster Care system when his parents passed away. Yosef attended Illinois State University.  He remembers hearing the rock song “Jesus Christ Superstar” and it made an impression on him. A representative of Campus Crusade for Christ came to his dormitory and seeds were sewn.  There came a time whe...

Born and raised in Germany, Gabriela's Jewish heritage has profoundly shaped her life. Her father, much older than her mother, was already 25 years old when World War II began. He experienced firsthand the devastation that unfolded as the Nazis invaded what is now Ukraine, where many of the women in his family perished in the Holocaust. Those experiences left a lasting legacy, giving Gabriela a de...

Joyce Dorian is the host of The Bridge Podcast, where she seeks to build understanding, compassion, and healing between Jews and Christians through honest conversations, education, history, and personal stories. A self-described "nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn," Joyce spent many years spiritually searching before encountering Jesus as her Messiah through reading the Bible in 2021. Her journey has...

Shirley was raised in a non-Jewish home in Texas.  However, her Grandmother was Jewish and Shirley remembers celebrating Shabbat.   She had a desire to learn more about her Jewish roots and she and her husband started attending a Messianic congregation in Austin. The moment she entered, she felt like she was at home.  Shirley became a widow five years ago and has rema...

Toni Bogart currently serves as a producer researcher at Sid Roth Ministries, bringing a wealth of insight and experience to her impactful work in media. As a Messianic believer who deeply loves God and people, her life and career are firmly rooted in her faith and a passion for ministry. With over forty years of professional accomplishments, Toni is a gifted worship leader and keyboardist who pre...

Pastor David M. Berman is a Messianic Jew, raised in a rabbinical synagogue and fully immersed in Jewish life and culture. He was miraculously saved in 1983. He sensed a strong call to reach Gentiles (non Jews) with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has done so for over 35 years. A pastor, Church planter, pastoral trainer, and much media interviews. He reaches Jews online and answers questions.

Stephanie Caracelo is a fourth generation Messianic Jew and has formerly served on the Executive Boards of the MJAA and YMJA. She is the former Ministries Director for the YMJA, leading youth conferences around the country. She serves as the B’nei Mitzvah Director and has a passion for teaching the foundations of the Jewish faith and inspiring the minds of the B'nei Mitzvah candidates. She also wo...

So excited to welcome Ted Pearce back to Bagels and Blessings!  Ted Pearce lived his teenage years in Beaumont Texas as an atheist. It was not until he decided to read the Bible, to find contradiction within it, did God reveal Himself mightily to Ted. A radically core shaking experience by the Holy Spirit in 1990 brought Ted to become a believer and he has been a worshipper for the Lord ever...

Katherine Thomas was born and raised in San Diego, attending a Lutheran church throughout her childhood.    She was introduced to the Messianic Movement in her mid-twenties when Tree of Life Messianic Congregation moved to the campus of the church she attended.    Katherine fell in love with the messianic congregation and enjoyed learning about the Jewish roots of her faith for...

Rabbi Ron is  an author, speaker, and has been in ministry since 1965 as an evangelist, youth director, associate pastor, congregation planter, was the Rosh Yeshiva (Dean of Yeshiva) for the UMJC, and an associate Rabbi of CBMHouston.org.   Rabbi Ron started the Israel Benevolence Fund (IBF) to help with widows and orphans.   He was a faithful husband for 61 years to Dolly, unt...

Rebbitzin  Jill Kamp Aaronson is an experienced executive leadership coach, communications consultant, author and organization development specialist, strategic planner, motivational speaker, bridge builder, conflict resolution facilitator, public relations spokesperson, and message developer. For four years she developed courses and taught at CMEL, Center for Management and Executive Leaders...

Renate grew up in Cologne, Germany. Hidden as a child, Renate survived the Holocaust.   Renate shares her surprise when she learned that she was Jewish, the tragedy of her father's death and the faith that he taught her.  This faith carried her through many tough times.  Through Yeshua, Renate learned to forgive those that harmed her father.   A poet, artist and forme...

Nathan is the first-born son of Paul and Luanne Wilbur and is currently operating as the Director of Wilbur Ministries. After finishing two years of undergraduate work, a semester of Jewish studies at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas, and graduating from the Jacksonville Police Academy, Nathan was hired to manage the ministry office and oversee the ministry travel schedule. When ten years o...

Zamariah Jackson, affectionately known as "Z," is a Jewish follower of Messiah Yeshua. She currently serves as Chair of the Living Free Women’s Conference.  For quite some time, it has been Z’s heartfelt vision to host a powerful gathering for women across the Messianic and Christian spectrum—both Jew and Gentile alike. Her desire is to see women set free from every chain that holds them back...

Josh and Sarah ar e husband and wife.  In their words, "God created; thus, we as His creation create things in return. One of our favorite ways to worship is singing- an act of creation that requires body, mind, and soul to unite together in a beautiful display of devotion. Our heart is that the music will bring you closer to God's own heart, and that you leave more in tune with His Spirit, t...

Laura and John had similar backgrounds in that they both grew up in a Catholic family and were both attracted to Judaism after experiencing a Passover Seder. The couple met at a Greek and Hebrew Training Center and learned  more about the feasts of Israel. They were both involved in the worship team there and the relationship grew. After marrying, they were drawn to Messianic Judaism.&nb...

  Rabbi Ron Goldberg was raised in a Jewish family in New York City.  He began sneaking out to church during his senior year of High School. A friend then gave him the "forbidden" New Testament to read and he soon discovered that Yeshua (Jesus) really is the Jewish Messiah. "After coming to faith in Messiah Yeshua my parents thought about having a funeral for me," Ron stated. "Instead, t...

Faith Yesner lives in the Philadelphia area and is on the worship team at her synagogue, Congregation Beth Yeshua.  Faith  recorded two albums and was a member  of the musical group Kol Simcha for many years.  Besides being a vocalist and an actress, Faith is a passionate equestrian, training in Dressage. She’s traded stage shows for horse shows!! The Lord truly does give us th...

Lisa Hellermann grew up in a Jewish family. After completing college,  she worked in Manhattan on her way to a successful future. At this time she started to have questions about God and the meaning of life. Her search for truth offered absolutely nothing.  One day commuting back from work on the Long Island Railroad, Lisa prayed to God and said, “God if you are real I want to...

Originally from Montreal Quebec Canada, Susan moved to California, when she was 18 years old. She was raised Catholic, and found Yeshua in 1974 at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa with Chuck Smith and Romaine and Greg Laurie. She  became Messianic about 24 years ago through her church Shiloh Messianic Congregation in Crestline.  In this interview, Susan shares how the Lord has helped her thr...

Apostle   LYNN JORDAN is the Founder/CEO of I AM  FOUNDation.   She studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York as a NISHMA Fellow, attended Columbia University, N.Y.U., studied at a Bible Institute in NYC, teaches Scripture on various platforms, worked as a reporter on several publications and loves to worship. Lynn is the author of  The Year in Torah (Bible)...

NOTE: this is a repeat of the 2016 interview. I did with Rabbi Jonathan Bernis. Rabbi Jonathan is the founding Rabbi of my home congregation, Congregation Shema Yisrael in Rochester, New York.  Jonathan has been a leader in the Messianic Jewish community for more than 30 years. He has authored numerous books and has planted communities all over the world . Rabbi Jonathan currently serves as t...

Dee grew up in a non- Jewish home and fell in love with the Jewish root of her faith and the Jewish people many years ago. She encountered the Lord many times, from being rescued from a harmful marriage, to being healed of cancer several times, and even when she had an out of body experience. She loves to share her joy of the Lord with anyone who will listen. I know you will enjoy this interview w...

Rabbi Jim has been a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus) since 1977. He has served Congregation Shema Yisrael as Elder, Home Group Leader, Prayer Leader, Outreach Coordinator, Youth Group Leader, Special Events Coordinator and Head Usher. Rabbi Jim has been the full time Messianic Rabbi of Shema Yisrael since 1996. Prior to entering full time ministry Rabbi Jim worked for Xerox Corporation in Webste...

Henry W. Wright was the president and founder of Be in Health Global. He was exposed to the power of spiritual healing at an early age when his mother was miraculously cured of terminal cancer and a fatal tumor that was wrapped around her jugular vein. Wright was committed to the belief that human problems are fundamentally spiritual, with associated physical and psychological manifestations. With...