For Jesus, Jews & the World

How Aaron Abramson Found His Life’s Purpose

Aaron Abramson grew up in Seattle in a religiously mixed family and attended both synagogue and a Messianic Jewish congregation as a youth. When he was 15, his family relocated to Israel, where he enrolled in an orthodox yeshiva (Hebrew school) and then served in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) for three years.

The army years were intense, and by the time his service was up, he found himself in a dark place, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. He had seen things he couldn’t unsee. One of his close friends had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed. The situation in Israel seemed hopeless. What was the point of it all? Is there really a God out there? If God did call people, what does that mean? What is the purpose of being Jewish? And what about the rest of the world?

He returned to the U.S. for some time away, where he travelled aimlessly with a friend, a car, and a backpack—sometimes working a job here or there, other times just meeting people and drifting and seeking … something. He read books on topics from Nietzsche to Hare Krishna to New Age spiritualities. Bits and pieces struck him as possibly true, but nothing resonated directly. After a year on the move, he felt more lost than ever.

“The Answers You’re Looking For”

He returned to Israel and picked up a New Testament. A few chance encounters in the U.S. had provoked his curiosity. One took place in San Diego, where he’d met a blind seminary student who had veritably lit up when he discovered Aaron was from Israel.

“Wow! You’re from Israel! My faith is Jewish, and I believe in a Jewish Messiah!” he had said.

What does he mean by that? Aaron wondered.

The man even invited Aaron to his home. “Come use my home! Take a shower. I’ll make you something to eat.”

Who is this person? Why would he invite me to his home? Aaron found the whole encounter confusing, but the way the stranger reached out had made an impression. At another point, soon before his return to Israel, another person he’d met suggested he read the New Testament: “I think you’ll find there all the answers you’re looking for.”

What did he have to lose? He started reading.

Immanuel

He was especially taken with the Gospels. Jesus’ life, his words, the things he said and did drew Aaron inexorably to him. The idea that Jesus loved the world, that God loved him, brought tears to his eyes. If ever in history there had been a Messiah, or even an idea of a Messiah, these were the kinds of things the Messiah would say and do. Sitting on a bench in Jerusalem’s Independence Park, he cried out to God: I don’t know where else to go. I don’t know who to turn to. But this Jesus that I’m reading about? I really want him to be the Messiah.

It was a simple, honest prayer. But, how to follow Jesus? Aaron had no idea, but Jesus’ departing words, “And lo! I am with you always to the very end of the age,” helped him see a way forward. Jesus’ name is Immanuel, he reflected (Immanuel means “God with us”). God wasn’t going to leave him to try and figure out life and faith on his own. Jesus would walk with him and never leave him.

He started to pray and share this great news, starting with two of his closest friends. Lord, if I’m going to follow you, I need you to help my two friends see the truth. They’re going to have to follow you too. Otherwise it won’t work. Later, he would realize that this was a rather naïve prayer, but both of his friends did become believers within a few months, and the three of them began to grow together. None of them knew how to “be a Christian,” but God began to teach them, and they began to grow.

Church

Next came church. Church felt utterly foreign to him, so he prayed about that, too. God, I need your help because I don’t fit into church. He ended up trying one in the old city called the Jerusalem Church. Most of the members were former Muslims of Arab descent. In a way, it was an early test of the faith. If Jesus is really who he says he is, thought Aaron, and he reconciles men to God and men to one another, then the people in this church should be my brothers. And, indeed, Aaron was welcomed with open arms.

The gospel truly is good news, and it was there that he discovered the beauty of it. Not only that, but the Jewish teachings and practices he’d been exposed to as a youth took on fresh meaning. The revelation of God’s faithful care and presence had been right there in the Hebrew scriptures all along. He was not a distant God but had been active throughout history and especially among his people. Surely, he is the same God today.

Jews for Jesus

The following year, a new adventure opened up. Sharing faith in Jerusalem was very difficult, but he met some people who appeared to be remarkably comfortable with it. They called themselves “Jews for Jesus.” They were part of an evangelistic organization founded in 1973 specifically to reach out to Jewish people.

Aaron wanted to learn how to share the faith the way they did, and he was invited to train with them at Moody Bible Institute. Following the training, he took part in a month-long evangelistic campaign in New York City. A year later, in 1999, he joined Jews for Jesus as a staff member, and he’s served with them in various locations and capacities ever since. He was stationed in New York, in fact, when the September 11th terrorist attack rocked the city.

Bringing the Gospel to the Jews

Evangelism always has its challenges, but being Jewish can further complicate it. He explains:

People would attack us, yell at us, or berate us, even throw coffee on us. Some people just didn’t like the fact that we were Jews for Jesus, especially if they were Jewish. Some find it a threat that a Jew had accepted Jesus but still called himself a Jew. If we had said, “I’m giving up my Jewishness; I’m a Christian, now,” they might still have an issue with us, but it wouldn’t be the same. I think a big part of it was that they felt we had betrayed our people. There are so few Jews in the world. How could we now become Christians?

Over the ensuing years, Jews for Jesus has expanded its outreach methods from the street evangelism of the early days. The website, JewsForJesus.org, contains a wealth of information and resources, including video testimonies of Jews who profess faith in Yeshua (Jesus) and a chat box where an inquirer can interact with a live person (not a bot). Staff and volunteers speak and teach in churches, especially on topics related to the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. They host dinners and holiday events so that people can experience, say, a Shabbat from a Jewish perspective. They operate a women’s shelter and have even opened coffee shops in Los Angeles, New York, and Tel Aviv. When war came to Israel on October 7, 2023, their boots on the ground mobilized to love their Israeli neighbors by providing hot meals and care packages to anyone in need.

Today, the feelings of meaninglessness and hopelessness are past history. Taking the gospel of Jesus to the Jews has become his life’s work. “I know what a transformative difference-maker Jesus was for me,” he says. “We have good news, and we want Jewish people to hear about it.”