Fall 2011

United Nations Durban 3 Conference

Durban, South Africa was the site of the first United Nations International Human Rights conference in 1991. The conference was supposed to address a multitude of human rights abuses perpetrated around the world. Instead, it degenerated into a forum for anti-Semitism and racism.

In 2009, a second conference took place in Geneva. Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for the obliteration of the Jewish state and issued crude expressions of Holocaust denial.

This year, all the world’s major democracies pulled out of Durban III because it was clearly not about combating racism, but about demonizing Jews and the Jewish state (http://www.durban3nyc.com/un-statehood-and-durban-iii-part-of-%E2%80%98one-two-punch/).

CJFM joined the Jerusalem Institute for Justice, Eagle’s Wings, European Coalition for Israel and iZionist.org outside of the United Nations at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza to voice our support for Israel and the Jewish state. I was one of eight CJFM staffers who traveled to New York City to join that demonstration. Visit our facebook page, Messianic Jewish New Orleans for more photographs of the rally.

In Memory of Herb Wolkis

In the fall of 1997, Herb and his wife Lynn drove down a busy street in New Orleans when they saw a sign posted outside of a church. The sign had the schedule of High Holiday services for Adat Yeshua, the messianic Jewish congregation we established in New Orleans. Herb was curious about the sign, and wrote down the phone number and made a call to my office.

I invited Herb to join us for services, and he and Lynn visited Adat Yeshua. His sister Jeanie had accepted Yeshua as her Messiah a couple of months earlier. She told Herb all about it, and he became interested about messianic Judaism. I talked with Herb and Lynn after the service, and not soon thereafter I called to see if they might be interested in studying the Bible together. Lynn was more than happy for us to meet at their house and Herb was really interested too; so began our Bible study at their kitchen table. We met every Monday at 7 p.m. and for over a year we studied everything the Jewish Bible had to say about the Messiah. We started at the beginning, with the book of Genesis and worked our way up to the prophets, especially the Prophet Isaiah.

At first we read only out of a Jewish version of the Tanakh, the 1917 edition of The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text by the Jewish Publication Society. After a few months, Lynn pulled out her King James Version and we began to compare the Jewish text to the Christian version. That really got Herb’s attention. He had no idea that the two versions were almost exactly the same.

In May 1998, Herb finally became convinced that Jesus really was the Messiah of the Jewish people. He prayed and asked Yeshua to come into his life, and from that day forward his life was not the same. You can only imagine how happy Lynn was that her husband came to know the L-rd. She had tried so many times to help Herb see what she knew, but she just was not equipped to communicate her faith in a way that related to Herb’s Jewish background.

Praying with Herb that night in his kitchen was one of the highlights of my life. He and Lynn became regulars at our messianic Jewish congregation; they were present at our son’s Bar Mitzvah; and have joined us at our home for Shabbat, Passover, Hanukah, and many other celebrations.   

Herb told me about his background a number of times. He grew up in Brooklyn in an Orthodox Jewish family. As a young boy he had a beautiful voice and was supposed to train to be a Cantor, the person who leads worship in a Jewish synagogue. But times were tough and he could not afford to attend Yeshiva University. While growing up, the essence of Judaism was always at the back of his mind. “Love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.” It was that ember of faith within him that G-d eventually ignited, leading him to his Messiah, the hope of Israel. 

Herb was taken to Heaven to be with his Messiah on September 29, 2011—Rosh Hashanah. He is no longer in pain, he no longer needs a feeding tube, his lungs are clear and his psoriasis is completely healed. Herb is standing in the presence of his Messiah where there is no more crying or pain, only joy and gladness. We miss you Herb, but look forward to seeing you again in Heaven.

Herb’s two son’s were at his funeral. They asked for a copy of the testimony I shared of his salvation. Please pray for them, that they will put their faith and trust in our Messiah.

In Memory of Moise Dumas

I met Mr. Moise Dumas 12 years ago when I led the service at his brother’s funeral. We kept in touch for a number of years, but had lost contact until two years ago when I was asked to lead a small group study at Woldenberg Village.

Mr. Dumas’ first cousin attended that small group meeting, and she so enjoyed the study that she asked me to meet the rest of her family. She was hoping a few of them might be interested in a family Bible study. So I joined the Dumas family for a gathering at a Chinese restaurant on Severn Ave. You cannot imagine my surprise as I walked into that restaurant and saw Mr. Dumas. I had not seen him in 10 years.

On that particular day, Mr. Dumas and I talked after most of the family left and he told me how much he missed his wife. He was concerned that he might not see her again. He really wanted to be reunited with her in Heaven. So we began to talk about spiritual things and I explained that he could indeed see his wife again—but only under one condition, he needed to get his life right with G-d.

We then talked about the Good News—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is G-d’s ticket to Heaven.  Because of His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, we know there is life after death. Those who put their faith and trust in Jesus, live forever. Mr. Dumas put his faith and trust in Jesus the Messiah that day and for the last year we have been meeting weekly to study the Bible.

Mr. Dumas took a turn for the worse a few months ago, and his family moved him to an assisted living facility. He passed from this life to the next on October 11, 2011. He will be greatly missed by family and friends. At his funeral, I shared a Gospel message and had everyone pray a salvation prayer with me. Before I ended the service, I asked everyone who had prayed that prayer and really meant it with their entire being to raise their hand. Almost every hand in the room was raised. I was astounded. I have never seen a response like this. I am grateful that Moise will be reunited in Heaven with so many of the people he loved because of the commitment they made to Jesus at his funeral. To G-d be the glory!

2012 Annual Messiah in the Passover Banquet

We continue planning our next Messiah in the Passover banquet. It is the most important event we hold each year. Every year, new people attend and decisions are made for the L-rd. The prevailing cost for a catered dinner is $50 per person. We would like to raise $4,000 to defray the cost of each meal and open the event to 120 people at the cost of $20 per adult. We want to keep the price low as an encouragement for everyone to invite their Jewish and gentile friends and family as guests. We will be holding our banquet for the third time at the Sheraton Galleria Hotel in Metairie on March 22, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. The hotel is at a very convenient location just off the Causeway Boulevard exit of I-10 and offers free parking.

G-d is so good. We have already received donations of $3,890. We only need to raise an additional $110 to make up the difference in the price of each meal. Please pray that the L-rd will raise up 11 people who will contribute $10. G-d is able!

Any offering amount will help us with this project, please make your check out to CJF Ministries and designate it for the 2012 New Orleans Passover Project. You can mail your offering to CJF Ministries, 611 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78215 or to CJF Ministries, PO BOX 23054, New Orleans, LA 70183-0054. We hope you will be in prayer with us for all of the details to fall into place.

We Need Your Help!

I would so appreciate the ability to stay in touch with you by email. If you have an email address, please send it to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thank You for Your Prayers and Support

Thank you for standing with us as we take the Good News to “the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel” in the greater New Orleans area. From the bottom of my heart, we are so blessed to have you as a part of our lives and ministry.

As the L-rd leads, please use the enclosed envelope to send a supporting gift. Your contribution will entitle you to receive a subscription to our publication Messianic Perspectives.

Thank you so much for your interest in and support of our ministry!

With Love in Him,

Michelle Beadle