Saved

"You're looking for an apartment?" a friend of his parents from the Old Country asked, when they bumped into each other one day. He scratched his chin. "I know someone with an apartment for rent. I'll give you her number." And that's how Misha met Mr. and Mrs. Sheiner.*

"You looking for an apartment?" Olga Sheiner peered at the tall, skinny boy before her with a mixture of dismay and motherly affection; her Russian-accented English thick like the fragrant smells that wafted from her kitchen on this Friday afternoon.

Misha dutifully took a tour of the basement apartment but with disappointment he realized that his ticket out of Parkdale was not located at this particular address.

"Thank you," he told Mrs. Sheiner, "But it's not for me..."

She nodded with disapproving approval. He was on his way out the door. They would likely never meet again. It was Friday afternoon. He was a Jewish boy, that much was apparent. Should she reach out to him? Would he spurn the offer? Would it even matter? She wiped her hands on her apron and shrugged inwardly. It was a long shot, but so was David's when he attempted to defeat the giant Goliath.

"Y'know, it's Friday afternoon," Olga said. "You're already here in my house. Why don't you stay for Shabbos?"

A look of surprise crossed the teenager's face. Stay for the entire Shabbos with this obviously religious couple? Rather absurd. But how could one argue with the tempting scents that emanated from the stove, and his miserable flat in Parkdale made the modest Sheiner home look like a palace. Besides, a full Shabbos together would enable him to proselytize to these noble yet uninformed Jews about the beauty and dazzling truth of ‘Yeshua.' Misha nodded his consent.

Over golden chicken soup and crisp potato kugel, the Sheiners were treated to a fifth course --  on Messianic Judaism. Earnestly, Misha explained to them how essential it was for Jews to believe in the Christian "savior" in order to be forgiven for their sins and to ensure their share in the World to Come.

They almost choked on their soup, but the Sheiners contained their horror. Calmly and patiently they explained to a surprised Misha that they were quite comfortable in their current belief system and were not interested in adding another deity to their lives. They did not berate him, engage him, or laugh at him. Misha left that Saturday night with a full stomach and an intriguing invitation to meet a friend of the Sheiners who, they said, was potentially interested in the "wares" he peddled.

The Anti-Missionary

Julius Ciss is a man you don't forget. The only thing more towering than Julius' six-foot-six height is his gentle presence and affable love of all Jews. Julius founded Jews for Judaism, the anti-missionary organization in Toronto several years after he, himself, was saved from the clutches of a deep, five-year involvement with the very same Congregation Melech Yisrael that Misha attended. It was this gentle giant whom Olga Sheiner urgently contacted as soon as Misha left her house.

"You must get in touch with this boy," she told Julius, "or he will be lost and bring others down with him."

Julius was hesitant. In his line of work he had seen enough to know that true counter-missionary success only came from those who initiated contact on their own, expressing interest in hearing the other side of the story. By calling Misha directly he was worried that the young man would be put off and an opportunity would be squandered. But Olga persisted.

"You've got to call him," she ordered. "He'll never call you."

So Julius called Misha.

The two spoke for many hours and the conversation was pleasant, and thought provoking. Julius talked to Misha about his aspirations, his friends, and his experiences in Canada, and he took a genuine interest in Misha's wellbeing. The two definitely clicked.

Eventually, the conversation drifted to Misha's belief in Christianity. Julius's approach was non-threatening and non-judgmental. He didn't want to come on too strong; all he wanted was to push the door open a crack to ensure further conversations. He spoke with Misha about the importance of being intellectually honest about his decision to embrace Christianity. Julius talked about the paramount importance of making an informed decision in every area of life. "When you cross the street, you don't just look one way; you look both ways! How much more so if you cross a spiritual street," he said.

Julius told Misha that Jews who embrace Christianity seldom ask themselves why Judaism rejects the Christian claim that Jesus is the messiah. Misha agreed that he didn't actually know the Jewish perspective on belief in Jesus. Julius invited him to meet later that week to talk about it and to learn more. Misha was intrigued with his gentle but on-target arguments, and agreed to explore the issue further.