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Before he called again, Julius embarked upon a furious mission: to find Misha an apartment. He knew that finding a healthy Jewish environment where Misha would feel nurtured and supported was key in giving him the chance to leave his messianic community.

A New Home

Iris and Harold Kaufman,* parents of five, are legendary in the Toronto community for their hospitality, tzedakah, and boundless kindness. Their warm, easygoing personalities -- not to mention their vacant, beautiful basement apartment for rent -- made them ideal candidates for taking in Misha. Even better, Harold was very active with Aish HaTorah, which meant he could introduce Misha to the vibrant Aish community in Toronto.

It was not a simple decision for the Kaufmans to take in a young, messianic teenager. Far from being a tenant, Misha would become part of the family, where the impressionable minds of the five Kaufman children, similar in age to Misha, would be subjected to his devout messianic doctrine. But after careful deliberation and consultation with their rabbi, Iris and Harold gave Julius the green light and a joyful Julius notified Misha that he'd found him the greatest apartment ever. Misha soon became a well-integrated part of the Kaufman family. Misha had finally found a true home.

What ensued was a battle for truth. Misha describes it like this: "I would tell Julius what the people at the Jews for J synagogue were teaching from their proof texts. Julius would refute it. I would go back to my people with Julius' refutations and they would counter-refute what Julius was saying. These I would take back to Julius to see what he had to say about them. But Julius had all the answers."

Like a buoy fighting the undertow desperately trying to touch the sky, Misha fought bravely through the doctrine he had been taught and the diametrically opposed belief system Julius offered him. And like that indomitable buoy, Misha emerged victorious.

It was difficult for his friends at Congregation Melech Yisrael to see him slip away after all the time, effort, and genuine friendship they had invested in him. Especially at the hands of one of their former members! When the messianic rabbi ran out of answers with which to refute Julius's convincing arguments, he fixed Misha with a penetrating look and warned him, "That Julius is the devil."

This grim statement, intended to strike fear in the heart of the conflicted boy, backfired and had a rebound effect. Misha had come to know Julius very well -- as a person and as a counter-missionary, and he was quite certain that the kind and loving Julius was far from the devil. He realized that the messianic rabbi had come up against a brick wall. And so had Misha who decided to begin a new chapter in his life.

Misha enrolled in CHAT, a local Jewish high school, and began learning more about his heritage. Today, Misha lives with his wife, Rachel* and their two children, in the Toronto community where he is an active member of Aish HaTorah. He has helped Julius in his anti-missionary activities and speaks freely of the incredible Divine providence that brought him from a steep, slippery slope to the joyous pinnacle of observant Judaism.

For Misha, all it took was a hesitatingly proffered Shabbos invitation to launch a dramatic transformation in his life and future descendants. God's mysterious ways often involve His creations -- regular, ordinary, busy people who rise to the challenge and reach out to others. One act of kindness can forever alter another person's destiny.

*Only names designated by asterisks have been changed.

This article was first published at aish.com and is reprinted with permission.  Julius Ciss is an Aish HaTorah alumnus. He can be reached at Jews for Judaism in Toronto, Canada.

Riva (Henig) Pomerantz lives with her husband and four children in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Her stories and articles appear on aish.com, in Mishpacha Magazine, and in several other publications. You can visit Riva's website and read her blog at www.rivapomerantz.com.