Ayelet's Story

My name is Ayelet (ah/YEH/leh-t),
which is Hebrew for the “Doe of the Dawn” (Psalm 22:1 or pre-Psalm).
I am Jewish, was born and raised in Israel and like the majority of people in Israel, my family was not religious.

Since I was a little girl, I had a sense of what I used to call “the inner voice”.
Somehow, I always believed in the existence of God, but I didn't really know what to do with that. I was not religious and religion as a whole never seemed appealing to me. All the rules and restrictions that came with religion, just made no sense to me.
I believed that this "inner voice" was maybe God’s way to communicate with me or guide me, but that is where my "relationship" with Him ended. Praying was something for the Jewish orthodox, not for me.
So, I never really prayed and didn't really know how to communicate with God.

When I was 23, I left Israel for the first time and came to America. All of a sudden I was in a new country, new culture, new everything but for some bizarre reason, from the moment I set my foot here in America, I felt very much at home.

I arrived to a small spiritual community based on the teachings of Yoga in which I ended up living for about 12 years but still, I even though it was a "spiritual community", I was not able to connect there on a spiritual level. Something was missing inside of me and it became even more evident to me there.

This was where I met my ex-husband and we were married there in a Jewish Ceremony. Soon after that, we had a beautiful son & daughter. I was a stay at home mom in a little house in the woods. Many times, the only adult I would see during the day was my husband. I wasn’t happy. I lived in a spiritual community but was not able to connect spiritually; it just didn’t feel right. Something was still missing and I didn’t know how to find it!

To tell a long story short, our life directed us to move to the suburbs. All of a sudden it seemed there is a church around every corner, crosses everywhere and it was just "screaming" “Jesus” all around. It wasn’t for me, well, that’s what I thought… after all I was Jewish and was taught that Jesus is for the Gentiles only.

Growing up in Israel, Jesus is not someone people are encouraged to learn about… to the contrary! It is considered a sin or betrayal in the Jewish people to have anything to do with Jesus. Jewish people who do choose to follow Jesus are considered Gentiles in the eyes of the orthodox Jews. Honestly, growing up, I didn’t even know that there are Jewish people who believe in Jesus.

I was seeking to fill that "spiritual void" and felt a big need to get re-connected to my Jewish origins and my heritage especially now that my son was starting to understand more. I wanted him to be able to learn about his heritage as well.
So, like a good Jewish family, we started to attend the synagogue. I thought I will be able to get connected with God through the synagogue. But as much as it was all familiar, it still did not fill that "void". I was thirsty for a spiritual connection, I was thirsty for God and nothing seemed to fulfill that thirst!

I started to notice the churches everywhere more and more and I found myself wondering how come so many people around me and all over the world believe in Jesus? Could they all be wrong or even stupid? I had a big urge to investigate into it, to know what is the deal with Jesus and why Christianity is the biggest religion in the world?

I started to search the internet, read, watch movies, and documentaries. The more I found out, the more amazed I was at how much sense it all made!
One big point that was made clear to me early in my “quest” was that Jesus was born in Israel, his Hebrew name was Yeshua, he was Jewish in all ways, he celebrated the Jewish holidays, kept kosher, and kept the Sabbath as the holy day. All of his disciples were 100% Jewish – so what happened??? Why did the Jewish bible stop where it stopped? I did not believe that God lost interest in us at the end of the Old Testament. I had to find out for myself!

I went and bought a copy of the New Testament – a book that is considered a curse to have in many Jewish homes! I started reading and loved every moment of it! I have literally become obsessed in my “quest”. My focus, for the most part, was in comparing Judaism and Christianity with a great deal of apologetics material. I spent many hours talking to Christians, a rabbi as well as Messianic Jews about it all, and the more I found out, the more amazed I was. I couldn’t believe it! My views of the world, life, and people started to change. Things I thought I once believed were replaced with the word of God.

From the beginning of my “quest”, it became very clear to me and that the bible IS the word of God. I have no doubt in that today!

In the course of a few months, I have grown closer and closer to God.
God has opened my eyes and my heart to know for the first time in my life His full story. I believe in all my heart that God was with me since day one, he led me to America, to that spiritual community, and to where I am today for me to re-connect with Him. I believe it would have been so much harder to make this happen if I was still living in Israel. But still, although everything made total sense, I was not quite ready to let go and surrender.

In April 2008 a friend introduced me to her church. I met with the Pastor, ready to ask him a lot more questions and he made two recommendations for me:
First, he said, "It is OK to have questions", and second, that I "will always have more questions, but sometimes it’s good to leave some room for faith".
He also encouraged me to read the Gospel of John which I had not yet read at that time. I took his advice seriously went home and started to read the Gospel of John. I also decided to let go of some of those questions… at least for now, and just try to think less and feel more of what is happening in me.

I finished reading the Gospel of John and all of a sudden it was all clear to me! I believed! I believed it all! I went down on my knees and asked Jesus into my life! I even did it a few times… in Hebrew, in English, in Hebrew again… just to make sure. There wasn’t any thunder and lightning and nothing changed on the outside but my heart has changed from that moment on in a way that I have never felt before! NOTHING was missing anymore! I re-connected with God and I had no doubt about it!

I have a new identity now – I am Jewish and I believe in Jesus/Yeshua. I did not convert to another religion, but for a Jewish person to come to faith in the Jewish Messiah (Yeshua), it's not a "conversion", but rather, it's a COMPLETION of FAITH! This is a very important point to understand especially for my immediate family and friends in Israel, and for Jewish people in general.

My family in Israel, naturally had a hard time with my new found faith, especially because it's in Jesus/Yeshua. Even though they are not religious at all, Jesus is not for the Jews in any way. We came a long way since I came to faith, and even though my family did not (yet!) come to faith, we focus on our love for each other and I always continue to pray for them.

As of November 2024 (16+ years since I came to faith), I can say that it's been an amazing, VERY blessed and also VERY challenging journey for me (and STILL!).
I got divorced, re-married (to a loving Christian man!), my kids have grown and "spread their wings" while they also turned away from God, and away from me on many levels. I am praying for them, for their relationship with me and their relationship with God, and I have faith that God will do His work in their life as well!

I am finding that life challenges are so much easier to go through with God on my side than without! I have no doubt that He is with me, helping me and guiding me through it all. I have also discovered the power of prayer! It is UNBELIEVABLE – Highly recommended! I have grown in my faith and in my relationship with God in many ways. Everyday is blessed with new lessons, new challenges, and more opportunities to seek God and come even closer to Him.

Up until a few months before I came to faith, I would have never thought that I will ever believe in Jesus/Yeshua! But God called me and guided me toward His Truth, and I am so happy that I listened!  

Soon after I came to faith, God put it on my heart to start The WORD in HEBREW. I am SO blessed with how its has grown into the ministry and business that it is today (and still growing), so make sure to browse through my website here to learn more about it, and hopefully, learn some Hebrew with me too!

My “quest” is far from being over! Walking with God is an on-going journey and I look forward to every step of it. I am no longer alone. I don't feel a void anymore. God is with me, guiding me, watching over me and loving me through it all.

I am thankful for all the beautiful people and great resources that helped guide me in my “quest”. For all the new friendships I have made over the years and for all the prayers and support I received from everyone along the way.
Most of all I thank God for showing me His way, the one and only truth, for loving me as much and for Yeshua, who sacrificed His life, so I (and you!) can be saved and have everlasting, eternal life WITH Him!

Amen!

I MET MESSIAH!
Recorded in September 2014 (06:02 min.)

 

I AM JEWISH AND I BELIEVE IN YESHUA – JESUS!
Recorded in August 2008 (09:55 min.)

I believe that God is pursuing each and every one of us just as He pursued me! He wants a relationship with us and for us to have a relationship with Him. He wants us to KNOW Him and for us, to make Him known! - Ayelet

If you are Jewish, I highly recommend to get a copy of the New Testament and read The Gospel of John. It has changed my life and can do the same for you too!

If you have any questions on the subject, if you are not sure about it all,
feel free to contact me and I will be happy to and answer your questions and/or refer you farther if I can.

It’s a pleasure and an honor to be able to share my story with the world, to know God and to make Him known!

All my praise goes to HIM!