Volumne 13 Number 3
January/February 1997
Tevet/Shevat/Adar 5757

Finding Meaning in Life

by Lyle Leibovitz

My search for G-d has taken me down a number of interesting paths. For a long time I wondered if G-d really did exist and if there was a purpose for my life.

Growing up in a good Jewish home, in Los Angeles, went to Temple, had a Bar Mitzvah and learned how to write Hebrew. I was even confirmed in Temple at age 17. My mom and dad took our whole family to Temple for evening service so we could hear the Cantor play guitar and sing, and hear the Rabbi give a sermon. This Jewish education was required for my youth and I appreciated my heritage.

I grew in my Jewish identity as I learned about it from all the Jewish educators at Temple. But my papa (grandfather) was really the Jewish inspiration of my youth. He sang at my Bar Mitzvah, just like the Cantor. He officated at our seder table for Pesach. I became close to my papa throughout my youth. He and my nana (grandmother) had visited the land of Israel and their home was one that reflected that love for our people. They always had Judaic symbols about G-d, and they spoke in Yiddish (a mixture of Hebrew and German). My home wasn't as Jewish although we ate bagels, lox and kaiser rolls on Sunday.

My life just wasn't meaningful. Deep inside I was broken, empty, and hurting. I was angry with my parents when they laid down the rules that I didn't want to follow. I knew they loved me and they showed it as well. They just wanted respect and obedience and I tried to do the best that I could.

In 1988 my dad died of lung cancer. My papa died the following year in 1989. I grieved and cried because they were gone. I was left lonely and empty inside. This was during my college years, this time of intense searching for meaning, for purpose, for happiness. I had been looking at spiritual things and I continued my search in that direction.

In 1990 I tuned into a Jewish program on the television. It said that Jesus was Jewish. Well, I knew that! But this Jewish program was different. It had Jewish music, Jewish dancing, and scripture reading, even from the New Testament. The program said that Yeshua (Jesus) was the Jewish Mashiach. I didn't know anything about a Messiah. I didn't remember hearing about it in my Temple.

As I watched this program, "The Jewish Voice" on cable TV, I heard about hope and the promise of eternal life. Years of searching finally seemed to make sense. I made a decision to accept Yeshua as my Messiah while watching this program. I prayed. I confessed Him as Lord, and asked the Messiah to forgive me of my sins, and invited Him to live inside me. G-d revealed Himself to me as Yeshua HaMashiach.

While I was still a student at San Diego State University, G-d brought me to a curious site: a literature table with a big banner that read, "Messianic Jews." Rabbi Barney was leading the outreach ministry at the college that day and I told him that I recently made a decision for Yeshua. He gave me some Jewish literature about Yeshua to read with prophecy and scripture references pertaining to Yeshua as the One promised in the Hebrew scriptures. I read the literature which was a great strength to my new faith.

The following month I came to Kehilat Ariel. I was welcomed and received in love. I found the peace, joy and happiness that I couldn't seem to find elsewhere. I knew and believed that Yeshua was real in my life.

It wasn't long after praying for G-d's will that I was lead to Bible college. There I learned about theology and Bible doctrine. G-d equipped me and called me to the ministry. It was a joy for me to become the Cantor of Kehilat Ariel. The Spirit of G-d retrained me from my synagogue background to chant prayers and read from the Torah. The G-d of Israel worked for His glory to bring me to His Son, the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. Praise Him! One of my favorite verses that best sums up my purpose is found in the scroll of Jeremiah 1:7 - "But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say I am a youth. Because everywhere I send you, you shall go. And all that I command you, you shall speak." With the Messiah's help, I intend to do just that.

URL:http://www.kehilatariel.org/1_2_97.html

Last Modified May 8, 1999