Leviticus 17:11 - Jews for Judaism

A Large Crowd Surrounded and Closed in on Me

A Large Crowd Surrounded and Closed in on Me At a recent Israel Festival, I was standing in front of the Jews for Judaism booth answering people’s questions. Then it happened. A missionary and his friends challenged my beliefs. They wanted to know how I could get rid of my sins since the Temple was destroyed and we can no longer bring sacrifices. They believed Leviticus 17:11 says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no atonement for sin,” and I am condemned to eternal damnation unless I

Torah portion Shelach sacrifice

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 2 min read

She Went to Pray and Ended Up Crying

She Went to Pray and Ended Up Crying Although her highly educated parents were secular, Karen always knew she was Jewish. Growing up in Brooklyn, it seemed like everyone was. An uncomfortable experience with an overzealous religious Jew shattered any thoughts of exploring her religious heritage. However, a chance encounter with a Jew for Jesus seemed like the correct path, and for 30 years, she considered herself more Jewish than the Orthodox Jews from her old neighborhood. While attended a

Acharei Mos Leviticus 17:11

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 2 min read

Purim, Sacrifices and Salvation

I remember an encounter with a missionary who tried to share the gospel with me. It was 1972, and I was a student at the University of Texas in Austin. One of my friends turned out to be an evangelical Christian. I discovered this when he told me, “there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood, and since there is no longer a Temple to offer sacrifices I would need to accept Jesus to be saved.” I grew up in a traditional kosher Jewish home and attended a modern orthodox synagog

Purim and portion Tzav Leviticus 17:11

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 2 min read

Discover a Personal Relationship with God

In this week’s Torah portion of Acharei, chapter 16 of Leviticus describes the Yom Kippur service. Yom Kippur was an extraordinary opportunity to discover a deep personal relationship with God. Yom Kippur was the only day the Kohen Gadol (high priest) would enter the innermost chamber of the Temple know as the Holy of Holies. The revelation of God’s presence in the Holy of Holies was so intense our sages explain that a miracle took place and the Ark of the Covenant transcended the limitations o

Torah portion of Achare shedding of blood

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 2 min read

The Crowd Cheered When I Refuted the Missionary

The Crowd Cheered When I Refuted the Missionary On a warm summer day, I stood in front of the Jews for Judaism booth at a Jewish community’s Celebrate Israel Festival. As I answered people’s questions, I was interrupted by two missionaries who had crashed the event. They challenged my beliefs and said I was going to hell unless I accept Jesus as my savior. “No, thank you,” I told them, “I pray directly to God and don’t need an intermediary.” Their response did not surprise me. They repeated t

Torah portion Shelach Leviticus 17:11

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 3 min read