Judith

Petrushansky
Finding Her Roots
By Jim Becka
Judith Petrushansky feels a
strong kinship with Jews. As a
young child growing up in
Germany and other parts of the
world she visited some of the
sites where Jews were murdered
and felt the pain of anti-
Semitism.
In adulthood, a family member
revealed the reason for the warm
feeling toward Judaism. She had
Jewish ancestors. Later in life
she married a Messianic rabbi
and decided to go through a bat
mitzvah.
Jewish children make a transition
into adulthood with a bar and bat
mitzvah, similar to the ceremo-
nies found in many Christian
churches. Many Protestants walk
the isle to the front of the church
and make a public profession of
faith, while Catholics go through
confirmation.
Continued on Next Page.
M J N
HaOlam HaZeh.COM
From Messianic Judaism Network.COM
Issue II - 2014
Houston Rally
Texans gathered at the busiest
intersection in Texas to support
Israel. Story and pictures on
page two.
Judith Petrushansky
From Previous Page
It goes back to ancient times, said Shalom Hebraic Christians Rabbi Mort Petrushansky . In the
Temple, the Jewish people at the age of 12 or 13 would bring their sons in and ask that they be
blessed by the rabbis. We read in the scriptures that Jesus was there at the Temple to be blessed by
the rabbis, but that Jesus actually blessed the rabbis.
Though a bar mitzvah began as a childhood event, the Holocaust changed things, because many
Jews did not want to reveal their Jewish identity through a public function such as a bar mitzvah.
After the Holocaust, a new tradition began of undergoing the ceremony as adults.
Judith Petrushansky, Morts wife, recently went through a bat mitzvah. She had been raised Catholic,
though she had ties to Judaism.
There was a sense of completion in my life that was the final connection I had with my Jewish
heritage, said Judith. it was to honor my father who told me at the age of 16 that there was Jewish
heritage in our family.
Rally For Israel
By Jim Becka
Supporters of Palestine and Hamas gathered at
the intersection of busy Westheimer in Houston
July 25, 2014 to chant and hold up signs, but the
supporters of Israel put on a show that got the
attention of people passing in their cars.
The Israel side sang Hebrew music, danced and
staged rocket alarm sirens to demonstrate what
life was like in Israel.
Continued on Page 3
Opera Singer Chris Holloway takes part in rally.
Rabbi Mort and Judith Petrushansky
Judith was raised in Munich, Germany by an agnostic father and Catholic mother. She took part in a
traditional Catholic upbringing, but realized there was something missing from her life. She became
sensitive to the Jewish experience after visiting a concentration camp.
My mother took us to Dachau, said Judith. She took us to the ovens where people were burned.
The one thing I remember was the walls were very thick concrete and I remember seeing claw marks
where people had clawed the walls because of their terror.
I walked out of the buildings and saw
the flower beds fertilized with the ashes
of the Jewish people and at seven or
eight years of age it had a profound
effect on my life. I dont know whey
my mother would take us to a place like
that at such a young age, but she felt
she had to do it.
She found out at 62 from Mort, that she
could go through a bat mitzvah and
decided to undergo the ceremony. It
totally made sense for me to do this,
said Judith. It was saying yes to the
world that I am Jewish.
Judith, with her husband Mort, work in
pastoring Shalom Hebraic Christian
Congregation in Kingwood, Texas,
north of Houston.
Other people took part in traditional ceremo-
nies, such as opera singer Chris Holloway (See
photo in page two).
Another rally is planned Sunday, August 3, at
Congregation Beth Israell, 5600 N. Braeswood
Blvd. in Houston. The event is sponsored by the
Jewish Federation of Houston. To find out more or
reserve tickets for the event, visit
www.houstonjewish.org.
Rally -
From Page Two
Singing, dancing at Houston Rally for
Israel.(Above and Left0.
Film producer
Rozalie Jerome
(Above) interviews
event organizer as
Palestinian support-
ers rally on opposite
side of street (Left).
HaOlam Hazeh.COM
Published by: MessianicJudaismNetwork.COM