Holocaust Soldier’s Redemption
Haim fought valiantly against the Nazis in World War II, an era in which many of his people were sent to internment camps, never to be seen again. At 98 years old, he has lived a full life and endured many hardships. His eyes have witnessed the destruction of his people as well as the rise of the Jewish Nation of Israel.
Haim lives at a local retirement home in Ashdod, which our team visits regularly. We have seen him often during our visits and greet him politely whenever we pass by him. He had never shown much interest in participating in our discussions or joining in with the prayer groups. Then one day, to our surprise, Haim asked if he could spend some time in fellowship with us.
God is the master orchestrator.
It was no coincidence that our scheduled visit coincided with the biblical holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost). As we sat down to tea, our conversation soon became centered around the importance of Shavuot to the Jewish people and how Yeshua came as the one who would fulfill the prophetic picture of the feast. Jesus had died as the perfect, sinless sacrifice, then He arose to become the first fruits of the dead. This was the Father’s perfect plan to provide a way for mankind to be saved and reconciled unto Him.
Haim was greatly affected by this revelation. As he listened intently, he began asking questions about faith, our faith in particular. We shared our testimonies of how we came to know Jesus was our Messiah and our personal encounters with him. The door was opened, and Haim began to share the challenges he faced in his life during the war. He then told us that as difficult as those times were, his current struggle to have a relationship with his children was even more difficult. We could see he was in great pain and anguish, so we offered to pray for him.
He was visibly touched as we prayed for him and his family. This prompted us to ask Haim if maybe this was the time to ask Yeshua to be Lord of his life and receive forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. He nodded and said he knew this was a turning point in his life; he needed to be saved. As we led him in the sinner’s prayer, he prayed after us using the old language of Yiddish. It was a beautiful and amazing experience!
As we parted ways, we saw that a life-altering transformation had occurred in this dear old gentleman’s life. Praise God that no matter your age, it’s never too late to receive the grace and mercy of the Savior!