Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ

Berdenbach, born at Offenbach, in 1809, brother of the great lawyer of that name in Darmstadt, was baptized by Pastor Schultz in Berlin, in 1839.

Berger, Rev. S. D., convert and student of the L.J.S., was afterwards ordained to the Ministry in the Lutheran Church U.S., and was appointed missionary to the Jews in Chicago about 1885.

Bergheim, M., a noble Jewish convert, was sent out by the L.J.S. in 1837 to assist the Rev. Nicolayson in his work in Jerusalem. He was afterwards a banker and died in 1896 as churchwarden of Christ Church, Mount Zion. The Jewish traveller, Dr. Ludwig August Frankel, who published a book on his visit to Jerusalem in 1860 (translated into Hebrew by M. E. Stern), says he found there 131 Jewish Christians in the Holy City, nine of whom were of the Bergheim family.

Bergmann, Marcus S., convert of the L.J.S., is well-known as a missionary of the L.C.M. and translator of the Bible into Yiddish. A second edition, with improved translation into simple Jargon, was issued by him in 1905. In an account of his conversion he thus writes: —

"I was born in Wieruszow, on the borders of Silesia, in the year 1846. My father (who was of the sect of Chassidim, which is the strictest sect of the Pharisees, and a great Talmudist) died when I was about a year old. Of my dear mother I have only a very dim recollection, as she, too, died when I was but six years old. I had one elder brother and one sister. My brother was established in a large way of business in Luben, a town near Breslau, and my sister was brought up in the house of the Chief Rabbi of Breslau, Rabbi G'dalia Titkin (who was a relative of ours), whilst I was brought up with my uncle, Woolf Bergmann, a Chassid like my father, in Wieruszow, under whom I studied much of the Talmudic and Rabbinical literature.

"When I was fourteen years of age I was sent to Breslau to study under the chief Rabbi there. I did not like it at first, as I had to change my Chassidic dress for the German style, but I soon became accustomed to it. After a residence of three years in Breslau I went to one of my uncles who was a Rabbi in Frankenstein, under whom I had ample opportunity to practise for some time. I then went back to live with my sister in Kalisch, and applied myself more than ever to the study of the Talmud, believing it to be the most honourable of all employment and most conducive to the glory of God, and the best mode of making amends for my sins, which I found clung to me even when engaged in these religious duties.

"The word of the Lord to Abraham (Gen. xii. 1), 'Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred … unto a land that I will shew thee,' seemed at that time to be constantly ringing in my ears, and made me so restless that I could not put my mind to anything. I obeyed that voice, and in 1866, I left my native country and came to England. Shortly after my arrival in London I established a small synagogue at which I gratuitously officiated as minister for nearly two years; my sister from time to time sending me remittances, as I required, from the portion which I inherited of my father's property.

"It pleased the Lord at this time to lay His hand upon me, and I was laid aside for six weeks in the German hospital. When feeling a little better I began to look into the Hebrew Bible, which was on the shelf in the ward. As a reader in the synagogue I knew the letter of the whole of the Pentateuch and other portions of the Old Testament by heart.

"The portion of Scripture that made a great impression on me at the time of my illness was Daniel ix. Several verses of this chapter (the confession of Daniel) are repeated each Monday and Thursday by every Jew; but the latter part of the chapter, which so plainly prophesies the suffering of the Messiah, is never read – in fact the Rabbis pronounce a dreadful curse upon any one who investigates the prophecy of these seventy weeks. They say: 'Their bones shall rot who compute the end of the time.' Remembering this anathema, it was with fear and trembling that I read the passage about the seventy weeks, and coming to verse 26, 'Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself' – though we Jews are most careful not to let a Hebrew book drop to the ground – I threw that Hebrew Bible out of my hand, thinking in my ignorance that it was one of the missionaries' Bibles. But although I threw the Bible away, I could not throw away the words I had just read: 'Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.' These words sank deeper and deeper into my soul, and wherever I looked I seemed to see them in flaming Hebrew characters, and I had no rest for some time. One morning I again took up the Bible, and without thinking or looking for any particular passage, my eyes were arrested by these words (also in a chapter which is never read by the Jews): 'For He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of My people was He stricken.' (Isa. liii. 8.)

"This seemed to be the answer to the question I was constantly asking myself during this time of soul-conflict – 'Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.' For whom then? Here it was plainly revealed to me. 'For the transgression of My people;' and surely I belonged to His people, therefore Messiah was cut off for me.

"Shortly after this I left the hospital and was again among my Jewish friends, but I could not banish from my mind these two passages.

"One morning I put on my phylacteries and tallith in order to perform the prescribed prayers, but I could not utter a single sentence out of the prayer book before me. One passage (Psalm cxix. 18), 'Open Thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law,' came into my mind, and that I repeated over and over again, and for nearly two hours that was the cry of my soul. After laying aside the phylacteries and tallith I left the house without tasting food, and as I walked along the streets I prayed again in the words of the Psalmist, 'Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation, on Thee do I wait all the day long.' My heart was burdened with a very great load, and yet I dared not open my mind to any one. In this state I believe the Spirit of God led me to Palestine Place. My heart failed me when I reached the door of the late Rev. Dr. Ewald's house.

"After several vain attempts, I ventured to knock, and was admitted to see that venerable servant of the Lord. To him I unburdened my soul and told him all that was in my heart. He asked me whether I was willing to come into his Home for enquirers in order to be instructed in the truth as it is in the Lord Jesus. I told him that was just what I needed, and at once accepted his kindness, and I did not return to my Jewish friends. This was just one week before the Passover.

"On the first day of the feast several Jews of my congregation, who had discovered where I was, came and entreated me to leave the missionaries and go back with them. As I refused to do so, they said they would soon get me away with disgrace. They left, but only for a short time, and when they returned they brought a policeman with them and charged me with being a thief, and as such I was taken to the nearest police station and locked up. Whilst in the cell I was visited by several Jews who implored me to return to them, and said that if I promised to do so they would not appear against me on the morrow, and I would be liberated. I answered in the words of David, when Gad, the seer, was sent to give him the choice of his own punishment: 'Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are great, but into the hands of man let me not fall;' and I added, 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' They left me disappointed. But I never spent a happier night than in that prison cell, for I felt and fully realized that the Lord was with me, and it was there that I for the first time knelt down and prayed to God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though up to this time I knew very little or nothing of the New Testament, yet it seemed to me as if the Lord Jesus spoke to me in the same manner as He did to His disciples. 'They shall put you out of the synagogues, yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service; these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I have told you of them.' 'And when they bring you unto magistrates, and powers take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.' Passage after passage seemed to come before me, as if the Lord Jesus had spoken audibly to me to encourage me to cling close to Him and not to fear what man could do unto me.

"The night – though sleepless – I passed joyfully and peacefully. The morning came, which brought other Jewish visitors with food from their table, also entreating me to return to my Jewish friends. As I refused, they told me that they had witnesses to prove the charge against me, and I should be put into prison for at least three months; but I felt that the Lord Jesus was my advocate, and that He would plead my cause.

"About 10 o'clock I was taken out of the police cell and led to the Mansion House (followed by a large number of Jews) to appear before the Lord Mayor of London. The whole judgment hall was filled with Jews. My chief accuser swore that I had robbed him, and three others gave their evidence on oath against me. The Lord Mayor asked me, through an interpreter (for I could not then speak English), what I had to say in my defence, and whether I had any witnesses to prove my innocence. I replied, 'I stand here in this position on account of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not only not guilty of the crime which is imputed to me, but I have left all my valuable things at the house where I lodged. It is only because I wish to become a Christian that I am accused.' The Lord Mayor then ordered my chief accuser again into the witness box, and asked him whether he knew that it was my intention to become a Christian. The expression which flashed across his angry countenance and was reflected by the face of the other Jews present, sufficiently answered the question before he could speak a word.

"On cross-examination they so contradicted each other that they themselves proved my innocence, and I was at once set at liberty. (I wish it to be clearly understood that this persecution was not in enmity to myself personally, but rather in friendship and mistaken zeal. They wished to save me at any cost from becoming a Christian).

"On leaving the Mansion House I returned to Dr. Ewald, and after being thoroughly instructed in the Scriptures, I was admitted into the visible Church of Christ on the 7th of June, 1868, by the rite of baptism.

"After my baptism I was admitted into the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, where I stayed nearly two years. In May, 1870, I was accepted as an agent of the London City Mission, to work among my poor benighted people in the East of London. During the first few years of my mission work I had naturally to undergo much persecution, and the work was most arduous, but by the blessing of God this is in a great measure changed.

"It is now fully thirty-one years since I became a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I can look back upon all these years and say that not one good thing hath failed of all His gracious promises."

Bernal, Jacob Israel, an English Jew, in the first half of the 19th century, had his children baptized, only one son, Ralph, remained in Judaism.

Bernal, Osborn, M.P., the son of Ralph, embraced Christianity, and his daughter married the Duke of St. Albans.

Bernard, D., baptized in Wilna with his wife and daughter in 1818, by Pastor Nichlous, of the Lutheran Church, is recorded as having lived an exemplary Christian life. He was first baptized in the Roman Church, came then in contact with Luther, who had won him for the Evangelical Truth, and wrote to him a letter with a view to strengthen him in the faith, and that he should make it known to his brethren.

Bernard, Herman, born in Southern Russia in 1785, baptized in his youth, settled in Cambridge as a private teacher in 1830, and was appointed "Preceptor Linguæ Sacræ" in the University, October 18, 1837. Bernard published the following works – "The Creed and Ethics of the Jews" in selections from the "Yad Hahazakah" of Maimonides (1832), and "Hamenahel" (the Guide of the Hebrew Student), 1839. The "Me Menichoth" (Still Waters), an easy, practical Hebrew grammar, in two volumes, appeared during his blindness. His lectures on the book of Job appeared in one volume in 1864.

Bernard, Rudolf, a Swiss Jewish convert, published an Epistle to the Jews in 1705, under the title "Lekah Tob" (good doctrine), in which he tried to influence them in favour of Christianity.

Bernays, Michael, was baptized in the 19th century, date not known. In 1872 and 1873 he taught at the University of Leipzig, and in 1874 he was appointed extraordinary Professor of Modern German, English and French Literature, at the University of Munich. He wrote on the poetry of Goethe, under the title, "Der junge Goethe," Leipzig, 1875.

Bernhard, a Polish Rabbi, who was baptized by Pastor Storr, in the 18th century, in Heilbronn, assumed the name of Christoph. David Bernhard. He was afterwards Reader of Hebrew at Jena, and later at Tübingen. (Wolf, B. ii. 3, 4.)

Bernhardy, Dr. Gottfried, born in Landsburg, 1860, died 1875, embraced Christianity when studying in Berlin. He was a great classical scholar, and wrote as Professor, "Syntax of the Greek Language," Berlin, 1829. "Grundriss der Romischen Literatur," 1830. "Grundlinien der Encyclopædia der Philologie," 1832, &c.

Bernheim. We have only his memorial preserved as having been an associate of Rev. J. Neander, and of another proselyte, Bonhome, in the evangelization of the Jews in New York, about 1845.

Bernstein, Rev. Aaron, born in Skalat, Galicia, in 1841, received, as an only son, a good and pious early education, and was when quite young brought under the influence of the wonder Rabbi of the town, with whose grandson he learned Talmud at school. At the age of 17 he was assistant teacher in a town in Moldavia, when the Rev. W. Mayer, L.J.S. missionary at Jassy, appeared one day in the Synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews, on which occasion he received a German tract, entitled "The Righteous shall live by his Faith." This made some impression upon him, but it passed away, as he was too young to understand it all. A few years later he went to Jassy, when he met Mr. Mayer again, who gave him a Hebrew New Testament and the "Old Paths." These were the means under God of leading him eventually to acknowledge the Saviour. He was baptized by Dr. Ewald, together with nine other Jews, on November 22, 1863. After being for a short time in the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, he went to the United States, and after a year or so of teaching in a school and privately, he entered a missionary college which was established by a German missionary, known later as Bishop Auer of Cape Palmas. He then studied Theology in the General Seminary, New York, was ordained Deacon in Philadelphia in July 1870, and appointed by Bishop Stevens as Rector of St. Paul's, Manheim, Pa. In June, 1871, the L.J.S. sent him as missionary to Jerusalem, where he laboured only about a year and a-half, as he could not stand the climate. Subsequently he laboured in Bucharest, Paris, Liverpool, and Frankfort, but the greater part of his missionary career was in London, with the exception of an interval of three years, in which he was curate in Hertfordshire. Bernstein had the honorary degree of M.A. conferred upon him by Columbia College, New York, in 1873, owing to his taking the Greek Prize at the Seminary in 1870, and later the Faculty of the Seminary gave him B.D. He wrote "Sefer Roshey Hatayvoth," "Anglo-Israel Theory," translated Professor Cassel's "Commentary on the Book of Esther" into English, together with the "Targum Sheni" from the Original and Appendices (T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1888). He published "The City of David," "The Book and the People," and contributed articles to the "Hebrew Christian Witness," "The Scattered Nation," "The Everlasting Nation," "Jews and Christians," "The Jewish Missionary Intelligence," and wrote about a dozen tracts in English, Hebrew and Yiddish, and revised a new edition of the Hebrew Bible in 1895. Editor of the "Kol M'Bhasser" since 1907. Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini Tuo da honorem.

Bernstein, Rev. – , a congregational minister in North London.

Bernstein, Theodor. Though brief, the information of this convert is very interesting. He was baptized by the Rev. H. Stewart, in Liverpool, on the same day that his spiritual teacher, the missionary H. J. Joseph, was ordained to the ministry of the Church of England, in 1836.

Biesenthal, Dr. Joiachim Heinrich – or, to give him his birth-name, Raphael Hirsch – was born at Lobsens, in the Grand Duchy of Posen, on December 24th, 1804, of pious and strict Jewish parents. His early education was chiefly confined to the study of the national law and tradition; and through much self-denial and sacrifice on the part of his parents, who intended him for the rabbinate, he was able to have lessons from the best teachers and most learned Talmudist scholars of the day. He was what is called a Bachur (lit. "young man"), a student of the Beth Hamidrash, who is intended for the study of the law. The Talmudical principle, "Know well what to answer an infidel," particularly moved his father to insist that he should join with the study of Talmud that of the Holy Scriptures and Jewish poetry. He soon found, however, that as regards his study of the Bible he was left to his own diligence and perseverance, for his teachers knew nothing at all about it; and, being imbued with the Talmudical warning – "Keep your children from the study of Holy Scripture," they were of opinion that it was not only a useless study and waste of time, but also a danger to one's piety.

In 1819, when Raphael was fifteen years of age, the town of Lobsens was destroyed by fire, by which his parents were ruined. His education, however, had to be completed, and so he entered the famous Jewish school of Rawitsch, where he received instruction from rabbis, and principally from Rabbi Herzfeld, of European renown. Deprived of every assistance from home, young Raphael had to struggle hard during his four year's residence there. On leaving Rawitsch he went to Mainz, where he received most kind care and support from the Rabbi of that city, Löb Ellinger, brother of the renowned Nathan Ellinger, or Nathan Bar Yospa, rabbi of Bingen, several of whose manuscripts are in the Bodleian.

The celebrated Heidenheim (Wolf Ben Samson) of Rödelheim, the greatest Jewish critic and grammarian after Ibn-Ezra and David Kimchi, helped him to the treasures of Jewish literature, lending him the best grammars in the Hebrew language, so that he was able to acquire, with great application on his part, a complete mastery of grammatical Hebrew. He next gave himself up to the study of German history, and Latin and Greek. His studies threw him into contact with the Rev. Dr. Klee, Roman Catholic Professor at Bonn, who gave him lessons in Hebrew, and introduced him to the Duchess of Coburg, the wife of General de Mensdorff, Governor of the fortress of Mainz. From her, and all the family, Raphael received many substantial proofs of kindness, and when he was about to leave Mainz, which he did in 1828, she gave him a considerable sum of money, and a letter written by herself to Baron de Rothschild, of Frankfort-on-the-Main, and graciously intimated that she would be glad to hear how he was getting on in life. Raphael found the Baron not inclined to assist him when he heard that he meant to finish his studies at Berlin, because he considered that a dangerous city, where all young Jewish students were being converted to Christianity. That there was great truth in this statement will appear lower down. "Keep away from a city where thousands become apostates!" were his parting words. Baron de Rothschild, however, sent him a letter of recommendation to Baron de Hägemann, the Chancellor. When Raphael delivered the letter, the not unnatural remark was, "What is the use of a recommendation for assistance from Rothschild! Why did he not help you himself?" So he was obliged to shift for himself at Berlin, and to earn his living by giving lessons. He employed his leisure time in study. In the year 1830 he resided for four weeks with a Christian family at Havelberg, where he learnt for the first time what true Christianity was, and he determined, as he said, to "search for Christian truth." In this purpose his intercourse with Christian divines greatly helped him. He studied theology and philology in the University of Berlin from 1828, taking his doctor's degree in 1835. He studied under the Oriental scholar, William Vatke, and his knowledge of the Hebrew grammar was greatly increased by personal friendly intercourse with Dr. Gesenius, the distinguished Hebrew scholar, at Halle. Raphael was baptized in 1836 by the Rev. Dr. Kuntze, taking the Christian names of Joiachim Heinrich and the surname of Biesenthal.

That there was a considerable truth in Baron de Rothschild's observation given above, is seen from the statistics of Jewish baptisms in those days.

Dr. Kuntze, who was a resident clergyman at Berlin, was instrumental in leading many young Jews to Christ. He baptized eighty in eight years (1829-36), whilst the Society's missionary, the Rev. W. Ayerst, baptized forty-two adult Jews in three years (1834-7). Altogether, 326 Jewish baptisms were registered in the Consistory at Berlin during the years 1830-37. A few years later (1844) the Rev. C. W. H. Pauli, the Society's missionary, reported that there were above 1,000 converts resident in Berlin; and in 1850, as many as 2,500. They filled all ranks and stations, and were to be found in all the ministerial departments, and in the university.

In 1844, Biesenthal placed his services at the disposal of the Society, and in doing so, wrote: "My Biblical studies led me, after much searching and wandering for a long time, to find Him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write. This result, this light which God caused to shine in my darkness, I deem it my unrelenting duty to communicate to others yet living in darkness, because the Lord Himself says that we should not put our light under a bushel. The Apostles, as well as all the Fathers, were furthered by the same disposition of mind. 'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,' says the Lord. If Christ be our treasure, our heart must be entirely and undividedly His own, and all our talents devoted to the glory of His kingdom. Becoming a missionary seems to me the surest way to fulfil Christ's commands. I have long considered it both a duty and a privilege to communicate to my brethren after the flesh the message of salvation, and to employ those talents which God has given me for their welfare. My predilection for the above has often seemed to be a token of God's will that I should shew my brethren from their very literature, as well as from the Bible, that the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ, and that we can only know the Father through Him. During the last three years I have acted upon this conviction, and embraced every opportunity to prove to my brethren that the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation, and my anxious desire now is to be enabled to devote all my time to this pursuit."

These earnest words are an echo of St. Paul's, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved" (Rom. x. 1). With this spirit and aim, Biesenthal entered upon his long missionary career of 37 years in connexion with this Society – active laborious years spent in Berlin (1844-1868) and Leipzig (1868-1881). Eloquent in the Scriptures, with a perfect command of Hebrew and wide knowledge of Talmud and rabbinical literature, he was thoroughly furnished for his life's work. Those who knew him well believed that he had intellectual, literary and biblical qualifications in a most eminent degree, and that he was the best Hebrew scholar of their acquaintance. His knowledge of languages embraced – in addition to his native Polish – Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Syriac, Chaldee, Arabic, Ethiopic, Samaritan, French, German, Spanish, Italian and English. Never was missionary more highly gifted with "tongues" – his equal in this respect is not to be found in the ranks of the London Jews' Society; whilst with his pen he did even better service than with his lips in proclaiming "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" to his brethren after the flesh.