Simcha Polonskiy: '' ... the greater
part of Jewish people are open for the Good News. ''
We talk
with Simcha Polonskiy, pastor of Messianic congregation ''Kehilat Yeshua''
in Moscow
Simcha, is it difficult to
preach the Good News to Jews and Gentiles in Russia?
- I think in this question
there is a hint to that it is difficult to accept the Good News for Jewish
people. But we see that the greater part of Jewish people are open for the
Good News. And although not many Jews accept Jesus as the Lord but they take
the New Testament and listen the sermon willingly. We do small
concerts and publish a newspaper ''Shalom Aleyhem'' for evangelization of
Jewish people.
Tell us please about your
congregation.
- Our
congregation exists 5 years. At present there are more 50 people in it: both
Jews and Gentiles. We too realize a present time - they
are times of Gentiles. This means that Messianic congregations
do educational evangelical work among Jews for coming universal awakening
of Jewish people. We need too Messianic congregations in order to
Church of Christ would realize its Jewish roots because of who
hasn't deep roots he will not yield enough of fruit. We do the
different services: we distribute humanitarian help for needy people,
especially for elderly people and invalids. We have service which has an
aim - organization of trips during three biblical holidays: Pesakh,
Shavuot and Sukkot. We too recorded a few musical albums, now
we circulate film ''The expiation'' . This film is about one rabbi who
believed in
Yeshua.
And about yourself a
little.
- I was born in Moscow in usual
family. My parents were not believers and they didn't like particularly to
speak about our nationality. In 1988 I believed in the Lord. There were a few
Jewish families in church which I visited, and we started
to celebrate Jewish holidays. Then we went to synagogue and gave out the New
Testament in Russian and in Hebrew. In 1992 I took part in the outreaches of
Jews for Jesus ministry in New York and London. In 1994 I was invited for
work in new Messianic congregation ''Shomer Israel' '' in which
I became rabbi. In 1999 we found a new congregation ''Kehilat Yeshua''
.
06. 2004