Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum - Theologian, Author, Messianic Jewish Scholar, and Founder of Ariel Ministries
03/03/2026
This year we approach Purim in a sobering moment. A new conflict with Iran has begun, yet the faithfulness of God remains unchanged. His provision is steadfast, and His purposes stand.
The account of Esther reminds us that the Lord always has mighty help prepared for His people. His eyes search the earth for those who call upon His name. He is never absent from the unfolding of history.
May the glory of God shine in Israel, in Iran, throughout the Middle East, and across the whole world.
Chag Purim Sameach!
03/01/2026
Excellent edition of Ariel Magazine with an article by the Frucht!
The Spring 2026 edition of Ariel Magazine has just been released (link in the comments below).
In the cover story, Dr. Fruchtenbaum examines the scriptural necessity of blood for redemption, tracing the theme from Genesis and the Mosaic Law to Isaiah 53 and the book of Hebrews.
This issue also includes an article on the DP camps in Germany by Christiane Jurik; a moving account of two Jewish believers in Messiah by Dr. Sibley; an analysis of American attitudes toward Israel by Dr. Sigler and Jack Nakashima; reflections on a Wisdom Passages tour by Aundria Hyer; and a powerful testimony of a journey from Communist-born atheism to faith in the Messiah by Diana Vincent.
02/28/2026
Last night, the team gathered in Irvine, California, for the MJAA, where Dr. Sigler will be speaking on Saturday. Dr. Fruchtenbaum treated everyone to dinner and a wonderful time of fellowship.
In the photo, to his left, is Roxanne, his longest-serving executive assistant. To his right is Debbie, who served as the ministry’s accountant when the office was still located in California. Both ladies remain actively involved, faithfully serving the Publications Department in many meaningful ways.
Photo courtesy of Christiane Jurik.
Wishing you all a very blessed Friday and a sweet Shabbat Shalom!
02/28/2026
We love our volunteers, for without them we would not be able to do the work the Lord has called us to do.
In this picture are Peter and Kathy, who have faithfully run the Ariel book table at the MJAA for over a decade and have also served in many other capacities through the years.
Toda raba, dear friends!
02/28/2026
02/02/2026
We’re excited to share that one of the special teachers joining us at Camp Shoshanah this summer is Dr. Michael Rydelnik, a gifted Bible teacher with a deep love for the Hebrew Scriptures and the Messiah found within them. His course will focus on Messianic Prophecy.
Together, students will walk through key passages in the Hebrew Bible that point to the coming Messiah, tracing the promises that speak of His birth, ministry, suffering, and ultimate triumph. Along the way, we will see how these prophecies find their fulfillment in Yeshua and how they confirm Him as Israel’s promised Redeemer and King.
Dear all, please read this important letter from the Chairman of Ariel's Board carefully.
January 12, 2026
Dear Friends of Ariel Ministries,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
It is with both deep gratitude and sober honesty that we write to you today regarding our beloved founder, teacher, and friend, Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum. Many of you have followed his ministry faithfully for decades, praying for him, learning from him, and supporting the work that God has built through Ariel Ministries around the world. Because of that shared history and mutual affection, we believe it is right to communicate openly with you about a significant development in his life.
In May of 2025, Dr. Fruchtenbaum had a serious fall in his home at Camp Shoshanah, which resulted in multiple broken bones in his foot and required extended recovery. During his convalescence, those closest to him began to observe subtle cognitive changes that prompted further medical evaluation. On December 17, 2025, after thorough consultation with his doctors, he received a medical diagnosis of moderate Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. While sobering, it has also provided clarity and guidance as we seek to steward this season of his life with wisdom, compassion, and faith.
We want to say clearly and immediately that Dr. Fruchtenbaum continues to enjoy many good and productive days. He remains deeply engaged in the work he loves. He is actively filming classes for Ariel College of the Bible and Messianic Jewish Studies and participating in a variety of projects that draw upon his extraordinary lifetime of study and teaching. Those who work closely with him can attest that his clarity, warmth, and joy in the Scriptures remain evident and encouraging.
As the Lord allows, Dr. Fruchtenbaum plans to continue spending his summers at Camp Shoshanah, where he has faithfully taught and mentored generations of students. This setting, marked by long-standing relationships, familiar rhythms, and deep spiritual fruit, remains a source of great joy and purpose for him.
At the same time, wisdom, medical counsel, and the unanimous support of the Ariel Board of Directors have led to the decision that Dr. Fruchtenbaum will no longer accept invitations for live teaching engagements beyond these limited and carefully stewarded contexts. This step has been taken not because his passion has diminished, but because we desire to steward his health, energy, and legacy with care and dignity. Limiting travel and public teaching will allow him to continue contributing meaningfully to Ariel’s mission in ways that best serve both him and the ministry.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum has devoted his life to the faithful exposition of God’s Word, the defense of biblical truth, and the proclamation of the good news of Messiah Yeshua. Generations of believers around the world have been shaped by his teaching, his example, and the resources that have flowed from his ministry. His influence extends far beyond any single classroom, book, or conference and continues today through the thousands of students, pastors, ministry workers, and laypeople who have been equipped through Ariel Ministries for over more than half a century.
We also wish to reassure you that Ariel Ministries is on firm footing. The Board of Directors, together with Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s successor as Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Tim Sigler, our ministry directors, branch leaders, representatives, faculty, and staff, are united in purpose and commitment. This transition has been prayerfully considered for some time, and structures are in place to ensure continuity, faithfulness, and stability in every area of the ministry. Ariel’s mission—to proclaim the gospel to the Jew first and to make disciples among all the nations through a Messianic Jewish perspective—remains unchanged.
Above all, we want to express the profound honor and affection we all hold for Dr. Fruchtenbaum. He is not merely the founder of Ariel Ministries; he is its heart. We count it a privilege to walk alongside him in this season, to care for him, and to continue the work God entrusted to him so many years ago. His life and ministry remain a testimony to God’s faithfulness, and we trust that same faithfulness for the days ahead.
We ask you to join us in prayer—for Dr. Fruchtenbaum, for his health, peace, and continued joy in the Lord; for those closest to him who walk with him daily; and for Ariel Ministries as we move forward together. Thank you for your steadfast support, your love for this ministry, and your partnership in the gospel.
With gratitude and hope in Messiah,
Jake Hogue
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Ariel Ministries
On behalf of the Ariel Board of Directors, Dr. Tim M. Sigler, Chief Executive Officer, our ministry directors, our branch leaders and representatives worldwide, and the Ariel Ministries family.
(Picture courtesy of Christiane Jurik)
01/15/2026
The man who burned down the synagogue in Mississippi reportedly referred to it as “the synagogue of Satan.” That phrase should shock all of us, not least because it appears in most English translations of Revelation 3:9.
This raises deeply troubling questions. Where did a man who claims to believe in the God of Israel learn to speak this way? What church taught him to frame Jewish people and Jewish worship in such terms? What was he taught at home?
We do not raise these questions to be unkind or accusatory toward Bible teachers. But given the gravity of our current climate, words matter greatly. They shape attitudes, and in extreme cases, they can contribute to violence. Language can make the difference between life and death.
For this reason, we encourage everyone to revisit the excellent article by our friend Mottel Baleston, who carefully and patiently explains why this particular translation of Revelation 3:9 is deeply unfortunate, or better, wrong.
The link is in the comments below.
01/03/2026
Oh, That the World Would Tarry!
On this New Year’s Eve, we would like to share the reflections of our Editor-in-Chief, Christiane Jurik, originally published in the Winter 2026 edition of Ariel Magazine:
“I recently listened to the moving lyrics of a song by Christian poet Joshua Luke Smith, which opens with the words: ‘They say, “Keep calm and carry on.” I say, “Read the Psalms and tarry, son.”’
Oh, how I wish the world would tarry! Another year has raced by with lightning speed. Looking back, we see victories and losses, growth and setbacks, joy and trials. Now December invites us to face the future with hope and trepidation, curiosity and fear.
‘Read the Psalms,’ the poet urges... Follow the example of Dr. Fruchtenbaum, who for decades has begun each day in silence until he first reads God’s Word. Those who know him understand that this time also involves a cup of exceptionally strong coffee… But you see the point: read. Study the Scriptures. They will fill your heart with joy, sustain you through trials, and bring peace when the world descends into abysmal darkness.
May the Lord bless you with a peaceful and healthy new year. May His light shine upon this earth through your testimony, your faithfulness, and your love.”
01/03/2026
As students across the country prepare for the spring semester of 2026, we are pleased to announce that our Bible college courses are beginning as well. For those pursuing academic credit toward a certificate or degree, our courses offer structured, in-depth study with the flexibility to fit your schedule. At the same time, these courses are equally well suited for use in small groups, home fellowships, and Sunday school classes, making them a valuable resource for teaching and discipleship in a variety of settings.
Let’s all study hard and grow strong in 2026!
12/18/2025
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum recently teaching the Book of Daniel in a small-group setting.
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Arnold Fruchtenbaum is a Messianic Jewish Bible teacher and founder of Ariel Ministries. He was born in 1943 in Siberia, Russia after his Jewish father fled Poland from Hi**er. With the help of the Israeli underground in 1947, the Fruchtenbaum family escaped from behind the Iron Curtain to Germany, where they were confined to British Displaced Persons' camps. There, Arnold received Orthodox Jewish training from his father before the family finally immigrated to New York in 1951. When his Mother started attending Bible studies led by a group of Jewish believers in Jesus, Arnold set out to prove them wrong. As a result of his looking into the Messianic prophecies of the Jewish Bible, Arnold came to saving knowledge of Jesus the Messiah during his teen years.
His father strongly opposed Arnold's beliefs, and when the family moved to Los Angeles in 1958, Arnold was forbidden to read the Bible, attend Christian meetings or associate with Jewish-Christian groups. Under these difficult circumstances, Arnold continued as best he could to maintain contact with Jewish believers and to walk with the Lord.
Upon graduating from high school, Arnold was forced by his father to leave home because of his faith. In 1962, he began undergraduate education at Shelton College in New Jersey. Transferring to Ohio's Cedarville College, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hebrew and Greek in 1966. He then moved to Israel, where he studied archaeology, ancient history, historical geography, and Hebrew at the American Institute of Holy Land Studies and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During this time, he personally witnessed the historic Six-Day War in 1967. Later that year, Arnold returned to the U.S. and entered Dallas Theological Seminary for studies in Hebrew and Old Testament. He also began working in outreach with ABMJ (today, Chosen People Ministries).
Arnold was married in 1968 to Mary Ann Morrow, a graduate of Gordon College in Massachusetts. Three years later (1971), he graduated with a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Seminary. He and his wife then moved to Israel, settling in Jerusalem to work with the local congregations and to train young Israeli believers for ministry. Their activities for Messiah drew much attention and anger from the religious authorities in Jerusalem, who eventually applied enough pressure upon government officials to force the Fruchtenbaums to leave Israel in 1973.
For the next two years, Arnold served as a minister and as editor of the monthly publication, “The Chosen People,” with ABMJ at its headquarters in New Jersey. In 1976, he joined the staff of The Christian Jew Foundation as associate director of the largest Hebrew-Christian broadcasting ministry in the world.
That summer, Arnold met with others in the field of Jewish missions to discuss the problem of the lack of discipleship and the need for intensive biblical and theological training for Jewish believers. The early concepts of Ariel Ministries were born at that time. In December 1977, after a year and a half of prayer and much encouragement from like-minded Jewish believers, Ariel Ministries became a reality. Arnold continues to serve as a director of the ministry and is in great demand as a conference speaker.
He has traveled widely in Europe, Israel and the United States, becoming intimately acquainted with the Messianic movement in all its forms and struggles. The completion of his dissertation, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, was the culmination of 13 years of research for which he earned his Ph.D. at New York University in 1989. Dr. Fruchtenbaum has authored numerous published works and recorded many Biblical studies of keen interest to both Jews and Gentiles. The fruits of his labor can be found in the publications page of his ministry website: www.Ariel.org - DVD video sets are there as well.
Each July & August finds Dr. Fruchtenbaum teaching at the summer Bible Institute he founded, the Shoshanah School of Messianic Studies, held at the Ariel retreat center at Camp Shoshanah, in the Adirondack mountains of northern new York State. He is joined by several other Messianic Bible instructors, where 5 hours of Bible classes are taught each day. As this program is open to families, a parallel youth program of classes and recreation is held on the same schedule.
This page is an “Appreciation” page which is maintained by several trusted volunteer individuals who have been long time students of Dr. Fruchtenbaum. With his busy teaching & writing schedule, he does NOT have a Facebook account, and he does not check this page. To contact Ariel Ministries or Dr. Fruchtenbaum, their Official website is: www.Ariel.org. Shalom !!
