MLO - Messianic Literature Outreach

11/20/2021

OGRODOWA STREET, a story of life and death in one act.
written by Steffi Rubin and directed by Lynda Clark

Twenty-four-year-old Rachmiel Frydland smuggles himself into the Warsaw Ghetto, with just one thought: to die—an “achievement” that has eluded him through four years of N**i occupation in Poland. The young Jewish Yeshiva dropout, who had disappointed his family by becoming a Christian, is now plagued by this new failure—the simplest of goals in the cruelest of times. Here in the ghetto, he runs into an old friend who insists that Rachmiel smuggle himself back out and escape death once more. The two spend the night laughing, reminiscing and struggling over Rachmiel’s worst fear: that he alone has been “condemned to live.”

Actors Jason Christ (Rachmiel Frydland) and Michael Sean Parker (Stasiek Eisenberg) bring us back to a time and place when life and death were close companions in Steffi Rubin’s drama based on the early life of Rachmiel Frydland. As the two friends wait for the sun to rise, honesty is at a premium, faith is hard to muster, and Rachmiel's decision can no longer be avoided.

Hope to see you online! And feel free to pass this on to anyone who might enjoy our presentation.

And finally, if you know someone who lives in the Triangle, here is the info for our LIVE IN PERSON performances:

Saturday, November 27, and December 4 at 7:30 PM.
Sunday, November 28 and December 5, at 6 PM.
(Please note that the starting times are different.)

Location:
Congregation Sha’arei Shalom, 700 Old Apex Road, Cary, NC

Online option:
The December 4th 7:30 pm (EST) performance will also be available live on YouTube
https://youtube.com/c/ShaareiShalomNC

Admission is free, but in-person reservations are required. Register at bit.ly/3GFGEd5
Donations will be received on site or online at https://messianicliterature.org/donate/

Ogrodowa Street- a one act play based on the life of Rachmiel Frydland by Steffi Rubin and directed by Lynda Clark. Two old friends share a night of secrets inside the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto.

A production of Messianic Literature Outreach

03/08/2019

Widely acclaimed as family friendly, beautifully illustrated and fully engaging, this Passover Haggadah incorporates Miriam's Cup and biblical and modern plagues. You will love this Haggadah at $15 each, quantity discounts and 40% off for congregations ordering more than 10. Order before Passover at messianicliterature.org or email Deborah at [email protected].

03/08/2018

With our beautifully constructed Haggadah you can hold a Seder in your home. Invite your friends. Purchase your copies now. Quantity discounts are available at messianicliterature.org

04/03/2017

April 2017

This month, we celebrate G-d redeeming the Jewish people. He brought us out of Egypt by His mighty Hand so that we could be a nation of priests on behalf of the world. Even though the Jewish people were not able to embrace that destiny (what people could?), we remain lights in the darkness, pointing the world to the One and Only G-d of Creation.
Our redemption from Egypt was not an end unto itself. Rather, it pointed to the ultimate redemption that G-d had established from the beginning, to spare us the penalty for our sins. He sent His Messiah, our true Passover Lamb, and rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. (Col. 1:13)
We celebrate this season of our redemption with wonderful foods and joyous family gatherings. In the midst of the preparations and the celebrations, let us also take the time to reflect on our lives and consider the price paid on our behalf. Let us examine ourselves and determine to go forward in this new year as truly redeemed people, living lives that are wholly devoted to the L-rd. As it says in I Corinthians, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Chag Pesach Sameach!

Elliot, Betty and Marcy

03/01/2017

March 2017
We are looking forward to the joyous festival of Purim on March 12th. It is an annual reminder of G-d’s hand of protection upon His people, no matter where they are and no matter how faithfully they are living. When the events of Purim took place, the Jews living in Persia could have returned to Eretz Yisrael, but hadn’t, which set the stage for Haman the Agagite to attempt the genocide of the Jewish people.
Purim demonstrates G-d’s faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in two ways. The first is that, through the actions of Mordechai and Esther, G-d miraculously delivered the Jews living in King Ahashuerus’ kingdom from annihilation.
The second demonstration is seen in the way G-d rendered judgment upon the enemies of the Jews. Haman’s hatred of the Jews wasn’t just a result of Mordechai the Benjamite refusing to bow down to him. It was part of a saga that went back to the time of King Saul. One of the first things Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, was instructed to do by G-d was to completely destroy the Amalekites and all that belonged to them. We read in I Samuel 15 that, instead of completely destroying them, he left their king, Agag alive as well as the best of the spoil. Through the events of Purim, a later Benjamite (Mordechai) destroyed the descendant of Agag, as well as his sons, without laying a hand on the plunder. What G-d had required of Saul was ultimately accomplished.
May this reminder of G-d’s faithfulness encourage us to be faithful as well as we seek to serve the One who reigns eternally!

Elliot, Betty and Marcy

02/01/2017

February 2017

We will be celebrating Tu B’Shevat this month (February 11), which is the New Year for Trees. It is one of four new year’s celebrations in Judaism. The name is actually an acronym of the day of the month. The number 15 is represented in Hebrew by the letters tet (the 9th letter) and vav (the 6th letter). It is the 15th day of the month Shevat, the 11th month on the Jewish calendar.

This holiday is mentioned in the Talmud as the time for determining the age of trees for tithing their fruit. According to Leviticus 19:23-25, when a tree was planted, its fruit could not be eaten for the 1st three years, with the years counted beginning from Tu B’Shevat. In the 4th year, the fruit belonged to G-d and after that, the fruit could be eaten by the people.

As children, we gave donations for this holiday to have trees planted in Israel in memory or in honor of someone special in our lives. It was a special way of feeling connected with the Land of Israel. Because of the recent fires that have ravaged the land of Israel, and the other pressing needs affecting believers in Israel, would you consider a special donation to MLO in honor of Tu B’Shevat? We will pool our resources and make a demonstrable difference in the Holy Land for our people.

Thank you, as always, for your faithfulness!

Elliot, Betty and Marcy

12/01/2016

December 2016
At the end of this month, we will celebrate Chanukah, the Festival of Lights with the first light kindled on December 23rd. The overlap of Chanukah and Christmas is coincidental this year, due to the Hebrew calendar, but the connection between these two celebrations is not. If the Maccabees had not reclaimed and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem in 165BCE, the coming of the promised Messiah would have been thwarted. Antiochus IV was forcing Hellenism on the land and if it had not been checked, the Jewish people would not have survived. Instead, that small, poorly armed band of priests and faithful Jews were able to defeat the Seleucid army and restore the proper worship of HaShem to the Temple, paving the way for the coming of the Great King about 150 years later.
If you would like to share this message of hope, we have two tracts focused on Chanukah: A New Light for Israel and How to Have a Happy Hannukah. Consider buying some to share with your friends and family!
As we come to the close of 2016, we are grateful for all that we have continued to do because of your partnership. We will be taking delivery of What the Rabbis Know About the Messiah in Spanish (!) this month and work is underway to develop a screenplay based on When Being Jewish Was a Crime, the life story of our founder, Rachmiel Frydland. Your contributions for these projects, as well as all of the things we do, will be greatly appreciated.
Blessings to you all!

Elliot, Betty and Marcy

10/04/2016

October 2016
L’shanah tovah! It is hard to believe that the High Holidays are now upon us, but summer is over and we look with anticipation to all that G-d will bring our way in this New Year. As I write this, we have just celebrated Rosh Hashanah, hearing and heeding the sound of the shofar as it calls us to introspection, reflection and repentance. It is so wonderful to have the assurance of the forgiveness of our sins. As it says in Hebrews 10:22: “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
This month, we will also observe Yom Kippur, our national day of atonement. Our assurance of forgiveness gives us confidence to come to G-d in humility and know that He receives us with open arms and also to intercede on behalf of family and other loved ones that they, too, may experience the cleansing that is found only in Messiah.
These Days of Awe lead us to the time of our rejoicing, Sukkot! May this year’s celebration truly reflect our expectation dwelling in the presence of Messiah forever. Zechariah 14 tells us that when Messiah returns, all nations will gather together in Jerusalem to celebrate this joyous feast. We, as the household of G-d, represent the foretaste of the Kingdom; Jew and Gentile together worshipping the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
May 5777 be a sweet year for each of you! L’shanah tovah um’tukah! (for a good and sweet year)

Elliot, Betty and Marcy

09/02/2016

September 2016

The summer went by so quickly. We have encountered more challenges than anticipated in updating the new website, so we have to report that it is not fully functional yet, but it is still possible to make donations and place orders. It isn’t fully completed mostly because we are not as technologically sophisticated as other ministries. Our staff is small and we do the best we can. Please keep this project in your prayers for a speedy completion.

We are entering into the month of Elul, the 6th month of the year according to the Torah, but the 12th month religiously as we will be celebrating Rosh HaShannah this year in early October. Our tradition is to offer up S’lichot, prayers of forgiveness, as we prepare for the High Holiday season, Yamim Noraim, and especially Yom Kippur. It is a time to begin searching our hearts and drawing near to G-d once more. The name of the month can be understood as an acronym for the phrase “ani l’dodi v’dodi li” – “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” from Song of Songs 6:3. The shofar is blown every morning except on Shabbat as a wake up call to repentance and we begin reading Psalm 27 twice daily, a wonderful prayer of confidence in the L-rd’s salvation.

Since we are beloved of G-d (Eph. 1:5-7), let us not be afraid to come before His throne in confidence, knowing that He is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

May He richly bless you!
Elliot, Betty and Marcy

05/03/2016

May 2016

This month, we are well on our spiritual journey from our departure Egypt (Pesach) to the foot of Mt. Sinai (Shavuot). As we walk this path, we are counting the Omer – the grain offering that was made in Temple times. There is a psalm that is read in conjunction with the daily counting that is very encouraging as well as forward-looking. It is Psalm 67.

Verse 1 of this Psalm echoes Numbers 6:24-26. Those words were how the priests were supposed to invoke the L-rd’s name upon the nation of Israel, but in the Psalm, it is made as a request - that G-d would be gracious to us, bless us and cause His face to shine upon us – not for our own sake, but so His way may be known on the earth and His salvation (Yeshua!) may be known among all nations. This looks forward to the ultimate redemption of all of creation.

The psalmist exhorts all peoples to praise G-d and to rejoice in Him. He is confident that they will do so because the L-rd both will judge the peoples correctly (the NAS says “with uprightness”) and will guide them (to see His truth.) It is His guiding hand, the mighty hand and outstretched arm that delivered us from Egypt that will also lead and deliver the entire earth into the coming Kingdom of G-d and His Messiah. The Psalm concludes in confidence that G-d blesses us, here and now and not just in the future. He does so, again, not for our own sake, but more importantly, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.

May He richly bless you!
Elliot, Betty and Marcy