Coexisting in a Religious World of Divide

Book excerpt: “The extraordinary twists and turns of the spiritual journey of Elisheva Irma Diaz reflect and illumine the tumultuous era in which we live. The universally recognized border separating Judaism and Christianity is now a blur. Elisheva’s story shows that the insecurity that has ensued may also open us up to unimagined blessing.” — Rabbi Mark S. Kinzer, PhD, author of Jerusalem Crucified, Jerusalem Risen (2018), and Searching Her Own Mystery (2015) As powerfully quoted by Joseph Shulam in the foreword of this book, “There are medical books written by doctors who have researched, studied issues, and gained knowledge in their professional capacity. However, very few of these medical books were written by doctors who themselves have experienced the illness in their own bodies”. This author’s journey to reclaim her Sephardic Jewish heritage led her on an adventure that began in the early nineties with a full-time Christian ministry that eventually propelled her into a powerful ten-year insightful journey. She went from an ordained Pastor of Pastors with a successful ministry into Judaism and soon after her transition, enrolled herself in formal rabbinic studies and was ordained a Rabbi in 2012. Through this spiritual journey filled with intense study and spiritual experiences, she writes what some may think, but would most likely never say. She has further concluded without a shadow of a doubt that both Judaism and Christianity are broken but God has chosen to dwell in them both. She is quick to confess, “Christianity and Judaism broke my heart, yet, both Christianity and Judaism brought me closer to the knowledge of God”. Blessed be He!