Jewish Gentile Couples Tuvya Zaretsky

Sam and Valeria Botbol are a Jewish-Gentile couple living in Southern California. They both grew up in Latin American cultures with many similarities but with different experiences and ideas around antisemitism. Now, in the wake of October 7 and an increasing surge of antisemitism, they’re learning how to persevere and care for each other as a newly married couple.

Today, I’m with Elize and Rob Berman from South Africa. They are navigating increasing antisemitism as an intermarried couple. Here is their story.

Marisa and Andrew are a Jewish-Gentile couple in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their eyes are wide open to the wonderful cross-cultural richness of their country, home and marriage. It's natural for Marisa to be Ashkenazi Jewish and fluent in Zulu. Andrew is comfortable almost anywhere having grown up as a Scotsman in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Now he is discovering the Jewishness of faith in the Old and New Testaments!

The journey to find spiritual harmony can feel as distant as east is from the west. Dave and Jennifer Goldstein made it and found one true God. His parents were Jewish academics living as Buddhists in Japan. Hers were middle American evangelicals in Indiana. Theirs is a story of finding a mutually satisfying spirituality and a soulmate.

Aaron is from Israel and England. Becky is from German-speaking Switzerland. They speak to one another in different languages but that doesn't keep them from relating with deep appreciation and mutual respect. They also share the intimacy of a spiritual harmony as well. Theirs is a fascinating story of cross cultural communication and love.

Martin Goldsmith's family endured anti-Semitism in Germany, America and England. His wife, Elizabeth endured the hardship of a Communist Chinese internment camp for children. Yet both of them found purpose and joy in life together as cross-cultural ambassadors to various countries of S E Asia serving the God and Messiah of Israel.