Interview with a Rabbi

Written by Noah Caracelo

Interview with Rabbi Jude Caracelo

Founded in 2014, Keren Ohr Messianic Synagogue has served the Savannah, Georgia region for almost two years. It has grown from a small attendance of around 20 people to a consistent attendance of 50 people a week. Rabbi Jude Caracelo and his family moved from Melbourne, Florida and its synagogue, Kol Mashiach, to start Keren Ohr. I asked Rabbi Caracelo a few questions about his experience in starting and running a brand new synagogue, and about how he became a leader.


Noah Caracelo: What compelled you to start Keren Ohr, and why did you choose Savannah, Georgia?


Rabbi Caracelo: My wife and I knew we were called to ministry. I was the Assistant Rabbi in my home synagogue in Florida. We knew at some point we would lead a congregation. We had been looking at several options, but the "Gideon's fleece" for me was finding a secular job in my field. A perfect job opened up in Savannah, GA and with prayer and discussion we felt that we needed to move to Savannah and start Keren Ohr.

NC: What challenges did you face when making Keren Ohr a reality?


RC: The biggest challenge initially was getting the word out about our new congregation. We knew only a handful of people when we started Keren Ohr. We relied heavily (and still do) on social media and a good website. But it took some time to get the synagogue off the ground. The Lord brought us a couple of Messianic families who had moved to Savannah just before us. With our three families we launched the congregation.


NC: What is a typical Keren Ohr service like?


RC: A typical service consists of praise and worship, Jewish liturgy and a message. Those are the three basic elements. We try for a mix of traditional Messianic and Jewish music and contemporary songs. The liturgy is not extensive but we incorporate the well known pieces (Sh'ma, Ma Tovu, Etz Chaim He). The messages are all about applying what the Bible says to our every day lives.

NC: What do you do every week to prepare for the service?


RC: For my message, I spend several hours a week preparing. I do sermon series, usually lasting from three to eight weeks. For each message, I have a stand alone point or points based on a passage of scripture related to that series. I have a lot of commentaries that I glean from, but my preparation is mostly prayer, pouring over the text for that week, and laying out a clear point or points for the listener.


NC: How do you foster a sense of community in your congregation?


RC: We have several events throughout the year to build community. Monthly men's fellowship/sisterhood meetings, youth meetings, picnics, and special services all play a part in this.


NC: Why did you choose to become a ministry leader?


RC: I did not initially set out to become a Rabbi or leader. I was very content to work in the business world and raise my family. However, the Lord started working on me when I was about 32 years old to go into ministry. During the next several years, the Lord prepared me in many ways, including study and dying to myself. I can truly say I was called and I did not choose.


NC: Did you have any other leadership positions before starting Keren Ohr?


RC: Yes, I was a youth leader, men's group leader, worship leader, and Assistant Rabbi before starting the congregation.


NC: What advice would you give someone who is looking to get into ministry?


RC: Learn as much as you can from your Rabbi and other leaders the Lord has put over you. Even if you don't have the opportunity to formally learn under them, watch how they handle situations and work through life in the ministry. You will be surprised at how much you will draw on that learning when/if you go into ministry. The other advice I can give is continually work to die to your flesh about being a leader. What I mean by that is pride is an insidious thing, and we all have to be careful to stay humble. Remember, it's not about you - it's all about God. He gave you the gifts you have and He will allow you to be placed in ministry if it is His will. Practice humility and seek His face continually. Ask Him if you should be in ministry and wait on Him. Our timing is never the Lord's timing. You may think you are ready for ministry, but God will open the door to it when it is the right time.


You can get more information about Keren Ohr Messianic Synagogue, including directions, events, contact information, and message recordings, at shalomsavannah.com.

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Teshuvah - Repentance

By Maggie Nelson • October 11, 2024
What image comes to mind when someone says “repent”? Do you imagine God standing over you, shaking his finger, saying, “Go over there and be sad for a bit. You deserve to feel guilty for what you did”? Often when we think about repentance we can think about sinning, guilt, and condemnation. Well… two of those things are certainly involved. Sinning brings guilt, enough said. But repentance is not God telling us in an angry tone to go off and fix ourselves. Instead, the Lord is saying, “Come here. You turned away from Me; turn back. Come over here, back to My loving arms.” This is a vastly different view of repentance. One view can keep us from even wanting to repent because we don’t like the feeling of guilt and condemnation, so we’d rather pretend we don’t have a problem or hide our sin from God (it’s impossible by the way). But when we actually understand what repentance means, we can see the true heart of our Father, which always longs to be close to His people, so much so that Yeshua laid down His life for our sakes. The word for repentance in Hebrew is teshuvah, which means to “turn” or “return.” That is exactly what repentance should be. Have you ever felt the difference between when you condemn yourself for sin and when the Ruach convicts you? Whenever I sin and I am not walking in the Ruach, I tend to beat myself up, feeling upset with myself and distant from God. However, when I am humble before God and the Ruach convicts me it’s different. I feel the “ouch” or “oof” of seeing my sin for what it is, but I also feel the love of Yeshua. I feel close to God, not far away, because I am comforted to know that He thinks of me and is willing to show me where I am walking in destructive habits. When the Ruach prompts us to repent it’s as if God is getting down on our level and holding out his arms, beckoning us to Himself again. This doesn’t mean repentance is only joyful. It’s like pulling a thorn from your foot. It’s not pleasant that we have to do it because thorns hurt, but the answer to the thorn isn’t ignoring it or pretending it’s not actually that bad. Pulling it out is a good pain that ultimately brings healing and freedom to keep walking. The same thing is true with turning from our sins. Sin is turning away from God and it separates us from Him, our ultimate Good. So coming back is always relieving, refreshing, and right—even if sometimes it feels like we got a little “Ruach HaKodesh" slap in the face. In the Eitz Chayim liturgy, we sing an excerpt from Lamentations 5:21: “Hashivenu Adonai v’nashuva” (Turn us, Oh Lord, and we will return). We can’t please God or even turn back to Him in our own strength. We rely on the conviction of His Ruach when we fall short and turn away. It should be encouraging to know that it isn’t just you trying to battle sin by yourself. You and Yeshua are standing together against darkness. So during this time of teshuvah at Yom Kippur, let’s be glad that we can turn to a Father who is asking us to repent and come back to Him. We love Him, so of course we want to be close to Him. Well, He wants the same thing.

Yom Kippur Reflection

October 13, 2022
Y om Kippur (The Day of Atonement) is a day to reflect on the past year and see what areas of your life you have been battling with sin. We all have areas where we fall short (being quick to anger, gossip, our language, etc.) which is why God sent Yeshua to wash the dross away. Thanks to Yeshua we know that as long as we accept Him as Messiah, we will be saved. Traditionally, the Jewish people believe that their good deeds are the way to salvation but we, as Messianic Jews and  all believers in Yeshua, know that is not the case, only through Yeshua can you be saved. So are our actions and good deeds still important? YES! Even though they are not the way to salvation, they still hold value in the kingdom of God. We are the body of Messiah, therefore we represent Him through our actions. Hebrews 13:16 says “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God”. So this year on Yom Kippur I encourage you to reflect on what you can do in the next year to represent Yeshua. By: Jennifer Meyers October 4, 2022

A Days of Awe Reflection

October 4, 2022
As we are towards the end of the Days of Awe and soon it will be Yom Kippur, let's reflect on the following scripture from Psalms 102:25-27 "Long ago You laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with Your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But You are always the same; You will live forever.” Consistency. To be consistent means, marked by harmony, regularity, or steady continuity. Consider for a moment the following time patterns in nature. Our own planet earth has a repetitive pattern to rotate on its axis for 24 hours. Earth has been consistently rotating on its axis for 24 hours, since Creation. That is consistency! We also have a fixed pattern of day and night. Day follows the night, and night follows the day. We read of this rhythm over and over throughout Genesis 1, ‘So the evening and the morning were the first day.’ If we look at human heart beat rate- it is an average of 72 beats per second. The heart is consistently beating to push blood flow in our body. What about the Lord? God keeps showing up. He is completely reliable. When all of life seems to be unsteady and unpredictable, we can have confidence in the Lord to remain the same. He chooses to remain constant in His attitude and affection towards us. God does not have mood swings or sudden outbursts of anger. We will always know what to expect in His nature and character towards us. He always means what He says. And He always follows through on His words. The truth is that, 'Yeshua Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever.' (Heb. 13:8). And He has always desired our wholehearted love. Prayer changes things. God is relational and desires to dialogue with us. He wants to hear our heart. God alone has the capacity to hold the past and future in His hands, and at the same time, be fully engaged in our present situation. There is no conflict for Him in this! God invites the conversation with us, calling us to work with Him, to petition our request to him and to glorify Him in prayer, prayer is powerful. May we take time this season to reflect on the consistency of the nature of God. Does God's consistency comfort you? In what way? Are you a consistent person? In attitudes, in showing love to others? Where could you grow in being consistent? Let’s embrace God’s consistent love, grow in consistency in our prayer life, open our hearts in prayer for God to show and guide us in deep ways. Especially as we go into Yom Kippur let’s be grateful for our salvation and pray for those that do not know him. By: Hannah Micu October 3, 2022

Mark Dayan's Legacy

August 9, 2022
Yesterday we lost a friend who means so much to so many in the YMJA. We are grieving losing Mark Dayan on earth but rejoicing that he is with the Lord. Mark was fondly known by many as "Uncle Mark". He served the Messianic community at large and in Philadelphia with his whole heart. In the YMJA he led the singles program for decades! There have been so many beautiful words posted about him within the last 24 hours, here are some of them: "He taught me how to lead worship by worshipping with joy and sincerity. One of my favorite people to sing with, worship with and travel with. He diffused the tension in any room. He was the one that everyone everywhere gravitated toward and remembered.”- Marc  "Uncle Mark never approached life looking for ways to climb to the top of the social ladder. Instead, he focused on getting as low as he could, so that he could best serve the least & anyone in need of love, or just a hug & a good belly laugh. Just like his Messiah, he lived not be served, but instead he lived to serve.”- Nate "He was impossible to miss as not only was he more than likely the loudest laugh or the loudest singer in the room but also he brought such an infectious joy and intentionality to everyone. He made a point to reach out to everyone, especially those who others deemed different or difficult. He made a point to lift others up even when it made him seem less.”- Melissa "Uncle Mark had perfected the art of taking joy in other's successes. When you had a good report, Uncle Mark would be so excited, just as if whatever blessing you had received had actually come to him. Uncle Mark lived to give, lived to laugh, lived for joy and praise.”-Nyssa "He always gave the best hugs, told the best stories, and above all encouraged everyone around him to joyfully follow G-d.”- Danielah Today we encourage you to think of how you can remember Mark Dayan’s legacy and walk in his footsteps. We encourage you to seek ways to serve your community, notice who needs a friend and meet them where they are, and above all find your strength in the Lord. We will miss you Mark, all your big hugs and encouragement. We will carry on your faithful legacy.

Isaiah 40:30-31 Encouragement

October 19, 2021
Shalom everyone, I wanted to share what the Lord has been reminding me lately. I am young, serving the Lord and recently I have been encouraged by Isaiah 40:30-31. This passage is honest and says “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but they who wait for Adonai will renew their strength. They will soar up with wings as eagles. They will run, and not grow weary. They will walk, and not be faint.” It is essentially saying that even though we are young and are “supposed” to have this never-ending tank of energy, we still can get overwhelmed. We are humans living in 2021, it can get very overwhelming! This verse has encouraged me to not let myself be or stay burdened. Rather be open to speak and say that sometimes I need to rest in the Lord, that it’s not about how much I can do, but rather it’s about how much God can do. And it’s true, there are things that only God can do. It goes to show that even youths grow weak and weary…. but those who hope in the Lord will find new strength! It’s about being encouraged to lift each other up to show that God’s Chesed (grace/compassion) is meant for everyone; that strength will rise to those who wait upon the Lord, and that He will mount us up on wings like eagles. Yes, it’s okay to take the time to stop. It’s okay to take the time to let go. And it is always for the best to simply follow God’s lead on what is yours to do and what is not in each season. I encourage you to pray and ask God about when and how to serve and rest while being constantly renewed in His strength. #mycurrentfavoritescripture By: Jacob R. October 19, 2021

Galatians 6:9 Reflection

October 13, 2021
Hey YMJA! I hope you are all enjoying this lovely season of fall, and reflecting on all the Lord taught us during our recent journey through the Fall Feasts. What a time we are living in! It feels like there is transition everywhere. For me personally, I just began a new job--one that has been an amazing experience, and I know I'm where the Lord wants me. On the other hand, I've had some tough moments in this process of beginning a new season. I know many YMJAers are at a similar time in life-- a time of newness and transition. The Lord wants to grow our faith and trust in Him during these times, and to deepen our relationship with Him. My current favorite scripture, one that I have really been holding on to in recent days, is Galatians 6:9--"So let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we don’t give up." With everything going on in the world today, it can be so easy to get discouraged--especially if what we are doing is not showing immediate results. Newness can be hard, whether it be a new job, a new school, a new house, or just a time of waiting on the Lord for next steps. Don't give up. Keep doing good. Keep serving, loving, trusting. Keep waiting for Him. He will bring a beautiful harvest of faith, hope, and blessing in your life as you persevere in the season He has brought you to. He is with you always--don't lose heart. Keep going. #mycurrentfavoritescripture By: Michaela, YMJA Prayer Team Member October 12, 2021

Linda's Legacy

September 28, 2021
If you have been at the MJAA registration desk for a regional conference or the annual Messiah Conference, you were likely greeted by Linda’s warm smile and genuine gift of hospitality. She ran housing and registration and spoke to many of your youth leaders and parents to make sure everything was in order for all of us to have the best experience possible. While she worked for the MJAA, she simultaneously worked as the YMJA administrative assistant from 2012-2019. She played an instrumental role behind the scenes to make the YMJA what it is today. You might not know that in the early days Linda and her husband Steve created and ran the teen program at Messiah Conference. This was many decades ago, now the program is run by the YMJA as of 1988. Our current YMJA Executive Director, Rabbi Kevin, was a teenager in their program! As an educator, she founded two Messianic schools, Chalutzim and Cornerstone, where some of our YMJA members attended school including her daughter and our beloved VP, Melissa. There is so much more that could be said about her accomplishments, but this is just a snapshot of her vibrant life. Those who met her were struck by her effortless excellence. She was organized, efficient, and made hard tasks and problem-solving look simple. More importantly, she had an extraordinary ability to connect with people and made people feel loved and seen. Many have said that her encouragement and affirmations empowered them to be who they are today. Throughout good times and very challenging times, she clung to the L-rd and her love was an overflow of her love for Yeshua. She always said, "There’s enough time in each day to do the Lord’s will for that day.” We have so much to learn from the way Linda lived her life. As we grieve, please remember to keep Melissa and the entire Brown family in your prayers as they walk through this very difficult time. Linda Brown's legacy is a blessing and she will always be remembered. July 2, 2021

Simchat Torah Reflection

September 28, 2021
A beautiful tradition on Simchat Torah is to read the last verse of Deuteronomy and the first verse of Genesis. There is celebration and joy in the Word of G-d. We are celebrating a beautiful in between moment. Honoring the end of a chapter and a beginning of a new as a community. Maybe your Sukkot was not as joyful as you had hoped. Maybe your Yom Kippur fast was not as meaningful as you had anticipated. Maybe your Rosh Hashanah was not as sweet as it has been in the past. All of that is okay, the Word of G-d will always be relevant and this holiday of Simchat Torah is a tangible reminder that no matter what season we are in, there is joy in focusing on the Word of G-d. His Word isn’t changing even if other areas of our life feel shaky. Simchat means joy; joy isn’t circumstantial. The Torah scrolls that are held in synagogues all over the world are in the process of being rolled back to the beginning. There is a beautiful sense of unity in Jewish life, there is a joy that is hard to explain. If you were unable to go to a Simchat Torah service, you can take some time to read the end and the beginning of the Torah and ask G-d to be with you in this season of life. September 28, 2021 

Rosh Hashanah Preparation 🍎

September 28, 2021
H ere are some ideas that you are welcome try in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, on Rosh Hashanah or during the 10 days of awe. We hope these ideas and this season in general brings you closer to G-d and your community. The fall holidays are an invitation to draw near to the Lord, connect or reconnect to community and pray for the world around us, especially those who do not yet know Yeshua. As you celebrate the holidays or prepare for them please feel welcome to tag us. We love that Instagram can bring us together, even though we live all over the 🌎. #roshhashanah #reflection #baking #naturewalk #cards #daysofawe #community September 2, 2021
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