How We Met Our Haredi Superfan

by Elisha Lazarus, Co-Host of the So Be It! YouTube channel 

A few months ago, I went out to do some filming for our So Be It! YouTube channel, expecting a normal day of talking with Jewish people about Jesus on the streets. As it often happens, when a good conversation gets going, more people stop and listen. That day, a group of Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) gathered around us, listening intently as we talked about Yeshua (Jesus), the Scriptures, and the hope we have in the Messiah. These are all topics that the Haredim are curious about, though they can also stir anger in them.

There was one man in the group who stood out. He was in his late 20s and was dressed in the standard black suit with long sidelocks of the Haredim. But while most of his friends eventually shook their heads and walked away, this guy stayed the whole time and paid attention. He even pulled out a little notebook and took notes. When the conversation we were filming came to an end and people dispersed, he stayed behind with a few others who had questions. We had a nice talk.

I didn’t expect to see him again but could not forget the interaction I had with him. A month later, I went to Jerusalem to film. That day, I happened to run into my good friend and former So Be It! co-host, Jeff Morgan (now host of Highway 53), and another friend, Golan Boshi, from the One for Israel ministry. Somehow, we all happened to be in the same place at the same time! We were all filming and talking with people from the Haredi community. And the response we were all having was amazing! There was a small crowd of Haredim who were listening and engaging with all three of us, and our conversations were flowing back and forth.

The day couldn’t get much better—until I saw another familiar face. It was the same Haredi man from a month ago!

Immediately we recognised and greeted each other. But what happened next surprised me even more: he knew all of our names! Not just mine, but Jeff’s and Golan’s, too. He knew who we were, was familiar with our videos and had heard our conversations. And now he was excited to see not just one, but all three of us in person.

He stayed there for hours listening as we talked about Yeshua with other people. He was fully engaged, absorbing everything. He stayed close but did not want to be noticed. It seemed that he was not just curious, but spiritually hungry.

At one point, I asked if we could exchange contact information to stay in touch. He said that it was not possible. This is normal within the Haredi community, because there is a risk of losing everything when they show interest in Yeshua.

It was a sad moment for me. Here was a man who had invested hours watching our videos in secret, obviously wanting to know more about Yeshua, but the cost of being found out was still too high for him.

Only the Lord knows what is happening in his heart, but I believe God is at work, drawing him to Yeshua. Witnessing to that one Haredi man on the street is a powerful sign of a larger work God is doing. He is drawing our people to himself. So, more and more people are becoming curious, even watching our videos in secret. They may be afraid to be caught showing interest in Jesus, but still, they are watching. And this points to a deeper work God is doing behind the scenes, beyond anything we can see, track, or measure.

So, please pray for endurance and effectiveness for us and for our partners from other ministries doing similar work. Pray for this man, that the seeds planted would continue to grow; that the truth would make deep roots; and that God would give him clarity, courage, and protection. Pray for a deeper revelation that he would come to know Jesus as his Messiah and Lord. And pray for many others like him who are secretly searching and counting the cost.

We don’t always know who is watching. But God does. And he is at work.