Endorsements
Brad H. Young, PhD
A page-turner. A must-read. You will laugh, cry and maybe even repent. Five Years with Orthodox Jews will take you on a riveting journey into a revolutionary new mindset: that building relationship is far more important than winning the argument. When I first went to Israel more than forty years ago to study the roots of our faith with Jewish scholars, I quickly learned that the Christian world was not yet ready for the piercing challenge to the heart that this book humbly speaks. But the time for this book’s message has come. Hear, think, study, pray, and decide for yourself what you will do in response.
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
If you are a Christian interested in learning more about Israel and the Jewish people, “Five Years with Orthodox Jews” is the most important book – besides the Bible – for you to read this year. I am so grateful that God would raise up such a faithful friend to Israel, in our generation. I pray that every Christian would read Bob’s book to better understand the heart of a Jew, and in doing so, we could finally move past our bitter history and bring about our shared destiny articulated by the Prophet Zephaniah (3:9), “For then I will make the peoples pure of speech, so that they all invoke Hashem by name and serve Him with one accord.”
Marvin Wilson, Ph.D.
This work is a strikingly original read that provides, without acrimony, fresh insights on what Christians can learn from Jews and Jews from Christians. Candid, honest and personal, this work reads like a gripping adventure story, not a tedious textbook. Moving from discovery to discovery in the Bible, archaeology, history, economics, and Jewish life in Israel, the reader listens in on an inspiring and informative dialogue between friends. Yet ultimately this book reveals in surprising ways, the greatness and awesomeness of God. I pray this book creates an insatiable hunger within all Christians to eagerly explore their Jewish roots and to visit the land of Israel, ASAP.
Rabbi Yehudah Glick
Not only does this book boost my faith for a promising future between The
People of Israel and believers from the Nations, this book is a reflective mirror
for us, allowing us to see ourselves as we are seen. Sincere yet modest, so many
passages touched my heart. From this book we gain a deeper understanding of
what Hashem expects from The People of Israel and His chosen Jerusalem as a
light to the nations. I pray we are worthy of this assignment.
Rev. David Swaggerty
I couldn’t put it down! Relevant and meaningful, this was one of the greatest
literary experiences I have ever encountered in thirty-seven continuous years of
pastoring a congregation. Every pastor needs to read it.
Jonathan Feldstein
Grab a cup of Israeli coffee, pull up a chair in a Jerusalem café, and get to know
these two fine men as I have known them both for years. Through Bob’s expert
guidance and Gidon’s thoughtful framing of Jewish tradition, you will see Judaism
through a Christian prism, yet without judgement or forced conclusions.
Sharon Sanders
What Bob O’Dell has learned about the Jewish people, I hope will blow some head strong and opinionated assumptions out the door. The book is a vital resource of bedrock information for anyone interested in Jewish-Christian relations. His first-hand journey was absolutely necessary. The Church still owes the Jewish people a heartfelt and universal repentance. The future fullness for the Church will never be complete without it.
Jay L. Rubin
My four decades of Jewish professional leadership across the United States brought me into contact with all manner of Christians, including (gratefully) Bob O’Dell. But even so, his wide-ranging new book took me by surprise. In forty concise and impactful chapters, Bob goes well beyond his passion of educating fellow Christians about the Judaic roots of their faith. His insights, along with the questions posed to Israeli educator Gidon Ariel, lay the groundwork for nothing less than a transformational reset in relations between Evangelical Christians and Orthodox Jews. While not everything in Bob’s book resonates with my traditional Jewish beliefs, much does. Five Years with Orthodox Jews is a personal, intellectual and spiritual journey well worth taking.
Rev. Trey Graham
If you are a Christian lover of Israel, or wonder if you should be, this book is for you. Bob O’Dell the author uses the same skills of research and analysis and creative thinking that made Bob O’Dell the businessman so successful. As a Christian or a Jew, you may not always agree with Bob, but you will be forced to think through important biblical concepts. This is a book written by my friend about my friends. I am honored to recommend it.