Jacob Damkani was born in 1952 into a religious Jewish family. When he was 15 he realized that he couldn't discover God in the synagogue. He developed a desire for the pleasures of the world leaving his religion behind. Rebellion, petty theft, and a relentless search for meaning and purpose characterized his life for the next few years.

At the age of 22, Jacob Damkani traveled to several countries and eventually opened a gift shop in the United States. There he met a believing Christian, who had a deep love for God's chosen people. With much patience and a thorough knowledge of the Bible, this man explained to Jacob all the prophecies of the Old Testament that point to the Messiah of Israel and were fulfilled in Yeshua haMashiach. After long discussions and difficult inner struggles, Jacob read the New Testament. He was more than amazed to discover that it is a very Jewish book. For many years Jacob had thought this book was anti-Semitic. Who should he now believe: his parents and teachers or the Bible and its prophets?!

In 1977, Jacob Damkani accepted Yeshua as his Lord. This decision radically changed his life: "For the first time I understood and lived my true, God-given identity of what it means to be a true Jew. Since that wonderful, awesome revelation and overwhelming day of my new birth, I view everything from my past as meaningless," Jacob describes.

We invite you to read Jacob Damkani's autobiography "Lama Davka Ani?" (Why Me?). Please order here.

For more pictures of Jacob's life see the Gallery