In the mid-1990s, Jonathan Bernis conducted multiple festivals each year throughout Eastern Europe. Louis and Chira Kaplan were encouraged by the fruit his ministry, Hear O’ Israel Ministries (HOIM), was bearing for the Lord. Soon, Jonathan became a repeat guest on Jewish Voice Broadcasts’ television and radio programs.
In August of 1996, Chira traveled to HOIM’s festival in Kishinev, Moldova to interview Messianic Believers, and she discussed with Jonathan the like-mindedness of the two ministries. In September, Louis asked a close friend to pray about Jonathan succeeding him as leader of Jewish Voice Broadcasts.
Soon, the beginnings of a strategic partnership came into view between the two effective ministries. Each was passionate about opening the eyes of Jewish people to their Messiah and awakening a love for Israel and Jewish people in the Christian Church. The Kaplans and Bernis thought that by partnering to broadcast and bring festivals to the same regions, they could maximize the influence of each ministry and reach more Jewish people with the Good News.
In January of 1997, Jewish Voice Broadcasts celebrated 30 years on the air and in ministry. An anniversary issue of the Jewish Voice Prophetic Magazine looked back on three decades of ministry, and a special evening of celebration, memories, and thanksgiving marked the milestone.
In August 1997, Louis and Chira spent a well-deserved vacation in Chira’s home-country of Finland before planning to participate in HOIM’s festival in Riga, Latvia later that month. But on August 7th, Brother Kaplan suffered a devastating stroke. After three weeks in a Finnish hospital, he returned to Arizona where he spent five months in skilled nursing facilities undergoing challenging rehabilitation. Upon his release, Louis returned home to Chira’s supportive care. His recovery was slow and his abilities greatly diminished.
Dennis Phillips, who had been with Louis from day one of the ministry, stepped up to lead the organization from August 1997 through May 1998. At that time, the Board of Directors elected Jonathan Bernis executive director and Chira Kaplan vice president of the corporation. Jonathan, having moved back to the States from Russia in 1997, remained Director of HOIM, leading it from Jacksonville, Florida. He flew to Phoenix for monthly staff meetings with the Jewish Voice team. JVB continued with a full lineup of television and radio guests, providing teaching and testimonies of Jewish Believers in Yeshua. Hear O’ Israel Ministries conducted a festival in Budapest, Hungary and discipled new Messianic Believers who had come to faith as a result.
After over 21 months of suffering debilitating effects of his stroke, Louis Kaplan passed away on May 19, 1999. Now he was home, face to face with Jesus whom he loved so dearly. Summer issues of the Jewish Voice magazine included loving tributes to Louis from staff, board members, family, and friends. On June 18, 1999, family and friends of Louis Kaplan gathered to remember and honor the man they loved and respected so much. Jonathan Bernis opened the service that included worship, song, and reflections.
Jonathan Bernis remembers Louis Kaplan
There weren’t very many Jewish people receiving Messiah in 1935. At least, not enough to notice. Among this small remnant was one Louis Kaplan. Louis Kaplan wasn’t the type of person who, upon meeting him, you’d consider a “world changer.” A survivor, and a successful one at that, but a world changer? You wouldn’t think so, and quite frankly, neither would he. But he was.
You see, there was one thing about Louis Kaplan that set him apart. Louis Kaplan had a fire in his heart for Yeshua, one that wasn’t content only to have a relationship with God himself, but which yearned to bring others into relationship with their Messiah as well.
Today, millions of people worldwide are reached daily with the Good News through Jewish Voice Broadcasts, both on radio and television, over regular networks and via satellite, because one man with no media experience whatsoever decided to trust and obey the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Yes, Louis Kaplan was a pioneer. He was a trailblazer in many ways for many of us, and I hold him in the highest esteem.
Because of a serious fall that shattered her knee shortly after Louis passed away, Chira was unable to attend her beloved husband’s memorial service. After months of therapy, she was finally able to return to her editorial desk with the Jewish Voice Prophetic Magazine on a full-time basis in November 1999.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Bernis was a busy man directing two nearly bi-coastal ministries, one in Florida and one in Arizona. Soon, Hear O’ Israel Ministries’ newsletter announced they’d moved their offices to Phoenix. Though housed in the same building, the two ministries continued to operate separately.
Filling Louis Kaplan’s shoes
Jewish Voice was still very much grieving the loss of Brother Kaplan. After Jonathan had assumed leadership of JVB, everything went really well. “The people loved me, I loved them, and I seemed to be a great fit,” he recounts in his book A Hope and A Future. As time went on, signs that “the honeymoon was over” began to weigh on him. Jonathan was highly respected and entrusted by the board, Chira, and Louis himself before he passed, but he felt the pressure of measuring up to the ministry’s dearly loved founder. As he heard “that’s not how Brother Kaplan did it” more frequently, he grew discouraged and questioned whether he could continue in his role as director.
Then, Chira invited him to dinner. “I told her I was ready to quit,” Jonathan recalls. Chira listened attentively as he continued, “I can’t do this anymore. I’ll never be able to fill Brother Kaplan’s shoes.”
With that, Chira got up from the table saying, “I have something for you. I meant to give it to you before, but I forgot.” She disappeared into her bedroom, and when she returned, she held three shoeboxes. Each box contained a brand new pair of shoes that Louis had purchased but never worn.
The gesture was kind, but Jonathan was sure he couldn’t wear the shoes. He had a very unusual shoe size: 8 ½ EEE. But as he admired them, he was astonished to see they were Size 8 ½ EEE.
God confirmed His plan for Jonathan and assured him that he was in the right place. “God has such a sense of humor,” Jonathan writes. “Under my own power, my own ability, and my own strength, I was inadequate. But through the Lord’s power, because of His calling on my life, I could fill Brother Kaplan’s shoes.”
Of those literal shoes, Jonathan said, “To this day, they remain the most comfortable pair of shoes I own!” He even wore one pair so long that the heels wore down with holes.
Jonathan Bernis holds a pair of shoes belonging to the late Louis Kaplan. When Jonathan questioned whether he could fill Louis’ ministry shoes, Chira Kaplan presented him with three pairs of new shoes Louis had bought but never worn before he passed away. They were Jonathan’s exact, and unusual, shoe size.
A new millennium
The turning of the millennium saw Jewish Voice continuing its ministry while Hear O’ Israel continued theirs. Jonathan was working in and through each ministry, hosting the television and radio programs, traveling, speaking, and putting on festivals.
With the vision and future of JVB in good hands, 69-year-old Chira saw it a fitting time to retire.
As the year 2001 approached, it became evident that the two ministries were so in sync with one another that it seemed poor stewardship to maintain two separate organizations. Each had the identical vision as the other. Each was committed to sharing the Gospel of Messiah Yeshua “to the Jew first” as Romans 1:16 declares. Each aimed to inspire the Christian Church to embrace the Jewish roots of their New Testament faith, reach out to Jewish people with the Gospel, and support Israel. It was clear they were ready to formally merge. And in January of 2001, Jewish Voice Ministries International was born.
Find out how the newly birthed Jewish Voice Ministries International took shape and answered God’s call into new avenues of ministry – next month in June’s JVMI 50th Anniversary blog post.
Don’t’ miss Flashback Fridays on our Facebook page where you’ll see glimpses of our 50-year journey.
Discover the whole inspiring JVMI story with our beautiful, full-color coffee table book, Jewish Voice: A Look at 50 Years. Along with a fascinating narrative chronicling 50 years of ministry, this special edition includes biographies, stories, and reflections from television guests, partners, and staff as well as over 200 photographs.
Join us on the Jewish Voice Blog each month in 2017 as we unfold the Jewish Voice story and piece together for you how two ministries with the same heart merged to become the Jewish Voice Ministries International you know today.
Previous JVMI 50th Anniversary blog posts:
The Early Years – Jewish Voice Broadcasts
