Chezky Hoffman, Head of Jeff Seidel’s student center, Hetzliya
Penina came to speak for a group of students from IDC in Herzliya and the students were riveted throughout. In today’s day, when we are programmed to lose interest after thirty seconds, Penina not only held their attention, but Penina’s fascinating story and excellent speaking skills had students say she was the most interesting person we’ve brought in all year. A true pleasure.
Susan Rifkin, Chair of Programming, Jewish Educational Center – Women’s Division, Elizabeth, NJ
Penina is a charming, educated and down to earth speaker. She drew us in and succinctly delivered her story in about an hour, then stayed to answer questions and signed books. The women could not get enough of Penina and had deep and lengthy conversations with her after the program.
Rabbi Zev Friedman, Rosh Yeshiva and Dean, Shalhevet High School for Girls
On behalf of the entire student population of Shalhevet High School for Girls – THANK YOU for your amazing presentation. Your personal story was truly inspiring. As you may have noticed- the students sat riveted and listened raptly during your entire presentation. From the feedback I got even days after you left, it was clear that you had a profound impact on so many of our students. Thanks again for coming and sharing your life story with us! We look forward to your next visit!! Wishing you all the best in everything you do – keep up the amazing work.
Stuart Katz, President, Young Israel of North Woodmere
Please accept my apologies for this long overdue letter of heartfelt thanks however, I’ve been reading your book (have read it twice already) and just couldn’t bring the pen to paper. That said, there aren’t enough words that can express the gratitude and appreciation that we have for your inspirational and dynamic talks that you brought to our community this past November. Your way with words, both written and orally certainly have left us with a tremendous desire to follow you through the rest of the road in your life and to do what we can to welcome others. You left the membership of all ages truly inspired through your enlightening talks. You truly serve as a motivator for any group seeking or desiring such a speaker. I would highly recommend you to any congregation, organization or school looking for a dynamic and inspirational speaker of the highest caliber and if they should have any questions should feel free to contact me. Until we meet again, I wish you the warmest personal regards and thank you very much once again.
Darren Sevitz, Executive Director, Union of Orthodox Synagogues of South Africa
On behalf of the President, Chairman, and members of the Executive Council of the Union of Orthodox Synagogues and the Jewish Community in South Africa, may I express our sincerest thanks to you for having agreed to visit Johannesburg and Cape Town this past August to assist the local branch of Jews for Judaism in our work. The feedback from your various lectures has been overwhelmingly positive and your visit has created a very strong awareness among members of the community of the problems we face. Thanks to the strenuous timetable which you undertook, your very professional approach, and your extensive knowledge of the subject, your visit was a tremendous success and we thank you once again for your invaluable work.
Rabbi Aharon Rose, Chairman, South African Rabbinical Association
Penina Taylor, Executive Director of Jews for Judaism, (Jerusalem) recently spoke to a group of about 30 Rabbis and Rebbetzins in Johannesburg. Her presentation was riveting and enlightening; Rabbis are a notoriously difficult audience, yet we sat virtually spellbound throughout Penina’s presentation. Penina was respectful of the audience, professional, amusing and yet… frightening. We went away with a feeling that we had learnt a lot, but at the same time with an awareness that we needed to know much more to protect our community from these dangers.
Esther Eisenman, High School Judaics Principal, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, Baltimore, Maryland
Thank you for coming in to speak to our students. Your stories and presentation were riveting and had a big impact on our students. As I am sure you saw during the presentation, they were mesmerized and hung on every word you said. The students found you to be a passionate and compelling speaker; most importantly you were effective at transmitting your message. As you saw, you inspired the students to think and question, and their teachers saw that carry-over into the classrooms. Your experiences, which you shared openly and honestly, are certainly unique and carried an important message for young people. While many can speak about these topics, only you can give them the insider perspective. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear from someone who has been inside the missionary movement, and just as valuable to hear how you found your way back to Judaism. The students understood and integrated your message because your talk was so filled with personal experiences (and amazing ones at that!) Students and faculty agree: we need to get you back to speak to all our students! Please stay in touch with us and let us know when you are in the area so we can book you to speak again.
Elianna Pollak, TAC Co-Shiur Coordinator, Stern College for Women
I want to thank you so much for agreeing to come speak at Stern College on such short notice. We were emailed your name, and having never heard of you, we decided to take a chance and see if you would agree to come share your story. Needless to say, we cannot even begin to thank you enough for the unbelievable and inspirational hour or so you spent with us. Your talk was a huge success, garnering one of the largest crowds I have witnessed for a speaker here; every mouth in the room was left hanging open as you described your incredible journey to Orthodox Judaism. Not only is your story extraordinary, but educational as well, exposing us to the existence and potential dangers of Messianic Judaism, an issue most of us had not previously heard of. We so appreciate your sincerity and true care for us, staying a half hour past your allotted time to answer the stream of continuous questions. I know I am not only speaking for myself when I tell you that your speech has left an indelible impact on me and I hope to hear you again, iyh!
Mordechai Kaplan, Director, Torat Eretz Yisrael Program, Yeshivat Lev Hatorah
Once again your talk in Yeshiva was a big hit! Besides from being a quite entertaining and fascinating story, you bring a very unique look into the world of Christianity and how it relates to Judaism. The seminar held after the talk was very organized, and thorough. Not every day do guys get to see a “Jewish Mother” quote from Luke, John, and Matthew. Thank you once again for telling your story and going into an in-depth analysis of the world of “Jews for Jesus.” The talk helps us appreciate our Torah and the importance of not letting a modern day fad to invade our religion of truth.
Rabbi Michael Chaim Green, Overseas Director, Bnot Torah/Sharfman’s
We had Penina Taylor speak at our Bnot Torah/Sharfman’s Kiruv Seminar and her personal story very much enlightened and inspired the hearts of our students. She was a captivating and knowledgeable presenter and I believe that her speeches can reach both young and old alike!
Rabbi Ben Tzion Goldfischer, Mashgiach Ruchani, Machon Maayan
We have had the pleasure of having Penina Taylor lecture in Machon Maayan on several occasions. Her story and her presentations are extremely informative and insightful. Most importantly, her lectures and shiurim are highly entertaining, delivered with warmth, humor, and passion. She has connected on a very profound level with our students and staff and I highly recommend that other institutions (Yeshivot, Seminaries, Summer Programs) take advantage of her wealth of knowledge relating to Jewish/Christian Polemics.
Rabbi Scott Kahn, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah
I want to thank you again for your wonderful presentation at the yeshiva. It is unusual for a speaker to hold an audience’s attention for three consecutive hours, yet you kept our students enthralled the entire time, and you left them wanting more. Your fascinating story and helpful counter-missionary techniques will be long remembered by everyone who was present. On a personal note, I was particularly impressed with your description of your initial meeting with your rabbi in Baltimore, and your further discussion of the importance of accepting individuals without necessarily approving of their actions or beliefs. This is a message which is important that every student in the yeshiva hear and internalize. I’m looking forward to hosting you again at Yesodei HaTorah.
Ruchi Koval, Founder and Associate Director, Jewish Family Experience, Cleveland, Ohio
We brought Penina Taylor out to speak for the parents of our Sunday school and to address the teens in our community, and they (and we) are still talking about her presentation 7 years later! She not only kept their interest and answered their questions in a respectful and intelligent manner, but inspired them to continue growing in their Judaism. I would highly recommend her to any group looking for an inspiring and interesting presenter who can touch any audience regardless of their religious background. Her unusual journey, combined with her approachable style, makes her an excellent presenter whose message is important and always relevant.
