The Predecessors Awards Worldwide of Relevant Achievers Impacting Nations (RAIN) on Saturday 11th November, 2023 honored twenty-seven heroes in America.
A self-professed good Jewish boy from New Jersey, Rabbi Michael Elkohen had come a long way.
In the ultra-Orthodox enclave in Jerusalem where Elkohen now lives, he was often called on to perform marriages, circumcisions and other sacred Jewish rituals. He was even hired to write Torah scrolls, handwritten copies of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, in a task typically reserved for the most devout and highly trained scribes.
But for 15 years, Elkohen was apparently living a lie. The father of five with the black hat, beard and side curls was fluent in Judaic texts and traditions but living a double life: Born Michael Elk in Salem County, he was actually a Christian missionary sent to the Holy Land to convert Jews, according to two anti-missionary groups whose accusations have captivated Israelis in recent days.
NJ orthodox rabbi accused of double life as missionary in Israel thedailyjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thedailyjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.