As the world marks Holocaust Remembrance Day this week, a new book tells the inspiring story of a rabbi in Bulgaria, whose bold intervention helped save tens of thousands of Jews.
Legacy of Hope by author Avi Mizrachi is about Rabbi Daniel Zion, who had become a Messianic follower of Yeshua, before being instrumental in the rescue of the Jews.
When Nazi Germany occupied Bulgaria without firing one shot, Rabbi Daniel, as the spiritual leader of the Jewish community, became the object of Nazi persecution and ridicule.
On several occasions, he was publicly flogged in front of the Great Synagogue of Sofia.
RABBI PLEADS WITH BULGARIAN KING NOT TO ALLOW TRANSPORTATION OF JEWS
During these times of persecution, Rabbi Daniel walked upright before the fascists, and his only reaction was to call upon God.
When there was talk of transporting the Jews to Germany, Rabbi Daniel wrote a letter to King Boris of Bulgaria.
In the letter, he begged the king in the name of Yeshua not to allow the Jews to be taken out of Bulgaria.
The rabbi told King Boris that Yeshua had appeared to him in a vision with a warning for the king not to deliver the Jews to the Nazis.
“THEIR BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS”
Legacy of Hope reveals he allegedly told the monarch: ‘If you hand over the 50,000 Jews to Hitler, one day you’re going to stand before God, and their blood will be on your hands.”
“This is how you’ll be remembered.’”
After waiting many hours at the door of the king’s palace in Sofia, the rabbi and his secretary were able to deliver this letter to the king’s secretary.
The next day, King Boris went to Germany for a meeting with the Nazi government and Hitler himself.
At that meeting, the king stood his ground and did not submit to the Nazi pressure to deliver the Jews from Bulgaria to the death camps of Poland and Germany.
“PUT YOUR FAITH IN THE HOLY ROCK OF OUR SALVATION”
Rabbi Daniel told his synagogue: “Fear not, my dear brothers and sisters! Put your faith in the Holy Rock of our Salvation.”
“When I went to see [Greek Orthodox leader] Metropolite Stephen, he told me: ‘Tell your people that the King has promised that the Bulgarian Jews will not leave outside the borders of Bulgaria.’”
Author Avi Mizrachi told CBN News: “God used him to bring the fear of God upon the government of Bulgaria and the king of Bulgaria.”
In September 1944, the fascist government of Bulgaria fell to the Communists, under the patronage of Russia.
RABBI DANIEL STRIPPED OF HIS TITLE IN ISRAEL
Rabbi Daniel Zion remained the leader and the chief rabbi of Bulgaria until 1949, when he, with most of the Bulgarian Jewish community, emigrated to Israel.
In Israel, Rabbi Daniel was accepted as the rabbi of the Bulgarian Jews.
He was stripped of his rabbinical title by a rabbinical court, but Bulgarian Jews continued to honour him as their rabbi.
WHAT HE SAID ABOUT HIS CHRISTIAN FAITH TO A RABBINICAL COURT
“I am poor and feeble, persecuted and vulnerable, Yeshua conquered me, and with the New Man He honoured me,”
“He delivered me from the poverty-stricken self with His great love, He cherished me”
“Every day the canny devil aspires to grab my faith. I hold on to my encourager, and chase the devil away.”
“I stand here alone in my faith, the whole world is against me.”
“I give up all the earthly honour for the sake of the Messiah my mate.”
RABBI’S SERVICE IN JAFFA
Rabbi Daniel Zion officiated in his synagogue in the heart of Jaffa until October 1973.
Although he did not often speak of Yeshua openly during his synagogue teachings, many times he cited stories and parables from the Apostolic Writings.
Each Sabbath, after the synagogue service, he brought a group of his fellow worshippers into his home for a study from the Apostolic Writings.
These studies lasted all afternoon, until the time came for evening prayers.
FAREWELLED WITH FULL STATE AND MILITARY HONOURS
In 1979, Rabbi Daniel Zion departed to be with the Lord at the age of ninety-six.
Israel’s Bulgarian Jewish community gave him full military and state honours.
His bier stood in the centre of Jaffa with a military guard, and at noon it was carried by men all the way to the Holon Cemetery on foot.
He was buried as the Chief Rabbi of the Bulgarian Jews who saved them from the Nazi holocaust.
100% TORAH LIFESTYLE, 100% FOLLOWER OF YESHUA
He lived a 100% Torah lifestyle, and he was a 100% follower of the Messiah Yeshua.
He did not compromise faith for money, nor did he succumb to the pressures of the chief rabbinate to deny Yeshua.
He chose the difficult path, not acquiescing his beliefs in order to fit into the norm.
Avi Mizrachi said: “This is a wonderful opportunity tool, sharing with our Israeli friends, that you can be Jewish, you can even be a rabbi, Orthodox rabbi, and you can believe in Yeshua, because he’s the only hope.”
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