STOP DOING GOOD: ~ A Love Story

By Lura P. Maiman-Beckford

Stop Doing Good! A love story. A true love story of love in spite of opposition. Love of one another. Love of people. Love of enemies. Love of Israel. Overcoming firebombing, house arrest, physical attacks, slander, false arrests, constant harassment at home and the chess club. Love conquers all!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645599678

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Stop Doing Good!

~ A Love Story

Lura P. Maiman-Beckford

and

Priscilla G. Simmons

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

—Matthew 5:16

ISBN 978-1-64559-966-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64559-967-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2020 Lura P. Maiman-Beckford and Priscilla G. Simmons

All rights reserved

First Edition

All scripture quoted in this book is from the New International Version (NIV)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Before

Eitan

Escalation

People of the King

Love Anyway?

Mental Adjustments: Israeli Law

Decision by the Rabbis

2005: A New Year

An Interlude: An Israeli Ministry Moment

Hell Week

Aftermath

Handcuffs and Leg Irons

Forced from Home

The End and the Beginning

Other Perspectives

After

Glossary

We dedicate this book to Steven B. Kaplan, founder of Jewish Outreach International, partner and fellow laborer with Yeshua,

And to all the godly volunteers—the Lord knows each one.

Special thanks and love to my sister, Priscilla G. Simmons, for all the work she put into this book. Without her help, it would not exist.

May our Lord be magnified and use this book for His Glory!

Before

In January 1996, my husband, Messianic Rabbi Milton Maiman and I (Lura) moved out of the Messianic Hebrew Christian Fellowship Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to fulfill our dream of living in Israel. The congregation in Harrisburg supported us in our new endeavor. We had made several trips to Israel beginning in 1980 and were looking forward to living in the Land where God put His Name.

We first met in 1964 in California, when we both were serving in the US Air Force. We married in 1966 and, subject to military orders, spent years moving from base to base worldwide. Now we were ready to put down roots in Israel—the place that lived in our hearts. We made aliyah based on the proof of Milt’s Jewish ancestry. My Israeli citizenship was granted on the basis of my husband’s genealogy. We now held dual citizenship—American-Israelis.

Our first years, living in Netanya along the Mediterranean Sea, proved to be a problem for Milt. He had a heart condition and diabetes, but he’d also been diagnosed with a lung condition called pigeon breeders disease. The salt-laden air caused serious breathing problems, for which, the doctor recommended a dry desert climate. We moved south and settled in Arad which, ironically, was our original destination. Arad is a town of about 30,000 residents on a mountaintop in the upper Negev Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. The population is a mixture of Israeli-born Jews, Arabs, Bedouins, and Christians as well as Jewish immigrants from many countries. Only a handful of these citizens were aware that Yeshua is their Messiah and that they could know Him personally.

When we moved from Netanya to Arad, our first acquaintance was Ali, a Bedouin who lived in the town and owned a coffee shop. We became good friends and discovered that Ali was one person we could count on for help at any time, in any way. He also introduced us to his wife and four children. We fell in love with the entire family and treated Ali’s children as if they were our own grandchildren. Ali was pleased and amazed that Milt, a Jew, wanted to adopt Arab children. From then on, Ali’s children called us Saba and Savta (Grandpa and Grandma).

Due to Milt’s failing health, our ministry was somewhat limited. We started a Bible study group and a congregation with fellow Messianics, meeting in private homes. We enjoyed sharing Messiah Yeshua’s good news of salvation over coffee in the local cafes. Milt’s personal testimony was powerful and shared often.

In May 1999, Milt returned to the United States for a visit at the request of Edwin (Eddie) Beckford, a fellow air force Vietnam veteran. Eddie had been led by God to search the internet in an effort to locate fellow veterans of the 819th Red Horse Squadron who had served in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. This was Eddie’s own unique way of reaching out with the gospel. His desire was to host the first Red Horse reunion—to reconnect as well as share his faith. When he found Milt during his search, it didn’t take long for friendship and respect to grow between them by email. Eddie invited Milt to come back to the States to attend the first Red Horse reunion. He also asked Milt to serve as chaplain at the inaugural event.

Milt made the long flight to the United States, and I stayed home, due to a lack of finances. Unfortunately, the stress of the trip, combined with his heart problems, put Milt into a Central Pennsylvania hospital almost immediately. I spoke to him, and he told me that he was going home. Later that day, the Lord called him home.

Milton Maiman, 1929–1999

As soon as I received the call, my friends helped me get a plane ticket. A day later, I arrived in Pennsylvania to meet our sons and prepare for the funeral and memorial service. I also spent some important time with family and friends. When interment at Fort Indiantown Gap Cemetery was complete, I returned to Israel alone. My small Bedouin family and our friends grieved with me.

Ali was so grief-stricken that he did not shave for thirty days. He and his wife invited me to move in with their family if I was unable to support myself. Ali’s wife even volunteered to step aside and allow me to become first wife if I so desired. That generous offer was a measure of the love shared between us. Of course, I did not take her up on her surprising offer. I told them, I trust the Lord to be my Provider, and He has always taken care of me. They all accepted Eddie as part of the family too, upon his arrival in 2001.

In the fall of 1999, during Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the holiest day of the year, I attended services at a Sephardic synagogue with my neighbor.

An auction was ongoing to bid for rights to ascend the bimah (platform) and read portions of Scripture. The scene was so chaotic, I asked the Lord, What are you going to do about it? Look at your people and what they are doing!

God asked me what did I want? He would give me anything I would ask for. I asked Him for these people of Arad—for the city—in order to give it back to Him. God answered, You have it! He showed me the spirit of religious apathy which hung over the city and the upper Negev. My friends and I prayed against that spirit. The next year, in 2000, many ultra-Orthodox Jews began to move into the town in order to change it to a religious town. Now the people are no longer apathetic but are faced with a decision about Yeshua. Where there were a handful of believers before, now there are hundreds! The Lord is building His kingdom and using the opposition to stir up the spirits of the people. May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

At that time, Eddie lived in Hampton, Virginia. He traveled to various contract jobs as a quality control inspector. Since his initial contact with Milt, he became intrigued with the idea of bringing the Gospel of Jesus to the Jews—to the very people God had blessed with the gift of His Word in the first place. Eddie began to attend a local messianic congregation. He kept in touch with me by email and followed all the latest news affecting the Israeli ministry.

In the spring of 2000, I flew back to the United States again—this time, for a round of speaking engagements in the churches that supported the Lord’s work in Israel. Eddie drove up from Virginia to Pennsylvania to finally meet me face to face. The second Red Horse reunion was coming up soon and would be held in Florida, near the gravesite of the company commander. Eddie invited me to come along—to act as chaplain of the group. I accepted immediately and enjoyed meeting the veterans.

In May 2001, I was asked to repeat my role as chaplain at the third Red Horse reunion. Eddie’s and my friendship had grown stronger over the two years we’d been corresponding. His interest in the Messianic community and his growing desire for Israel’s salvation prompted me to suggest that he come to Israel for a visit. Eddie’s initial trip, during the summer of 2001, culminated in our marriage on the island of Cyprus, October 10, 2001.

Because of our marriage, Eddie was now eligible to obtain citizenship. Israeli law grants full citizenship to the spouse of an Israeli citizen within five years of their wedding. In this case, however, Eddie’s wish to become an Israeli has been turned into a battle with the ultra-Orthodox. That battle remains unresolved as of the printing of this book.

The Lord used Eddie’s willingness and his cheerful personality to open closed doors in Israel. The small ministry that Milt and I began in 1996 suddenly surged into a much larger ministry through Eddie’s love and enthusiasm. Members of the population totally unreachable through other efforts have gladly welcomed Eddie into their hearts. Russian immigrants, Bedouins, and Black Hebrews have all responded to his smile, his kindness, his friendliness—even to his love for the game of chess.

This book attempts to set down those experiences of our continuing ministry that relate our struggles and triumphs while sharing the Grace of God through Yeshua haMashiach with the population of Arad and all of Israel. In spite of constant harassment, threats, physical attacks, house arrests, exile, imprisonment, arson, constant pressure from the local government (as well as criticism from believers who oppose their ministry), we are still declaring salvation to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile, no matter where we are.

During the summer of 2005, we met Steven B. Kaplan. Steve had flown from Atlanta, Georgia to Arad, Israel, especially to meet us after a fire bombing had destroyed our King’s Men chess club/Bible shop. Steve’s first priority was to help our rebuilding efforts. He eagerly returned several times that year as a helper, in a physical sense, and as a spiritual encouragement.

Steve’s own experience with Yeshua began in 1992, when coworkers introduced him to the possibility of Yeshua as the Messiah. Once Steve accepted Yeshua as his Redeemer, he was overwhelmed with the desire to share his newfound faith with others. In 2002, his Southern Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, appointed him as a missionary. Since then, Steve has traveled extensively, showing up wherever there was a need.

In 2008, with the encouragement of fellow believers, Steve officially founded Jewish Outreach International. Since Steve, Eddie, and I worked so well together, the idea of partnering together grew quickly. In July 2009, we joined the staff of Jewish Outreach International. God has been blessing all of us in this endeavor since its creation.

For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Rev. 12:10–11)

An encounter for me

A man wearing a knitted kippah (indicating that he was a traditional Jew) stopped me as I was walking along the sidewalk in downtown Arad, Israel. May I speak to you? he asked.

Certainly, I responded.

I want to know about the Christians living in Arad. What do they want?

I explained that most of the Christians in Arad are Messianic Jews. They are Israelis who believe that Yeshua is the promised Jewish Messiah and Savior. They love God and Israel. Their children serve in the army to protect our nation. They want to live in peace.

The man seemed thoughtful for a moment then asked, But what do they want? Are they trying to force all Jews to convert?

No, I laughed. No one can force another to believe differently. That would not be truthful. To believe in Yeshua must come from the heart and be done willingly. Otherwise, it is of no purpose. It must be an individual decision.

Well, why do you pass out books? Why do you have a chess club? The rabbi told us you are forcing your religion on us.

Think of us as an information resource. If you want to know about Yeshua, we are willing to share that information with you. It’s about freedom to choose for yourself. If you are not interested, just say ‘no.’

Okay, that seems fair, he said. "Thank you for talking with me.

Chapter 1

Eitan

*****

On a stifling hot day in September 2002, I picked up a hitchhiker. I did not know that this act of kindness to a stranger would place me and Eddie directly in the crosshairs of a radical religious group searching for a target and for an excuse to become violent.

I spotted the young man trudging in the late afternoon heat along the street in Arad, near the yeshiva. He was headed downtown on foot in the brilliant sunshine. Hitchhiking is a common travel alternative in Israel because family vehicles are almost impossible for the average Israeli to purchase and maintain. Buses and taxis run every day except Shabbat. They stop running from Friday afternoon through sundown Saturday. Public transportation is not available on high holy days either. After the buses stop running, hitchhikers are often encountered along the road, racing the lowering sun to get home before sunset and the beginning of Shabbat. IDF soldiers are often seen hitching rides home at the end of the week. Sometimes, civilians without money for bus fare, like this young man, will beg for rides too.

He looked to be in his twenties, with a sparse curly black beard, dressed casually in jeans and a white cotton shirt. The fringes of his prayer shawl swung back and forth behind him as he plodded along through the 100-degree heat. When he heard the car’s engine behind him, he turned and pointed to the ground. I pulled over next to him.

Can you take me to the center of town? he asked as he slid into the passenger seat. He told me his name was Eitan and that he was on his way home for Shabbat. I assured him I was headed that way too.

Acts of kindness by Messianic believers to other Israelis are offered with the same kind of love that Jesus taught His disciples. Caring for one another, whether neighbor or stranger, is necessary in this land of unbelief, division, and war. Without believers to demonstrate God’s love, the Gospel of Yeshua would fall on deaf ears. The Word of God is foreign to many Israelis—secular or religious Jews, Arabs, Palestinians, or new immigrants. We try to respond to their spiritual needs while also offering physical help. Our car was stocked with literature in multiple languages for just such an occasion as this.

When they reached the town center, Eitan pointed out a spot to let him out. I pulled over and stopped. He opened the door. Before he could get out, I said, I have something for you, Eitan. It’s a gift you may be interested in reading. I held out a book, written in Hebrew, which explained the Messiahship of Jesus and God’s plan of salvation, beginning with Abraham.

Eitan’s smile grew as he accepted it. "Todah," he said, thanking me.

He stepped out of the car, shut the door, and walked away. As I drove off, I glanced back at him in the rear view mirror. He was already leafing through the book. I asked the Lord to bless this encounter, to open Eitan’s mind and heart to understanding His Word. Hopefully, I will see him again. A few days later, I did.

While Eddie was out distributing literature in the park to his Russian chess-playing friends, I was at home, working in the kitchen. I spotted a young Haredi (an ultra-Orthodox Jew) from the window. The man was dressed in traditional garb: white shirt, black pants tucked into black socks, black coat, and black broad-brimmed hat in spite of the suffocating heat. He opened the gate, entered the yard, knocked on the door, and ran out of the gate, shutting it behind him. I watched him as he paced the sidewalk in front of our house, glancing up at it and then back down to his black shoes, repeatedly. He appeared to be very nervous about something.

This wasn’t unusual behavior for a Haredi. I knew that the ultra-Orthodox were afraid of dogs. Perhaps he knew about our cockapoo, and that was why he ran out of the yard. I knew little Tevya was inside, asleep on the cool tile floor.

Calmly, I walked out to join him, remaining on my side of the