A PERSONAL LETTER
FROM MARK LEVITT
Dear Fellow ZLMer,
As the ministry’s Executive Director since 1988, I believe it’s a wonderful time to highlight this ministry’s various departments and attributes.
OUR JEWISH ROOTS (formerly Zola Levitt Presents)
Our weekly TV program airs on roughly a hundred full-power, independent stations. Find your local station under the “Station Search” tab at levitt.com/schedule or request a free copy of the list by writing to staff@levitt.com. Don’t miss our treasure trove of free broadcast archives at levitt.tv.
OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS
Our newsletter team works steadily to bring you the most worthwhile articles. Each Levitt Letter includes substantial teaching and commentary from our regular columnists. The print version reaches almost 26,000 readers, including over 1,000 inmates. Read late-breaking news and additional items of interest at levitt.com/news or by clicking on Levitt Letter Extra at levitt.com. Our Personal Letters come from a Jewish Believer (“Believers” is short for “believers in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah”), a Sabra (born in Israel) writing from Israel.
MULTI-MEDIA BIBLICAL RESOURCES
We offer DVDs, books, CDs, Holy Land maps and more through our ministry’s 16-page catalog, the Levitt Letter order form, and at levitt.com. Thirty years ago, we priced our eight-program television series on two 2-hour VHS tapes at $79. Now the same TV series on DVD costs $49.
THE INSTITUTE OF JEWISH-CHRISTIAN STUDIES
You can complete this 12-course study program in about a year. Most seminaries charge more for a single course than our Institute charges for all 12!
TO THE JEW FIRST (TJF) MISSIONARIES
Our TJF disciples volunteer their time and energy to witness to Israelis in the Holy Land. Our missionaries undergo rigorous training before setting out, including graduation from our Institute of Jewish-Christian Studies and reading a selection of our ministry’s books.
LEVITT.COM and LEVITT.TV
Greg Hartwig, our webmaster, posts our newest TV programs and newsletters to the archives, which date back to 1979 for newsletters and 1993 for some shows. Hundreds of video programs are free to view at levitt.tv. This accounts for the bulk of our substantial bandwidth expenses. It’s not really free to give away our teachings over the Internet.
Our website also enables you to
- receive an alert when we post a new Levitt Letter and Personal Letter so you can read our news and commentary well before your hard copy arrives via U.S. mail;
- listen to a free Daily Zola music selection, a song chosen from one of our 22 albums of Messianic music;
- read the Levitt Letter Extra articles that supplement the content of our monthly news magazines.
SUPPLEMENTAL EFFORTS
Our ministry theologian, Tony Derrick, answers Bible questions we receive by mail and email. His efforts augment the hundreds of letters we send each month in response to common questions. A section at levitt.com also answers the most frequently asked Bible questions. You can find this “Q&A” section under the pull-down menu on the “Information” tab at levitt.com. Our Zola’s Bible Exchange program continues to receive and distribute free Bibles.
We also promote Israel bonds and forward 100% of contributions designated to the eight outreaches described on page 14 of the May 2021 Levitt Letter.
OUR STAFF
These dedicated Believers work for less compensation than secular jobs offer. They work here because they have a heart for ministry and are blessed to read your mail and take your telephone calls. They have weekly prayer meetings, post your prayer requests in our office, and regularly pray about them. Our ministry fills its own orders rather than relying on a fulfillment house. If you want to talk directly to a ZLM staffer rather than an operator at our 1-800-WONDERS (1-800-966-3377) answering service, please call 214-696-8844 during office hours (9–4 Central Time). We always keep your contact information confidential.
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
You may have heard that “figures lie and liars figure.” Not here. Two independent auditors spend more than a week each year reviewing this ministry’s financial records. Copies of our Form 990 tax return and audit reports are posted at levitt.com/about#docs.
Only 0.72% (less than one percent) of this ministry’s expenses goes toward fundraising. We budget 40% for television airtime, 20% for TV production, 20% for newsletters, and 20% for everything else, including staff, office rent, website maintenance, office equipment, mileage, and other overhead. If this ministry ran on gasoline rather than donations, it would run like a moped ridden by a penny-pincher with strong legs!
OUR LEADERS
This ministry’s personnel and suppliers contribute to our stewardship by consistently going the extra mile. Here are some details about our more prominent workers.
Dr. Jeffrey Seif
Jeff is a Jew, born and raised Jewish, and bar mitzvahed. He holds theology degrees and has served as a church pastor and seminary professor. He also has been a firefighter and a police investigator. Jeff is a Bible scholar who communicates the meat of God’s Word to people who yearn for more than the milk of the Word.
Sarah Liberman
Born to Jewish parents in Israel, Sarah grew up in the Galilee region. She earned a communications degree and an MBA. She now lives with her husband and three children near Caesarea. Sarah has recorded several Messianic music albums and serves as a worship leader. Beyond writing most of our Personal Letters and filming Hebrew lessons for Our Jewish Roots, she travels to speak, sing, and lead worship.
David and Kirsten Hart
Living in Florida, our talented studio co-hosts have worked with television ministries since the 1980s. David leads worship for a local church, and Kirsten speaks at women’s conferences and retreats across America. They especially enjoy leading music for and hosting our Holy Land tours. The Harts believe that singing about Yeshua in His land is life changing.
Ken Berg
Despite having a relatively modest television production budget, Ken brings home Biblical scenes, pours his heart into his work, and remains humble about his remarkable, God-given talent. Ken’s palette includes 43 years of location footage, dozens of Israeli experts, a seasoned music arranger, fine character actors, and a close-knit production crew.
Clayton Herring
The world of purchasing TV airtime is a jungle, particularly when Bible-teaching ministries like ours compete not only against infomercials but also with wealth-mongering televangelists who spend more time raising funds than teaching. Clayton knows his way around this jungle, and he skillfully navigates it with a confident, disarming smile.
Yours Truly
I began counting Zola’s inventory of study booklets and teaching cassettes in 1974, when I was 14. After graduating with a business degree from UT Austin in 1982, I worked in sales and marketing until joining this ministry in 1988. Through the years, I’ve learned how to cultivate relationships that benefit this ministry. I’ve also developed a sense of when to “let go and let God.” Fortunately, our ministry’s board of directors advises me as needed on avoiding trouble while seizing opportunities.
HOLY LAND TOURS
Zola used to say, “An Israel study tour is worth more than ten years of Sunday School.” Experiencing the Holy Land with our Jewish Israeli guides, drivers, and sites verifies the profound truth of Zola’s statement. Our all-inclusive tours are not the cheapest, but they deliver the best value for the dollar and time.
5,500 DAYS
On December 3, 2021, Zola would have turned 83. His birthday in the Lord was March 14, 1971. January 9, 2022 will mark 5,500 days since he was promoted to Heaven and passed the baton to others. In late January, America is likely to hear a presidential State of the Union address. Now here’s a State of the Ministry address.
Star Trek’s Scotty, in the engine room of the Starship Enterprise, would report, “I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Captain!” I see myself as Scotty’s counterpart, reporting to you from this ministry’s headquarters, a humble basement suite in a five-story office building. The State of the Ministry is sound. Unlike our nation, this ministry has no debt. We have no military beyond our army of supporters, equipped with their Bibles and our teachings. Rather than firing missiles overseas, we disseminate the Gospel via satellite, the Internet, and free newsletters.
YOUR PART: PRAYER AND SUPPORT
Just as God and the Bible are One, so is this ministry and its Message; what we teach is what we are. This ministry is simply the Message we are honored to deliver to you and to those who are fed while never praying for our outreach or ever supporting it.
When you contribute to this ministry or send up a prayer on our behalf, you are feeding your brethren — Believers and unbelievers alike. Just as your tax dollars mobilize America’s military defense, your contributions to this ministry mobilize our spiritual offense.
In His service,
![[Mark]](https://www.levitt.com/wp-content/uploads/signatures/signature-mark.gif)
Mark Levitt
P.S. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for what you’ve already done as behind-the-scenes soldiers in this ministry’s army. 
: Another delay
Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions and uncertainties in Israel, we have had to cancel our Spring Tour 2022. The Fall Tour 2022 TENTATIVE dates are below. Contact Sandra at 214-696-9760, travel@levitt.com, or levitt.com/tours.
| Deluxe — Israel | Oct. 24–Nov. 3 |
| Grand Petra — Israel & Petra | Oct. 24–Nov. 6 |
A Note from David and Kirsten Hart
We were shocked to discover that only 3% of our viewers and readers support this ministry financially. We understand that living in our world is not cheap. And just as your family’s costs seem to keep rising, the same is true for this ministry’s expenses. It costs progressively more for us to produce the quality resources that have proven their worth for four decades.
While the workers at Zola Levitt Ministries are excellent at penny pinching, Kirsten and I want to challenge you in this new year. As runners train to improve their racing times, would you partner with this ministry to help us cross the financial finish line of 2022 with zero production or publication red ink? If 100% of ZLMers committed to faithfully support us each month, we would praise God and breathe a sigh of relief as we run the race set before us.
In the previous pages of this Personal Letter, Mark Levitt specified who and what we are as a ministry. You’d be surprised how thriftily he runs the ZLM “ship.” Even so, we have more waters to navigate. We’ve already set sail into the new year. And with your financial help and continual prayers, we are confident we will reach new horizons.
IS IT SAFE?
If we had a dollar for every time someone asked whether it is safe to travel to Israel, we could fund ZLM’s outreach until the Lord’s return! Yet if you ask anyone who has already been to the Holy Land, they’ll tell you it’s the safest and most peaceful spot on Earth. Why? First and foremost, God’s hand is on Israel. As Psalm 121:4 assures us, “He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.”
Second, every Israeli has served in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). Every shop keeper, tour guide, hotel employee, and bus driver is smart, attentive, and militarily trained! This admirable trait includes men and women. Third, in ZLM’s 39 years of leading tours to the Holy Land, we have never had an incident that threatened our pilgrims’ safety. We doubt most people feel as safe and secure when going to their local mall.
Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim! —
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” (Psalm 122:6),
David & Kirsten
P.S. We love to share our heart for Israel through songs and stories of our experiences in the Holy Land. If you’re interested in having us share with your congregation or group, contact us through the ministry office by either calling 214-696-8844 or emailing staff@levitt.com. Our heartbeat is in communicating the Jewish roots of Christianity and our love of Israel. — Kirsten
Our Jewish Roots TV programs in January
Do you have a favorite restaurant where you order the same thing each time you go there? You probably order a favorite entrée because you know how much you’ll enjoy it. Likewise, we often have a classic OJR series that we feel is worthy of a “re-order.” That is what we’re presenting to you this month. We are continuing In the Footsteps of the Rabbi from Tarsus, our series on the Apostle Paul and his journeys throughout the stunning Roman Empire. Bon Appetit!
In the Footsteps of the Rabbi from Tarsus —
In this series, Dr. Jeffrey Seif sheds light on the Apostle Paul, his movements, and his message. After examining Paul’s travels throughout the Roman Empire, Jeff analyzes Paul’s divinely inspired letters to early Church congregations, as preserved in the New Testament.
- Galatians and Thessalonians
- From Ephesus, Dr. Seif teaches about Paul’s first letter, written to the Galatians. In it, Paul defends the inclusion of non-Jewish Believers into God’s family. Then, from Athens, Paul writes a loving letter to the suffering church in Thessalonica.
- Corinthians and Romans
- At the ruins of Corinth, Jeff examines Paul’s letter to shore up the struggling church he started there. His second letter includes encouragement to support the Jewish Believers. Paul also writes a letter to the church in Rome to address the division between Jewish and gentile Believers.
- Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians
- Paul wrote many letters from a Roman prison cell. To the Colossians, he addresses reconciliation. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul emphasizes how God has built a new house for all Believers. In the Philippian letter, he thanks them for their help and encourages their growth.
- Timothy and Titus
- Paul asked Timothy to stay in Ephesus and develop the leadership in that church. In his letter to Titus, an older Paul writes to bring stability to the congregations in Crete. Paul’s last letter is his second letter to Timothy, in which he encourages Believers to be strong and finish well.
SERIES INFORMATION
The television series that airs in early 2022 is an eight-program distillation of the 12-program, 2008 original. While all teachings and dramas made the cut, the interviews did not, which is how we condensed this material. We do not offer a DVD of these abridged programs, but the original 2008 twelve-part series (on three DVDs) is available at levitt.com and can be viewed at levitt.tv.
Zola Levitt Ministries is ECFA approved and has Charity Navigator’s top rating of 4 stars.
