Solomon Ginsburg … “and also to the Greek”

November 10, 2009 mysterysolvedwithmessiahjesus Leave a comment Go to comments

Many of you know of Tzedakah Ministries’ heart and burden for the salvation of Brazilian Jews (click here and here).  In doing some additional research on the history of missions in Brazil, I was finally able to uncover the name which had eluded me for so long … Solomon Ginsburg.  And thanks to the biographical information I found at Worldwide Missions, I am now able to share with you his story as well.

For what is truly remarkable about the lack of evangelistic work towards Brazilian Jews is the fact that one of the first Southern Baptist Brazilian missionaries, Solomon Ginsburg, was himself a Jewish believer in Jesus.

Ginbsurb was born in Poland as the son of a rabbi in 1867.  Running from an arranged marriage (he was 15!), he found himself living with relatives in England and being exposed to the Gospel through the Mildmay Mission to the Jews.  Through this exposure, Ginsburg found his Messiah but lost his family as he was cast out from those in Poland and England.

Orphaned spiritually but with a new Father spiritually, Ginsburg began to develop a burden for the salvation need for Portuguese and Brazilian Catholics (“and also to the Greek”).  After a few years in Brazil, he was mentored and baptized by two renowned SBC missionaries — Z. C. Taylor and W. B. Bagby.

Solomon Ginsburg’s gravestone can be found today in the Protestant cemetery in Sao Paolo, Brazil.  He left his life as a rabbi’s son, lost his first wife to illness and is known today in heaven for the salvation testimonies of untold thousands of Brazilians.  However, today there is no directed, church-organized outreach in Brazil to his own Jewish people.  Why?

Categories: Brazilian Jews, Jesus, Jewish Evangelism, Jewish Missions, Messiah, Romans 1:16, Romans 9-11, Salvation, Solomon Ginsburg, Tzedakah Ministries
  1. chris
    November 10, 2009 at 2:57 am | #1
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    Amy thanks for bringing this to our attention. It seems odd that this large group of people has been passed over when it comes to the Good News. They don’t even make the list for the Unreached People. What a travesty that millions of Christians over look these gospel needy people. I love the Worldwide Missions site. It is a favorite of mine. And the Solomon Ginsburg biographies are a joy. It seems like we don’t hear about many hero’s of our faith. I think what is most amazing and different from many modern “missionaries” is that he gave his life for mission field, or his people. how noble, honorable, and Christ glorifying!