Prophecy Today is used to reviewing books by co-authors, but to find one written by mother and son is rather unusual, even more so when the book has just been published to coincide with the 90th birthday of the lady in question, some 25 years after it was written.

How it came about

PT is also accustomed to reviewing books by the prolific Steve Maltz. This is his 29th, though in some ways it is also his first! Before all this gets too confusing, let’s allow Steve to explain in his own words, from the Prologue to the book.

“In 1996 I decided to have a go at writing my first book. The first part of it was to be a dialogue between myself and my mother, detailing our journeys into faith in our Messiah. The second part was to be more factual with material that eventually found its way into my first actually published book, ‘The Land of Many Names.’”

This actual first book was still not published for another ten years. Meanwhile the years rolled on until . . . “My mother is just about to turn 90 and I have just rediscovered the manuscript hidden in the bowels of the internet! As a gift to her I have decided to publish the story to honour her.”

Interwoven stories

This story is woven together by alternating short sections from Steve and Phyllis in turn as they interact with each other. Together they tell how Jesus made himself known to a small, insignificant Jewish family living in London. Principally it is a tale of two families. The larger one (the Jewish nation) provided them with a cultural and religious identity. Fitting within this is a smaller biological family, which according to Steve, “gave me chicken soup, a sweet tooth and a bar mitzvah” (p.7).

Journeys to faith in Yeshua

To be both Jewish and (eventually) a believer in Jesus, although not of course incompatible, is a difficult journey to undertake. Inevitably it involves many dramatic events, with tears and laughter along the way. This small book is a personal testimony to how two members of a Jewish family came to make sense of their new identity as believers in the Jewish Messiah, and is told through the eyes (or rather mouths) of a Yiddishe Momma, and “My Son, the Christian?!”

The title of the book is explained in the first chapter (‘You’ve Done What?!’). Steve relates how, while out on an afternoon walk with his mother, he first announced, “Mum, I’ve become a Christian”. Her inner reaction to this unexpected and startling revelation is summed up by the words of the title.

The rest of the book unfolds what happened next as Phyllis came to terms with this and began her own journey into faith with all its ups and downs, struggles and joys. However, this is not a strictly chronological narrative. Some family background is of course necessary, as is how Steve became a Christian first. There also seems to be some ‘back and forth’ as various aspects of the search for the full truth of the Christian faith and life develop.

Tree of Life

Other characters do come into the story, most notably Steve’s father, Hymie, and his sister, Michelle, who also came to faith. The Bar Mitzvah of one of Steve’s three sons also provides a chance for us to meet the extended family within the setting of a non-traditional version of this Jewish ceremony which was also intended to be evangelistic!

Also contained within the book is the account of the establishing and growth of a significant messianic fellowship in their locality. Originally founded by Phyllis, the Tree of Life is still going strong today; see www.treeoflifefellowship.org.uk.

Personal connections

On the whole the interlocking dialogue works well, not just in telling the whole story from both sides, but also in the places where their relationship is on full view. There is some typical humour from Steve, as those who know his books would expect. More interesting is to see it shared by his mum (is this where he got it from?). As a flavour here are some of her opening remarks when it comes to her turn.

“Forget what he’s just said, this is my side of it.”

“Come on Steve, you’re hogging the limelight now, it’s your mother’s turn to speak.”

Let’s leave the final word to Phyllis (sorry, Steve!), the Yiddishe Momma cum sister-in-Christ:

“I just pray that this book will do what Steve set out to do, to help Jew and Gentile to understand each other. Although we are all different, Yeshua came to break down the dividing wall between us. Let us work and pray together in unity” (p.90).

‘My Son, the Christian?!’ (93 pp) is published by Saffron Planet Publishing and is available from Saffron Planet Publishing at £5, or four copies for £10.