Julie Caliendo grew up on the south side of Chicago attending a Baptist church, but also participated with her family in the Catholic church for special occasions. Her father was one of six brothers, three were Baptist, and the other three were Catholic. It was a family thing to respect both places of worship. This gave her the ability to view her Christian faith from two perspectives leaving her open to broader horizons ahead. At eleven years old Julie gave her heart to Jesus and was baptized in the Baptist church. Julie is an ordained minister and has been serving the cause of Christ for over thirty years. In 2019, she was introduced to the pastors of Son of David Messianic Fellowship, a group which would be holding Saturday services at Chandler First Assemblies of God Church, which is where she worshipped. As an avid student of the Bible, she ventured in with open heart and mind to see what they were all about. Through their teaching, she saw the Bible with eyes of discovery. There was so much she didn't understand about the Torah, the feasts, and Old Testament commands of God. Sermon after sermon, she compiled copious notes as part of her methodical learning process. It was as if she was reading the Bible for the first time. Such excitement! Thus, her journey began, with a voracious appetite.Julie's professional life: She worked for eleven years as an instructional designer in the fraud department for a major credit card company in Phoenix. She wrote training manuals and materials for fraud investigators. She was also a contributing editor for an internal news publication, Express It, with a staff of reporters.As a retiree now, Julie serves the cause of Christ in full-time ministry. When her husband died in 2016, she attended a Bible-based, Christ-centered grief recovery program: GriefShare. After participating in her first series of classes for herself, she started a grief recovery ministry at her church and has been a facilitator and ministry leader ever since helping others overcome their loss of loved ones. This lady keeps busy with various community organizations: Toastmasters International for over twenty-five years to hone her public speaking and leadership skills, Widow Warriors ministry to support other widows, Mesa Christian Writer's Group to raise the bar on her writing skills. Clear communication is important to Julie. She is not only a public speaker and author, she served in church as an interpreter for the deaf for many years. She graduated from the Phoenix College Interpreter for the Deaf Training Program and has been involved in Deaf Ministry since 1988. She published her first book: A Christian Interpreter's Code of Ethics. Her goal was to raise a standard and equip church interpreters to serve God in the deaf community.Julie embraces her Christian faith through participation in two churches, just as she did as a growing child. Once again Julie is bridging a gap between two worlds: Baptist and Catholic, Deaf and hearing lives, Christian and Jewish/Biblical beliefs. On Saturdays, she is an active member and Elder of Son of David Messianic Fellowship, which inspired this book. On Sundays, she attends Chandler First Assembly, who hosts the GriefShare ministry. God uses her now to impact both Christian denominations. She is Newish Jewish on Saturdays and Pentecostal on Sundays. What a calling!
I am a born-again Jew that has been a part of Messianic Judaism for over 20 years. Although I was born and raised in the United States, I have also lived in several cities in Israel over the years. It has truly been a joy to mentor Julie for the last two and a half years in her quest for knowledge as she embraced the true roots of our Christian faith. It was my pleasure contributing to the accuracy and cultural guidance in the creation of I Am Newish Jewish. Julie has exhibited great enthusiasm and hunger to learn as well as pass on to others the knowledge that she has acquired. That was, and is, the reason for this book. What started out as her personal notes have been transformed into a learning tool and resource for others. - Mentor to the Author - Batya Shufrin My Biblical foundation, just like Julie, is rooted in a Baptist church. In 2012, the Lord guided me to a messianic fellowship where I was introduced to the Hebrew roots of our Christian faith. My attempt to acquire knowledge about Messianic Christianity would have been greatly accelerated if I had access to the I Am Newish Jewish book. I highly recommend this valuable resource that clearly explains how the Biblical feasts and Jewish holidays are to be celebrated. - Mainstream Christian Convert to the Messianic Movement - Colby Hudson Matthew is a Messianic Jew, born in the United States, lived in Israel, then South Africa and attended a Messianic Fellowship there. While in Israel and thereafter, he acquired education and knowledge of the culture, language, and customs. Sharing his wisdom with Julie sparked a passion for the biblical feasts and traditions, as well as a different way of life. Matthew states, Come along with Julie in her journey of discovering the great riches the Almighty of Israel has bestowed upon His people in every generation. I Am Newish Jewish is a tool to learn of the basics of the biblical feasts and holidays whether a beginner or as a refresher of the knowledge, respect, and beauty of these historical events. - Messianic Bible Teacher and Ministry Leader - Matthew Shaw