Tom Mayr-Lori's Testimony
The Mayr-Lori’s, an orthodox Jewish family, arrived in Israel in 1938, fleeing from Hitler’s Germany. They brought two children from Germany and a third, Tom, was born in Israel. This is Tom’s story:
Growing up in Exile
In Europe, the Second World War had broken out and in North Africa, the Africa Korps was pushing eastwards towards Israel (or, Palestine, as it was known then). The British government evacuated all ‘alien’ Jews to Uganda, with the thought of starting a Jewish homeland there. We were among the many hundreds of families who moved and found ourselves in a camp at Entebbe.
After the war, when it became apparent that the ‘partition plan for Palestine’ would be implemented, we were given the option of being repatriated, or being allowed to stay, provided we became naturalised British subjects. My parents opted to stay, along with a number of other Jewish families, and so it was that I grew up in the shelter of the Jewish community in Uganda.
There we kept the festivals and High Holy days and I had my Bar Mitzvah. Many of the boys at my school were indifferent or hostile to me, but two became my friends. They were very sincere Christians and I began to see that not all Gentiles hated Jews, and that there were some Christians who were definitely different from others.
After leaving school I was called up for National Service in the British Army. Arriving in a snowstorm in late January I had a real culture shock. But winter changed to spring and I started to warm to my soldier mates. When the time for my demobilisation came, I decided to become a regular soldier and, consequently, trained as an engineer.
The Reality of War
Later, as a volunteer in the Israel Defence Force (IDF), the Six-Day War brought me up with a jolt – men had died in their tanks. I suddenly became terribly afraid to die. I knew that I could not stand before a Holy God, the God of my childhood and my fathers. I put on tefillin (phylacteries) but neither attending schul (synagogue) nor anything the Rabbi said could give me peace from my fears and sleepless nights. In the end I left the Forces.
A Search for Peace
I went to Reading where I met the parents of one of the boys I had been at school with. They invited me into their home and within an hour gave me a front door key to their house, saying, ‘There’s the coffee and tea, milk is in the fridge and there is a spare bed upstairs. If you are ever in the area and need one, please let yourself in; we love you for Jesus’ sake.’ That really touched me – I could have been a thief, or anything – they did not know me at all, except that years before I had been at school with their son. Their actions spoke far louder than any words.
Twice a month I went up to Stamford Hill to spend Shabbat with the Lubavitch. I was still searching for peace and doing my mitzvot (commandments) to find it, but the more I tried, the more frustrated I became. I found their traditions most unhelpful and the long hours of talks did not lead to any commitment. I longed to belong but I just could not enter into the spirit of the meetings.
At the same time my Christian friends invited me to church but, of course, being Jewish, I refused to go. I do remember a meeting in their home when I became most indignant that they read about Abraham, OUR patriarch. Wasn’t their Jesus enough for them? John, my friend, asked me, ‘What do you say each Sabbath?’ ‘The Sh’ma,’ I answered. ‘That’s right, there is only one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We Gentiles are privileged to worship your God, the only living God, and know Him as our Father.’ I didn’t understand but I was aware that I did not know God as my Father.
The more frustrated I became with my visits to Stamford Hill, the more I looked forward to the kind invitations to the home of my believing friends. Eventually my desire to seek God was so great that I started attending their church. I was terribly aware of my own wrongdoings in life and the inadequacy of the mitzvot to overcome them. I was troubled in spirit, yet I could not keep away from this church.
The Reality of Peace
In the following summer a number of young people went to a Christian convention at Keswick, including John, his family, and myself. It was there, right at the start of the conference, that God truly brought me to Himself. I felt as though I was the only one in the tent, and the presence of God gripped me as I recognised the truth. I found a quiet spot and read the words from the New Testament, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9).
That week was pivotal in my life. I came away with the assurance of knowing God and a joy in my heart which has never left me, even though I was to go through many trials and heartaches.
Giving Peace Away
I believed I should spend the rest of my life centred on God’s work. I spoke Swahili and knew East Africa fairly well so, next summer, I went with a group of students to Kenya for three months. Our project was to build a hospital for the Tukana people at Kalokol which was a full day’s drive from any town. This was a marvellous time for me and I was especially aware of God’s grace, but I realised that I needed more training if I was to continue in this kind of work. This was confirmed by a text from Ezra 7:10, ‘For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.’
On returning to England, I applied to Birmingham Bible Institute, where I spent the next three years. At this time I had already met my future wife, Esmé, but we didn’t marry until 1976.
During the summers I went on evangelistic tours to Austria with Operation Mobilisation. There I met a number of Jewish families, and so, though I wanted to go to Africa, I also realised that there was a need to share the Messiah with my own people. I went to Israel for twenty months to use my engineering skills to install and maintain x-ray equipment at a hospital. I became interested in this and subsequently qualified as a radiographer.
Whilst in Israel I had opportunities to show Fact and Faith films to volunteers on surrounding kibbutzim. These led to discussion groups to which several kibbitzniks came, young Israelis who were materialistic, yet open to talk and think on eternal issues.
I continued to work in radiography and sought to share the good news of the Messiah with my own people. I began to get involved with a group now called The British Messianic Jewish Alliance. This is an organisation run by Jewish believers in Jesus to help and encourage each other. Then, in 1984, the Lord opened the way for me to work with Messianic Testimony as an evangelist, first in England and later in Europe.
I look back over many years and thank the God of Abraham for His faithfulness to me, and all of us in the Testimony. I praise Him for turning Jewish people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, giving them assurance of sins forgiven and a place among those who are sanctified by grace. I trust Him to keep us for all that lies ahead.
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