Shalom! My name is Judy Rich, and I’m the creator of MessianicKids.com.
My husband and I planted a Messianic congregation in the fall of 2015, and when we did, we realized what a huge void there was in the way of quality, theologically-sound Messianic children’s curriculum. As a mom of five, this was a really big deal to me.
And so, I began writing curriculum for our own congregation to use. Now, I’m working to format and publish it in a way that it can be a blessing for other Messianic communities.
My first project was the Crossroads Messianic B’nei Mitzvah Program, which released in January 2020 and is available for purchase now. In fall of 2020 I also began releasing Messianic Bat Mitzvah stationery.
My second major project is the Kingdom Kids Learn Hebrew program, which released in Fall 2022 and is available for purchase now at the first 2 levels, Alef and Bet. When completed, this Hebrew program will teach kids to sound out Hebrew and be able to read most basic words found in the Torah and siddur. This program has a fun achievement system built-in to encourage and inspire participation and learning!
In February 2021, I began working on my largest project yet – a comprehensive children’s Shabbat School curriculum that will incorporate lessons from Scripture, character traits, conversational Hebrew, Scripture memory, and liturgical prayers. My inspiration for this was the amazing AWANA program that many Christian churches offer, and my deep desire to offer something for Messianic kids that is engaging, multi-layered, and truly teaches them to understand and love God’s word. This program will also have an achievement system built in, with lanyards that kids can wear and hold the achievement pins they collect for participating in class, memorizing Scripture, and learning Hebrew. When completed, this program will be a 3-year rotation, teaching a year each in the Torah, the rest of the Tanack, and the Gospels. Year 1 – Adventures in the Torah – is now available for purchase and year 2 is in development!
Judy and her husband, Mark, are the leaders of The Bridge Messianic Fellowship in Boise, Idaho. The Bridge is a member of the IAMCS as well as the Foursquare denomination. They are passionate about healthy Messianic faith and practice in Jew and Gentile and also help lead Foursquare Messianic, a resource for pastors and lay people in mainstream Christianity about the Messianic faith. Judy also homeschools her 5 children, the oldest who has recently graduated.