Collection 543
[February 24, 2000]
Goldberg, Larry; 1945-
Interviews; 1997
6 Audio Tapes
Restrictions: None
Biography
Full name: Lawrence Duane Goldberg
Birth date: September 26, 1945, in Baltimore, Maryland
Family:
Parents: Frank and Edith Shipley Goldberg
Siblings: three older brothers, a twin sister, one younger brother
Marital Status: Married Eila Ellen in August 1966
Children: Hannah (1967), Esther (1970), Uriel (1973), Daniel (1975)
Conversion: 1964 through witness and influence of his brother
Education:
1963-1964 Tusculum College
1964-1965 Moody Bible Institute, General Bible
1968-1973 Ben Gurion University of the Negev, BA in Behavioral Sciences
1995-1997 Wheaton College Graduate School, Clinical Psychology
Career:
1965 Co-leader of Operation Mobilization summer team in Austria
1965-1967 Operation Mobilization team one-year project in Israel
1968-1970 Operation Mobilization team in Israel
1970-present Involved as a "tentmaking missionary" in evangelism and church ministry
1972-1978 Dead Sea Periclase Ltd. as clerk, supervisor and personnel manager
1978-present Bromine Compounds Ltd. in various personnel and human resources position
Other significant information:
Raised in a traditional Jewish family
1968 Emigrated to Israel
1974 Granted permanent residency by Israel
Scope and Content
Larry Goldberg was interviewed by Paul Ericksen on February 21, April 11 and 25, 1997. The events described in the interview cover the time period 1945-1974.
T1 (65 minutes). Goldberg's family and childhood in a Jewish family and Jewish identity, broken relationship with his father, witness of converted aunt and brother, his conversion, drifting from and returning to faith, witnessing to his father, impact of conversions in his family, education at Moody Bible Institute, exposure to Operation Mobilization's (OM) George Verwer, joining team to evangelize Chicago Jews and growing burden, difficult summer ministry in Austria, evangelistic OM team project in Israel with Ray Lentzch and Derek Virgin (open air ministry as training, project goal, collaboration with local congregations, Lentzch denied entry to Israel, Virgin and Goldberg entry to Israel, sense of being home in Israel, local believers' reluctance to have OM team resume ministry), meeting and marrying his wife, aggressive evangelism in Israel, visa renewals in different locations to avoid expulsion, moving to Beer-Sheva
T2 (approximately 20 minutes). Visa renewals in different locations to avoid expulsion, one-year assignment in Israel with OM, expulsion from Israel in 1967 and waiting to return, fruitful ministry in Austria, marriage, fighting subsequent ejection upon his return, return to Israel, threatened expulsion (fighting persona non grata status, legal status as a non-Jew because of his baptism), father's shame from his being a missionary to Jews, reconciliation with his father, love for the Jewish people in spite of rejection in Israel and family
T3 (75 minutes). Difficult experience in Austria (mistakes, being withdrawn), conflict with Derek Virgin in Israel and resolution, 1968 summer team in Austria (fears, conflict with team member and resolution, fruitful evangelism, Greg Livingstone), Jewish perception of Christians , evangelism (people's reaction, mass-tracting, open-air meetings, being threatened), benefit of Jewish familiarity with Old Testament and perceptions of God, responses, books published on the Messiah and strong public response, hidden conversions, evangelism methods, getting permanent residency, OM ministry in Israel, his goals, court cases, needs of family and the assembly), local assembly (evolution of goals, becoming an indigenous congregation, Christian and Missionary Alliance missionaries Warren and Linda Graham, emerging independence), relationships among assemblies throughout the country (theological affinities, charismatic issues, divisive couple)
T4 (20 minutes). Continuation on divisive couple, demographic breakdown of Protestant population, demographics of assemblies (role of missionaries, use of English vs. Hebrew), timing his revealing that he is a Jewish believer as part of his mass and personal evangelism
T5 (75 minutes). OM in Israel (improved reputation, cooperation with assemblies, leadership, evangelistic strategy and methods), Jews for Jesus' in Israel (working with assemblies, comparing American and Israeli responses to gimmicks, compared with OM's strategy), assemblies in Israel (mostly Messianic, range of emphases, conflict over worship forms, relations with denominational churches), missionaries in Israel (involvement in churches, problem of independent missionaries), accepted criteria of an established church, Goldberg's court cases before Israel's Supreme Court (basis, the law of return and legal status, being granted permanent residency), laws restricting evangelism (offering benefits to new converts, evangelizing children, forthcoming law against Christian literature), clinical psychologists (background, need in Israel, applying to Wheaton, support of Israeli believers, working while establishing practice, accountability)
T6 (5 minutes). Evangelistic opportunities through his vocation, openness about his faith to supervisors, recognizing boundaries in his oversight of personnel department, impeded promotion
Provenance
The materials in this collection were given to the Archives of the Billy Graham Center by Larry Goldberg in February and April 1997.
Accession: 97-5, 97-24, 97-32
May 9, 1997
Paul A. Ericksen
LOCATION RECORD
Accession: 97-5
Type of Material: Audio Tapes
The following items are located in the AUDIO TAPE FILE:
T1 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, approximately 65 minutes. One side. Interview with Larry Goldberg by Paul Ericksen on February 21, 1997.
T2 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, approximately 20 minutes. One side. Interview with Larry Goldberg by Paul Ericksen on February 21, 1997.
T3 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, approximately 75 minutes. One side. Interview with Larry Goldberg by Paul Ericksen on April 11, 1997.
T4 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, approximately 20 minutes. One side. Interview with Larry Goldberg by Paul Ericksen on April 11, 1997.
T5 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, approximately 75 minutes. One side. Interview with Larry Goldberg by Paul Ericksen on April 25, 1997.
T6 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, approximately 5 minutes. One side. Interview with Larry Goldberg by Paul Ericksen on April 25, 1997.