Dr. Cahn

Dr. Cahn and his wife had a large joint medical practice in Duisburg, Germany. One day, two Gestapo men appeared at their house and ordered him to remove his brass plate from the door, for, as a Jew, he was not allowed to attend non-Jewish patients. He and his wife were dumbfounded. The indignity of being treated as inferiors and prevented from carrying on their profession as well as the thought of a hopeless future affected them so much that they decided to put an end to their troubles. They took poison into their bedroom, but an unseen, merciful hand prevented them from carrying out their purpose.

The following day, a Sunday, they were handed an invitation to an evangelistic meeting in a church, and Mrs. Cahn attended. On the Monday evening, the doctor accompanied her, and both were truly converted. They now had a brighter outlook. Dr. Cahn went to a pastor and asked for instruction with a view to baptism.

After the doctor’s public confession of his faith, he noticed that his Jewish friends avoided him, and earnest Christians were still unknown to him. He felt isolated; so he went to his minister and said: “I suppose I am the only Jewish Christian in Germany?” “Oh, no,” was the pastor’s reply, “I know a Jewish Christian, Dr. Frank, in Hamburg, and I am sure he could introduce you to a number of Jewish people who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah and Saviour.” The following day, Dr. Cahn asked by telephone whether I was at home, and then came to Hamburg.

The very evening he arrived, we happened to have our monthly gathering of Jewish Christians, most of whom were engaged in some sort of work or had businesses of their own in town. After supper, we had singing, Bible reading, a time of fellowship, conversation, then some brief addresses by the guests, and finally, prayer in which several took part. Dr. Cahn was surprised to see about 50 happy Jews who also believed in Messiah Jesus, who had given him and his wife new life and a living hope.

I then told the doctor that in a fortnight’s time we should have many more Jewish Christians in our church hall, and asked if he would come and tell them what Jesus meant to him. He readily consented.

There were about 250 Jewish Christians at that meeting: professors, medical men, artists and teachers. Dr. Cahn spoke to them with a heart overflowing with gratitude to Jesus for the wonderful things He had done for him and his wife in their days of darkness and despair. Jesus had enlightened their minds, cleansed their consciences and enriched them with new life, new courage and a living hope. Many of his attentive listeners were not only deeply moved but also blessed by his testimony.

Later, Dr. Cahn spent a year in a well-known Bible Institute in Switzerland and then went as a medical witness to Jaffa. From there he wrote to me repeatedly. In Tel Aviv, he had a weekly well-attended Bible class in Hebrew. He was happy in his work and a very faithful, efficient servant of Messiah Jesus.