Sandra Sheskin Brotman, internationally known Messianic Jewish recording artist, Bible teacher, tour leader to Israel and pioneer of the Messianic movement, has gone to her eternal home. Born on March 18, 1942, she was the daughter of Herman Sheskin and Goldie Yofe, a Holocaust survivor from Poland. She accepted the Lord at the young age of 13. Once she completed high school she was hand-picked by the U.S. State Department as a lecturer to tourists on the Great Seal of the United States.
Later, she studied English and literature at George Washington University and Bible and music at Washington Bible College.
Professionally trained at Totoursky Academy of Music, Sandra would often perform at religious and political events, becoming known as the “sweet singer of Israel,” ultimately becoming a recording artist.
She was a founding member of the Young Messianic Jewish Alliance, along with Manny Brotman and Joe Finklestein. Having kept a card file with contact information of other Jewish believers in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area, she was able to establish a local branch of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America. With enough people to form a congregation, Beth Messiah Synagogue held its first meeting on May 18, 1973 in the basement of Manny and Audrey, his first wife.
Together, with Manny, they worked to establish the Messianic Jewish Movement International (MJMI). After losing his wife to cancer, Manny married Sandra in 1987. Manny went home to be with the Lord in July 1999, but Sandra continued to market his original Jewish evangelistic materials.
Faithful to her mother, Goldie and brother, Eugene, Sandra cared for them both and was the sole support of the family throughout her adult life. On May 29, 2023, Sandra lost her lengthy battle with lung cancer and died peacefully surrounded by family and friends. She is now face-to-face with her beloved Messiah to whom she devoted her life.
Sandra is survived by Manny’s two sons, Nathan and Joel in Kensington, Maryland. Her contribution to the Messianic movement will be remembered, along with her beautiful, dimpled smile and flaming red hair. She will be missed!