Oral Roberts Remembered

Oral Roberts died Dec. 15, 2009 of complications from pneumonia in Newport Beach, California. He was 91 years old. He was born a Native American in 1918, the son of Rev. Ellis and Claudia Roberts in Bebee, Oklahoma of Pontotoc County.  Although he will be most remembered for his high profile global ministry as well as the university and graduate schools founded in his name, the Jewish community and the state of Israel likely will remember Oral Roberts as a loyal friend and a close ally.  In 1991, on the eve of the first Gulf War when Saddam Hussein rained missile attacks upon Israel, Roberts stood side by side with esteemed orthodox Rabbi Asher Kahn of B'nai Emunah congregation to pray the twenty third psalm.  The rabbi recited the psalm in Hebrew and Roberts led the packed out crowd of thousands in the Mabee Center by saying the Psalm in English.  It was a night to honor Israel.