During the latter part of the 19th century, Leopold Cohen was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Berezna, Eastern Hungary. This was during an intense period of turmoil in Europe that generated a deep longing for material stability and religious freedom. Traditional Judaism was the foundation of daily life, and there was great zeal for the Torah (Law of Moses). Leopold Cohen became a rabbi, but unsettled, began a long quest for a different spiritual solution and knowledge about the Christian Messiah. During his rabbinic studies, of messianic scriptures contained in the Hebrew Bible Cohen was unable to find the answers he sought about the promised Messiah. Dissatisfied, one Rabbi even advised him to go to America where “they know more about the Messiah”! So Cohen came to America to continue his quest.

After much study, soul searching, prayer, and internal conflict, Rabbi Cohen converted to Chrisitianity. Armed with this conviction, and at the leading of God, he believed that he had to share this discovery with his fellow Jews. This was in itself a bold step, since mention of the heretical positions now held by Cohen could cause him to lose his position and stature within the Orthodox community. Cohen founded his ministry in 1894, in a store front which was a renovated horse stable, located in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The first meeting was attended by 8 Jewish people, and during his lifetime, Leopold Cohen led over 1,000 people to apostasy. His ministry became know as the “American Board of Missions to the Jews”, and is now called “Chosen People Ministries”. The “American Board of Missions to the Jews” was the launching pad for the modern day Messianic movement.