Beyond Imagination: Before Becoming a Priest, Alfredo Embraced Judaism and Became Rabbi Yehuda Peretz

Yes, today he is Rabbi Yehuda Peretz, but had you spoken with him a few years ago, you would have known him by a completely different name - Alfredo Diaz, and not only was his name different, but his entire essence was entirely different.

"I was born into a very significant Christian family in Veracruz, Mexico," he recounts, "My father was the pastor of the community, I was one of his ten children, and luckily we were very devout people. I stress luckily because thanks to that our lives were not neglected. I grew up in a society where everyone could act as they pleased, and the only thing that prevented me from doing whatever I wished was knowing that there is judgment and a Judge.

"We were missionaries," Rabbi Peretz continues, "For us, it wasn't enough just to believe what we were supposed to, but we also had to influence others to believe in our way, so I found myself going house to house with my father to influence, speak, and explain. We had a lot of work because within Christianity there are dozens of Christian religions, and each one thinks theirs is correct while the other's is wrong, so we had many opportunities to spread our views."

Alfredo in his youth

Seeking Faith

Young Alfredo soon found himself in the heat of debates, as despite having other siblings, his father saw him as his successor, who would eventually become a priest and inherit his position. "Dad took me everywhere he went," he notes, "And precisely because I had so many debates with people of all kinds and religions, too many questions arose, and I had no answers. Slowly I began to realize that perhaps the truth didn't lie with me."

Did you consider seeking the truth in Judaism?

"Not at all. I never considered that one day I would convert. I always heard about the Jewish people because devout Christians are taught that Israel is the chosen people and they pray for their welfare, but they also claim that Jews have a certain blindness regarding 'that man,' so it was clear to me that I didn’t want to join them and that I would never convert."

Still, Rabbi Peretz emphasizes that from a young age he showed special interest in Jewish history through the Tanach, even recognizing that in almost every subject Jews appear as pioneers, not just in religious matters, but also in wisdom, culture, and more. "I found them very interesting," he says, "They impressed me greatly."

Alfredo grew up, and at 16, he began studying architecture at the municipal school. Alongside this, he became an outstanding athlete leading in baseball. Yet despite his material success in life, he didn’t feel satisfied. His goal was to continue his research to uncover the truth. "The more I researched, the more I felt there was something unclear about it, because I noticed significant contradictions between the Tanach (of the Jews) and the New Testament (of Christianity) and it deeply troubled me."

A Jew with an Aura

Alfredo's life could have continued routinely, but one day something interesting happened. "The city of Veracruz where I lived is a port city," Rabbi Peretz explains, "And one day a ship arrived carrying Spanish-translated Tanach books. One of my friends, aware of my curiosity, told me about these books and suggested photographing some translations to finally understand the real truth.

"Indeed," he continues, "we sat down together, photographed the pages, compared them, and discovered that each translator had translated the Bible differently. It only complicated matters further. I concluded that I needed to study the Bible in its original language but didn’t know how to do it and learn the sacred language."

How did that make you feel?

"I was frustrated, felt lost. My only luck was that during those days, before I knew the truth, I prayed to the Creator of the world, not yet knowing His true name, but I prayed and asked Him to save me, to show me the way, so I’d know what to do."

And the Creator heard his prayer. Shortly after, a Jewish tourist arrived in his city. "It was the first time in my life I saw a real Jew," Rabbi Peretz remembers, "He didn't have any Jewish markings; he didn’t even wear a kippah, just a cap, but I noticed a special aura around him. I approached and asked if he was indeed Jewish, and when he replied affirmatively, the thought flashed in my mind: 'How did you not think to ask the Jews to explain the contradictions troubling you? They are the real source who can answer your questions.'"

At that moment, Rabbi Peretz relates that he gathered the courage and invited the Jew to his home. "I suggested he come to us, I wanted him to bless me and my family, but it was clear he would refuse. Because from what I knew about Israel through the Tanach, I thought they were a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Out of my ignorance, I was convinced every Jew was a priest and must eat only pure food in the Temple. I assumed that Jew wouldn’t agree to be a guest at my house. Despite this, I invited him, and to my surprise, he agreed.

"Meanwhile," Rabbi Peretz continues, "I called my dad and informed him that in a few minutes, an important guest – a Jew – would arrive. Dad argued there’s no way it’s logical, but after realizing I was bringing an integral Jew home, he quickly invited the entire community. Thus, when I arrived with the Jew, everyone was already waiting and lined up to touch him and partake in the holiness."

Later, Alfredo sat down with the Jew, revealed to be R' Nissim Yosef, and finally learned the truth he had sought all his life. "R' Nissim explained to me about the Oral Torah, the Written Torah, the words of the Sages, and other additional topics. We talked all night, ending with songs like 'Zion, Will You Not Ask.' In a few short hours, he managed to give me a comprehensive seminar, and I felt as if he was throwing me diamonds that illuminated my path. Only later did he tell me that I gave him a seminar as well since it was the first time he felt like an ambassador of the Creator."

By night’s end, the Christian boy told R' Nissim he had more questions, and the Jew replied: "I’ve explained all I knew, but if you have more questions, you should approach the rabbi of the Jewish community in Mexico, who can answer them."

The Truth Revealed

Alfredo, as mentioned, was an outstanding baseball player at the time. "I learned from the Jews that blessings rest only on things hidden from the eye, so I told my parents I was traveling for a baseball game, but I actually went to the Jewish community in Mexico," he notes. There, he spoke with Orthodox rabbis, and many ideological topics were discussed, revealing that they were well-acquainted with the questions and had clear answers. "Those were the moments I realized that all of Christianity is based on lies and manipulations, and there’s no truth in the New Testament. I concluded that two ways remained – either to live rightly or not, and it was clear which path I wanted to take."

However, Rabbi Peretz notes that the rabbis tried to cool his enthusiasm. "The rabbi warned me that if I was enthusiastic about Judaism just because I wanted to be a better person, converting wasn’t worthwhile. He drew a graph, with 'Good' on one side, 'Evil' on the other, and outside the graph was the concept of 'Holy.' The rabbi explained that the Creator has a special people, Israel, chosen not just to be better, but to be holy. He asked if I wanted to join this people, as it was very binding. I had no doubts. I knew I had finally reached the truth I had sought and wanted to adhere to it."

To the Jewish People

Alfredo Diaz converted, moved to Israel, underwent the required processes, and became Yehuda Peretz, son of Avraham Avinu. But his unique story didn’t end there. "I have nine siblings, and they all wanted to know why I converted and what led me to it. My parents were also very upset and wanted to understand what had happened to me," he recounts.

And what did you explain to them?

"The truth is, during the conversion process, the rabbi prepared me for how to react. He asked me not to engage in arguments about Judaism and Christianity but to focus solely on proper and respectful behavior. The rabbi told me: 'If you washed dishes once a day, wash them three times a day now. If you swept the floor once a week, now sweep it every day. This way, your family will understand that Judaism didn’t make you a worse person; rather, it transformed you into a person.' This advice helped me personally, and I continue to spread it further."

And Rabbi Peretz adds that he maintained a good relationship with his father until he passed away a few years ago as a priest, but eight of Rabbi Peretz's siblings joined the Jewish people, underwent conversion, and now live as devout Jews in the U.S. and Israel. Others from the local Christian community followed them in conversion.

"The only one of my siblings who didn’t convert was my eldest sister, who chose to remain non-Jewish," he reports, adding with great emotion that his mother also converted. "At fifty, she came to the land of Israel, to the unknown, without knowing the language, and without any business knowledge. She came with pure faith and was able to rebuild herself. Last year, my mother passed away and was buried on the Mount of Olives. For me, that was the greatest gift my mother could have asked for because she lived and died as a kosher Jew."

To invite Rabbi Yehuda Peretz for a house gathering from Hidabroot (free of charge) call 073-2221290