Born into a Sephardic Jewish family in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1946, Joseph Shulam immigrated to Israel with his family in 1948, just before the establishment of the State.
Growing up in Jerusalem, Joseph was introduced to the New Testament during high school. Deeply drawn to the person and teachings of Yeshua, he came to faith in the Messiah—a decision that led to rejection from his family.
Following these events, Joseph moved to the United States to complete high school in Dasher, Georgia. After briefly attending Michigan Christian College, he returned home to study Biblical Archaeology and Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He later returned to the US to earn degrees in New Testament and Chemistry at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he met and married Marcia Saunders (1949-2025) and was blessed with two children, Barry and Danah, and two grandchildren.
After graduating in 1969, Joseph and Marcia returned to Israel to plant a congregation in the Tel Aviv area. Driven by a deep desire to anchor his faith in his heritage, Joseph spent three and a half years studying at an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Jerusalem, followed by advanced studies in the History of Jewish Thought during the Second Temple period at the Hebrew University.
In 1981, Joseph and the small fellowship meeting in his home established one of Israel’s first official non-profit organizations for Jewish disciples of Yeshua: Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry. By 1982, through prayer and God's intervention, Netivyah purchased its building on Narkis Street—marking the first time a Messianic Jewish congregation owned its property rather than using an inherited Protestant church.
Today, Netivyah continues to grow, serving the community in increasingly diverse ways. Joseph has lectured globally, equipping disciples across dozens of nations—from Europe and Asia to the Americas and Africa—as well as throughout Israel.
Joseph has authored and co-authored the following Books.
Following the passing of Marcia (of blessed memory), Joseph married Hannah Kovner.