Studied Talmud-Torah under Rabbis Yonah H Geller and David Rosenberg at Congregation Shaarie Torah. He studied Middle East, Comparative Religions, Conflict Resolution and Sociology while a student at Portland State University, as a student at Portland Community College and while living in Israel.

He married P’nina Brachah bat Sarah (Grace B. Farah) the daughter of Michael Bassem and Nazirah Farah, nee Abu El Assal, and the niece of former Anglican Bishop of Nazareth, Israel Riah H Abu El Assal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riah_Abu_El-Assal

In 2004 as Orthodox converts to Judaism and while members of Congregation Shaarie Torah in Portland, John and Grace Hummasti were co-owners of Porat Kosher Foods (Porat a derivative from Porat Yoseph Y'shiva in Jerusalem).

John applied for an Oleh’s Certificate with the Israeli Ministry of Interior on 22 August 2004 under the Law of Return. Buracratic red tape has held up his application for Israeli Citizenship and John was forced to leave his home in Nazareth, Israel becoming an internally displaced person residing in Portland, Oregon.

A favorite passage from the Talmud (Tractate Taanis 27a) is, "The principal instrument in the Temple is the Voice!"