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'''Jews for Jesus''' is a religious organization whose stated purpose is "to proclaim the message that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world." '''Jews for Jesus''' is a religious organization whose stated purpose is "to proclaim the message that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world."
<ref name=STATE>http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=jews+for+jesus&fr=FP-tab-web-t500&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8</ref> <ref name=STATE>http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=jews+for+jesus&fr=FP-tab-web-t500&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8</ref>
While Jews for Jesus describes itself as ], most Jewish organizations and denominations consider it to be a ] organization which holds beliefs incompatible with ]. <ref name=Cambridge>"For most American Jews, it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. Jews for Jesus and other Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews". (Kaplan, Dana Evan. ''The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism'', Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, p. 9).</ref> While Jews for Jesus describes itself as ], most Jewish organizations and denominations consider it to be a ] organization which holds beliefs incompatible with ]. <ref name=Cambridge>"For most American Jews, it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. Jews for Jesus and other Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews". (Kaplan, Dana Evan. ''The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism'', Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, p. 9).</ref>



==Beliefs== ==Beliefs==


⚫ Their doctrinal statement<ref>http://www.jewsforjesus.org/about/statementoffaith (Jews for Jesus) written January 1, 2005</ref> includes the following beliefs:
A summary of Jews for Jesus' beliefs, according to an article on Jews for Jesus by B. Robinson of ],
<blockquote>
⚫ Their doctrinal statement<ref>http://www.jewsforjesus.org/about/statementoffaith (Jews for Jesus) written January 1, 2005</ref> is basically indistinguishable from Evangelical and other conservative Christian groups. It includes the following beliefs:
* in the ] and ] of the ] and ]s, as originally written. * in the ] and ] of the ] and ]s, as originally written.
* God the creator exists as a ], is perfect, all wise, all powerful and all loving. * God the creator exists as a ], is perfect, all wise, all powerful and all loving.
Line 16: Line 11:
* People are saved through a belief in ] and an acknowledgment of their sins; not by their achievements. * People are saved through a belief in ] and an acknowledgment of their sins; not by their achievements.
* Heaven is a reward for those who are saved; Hell is a place of "everlasting conscious punishment" for the vast majority of humanity. * Heaven is a reward for those who are saved; Hell is a place of "everlasting conscious punishment" for the vast majority of humanity.

They differ from some Evangelical Christian groups in their belief that Israel continues to exist as a covenant people.<ref name=RELTOL/>
</blockquote>

===Incompatibility with Judaism===

One of the most important ] is the belief in ] with no partnership of any kind, and it is therefore impossible to profess Judaism and believe in Jesus at the same time. In his book ''A History of the Jews'', ] describes the ] caused by a divergence from this principle:
<blockquote>
To the question, Was Jesus God or man?, the Christians therefore answered: both. After 70 AD, their answer was unanimous and increasingly emphatic. This made a complete breach with Judaism inevitable.<ref>{{cite book
|author=]
|title=A History of the Jews
|year=1987
|pages=p.144
}}</ref></blockquote>

Christianity considers that the belief in the ] is not incompatible with Jewish Monotheism.{{fact}} It is a fundamental of mainstream Christianity, shared by Jews for Jesus, that there is only one God, even if manifested in three persons.


==Leadership, funding and outreach== ==Leadership, funding and outreach==


The organization was founded under the name Hineni Ministries in ] by ], an ordained ] minister who was born Jewish but converted to Christianity at 17. The organization was founded under the name Hineni Ministries in ] by ], an ordained ] minister who was born Jewish but converted to Christianity at 17. Rosen remained its executive director until May of 1996 when he was replaced by ].{{citation needed}}
<ref name=ADL_M> (])</ref>
Rosen remained its executive director until May of 1996 when he was replaced by ].<ref name=RELTOL/>


The group's financial support largely comes from a variety of Christian churches, "a number of Bible schools, and individual Christian donations..." It has "a full-time staff of 150 employees running branch offices in nine cities across the United States. There are also branch offices in Toronto, London, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Johannesburg." <ref name=RELTOL/> The group's financial support largely comes from a variety of Christian churches, "a number of Bible schools, and individual Christian donations..." It has "a full-time staff of 150 employees running branch offices in nine cities across the United States. There are also branch offices in Toronto, London, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Johannesburg."{{citation needed}}


According to ], the group's total income in FY2005 was $17,523,386. <ref> (])</ref> According to ], the group's total income in FY2005 was $17,523,386. <ref> (])</ref>
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== Aims and organization == == Aims and organization ==


Jews for Jesus' official mission statement is "to make the ]ship of ] an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide." They claim that belief in Jesus as Messiah is a fulfillment of the prophecies of Hebrew scripture. Rosen argues that Christianity is the fulfillment of scriptures. Through media advertisements, production and distribution of literature, producing music and organizing person-to-person ], the organization asserts that "a specifically Jewish ]" is necessary, as "Jewish people tend to dismiss evangelistic methods and materials that are couched in Christian lingo, because they reinforce the assumption that Jesus is for 'them' not 'us.'"<ref> (Jews for Jesus)</ref> Jews for Jesus' official mission statement is "to make the ]ship of ] an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide." They claim that belief in Jesus as Messiah is a fulfillment of the prophecies of Hebrew scripture. Through media advertisements, production and distribution of literature, producing music and organizing person-to-person ], the organization asserts that "a specifically Jewish ]" is necessary, as "Jewish people tend to dismiss evangelistic methods and materials that are couched in Christian lingo, because they reinforce the assumption that Jesus is for 'them' not 'us.'"<ref> (Jews for Jesus)</ref>


According to its Executive Director, Jews for Jesus employs "only front-line ] who are Jewish or married to Jews". According to its Executive Director, Jews for Jesus employs "only front-line ] who are Jewish or married to Jews".
Line 52: Line 29:
<ref> By Nancy Justice (February 2005 Issue of Charisma Magazine)</ref> <ref> By Nancy Justice (February 2005 Issue of Charisma Magazine)</ref>
that 80 percent of those who attend Messianic Synagogues are not Jewish. An official figure quoted to counter it pegged the number at 50 percent. that 80 percent of those who attend Messianic Synagogues are not Jewish. An official figure quoted to counter it pegged the number at 50 percent.

==Methods of evangelizing==

Large mailings and pamphleteering are the main methods used by Jews for Jesus. The organization uses colorful pamphlets and T-shirts to get their message across and is known for targeting vulnerable populations of Jews, such as immigrants, college students, senior citizens and interfaith couples. Evangelists are trained to recite phrases from the ] and to use ] words in order to convince potential converts that Jews for Jesus maintain Jewish traditions.
<ref name=ADL_M/>
<ref> by Stephanie Persin (])</ref>


== Criticism == == Criticism ==


All mainstream Jewish groups (both secular and religious) strongly oppose Jews for Jesus; "here is virtual unanimity across all denominations that Jews for Jesus are not Jewish", <ref>Kaplan, Dana Evan. ''The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism'', Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, pp. 139-140.</ref> and many see its proselytizing activities as a thinly-veiled ]. Most mainstream Jewish groups strongly oppose Jews for Jesus; "here is virtual unanimity across all denominations that Jews for Jesus are not Jewish", <ref>Kaplan, Dana Evan. ''The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism'', Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, pp. 139-140.</ref> and many see its proselytizing activities as a thinly-veiled ].
<ref name=NYBR/>
<ref name=FS/>
<ref name=WJB/>
<ref> By Bradley Burston (Haaretz)</ref>
<ref> By Bradley Burston (Haaretz) May 31, 2006</ref>
<ref> By Ethan Frenchman and Seth Mayer (Chicago Maroon, University of Chicago) October 3, 2005</ref>
<ref name=ADL_CR> (ADL)</ref>
<ref> By Aron Moss (Chabad. Judaism 101)</ref>
<ref> by Eric J. Greenberg (New York Jewish Week) October 24, 2003</ref>
<ref></ref>


The ''Spiritual Deception Prevention Project'' at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York states: The ''Spiritual Deception Prevention Project'' at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York states:
Line 77: Line 38:
On several occasions leaders of the four major ] have signed on to joint statements opposing Hebrew-Christian theology and tactics. In part they said: "Though Hebrew Christianity claims to be a form of Judaism, it is not ... It deceptively uses the sacred symbols of Jewish observance ... as a cover to convert Jews to Christianity, a belief system antithetical to Judaism ... Hebrew Christians are in radical conflict with the communal interests and the destiny of the Jewish people. They have crossed an unbridgeable chasm by accepting another religion. Despite this separation, they continue to attempt to convert their former co-religionists." On several occasions leaders of the four major ] have signed on to joint statements opposing Hebrew-Christian theology and tactics. In part they said: "Though Hebrew Christianity claims to be a form of Judaism, it is not ... It deceptively uses the sacred symbols of Jewish observance ... as a cover to convert Jews to Christianity, a belief system antithetical to Judaism ... Hebrew Christians are in radical conflict with the communal interests and the destiny of the Jewish people. They have crossed an unbridgeable chasm by accepting another religion. Despite this separation, they continue to attempt to convert their former co-religionists."
<ref name=JCRCNY> {{PDFlink}} Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Spiritual Deception Prevention Project</ref></blockquote> <ref name=JCRCNY> {{PDFlink}} Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Spiritual Deception Prevention Project</ref></blockquote>

In his 1997 book ''The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century'' ] wrote: "In America, and in other nations that separate church from state, one's Jewishness is a matter of self-definition ..." but notes: "I do not mean to include former Jews who practice Christianity under the deliberately misleading name Jews for Jesus. A Jew for Jesus already has a name: a Christian."
<ref>{{cite book
| last = Dershowitz
| first = Alan
| title = The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century
| pages = p.324
| publisher = Little, Brown; 1st ed.
| date = 1997
| id = ISBN 0316181331
}}</ref>


Some Christian churches see Jewish religious practice as valid in and of itself and thus object to evangelizing Jews. Some Christian churches see Jewish religious practice as valid in and of itself and thus object to evangelizing Jews.
<ref name=ADL_CR/>
<ref> by Allan R. Brockway</ref> <ref> by Allan R. Brockway</ref>
<ref> (religioustolerance.org)</ref>
<ref> by Fritz Voll (])</ref>
<ref> (World Council of Churches)</ref>


The ], an umbrella organization that includes ], ], and ] groups from the ], ], ], ] and ] churches, has condemned Jews for Jesus as promoting activities "harmful to the spirit of interreligious respect and tolerance." The conference is also opposed to religious ] in general. The conference also denounces the group's "deceptive proselytizing efforts", stating that when practiced on "vulnerable populations" such as the young or the elderly, these efforts are "tantamount to coerced conversions." <ref name=ADL_CR/> The ], an umbrella organization that includes ], ], and ] groups from the ], ], ], ] and ] churches, has condemned Jews for Jesus as promoting activities "harmful to the spirit of interreligious respect and tolerance." The conference is also opposed to religious ] in general. The conference also denounces the group's "deceptive proselytizing efforts", stating that when practiced on "vulnerable populations" such as the young or the elderly, these efforts are "tantamount to coerced conversions." {{citation needed}}
The Rev. Clark Lobenstine, a Presbyterian (]) minister and executive director of the Conference, has stated that his group condemns Jews for Jesus and other messianic Jewish groups by name because they "go beyond the bounds of appropriate and ethically based religious outreach." <ref> By David Cho (Washington Post) August 17, 2004</ref> ], a self-declared "cult expert", has been critical of the organization as well and has included them on his website. The Rev. Clark Lobenstine, a Presbyterian (]) minister and executive director of the Conference, has stated that his group condemns Jews for Jesus and other messianic Jewish groups by name because they "go beyond the bounds of appropriate and ethically based religious outreach." <ref> By David Cho (Washington Post) August 17, 2004</ref>
<ref> (rickross.com)</ref>

The Board of Governors of The ], a group that is opposed to proselytizing of Jews in general, voiced similar sentiments in a statement that "noted with alarm" the "subterfuge and dishonesty" inherent in the "mixing religious symbols in ways which distort their essential meaning", and named Jews for Jesus as one of the three groups about whom such behavior was alleged. <ref name=ADL_CR/>


== Support == == Support ==
Line 110: Line 53:


Jews for Jesus is a member of numerous evangelical Christian groups: The ], ], ], ], ], ], ], The ], and the ].{{fact}} Jews for Jesus is a member of numerous evangelical Christian groups: The ], ], ], ], ], ], ], The ], and the ].{{fact}}

Jews for Jesus also note the lack of consensus on many issues in Judaism.
<ref> by Moishe Rosen (Jews for Jesus) March 1, 1997</ref>


== Litigations == == Litigations ==
Line 161: Line 101:
* ] * ]
* ] * ]

* ]
* ]
* ]


==External links== ==External links==

Revision as of 18:54, 2 September 2006

Jews for Jesus is a religious organization whose stated purpose is "to proclaim the message that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world." While Jews for Jesus describes itself as Jewish, most Jewish organizations and denominations consider it to be a Christian organization which holds beliefs incompatible with Judaism.

Beliefs

Their doctrinal statement includes the following beliefs:

  • in the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written.
  • God the creator exists as a Trinity, is perfect, all wise, all powerful and all loving.
  • Jesus is the Messiah, the second person of the Trinity, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for the sins of all humanity, rose again, and is co-equal with God. Jesus will return to earth in the near future.
  • People are saved through a belief in Jesus as savior and an acknowledgment of their sins; not by their achievements.
  • Heaven is a reward for those who are saved; Hell is a place of "everlasting conscious punishment" for the vast majority of humanity.

Leadership, funding and outreach

The organization was founded under the name Hineni Ministries in 1973 by Moishe Rosen, an ordained Baptist minister who was born Jewish but converted to Christianity at 17. Rosen remained its executive director until May of 1996 when he was replaced by David Brickner.

The group's financial support largely comes from a variety of Christian churches, "a number of Bible schools, and individual Christian donations..." It has "a full-time staff of 150 employees running branch offices in nine cities across the United States. There are also branch offices in Toronto, London, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Johannesburg."

According to Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability, the group's total income in FY2005 was $17,523,386.

Aims and organization

Jews for Jesus' official mission statement is "to make the Messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide." They claim that belief in Jesus as Messiah is a fulfillment of the prophecies of Hebrew scripture. Through media advertisements, production and distribution of literature, producing music and organizing person-to-person evangelism, the organization asserts that "a specifically Jewish mission" is necessary, as "Jewish people tend to dismiss evangelistic methods and materials that are couched in Christian lingo, because they reinforce the assumption that Jesus is for 'them' not 'us.'"

According to its Executive Director, Jews for Jesus employs "only front-line missionaries who are Jewish or married to Jews". Stan Telchin, formerly associated with Jews for Jesus, wrote in A Loving Call to Unity that 80 percent of those who attend Messianic Synagogues are not Jewish. An official figure quoted to counter it pegged the number at 50 percent.

Criticism

Most mainstream Jewish groups strongly oppose Jews for Jesus; "here is virtual unanimity across all denominations that Jews for Jesus are not Jewish", and many see its proselytizing activities as a thinly-veiled attack on Judaism.

The Spiritual Deception Prevention Project at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York states:

On several occasions leaders of the four major Jewish movements have signed on to joint statements opposing Hebrew-Christian theology and tactics. In part they said: "Though Hebrew Christianity claims to be a form of Judaism, it is not ... It deceptively uses the sacred symbols of Jewish observance ... as a cover to convert Jews to Christianity, a belief system antithetical to Judaism ... Hebrew Christians are in radical conflict with the communal interests and the destiny of the Jewish people. They have crossed an unbridgeable chasm by accepting another religion. Despite this separation, they continue to attempt to convert their former co-religionists."

Some Christian churches see Jewish religious practice as valid in and of itself and thus object to evangelizing Jews.

The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, an umbrella organization that includes Muslims, Jews, and church groups from the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, has condemned Jews for Jesus as promoting activities "harmful to the spirit of interreligious respect and tolerance." The conference is also opposed to religious proselytizing in general. The conference also denounces the group's "deceptive proselytizing efforts", stating that when practiced on "vulnerable populations" such as the young or the elderly, these efforts are "tantamount to coerced conversions." The Rev. Clark Lobenstine, a Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister and executive director of the Conference, has stated that his group condemns Jews for Jesus and other messianic Jewish groups by name because they "go beyond the bounds of appropriate and ethically based religious outreach."

Support

Jews for Jesus defends its actions against these charges, stating:

"If a person believes the Bible and believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9,10) and then that person declines to tell a Jewish friend about Christ, it indicates one of two things. Either that person has decided that the Jews are not worthy of the gospel, in which case he would be a racist, an anti-Semite and a hater of people instead of the lover of people that God wants him to be. Or perhaps he has judged the gospel as being unworthy of the Jews in which case he has trivialized the passion of Calvary and the awesome significance of Christ's resurrection."

Jews for Jesus is a member of numerous evangelical Christian groups: The World Evangelical Alliance, Canadian Council for Christian Charities, Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association, Evangelical Alliance of Great Britain, Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability, Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism, National Association of Evangelicals, The Internet Evangelism Coalition, and the World Evangelical Fellowship.

Litigations

1987 - Jews for Jesus sues for freedom of speech

The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jews for Jesus in a 1987 suit it filed against the municipal agency in charge of Los Angeles International Airport that had barred the group from distributing leaflets at the airport as part of a larger ban on what they described as "First Amendment activities." Jews for Jesus challenged the airport's right to institute such a sweeping ban.

1992 - Jews for Jesus sues for civil rights violations

In 1992 New York Supreme Court ruled against Jews for Jesus in a suit the organization brought against the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC), an umbrella group representing 60 Jewish agencies in the metropolitan New York area. The case addressed the JCRC's 1985 warning to Long Island rabbis that Jews for Jesus was seeking a venue to conduct a Passover seder. Jews for Jesus sued the JCRC for violating its civil rights; the decision upheld a lower court ruling that the JCRC communication did not "go beyond the proposal stage" and that there was no evidence that any of the Long Island rabbis had actually contacted establishments for the purpose of discriminating against Jews for Jesus.

In a 1992 lawsuit brought by Jews for Jesus against the JCRC of New York, a United States Court of Appeals ruled that the efforts of the JCRC urging Jewish organizations not to patronize a New York country club because it allowed Jews for Jesus to hold its annual convention on its premises were not protected as an exercise of the JCRC's First Amendment rights.

1993 - Israel disallows citizenship to couple affiliated with Jews for Jesus

In 1993 the Supreme Court of Israel, in a case involving a couple affiliated with Jews for Jesus, ruled that Jews who adhere to the Christian beliefs are regarded by Israeli law as "members of a different faith," and are not eligible for the automatic citizenship that Israel grants Jews. In its summary of the ruling, the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the belief that Jesus is the Messiah "cannot be reconciled with Judaism" and "marks the clear separation between Judaism and Christianity."

1998 and 2005 - Misuse of Jews for Jesus name online

Jews for Jesus has been involved in litigation regarding Internet use of its name. In 1998 they sued Steven Brodsky for cybersquatting for registering the domain name jewsforjesus.org to use for a site criticizing the organization; the domain now belongs to Jews for Jesus and is used for their main site.

In 2005 Jews for Jesus sued Google for allowing a Blogspot user to put up a site at the third-level subdomain jewsforjesus.blogspot.com. That lawsuit appears to have settled, as the blog now is operated by Jews for Jesus.

2006 - Jewish comedian sues Jews for Jesus

In 2006, comedian and actor Jackie Mason filed a lawsuit against Jews for Jesus, alleging that they unlawfully distributed a pamphlet which used his name and likeness in a way that suggested he was a member of the group. In fact, Mason is a member of the Jewish faith and not associated with Jews for Jesus. Jews for Jesus has issued a detailed response to the allegation on their website.

References

  1. http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=jews+for+jesus&fr=FP-tab-web-t500&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8
  2. "For most American Jews, it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. Jews for Jesus and other Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews". (Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, p. 9).
  3. http://www.jewsforjesus.org/about/statementoffaith (Jews for Jesus) written January 1, 2005
  4. Jews for Jesus. Financial information for FY2003-2005 (Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability)
  5. What We Do (Jews for Jesus)
  6. What We Stand For (Jews for Jesus)
  7. Book Claiming Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity Stirs Controversy By Nancy Justice (February 2005 Issue of Charisma Magazine)
  8. Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, pp. 139-140.
  9. Frequently Asked Questions About Hebrew-Christian Missionaries & "Jews for Jesus" Template:PDFlink Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Spiritual Deception Prevention Project
  10. Should Christians Attempt to Evangelize Jews? Israel's Covenant with God Remains Valid by Allan R. Brockway
  11. Conversion Outreach Plan Stirs Outrage. Jews for Jesus Trains 600 for Street Work By David Cho (Washington Post) August 17, 2004
  12. Why emphasize witnessing to Jews? (Jews for Jesus)
  13. ^ Legal Cases Involving Jews for Jesus (ADL)
  14. Google Sued for Trademark Infringement Based on Third-Level Subdomain by Eric Goldman (CircleID) December 30, 2005
  15. Comic sues Jews for Jesus
  16. Press Release: Jews for Jesus and Jackie Mason (Jews for Jesus) August 25, 2006

See also


External links

Categories: