Misplaced Pages

Jews for Jesus: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 05:59, 28 November 2006 editRyulong (talk | contribs)218,132 editsm JS: Reverted vandalism by ParadoxTom to last version by JoshuaZ.← Previous edit Revision as of 06:05, 28 November 2006 edit undoParadoxTom (talk | contribs)242 edits removing pov commentary is not vandalism. i am correcting vandalism here.Next edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
'''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."
{{NPOV}}
<ref name=STATE>http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=jews+for+jesus&fr=FP-tab-web-t500&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8</ref>
:''"JFJ" is also the initials for National Hockey League general manager ]''
'''Jews for Jesus''' is a ]<ref>''"During my time with the mission, I found Jews for Jesus to be a Christian ministry (or Messianic, if you prefer) with a passion for the good news about Jesus..."'' Pastor Lev Leigh. Hope Baptist Church. Richmond, CA </ref> ] organization based in ], ], whose goal is to ] ]s that ] is the ] and ]. It also promotes awareness of the Jewish roots and heritage of the Christian faith. While ''Jews for Jesus'' says that its followers are "living out their Jewishness" <ref name=judaica></ref> and self-identifies as Jewish, <ref></ref> virtually all ],<ref>"There is virtual unanimity across all denominations ]] that Jews for Jesus are not Jewish." (Kaplan, Dana Evan. ''The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism'', Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, pp. 139-140).</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>
Jewish groups,
<ref name=CCAJ9>"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>
<ref>Jewish groups:
*"To make the record clear, Jews for Jesus is a Christian missionary organization – period." , ] website, retrieved September 11, 2006.
*"Messianic Jewish organizations, such as Jews for Jesus, often refer to their faith as fulfilled Judaism, in that they believe Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies. Although Messianic Judaism claims to be Jewish, and many adherents observe Jewish holidays, most Jews regard Messianic Judaism as deceptive at best, fraudulent at worst. They charge that Messianic Judaism is actually Christianity presenting itself as Judaism." (Balmer, Randall. ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism'', Baylor University Press, Nov 2004, p. 448).
*"I do not seek, of course, covertly (as sometimes Jews for Jesus do) or overtly, to convert myself, or any other Jew to Christianity..." (Boyarin, Daniel. ''Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity'', University of Pennsylvania Press, Jul 2004, p. xii).
*"Certain Christian missionary groups have now set up a front organization called "Jews for Jesus," through which they entice naive Jews to Christianity..." (Stolper, Pinchas. "Was Jesus The Messiah? Let's Examine The Facts", in ]. ''Aryeh Kaplan Anthology: Volume 1'', Mesorah Publications, Aug 1991, p. 293).
*"Even as I write, I fear that Christian missionaries or, even more insidiously, Jews for Jesus&mdash;people who (unlike the redeeming avante-garde of Christianity) believe that Judaism is superseded, and Jewish have no right to exist as Jews any more&mdash;will misuse my words. These people, who believe that Christianity has taken over Judaism like some succubus that must now govern the behavior of its host body, seek to abolish the Jewish religion." (]. ''For the Sake of Heaven and Earth: The New Encounter Between Judaism and Christianity'', The Jewish Publication Society, Oct 2004, p. 97).
*"It should now be clear to you why Jews have such a problem with 'Jews for Jesus' or other presentations of Messianic Judaism. I have no difficulty with Christianity. I even accept those Christians who would want me to convert to Christianity so long as they don't use coercion or duplicity and are willing to listen in good faith to my reasons for being Jewish. I do have a major problem with those Christians who would try to mislead me and other Jews into believing that one can be both Jewish and Christian." (Lotker, Michael. ''A Christian's Guide to Judaism'', Paulist Press, Mar 2004, p. 35).
*"Evangelical Christians are engaged in aggressive and extensive missionary activity among Jews. Among other results, this has given rise to groups of 'messianic Jews', of which 'Jews for Jesus' is the most outstanding example. These are actually Jews who have adopted the evangelical Protestant faith and its precepts." (], ''Terms of Survival'', Routledge (UK), Mar 1995, p. 343).
*"Messianic Judaism is a Christian movement that began in the 1970s combining a mixture of Jewish ritual and Christianity. There are a vast and growing numbers of these groups, and they differ in how much Jewish ritual is mixed with conventional Christian belief. One end of the spectrum is represented by Jews For Jesus, who simply target Jews for conversion to Christianity using imitations of Jewish ritual solely as a ruse for attracting the potential Jewish converts. On the other end are those who don't stress the divinity of Jesus, but present him as the 'Messiah.'" {{cite web
|url=http://www.messiahtruth.com/response.html
|title=Messiah Truth. Messianic Judaism: A Christian Missionary Movement
}}
</ref>
national Jewish organizations,
<ref name=Schiffman>{{PDFlink|}} by ] </ref>
the ],
<ref name=ADL_LC> (ADL)</ref>
and many others reject this classification and regard the group as Christian.
<ref>Others who do not recognize the ''Jews for Jesus'' as a Jewish group:
*"Today, many evangelical Christian-Protestant groups are spending between 100,000,000 and 150,000,000 dollars a year to transform Jews into Christians. The best known of these organization is Jews for Jesus...". (Berkley, E. George. ''Jews'', Branden Books, Feb 1997, p. 129).
*"Thirdly, there is Jews for Jesus or, more generally, Messianic Judaism. This is a movement of people often of Jewish background who have come to believe Jesus is the expected Jewish messiah... They often have congregations independent of other churches and specifically target Jews for conversion to their form of Christianity." (]. ''After the Evil: Christianity and Judaism in the Shadow of the Holocaust'', Oxford University Press, Aug 2003, p. 119.)
*"...Jews for Jesus (Jews converted to 'born again' Christianity who are seeking to make more such converts...". (] ''When Faiths Collide'', Blackwell Publishing, Jan 2005, p. 35).
*"Jews for Jesus, the leading organization dedicated to converting Jews to Christianity, has long been a concern because of its aggressive proselytizing with a deceptive message: that Jews who accept Jesus as the son of God and their savior remain Jewish." , ], August 27, 2004, retrieved September 11, 2006.
*"Jews for Jesus is a sect of a very different nature. This group... has a sole motivational goal of converting Jews to Christianity." Fogel, Keith and Marian E. ''Conversos of the Americas'', Xlibris Corporation, Apr 2004, p. 169).
*"Jews for Jesus is an evangelical Christian organization ..." (exjewsforjesus.org)
*"... its doctrine is strictly Christian in the fundamentalist/evangelical understanding of Christian faith" (exjewsforjesus.org)</ref>
<ref name=RELTOL>Robinson, B. , ], October 29, 2001.</ref>
<ref name=ECFA> (])</ref>

== 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. 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'' promotes awareness of what it believes to be the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith. Their website contains brief descriptions of Jewish festivals,<ref name=judaica>.</ref> and also runs programs explaining the significance of Passover, Tabernacles and Hannukkah, explaining messianic elements and how they believe these festivals are related to Jesus.


==Beliefs== ==Beliefs==
{{Christianity}}
While ''Jews for Jesus'' considers itself to be a Jewish organisation, they take mainstream Christian positions that ] was the ], that his coming was prophecied in the Jewish scriptures, and that Jesus is the Son of God and the second person of the ].


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> (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 53: 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 ] continues to exist as a ]. They also integrate some Jewish customs and use ] and ] in some literature.<ref name=RELTOL/>
</blockquote>

===Incompatibility of Jews for Jesus' beliefs with Judaism===

{{POV-section}}

One of the most important ] is the belief in ] with no partnership of any kind (see ), and no Jewish organizations or denominations therefore consider it possible to profess Judaism and also believe in the divinity of Jesus.
<ref name=CCAJ9/>
<ref name=incompat>A belief in the divinity of Jesus is incompatible with Judaism:
* The Jewish Response to Missionaries (NY Board of Rabbis)
* (foundationstone.com)
* (whatjewsbelieve.org)
*"If you believe Jesus is the messiah, died for anyone else's sins, is God's chosen son, or any other dogma of Christian belief, you are not Jewish. You are Christian. Period." ( by Rabbi Susan Grossman (beliefnet - virtualtalmud) August 28, 2006)
</ref>
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
|publisher=HarperCollins
|id=ISBN 0060915331
}}</ref></blockquote>

Jews for Jesus believes it is entirely compatible with the view of God presented in Jewish scriptures.<ref>http://www.jewsforjesus.org/answers/theology/believeinthreegods</ref>
''Jews for Jesus'' believe that the doctrine of the ], fundamental to the Christian faith, is not entirely alien to Judaism: "While it is true that the Old Testament portion of Scripture does not present as clear a picture of the ] Godhead, there are indications of the plurality of the Godhead in the Hebrew Scriptures."
<ref> by Catherine Damato. (Jews for Jesus) June 1, 1987</ref>

According to Judaism, these "indications" are based on mistranslations
<ref> by Rabbi ] (about.com)</ref>
<ref>{{cite book
|author=Michoel Drazin
|title=Their Hollow Inheritance. A Comprehensive Refutation of Christian Missionaries
|year=1990
|publisher=Gefen Publishing House, Ltd.
|id=ISBN 965-229-070-X
|url=http://www.drazin.com
}}</ref>
<ref>Troki, Isaac. .</ref> and Jesus did not fulfill the ]. The vision of ] is a deviation from monotheism and therefore is rejected.
<ref>The concept of Trinity is incompatible with Judaism:
* (Jews for Judaism)
* by Rabbi Singer (outreachjudaism.org)
* (religionfacts.com)</ref>

''America's Religions. An Educator's Guide to Beliefs and Practices'' contains " note about Jews for Jesus, ], ], and similar groups: Jews in these groups who have converted to Christianity but continue to observe various Jewish practices are no longer considered part of the Jewish community in the usual sense."
<ref>{{cite book
|author=Benjamin Hubbard
|coauthors=John Hatfield, James Santucci
|title=America's Religions. An Educator's Guide to Beliefs and Practices
|year=1997
|pages=p.100
|publisher=Teacher Ideas Press, a Division of Libraries Unlimited
|id=ISBN 1-56308-469-4
}}</ref>

===Core values===

''Jews for Jesus'' describes its core values in the following way:
<blockquote>
{|
|
We commit to:
* Direct Jewish evangelism as our priority
* An ] lifestyle of availability, vulnerability and mobility
* Striving for excellence in all that we do
* Deploying only front-line missionaries who are Jewish or married to Jews
* Principle-based operations and practice
* Accountability to our mission family and the body of Messiah
* Integrity and faithfulness
* Creativity in our staff
* Stepping out in courageous faith and taking risks for God. <ref> (Jews for Jesus) January 1, 2005</ref>
|
Understanding that we:
* are under the authority of God and His word
* desire to honor Messiah ] and
* are dependent upon the enabling power of the ]
|} </blockquote>


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


The organization was founded under the name Hineni Ministries in ] by ], an ordained ] minister<ref> by Jason Levinson (Torah Atlanta)</ref> 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/> who, though having some Jewish ancestry, is not Jewish according to ]. <ref name=DK> by David Klinghoffer. (''The Jewish Journal'') 2006-03-3</ref>


The group's financial support largely comes from a variety of Christian groups,<ref> by Jason Levinson (Torah Atlanta)</ref> "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.<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}}
There are also branch offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada (Montreal, Toronto), France, Germany, Israel, Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom, Ukraine (Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Kiev, Odessa). In addition to English language, the group runs websites in Hungarian, Persian, Italian, Spanish, and Korean languages. <ref> (Jews for Jesus)</ref>


According to the ], the group's total income in ] 2005 was $17,523,386. <ref name=ECFA/> According to ], the group's total income in FY2005 was $17,523,386. <ref> (])</ref>


== Aims and organization ==
==Methods of evangelizing==


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>
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<ref>Targeting vulnerable population groups:
*"The organization is also known for targeting vulnerable populations of Jews. New Jewish immigrants and college freshman as well as senior citizens and interfaith couples are easy targets for the organization." ( by Stephanie Persin. ])
*"Since people are most vulnerable at times of personal change and transition, the missionaries center their efforts on a number of vulnerable Jewish populations, including high school and college students, senior citizens, and recent immigrants." ( New York Board of Rabbis)
*"Such congregations are designed to appear Jewish, but they are actually fundamentalist Christian churches which use traditional Jewish symbols to lure the most vulnerable of our Jewish people into their ranks." ( by Rabbi Tovia Singer)
*"Young men and women are particularly vulnerable to evangelicals because so often these adolescents are unsure of themselves, the world around them, and the adulthood that awaits them. ... The elderly are also perilously vulnerable..." ( by Rabbi Tovia Singer (outreachjudaism.org). Also at )
*"Deceptive proselytizing is practiced on the most vulnerable of populations - residents of hospitals and old aged homes, confused youth, college students away from home. These proselytizing techniques are tantamount to coerced conversions and should be condemned." ()
*"Individuals are most vulnerable to these groups and their tactics when they are lonely and hurting, overwhelmed or confused, away from their support system or have lost a loved one or a close friend." ( by Scott Hillman, ''Jews For Judaism'')
*"Their efforts here have drawn criticism from mainstream Jews and some Christians, who accuse Jews for Jesus of leading the vulnerable - the young, the old, recent immigrants..." ( By Matthew Hay Brown (Baltimore Sun) August 27, 2005
*"Nonetheless, JFJ continues to make this contradictory claim, purposefully focusing on young, naïve, or socially vulnerable populations with their campaigns. College students, recent immigrants (most notably Russian Jews), and the elderly are targets for conversion." ( By Ethan Frenchman and Seth Mayer, ''Chicago Maroon''. October 4, 2005)
</ref> populations of Jews, such as recent 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>


According to its Executive Director, Jews for Jesus employs "only front-line ] who are Jewish or married to Jews".
==Membership==
<ref> (Jews for Jesus)</ref>

Stan Telchin, formerly associated with Jews for Jesus, wrote in ''A Loving Call to Unity''
Statistics of membership numbers for the ''Jews for Jesus'' movement are not known. Since those born as ]s are active in the movement, having established it and continue to fund it, the true number of people who are known to have been born Jewish and have become full-fledged members of the movement is unknown.

Stan Telchin, formerly associated with Jews for Jesus, wrote in ''Messianic Judaism is not Christianity:A Loving Call to Unity''
<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.


== Criticism ==
==Opposition and criticism==
===Jewish opposition===


All mainstream Jewish groups oppose ''Jews for Jesus'' and many see its ] 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=incompat/>
<ref name=ADL_CR> (ADL)</ref>
<ref>More Jewish opposition to ''Jews for Jesus'':
* By Bradley Burston (Haaretz)
* By Bradley Burston (Haaretz) May 31, 2006
* By Ethan Frenchman and Seth Mayer (Chicago Maroon, University of Chicago) October 3, 2005
* By Aron Moss (Chabad. Judaism 101)
* by Eric J. Greenberg (New York Jewish Week) October 24, 2003
*
*] is the largest counter-missionary organization]
</ref>


The ''Spiritual Deception Prevention Project'' at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York states:
In 1993, the ''Task Force on Missionaries and Cults'' of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRCNY) issued a statement which has been endorsed by the four major Jewish denominations: ], ], ], and ], as well as national Jewish organizations. <ref name=Schiffman/>
Based on this statement, the ''Spiritual Deception Prevention Project'' at the JCRCNY stated:
<blockquote> <blockquote>
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>

The director of a ] group ''Torah Atlanta'' Rabbi Efraim Davidson stated that "the ''Jews for Jesus'' use aggressive proselytizing to target disenfranchised or unaffiliated Jews, Russian immigrants and college students" and that "their techniques are manipulative, deceptive and anti-Semitic."
<ref> By Paul Haist (Jewish Review) May 15, 2002</ref>

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>

The author of the book ''Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History'' David Klinghoffer expressed his concern in ''The Jewish Journal'': "When Jews accept Jesus, they marry other Christians or their children do, thus disappearing into the Christian population." <ref name=DK/>

Concerning ] and Christian missions to the Jews, ] wrote:
<blockquote>
"... Except in relations with Christians, the Christ of Christianity is not a Jewish issue. There simply can be no dialogue worthy of the name unless Christians accept &mdash; nay, treasure &mdash; the fact that Jews through the two millennia of Christianity have had an agenda of their own. There can be no Jewish-Christian dialogue worthy of the name unless one Christian activity is abandoned, missions to the Jews. It must be abandoned, moreover, not as a temporary strategy but in principle, as a bimillennial theological mistake. The cost of that mistake in Christian love and Jewish blood one hesitates to contemplate.
...
A post-] Jew can still view Christian attempts to convert Jews as sincere and well intended. But even as such they are no longer acceptable: They have become attempts to do in one way what ] did in another."
<ref>{{cite book
|title = What is Judaism? An Interpretation for the Present Age
|last = Fackenheim
|first = Emil
|year = 1987
|publisher = Summit Books
|id = ISBN 0671462431
|pages = p.249
}}</ref></blockquote>

====Jews for Judaism====
{{main|Jews for Judaism}}
Jews for Judaism, established by Rabbi ] in ], is the largest ] organization in existence.<ref>http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/web/people/guggenheim.html Jews for Judaism, "Ruth Guggenheim"</ref>

The name ''Jews for Judaism'' is a deliberate parody of Jews for Jesus, as Jews for Jesus is one of the primary missionary organizations that Jews for Judaism was founded to counter.

===Messianic Judaism opposition===
{{main|Messianic Judaism}}
The vast majority of Messianic Jews<ref>''"I consider Jews For Jesus a Christian organization. Moishe Rosen, founder of Jews For Jesus, is a Christian missionary, schooled in a standard bible college and not trained as a rabbi. The Jews For Jesus organization has worked diligently teaching Jesus to the non-believing Jewish people, but it is Christianity being taught and not Messianic Judaism (in spite of JFJ efforts to make the two terms synonymous). I would like to see evangelism to the Jewish people which includes teaching Torah observance."'' Ellen Kavanaugh. lightofmashiach.org. {{cite web
| url = http://www.lightofmashiach.org/notjewsforjesus.html
| title = Actually, We Are NOT Jews for Jesus
| publisher = lightofmashiach.org
| accessdate = 2006-11-04
| curly = True
}}</ref><ref>''"We are NOT "Jews for Jesus"! "Jews for Jesus" is a primarily Baptist missionary group whose sole focus is converting Jews to Christianity. They are not a part of the Messianic movement and have never been in favor of Messianic congregations! We do not approve of their theology, their ideology, or their methods."'' Rabbi Adam J. Bernay. Beit Tefillah Messianic Fellowship. Fresno, CA. {{cite web
| url = http://www.beit-tefillah.com/about/
| title = About Us
| publisher = beit-tefillah.com
| accessdate = 2006-11-04
| curly = True
}}</ref> who self-identify as Torah observant object to any relationship with ''Jews for Jesus''<ref>''"
We are not "Jews for Jesus". We strongly agree with their work of bringing non-Messianic Jews to acceptance of Yeshua(Jesus), as the Jewish Messiah. However, we just as strongly disagree with the belief/policy of "Jews for Jesus"; upon acceptance of Messiah Yeshua(Christ Jesus), Jews(and Gentiles), are not to obey and follow the Torah(Law)! This contradicts and violates the Tanakh and Messianic Scriptures that speak of Yeshua(Jesus). We believe the Torah speaks of Yeshua (Jesus) and those that love Him keep His commandments."'' 5twenty8.com. {{cite web
| url = http://www.5twenty8.com/statement.php
| title = Statement of Belief
| publisher = 5twenty8.com
| accessdate = 2006-11-04
| curly = True
}}</ref> because ''Jews for Jesus'' encourages converts to celebrate traditional Christianity which can include not keeping kosher<ref>''"If you were hoping this article would provide the answer, you will be disappointed. When the question is "How do we work out our Jewish identity?" the answer can only be: "It's personal! Go work it out with the Lord." Maybe that sounds vague and non-committal, but in this we are committed to vagueness, for these are things we believe the Scripture leaves to each believer's discretion."'' Mitch Glaser. Jews for Jesus. {{cite web
| url = http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/havurah/mm88_01/choppedliver
| title = Lifestyles of the Messianic
| publisher = jewsforjesus.org
| accessdate = 2006-11-04
| curly = True
}}</ref>, observing Sabbath on Sunday (or not at all), or celebrating non-Jewish holidays such as ]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/2003_12/paganism
| title = About Christmas, Easter, and Paganism
| publisher = jewsforjesus.org
| accessdate = 2006-11-04
| curly = True
}}</ref> and ]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/havurah/5_4/christmas
| title = Christmas is still a Jewish holiday
| publisher = jewsforjesus.org
| accessdate = 2006-11-04
| curly = True
}}</ref> - which Torah-observant Messianic Jews believe are clear violations of Torah commandments.

===Christian opposition to ''Jews for Jesus'' and to efforts to evangelize Jews===


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> by Allan R. Brockway</ref>
<ref name=ADL_CR/>
<ref>Christian opposition:
* by Allan R. Brockway
* (religioustolerance.org)
* by Fritz Voll (])
* (World Council of Churches)
* . The Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College. September 1, 2002
* "I normally defend my denomination. I'm loyal to it. But I have never targeted Muslims. I have never targeted Jews." by Eric J. Greenberg, ''The Jewish Week''. January 7, 2000
</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 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.
<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/>

Roman Catholic leaders have also spoken out against singling out Jews for conversion. In August 2002, the U.S. Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious affairs declared that the "evangelizing task no longer includes the wish to absorb the Jewish faith into Christianity and so end the distinctive witness of Jews to God in human history. Thus, while the Catholic Church regards the saving act of Christ as central to the process of human salvation for all, it also acknowledges that Jews already dwell in a saving covenant with God. ... The distinctive Jewish witness must be sustained if Catholics and Jews are truly to be, as ] has envisioned, “a blessing to one another.”" <ref> Consultation of the National Council of Synagogues and the Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. August 12, 2002 (])</ref>

Cardinal ], President of the ]'s Commission for Religious Relations with Jewry, stated in November 2002: "This does not mean that Jews in order to be saved have to become Christians; if they follow their own conscience and believe in God’s promises as they understand them in their religious tradition, they are in line with God’s plan, which for us came to its historical completion in Jesus Christ."
<ref>]", Forty Years After Vatican II. Present & Future Perspectives] Conference of the Holy See Commission for Religious Relations with Jewry, Rome, October 27, 2005 </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." {{citation needed}}
Christian denominations that have issued statements criticizing evangelism of Jews include the ], the ] and the ], which said in 1988 that Jews have their own covenant with God. In 1996, Pope John Paul II said Jews shouldn't be targeted for conversion.<ref> by Julia Duin, ''The Washington Times'', August 10, 2004</ref>
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>


== Support == == Support ==


''Jews for Jesus'' defends its actions against these charges, stating: Jews for Jesus defends its actions against these charges, stating:
<blockquote> <blockquote>
"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." "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."
<ref> (Jews for Jesus)</ref></blockquote> <ref> (Jews for Jesus)</ref></blockquote>


''Jews for Jesus'' is a member of numerous evangelical Christian groups: The ], Jews for Jesus is a member of numerous evangelical Christian groups: The ], ], ], ], ], ], ], The ], and the ].{{fact}}
<ref name=Assoc> (Jews for Jesus)</ref>
], <ref name=Assoc/>
], <ref name=Assoc/>
<ref> (Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association)</ref>
], <ref name=Assoc/>
the ], <ref name=Assoc/>
<ref> (])</ref>
the ], <ref name=Assoc/> <ref name=ECFA/>
], <ref name=Assoc/>
the ],
the ],
the ], <ref name=Assoc/>
the ],
<ref> (Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)</ref>
and the ]. <ref name=Assoc/>

''Jews for Jesus'' also notes the lack of consensus on many issues in Judaism, and claims that due to the seemingly unusual assuredness of most Jewish groups that ''Jews for Jesus<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' beliefs are incompatible with Judaism, that this represents a double standard.
<ref> by Moishe Rosen (Jews for Jesus) March 1, 1997</ref>


== Litigations == == Litigations ==

===1987 - Jews for Jesus sues for freedom of speech=== ===1987 - Jews for Jesus sues for freedom of speech===


The ] ruled in favor of ''Jews for Jesus'' in a 1987 suit it filed against the municipal agency in charge of ] that had barred the group from distributing leaflets at the airport as part of a larger ban on what they described as "] activities." ''Jews for Jesus'' challenged the airport's right to institute such a sweeping ban. <ref name=ADL_LC/> The ] ruled in favor of Jews for Jesus in a 1987 suit it filed against the municipal agency in charge of ] that had barred the group from distributing leaflets at the airport as part of a larger ban on what they described as "] activities." Jews for Jesus challenged the airport's right to institute such a sweeping ban.
<ref name=ADL_LC> (ADL)</ref>


===1992 - Jews for Jesus sues for civil rights violations=== ===1992 - Jews for Jesus sues for civil rights violations===


In 1992 ] ruled against ''Jews for Jesus'' in a suit the organization brought against the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRCNY), an umbrella group representing 60 Jewish agencies in the metropolitan New York area. The case addressed the JCRCNY'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 JCRCNY for violating its civil rights; the decision upheld a lower court ruling that the JCRCNY 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 1992 ] 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 JCRCNY, a ] ruled that the efforts of the JCRCNY 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. <ref name=ADL_LC/> In a 1992 lawsuit brought by Jews for Jesus against the JCRC of New York, a ] 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. <ref name=ADL_LC/>


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


In 1993 the ], 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 ]. 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." <ref name=ADL_LC/> In 1993 the ], 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 ]. 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." <ref name=ADL_LC/>
Line 338: Line 73:
===1998 and 2005 - Misuse of Jews for Jesus name online=== ===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 ] for registering the domain name ''jewsforjesus.org'' to use for a site criticizing the organization; <ref name=ADL_LC/> the domain now belongs to ''Jews for Jesus'' and is used for their main site. Jews for Jesus has been involved in litigation regarding Internet use of its name. In 1998 they sued Steven Brodsky for ] for registering the domain name ''jewsforjesus.org'' to use for a site criticizing the organization; <ref name=ADL_LC/> the domain now belongs to Jews for Jesus and is used for their main site.


In 2005 ''Jews for Jesus'' sued In 2005 Jews for Jesus sued
<ref> by Eric Goldman (CircleID) December 30, 2005</ref> <ref> by Eric Goldman (CircleID) December 30, 2005</ref>
] for allowing a ] 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''. ] for allowing a ] 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 for misusing his name=== ===2006 - Jewish comedian sues Jews for Jesus===


In 2006, comedian and actor ] 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''. In 2006, comedian and actor ] 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.
<ref></ref> Jews for Jesus has issued a detailed response to the allegation on their website. <ref> (Jews for Jesus) August 25, 2006</ref> <ref></ref> Jews for Jesus has issued a detailed response to the allegation on their website. <ref> (Jews for Jesus) August 25, 2006</ref>

A U.S. District Judge in the Southern District of ] denied a preliminary injunction against Jews for Jesus over the pamphlet, finding the distribution of the pamphlet to be protected by the ], and also stated that the pamphlet did not suggest that Mason was a Christian. <ref>, November 8, 2006</ref>

===2006 - Jews for Jesus settles out of court with "Whistle Blower"===

In September 2006, ''Christianity Today'' reported that "''Jews for Jesus'' settled out of court with a critical blogger identified as "Whistle Blower" on jewsforjesus.blogspot.com. The evangelistic ministry assumed control of the site." <ref> September 01, 2006</ref>


==References== ==References==
Line 361: Line 90:


== See also == == See also ==

* ] * ]
* ] * ]
Line 373: Line 101:
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]


==Further reading==
*''Sentenced for Life: A Story of an Entry and an Exit into the World of Fundamentalist Christianity and Jews for Jesus'' by Jo Ann Schneider Farris (Writers Club Press, 2002) ISBN 059524940X
*''Hawking God. A Young Jewish Woman's Ordeal in Jews for Jesus'' by Ellen Kamentsky (Sapphire Press)
*''Evangelizing the Chosen People: Missions to the Jews in America, 1880 - 2000'' by Yaakov Ariel (The University of North Carolina Press, 1999) ISBN 0807825662
*''Smashing the Idols: A Jewish Inquiry into the Cult Phenomenon'' by Gary D. Eisenberg (Jason Aronson, 1988) ISBN 0876689748


==External links== ==External links==
Line 387: Line 108:
* ] website, an answer to Jews for Jesus * ] website, an answer to Jews for Jesus
* - the view of the ] * - the view of the ]
* By Jason Levinson (Torah Atlanta)
* *
* (faqs.org) * (faqs.org)
* {{PDFlink|}} * {{PDFlink}}
* by Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner (about.com) * by Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner (about.com)
* by Steven Reiskind (Boca Raton News) November 5, 2003
* by Gal Beckerman (July 10, 2006) ]
* By Jeremy Olshan (New York Post) July 7, 2006
* by G. Shapiro (Shomrai HaBrit - Keepers of the Covenant)


]
] ]
]
]
] ]


]
] ]

Revision as of 06:05, 28 November 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: