[Given the statistics Caroline cites, it is hard to believe that American Jews support for Obama will exceed 50%.]
It can only be hoped that the overwhelming majority of American Jews call and demand that all Jewish Federations stop allowing anti-Israel groups to feed from the communal trough.
Over the past year or so, American Jewish opponents of Israel like writer and activist Peter Beinart have sought to intimidate and demoralize Israelis by telling us that American Jews either no longer support us or will stop supporting us if we don’t give in to all the Arabs’ demands.
But statistical evidence exposes these threats as utter lies. According to mountainous survey evidence, the American Jewish community writ large remains deeply supportive of Israel.
Two surveys released last year by the American Jewish Committee and Brandeis University’s Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies showed that three quarters of American Jews care deeply about Israel and that Israel is an important part of their Jewish identity. The Brandeis survey notably showed that young American Jews are no less likely to support Israel than they were in the past.
In fact, American Jews under 30 are more hawkish about the Palestinian conflict with Israel than Jews between the ages of 31-40 are.
According to the Brandeis survey, 51 percent of American Jews oppose a future division of Jerusalem, while a mere 29% would support it.
Younger Jews are more opposed to the capital’s partition than older Jews are.
It is notable that the Brandeis survey found that political views do not impact American Jews’ support for Israel. This is striking because among Americans at large, polls show Republicans are significantly stronger supporters of Israel than Democrats. But not among Jews.
“Liberals felt no less connected than conservatives and were no less likely to regard Israel as important to their Jewish identities. These observations hold true for both younger and older respondents,” the Brandeis survey report explained.
Across the board, American Jews blame the Palestinians for the absence of peace and believe there is little chance that there will be peace between Israel and the Palestinians in the foreseeable future. Seventy-five percent agreed with the statement, “The goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel”; 94% said the Palestinians should be required to accept the Jewish state’s right to exist.
In light of these overwhelming levels of support, it is disconcerting to see that across the US, Jewish communities are failing to prevent anti- Zionist Jews from hijacking communal funds and facilities to finance anti-Israel activities.
CONSIDER A few recent examples.
In Orange County, California, intra-communal rancor is growing over the local Jewish Federation’s financial and organizational support for University Olive Tree Initiative.
The Federation subsidizes Olive Tree Initiative organized tours of Israel for Jewish students. As Tammi Benjamin from UC Santa Cruz explained in a letter last December to local Federation CEO Shalom Elcott and local Hillel director Jordan Fruchtman, while OTI claims to be interested in fostering good relations between Jewish and Arab students, it actually just propagandizes against Israel. The speakers who addressed students participating in the two-week trip were overwhelmingly anti-Israel. Almost all the Palestinian speakers expressed hatred for Israel. Many of the Israeli speakers represented groups that call for economic warfare against Israel and defame Israel as a racist state. Half of the supposedly neutral representatives of international organizations who spoke to the group are notorious for their opposition to Israel.
Rather than end the practice of using Jewish communal funds to propagandize Jewish students to hate the Jewish state that most American Jews support and see as important to their Jewish identity, the Federation and Hillel have dug in their heels.
This week, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported that over the past two months, allegedly acting on instructions from the Federation, two local synagogues canceled an event sponsored by the local branch of the Zionist Organization of America at which Irvine Rabbi Dov Fischer was to present information about OTI’s anti-Israel activities.
Speaking to the paper, Fischer said, “The amazing thing is how there has been a clamp-down by The Federation to prevent any speech or dissent in the community against The Federation’s program. The idea that two different temples in the community, who have all kinds of speakers, canceled this program is profoundly shocking.”
Meanwhile on the East Coast, both the Washington and New York Jewish communities are embroiled in a feud over Federation funding for anti-Israel Jewish groups. In Washington, a group of pro-Israel activists operating as the Committee Opposed to Propaganda Masquerading as Art has begun a campaign to end Federation funding for anti-Israel activities.
In a letter to Federation President Susie Gelman and Federation board members from March 6, COPMA’s chairman Robert Samet argued, “It is critical that the Federation establish guidelines for withholding funding from partner agencies that engage in political propaganda and activism denigrating Israel and undermining its legitimacy as a strong, secure and independent Jewish state.”
COPMA’s specific concern is Federation Funding for the District of Columbia Jewish Community Center’s professional theater group Theater J.
As the letter explained, “Theater J, a partner agency of the Federation and a recipient of its funding and support, has turned an arts program at the DC JCC… into a platform for political activism that expresses hostility and antipathy towards the State of Israel and little regard for its security.”
In 2009, Theater J staged the virulently anti- Semitic post-modern passion play Seven Jewish Children by Caryl Churchill. The play accuses the entire Jewish population of Israel of mass murders that were never committed.
Unfortunately, as COPMA notes, this is par for the course. In the past, Theater J’s artistic director Ari Roth organized buses to bring community members to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to watch a production of the virulently anti-Israel propaganda play My Name is Rachel Corrie.
This year, under Roth’s leadership, Theater J presented Return to Haifa, a play that COPMA argues “distorts the history and origins of Israel and makes the historically accurate death of a Jewish child in the Holocaust… comparable to the fabricated and utterly fantastical story of an Arab child allegedly abandoned by his fleeing parents in Haifa in 1948, ostensibly as a result of their terror over advancing Israelis.”
In response to COPMA’s letter, Roth told the Forward that it “is not a prerogative of the donor” to intervene in artistic content, and claimed that attempts to limit the theater’s activities amounted to censorship or blacklisting.
Carol Greenwald, COPMA’s treasurer, rejects Roth’s arguments. In her words, “The issue is not artistic freedom to create whatever the artist chooses; the issue is the appropriateness of a Jewish communal institution using Jewish communal funding to showcase defamation of the Jewish people.”
The Forward quoted Andrew Apostolou, a local Jewish Community Relations Council member, as quite sensibly saying, “There are things a Jewish community shouldn’t be doing, like serving a bacon cheeseburger on Yom Kippur. Putting on an anti-Semitic play is one of these things.”
COPMA is not alone in its concerns. In New York, a group of activists formed a new organization called JCC Watch to force the New York Jewish Federation to end financial support to the Manhattan JCC due to its partnership with organizations that support economic warfare against Israel through calls for economic boycotts, divestment and sanctions. Like COPMA, JCC Watch asks that the local Federation adopt guidelines to prevent Federation funds from being transferred to groups and programming that showcase calls for economic and political warfare against Israel.
So far, Washington’s Federation has not responded to COPMA’s letter. Interviewed by the Forward, the Washington Federation’s CEO defended giving supporters of anti-Israel sanctions the stage as part of Federation-sponsored panels on the grounds of “welcoming multiple voices.” And in an op-ed in New York Jewish Week last month, the New York Federation’s CEO defended the JCC’s partnership with groups that engage in economic and political warfare against Israel.
WHAT IS going on here? According to the AJC and Brandeis surveys, fewer than 10% of American Jews tend to accept the Arab line against Israel. Given the wall-to-wall support for Israel among American Jews, why do American Jewish organizational leaders refuse to do what their members want them to do? Why are they taking Jewish communal funds to finance activities and causes that are offensive to the Jewish community? Why are they pretending that the call to end communal funding for anti-Israel activities is a call for an abrogation of free speech? To get a sense of how unprecedented this is, it is useful to consider the American Jewish community’s response to Jews for Jesus. While Reform and Orthodox rabbis agree on almost nothing relating to Jewish laws and practices, since the emergence of Jews for Jesus in the 1970s, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox rabbis have been unified in their rejection of the Christian missionary group’s protestations of being Jewish.
Everyone understands that while Jews have a perfect right to change their religion, they have no right to force the Jewish community to accept Christians as Jews. That is, they have no right to change the definition of Judaism to include people who worship Jesus.
So-called Messianic Jews falsely call themselves Jews to undermine the community from within. But no Federation feels compelled to invite a representative of so-called Messianic Jews to proselytize on stage as part of a panel discussion in order to “welcome multiple voices.”
Hillel organizations have rightly refused space and funding to Messianic Jewish groups.
But today, American Jews find themselves helpless when a marginal group of anti-Zionist Jews demands – like the Messianic Jews of their day – communal funding and space for their anti-Israel activities.
The anti-Zionist groups make the same arguments as the Messianic Jews. They call themselves pro-Israel even as they engage in activities aimed at harming, defaming, weakening and delegitimizing the Jewish state. They claim that refusing them communal funds constitutes a violation of their free speech rights.
Yet while communal leaders did not hesitate to call the so-called Messianic Jews’ bluff, they cannot find the way to expunge anti-Israel groups from their umbrella organizations.
The explanation for this behavior is apparently social. Federation leaders don’t mind disappointing evangelical Christians. But most of their friends are leftist. Consequently the perceived social cost of taking action against groups like Theater J, J Street, B’Tselem, Breaking the Silence and Jewish Voices for Peace is too high for many American Jewish leaders to bear.
Happily, a handful of committed community members throughout the country are standing up and demanding that their communal leaders act in the interests of the communities they serve. It can only be hoped that the overwhelming majority of American Jews who clearly wish to support Israel will join these activists’ call and demand that all Jewish Federations stop allowing anti-Israel groups to feed from the communal trough. If they do, they will find that much to their surprise, the social costs of actions will be far smaller than they expected.
After all, Israel’s supporters are the majority.
Aw, your concern is sweet and appreciated, Shy Guy. But Jacob has his own troubles to worry about. Don’t you fret over us. We’ll just keep clinging to our guns and fairytales. 😉
No I did not say that exactly. I defined the Hebrew term Moshiach (messiah) as one who is anointed with oil like High Priests, Kings ,Warriors etc. King Cyrus a Persian King was called Moshiach for allowing the Jews to return from exile and rebuild the Temple.
THE Messiah must come from the house or seed of King David. Since Yushka did not have a human father he could not be considered to be a decedent of the house of David. This alone should be enough to put the Yushka messiah myth to bed.
If you could go back in time to Judea and ask a resident of Jerusalem “where is the Messiah?” They would reply: Which one!!
In addition, Torah law prohibits worshipping or making any use of a divine intermediary between any single Jew and G-d.
I have no problems with original fairy tails. Had christianity taken the path of the original gnostics who said that their newfangled beliefs are NOT based on the G-d of the Tanach, nor have anything to do with the Tanach or Israel, fine with me. It would have been no different than Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam.
The moment the “church” chose a path to claim continuity from Israel and the Tanach, they fumbled until they could get their stories almost right.
But almost isn’t good enough. Not only does christianity, with all its historical theological twisting and turning, contradict G-d’s Torah, its own NT contains numerous inconsistencies and blatant examples of ignorance. Makes no difference if you’re talking about the KJV or the (close to the) original Greek versions of the NT. It’s full of holes.
So you can have your veils and such nonsense but it has zero to do with the Torah or anything permitted by the Torah. It is a new made-up belief system.
Once again, study and draw the rational conclusions, based on both Tanach and – lehavdil – NT scripture:
Jesus was no one’s messiah
The “disciples” died for a lie
When the penny finally drops, you’ll be set free.
Shy Guy said:
Fortunately for me I’m here to understand more about your belief system.
It’s been made clear that Jews take issue with the Godhead concept, a.k.a. the trinity.
The only way I can explain the Christian’s position on Yeshua is the belief that in order to enter into the presence of the Almighty, to make supplication or even to offer praise, one requires purification and a veil. Yeshua is purification and the veil. I guess one could argue it as an act of humility.
Yamit has explained that Messiah is not spiritual but political and he doesn’t have to be Jewish. To Christians this just opens Jews up to the anti-Christ, the man of sin, the son of Perdition. Book of Daniel.
Kalev said:
🙂 They are cute. Very witty. And Yonatan hasn’t even been here yet. You should see all 3 of them when they get together. A right scholarly lot, very smart but sooooo wordy.
American Jewry’s fight
B’nai Brith President Indicted on Tax Fraud Charges
President of the Bnai Brith, who dubbed as a CPA, was indicted on the charges of falsifying tax returns for his client.
Now, is there a single accountant in the United States who never did that?
Dennis Glick, who abruptly resigned as president of B’nai B’rith International, has been indicted on federal charges of tax fraud, JTA has learned.
Glick, a certified public accountant who held a variety of positions over the years at B’nai B’rith, including treasurer, was arraigned Thursday and released on $50,000 bail after entering a plea of not guilty. He was arrested March 23 on charges of falsifying tax returns for a client and lying about it to investigators. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $1.25 million.
The indictment by a Pennsylvania grand jury said Glick, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., was “corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws, and willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false federal income tax returns,” according to the U.S. Justice Department.
“We are bewildered that the government would file criminal charges under the facts of this case, and we fully expect Mr. Glick to be exonerated at trial,” Glick’s lawyer, Henry Hockeimer, told JTA.
Glick, 67, had been president of the organization since December 2009 and has a 40-year history with B’nai B’rith.
Latest Jewish Public figure and leader that the American Government has in it’s cross-hairs!
The affair continues a recent history of show trials of high-ranking Jewish officials in the United States.
Well, all I can say is that they were some of the Jews you admit murdered mine. No big deal I didn’t know them.
I wish!!! 😉 In 82 among other things I was vacationing in Lebanon.
kalev, your epidermis is showing.
You two guys are real cute, real smart asses and probably just plain ole’ asses. Are you sure you’re really Jewish? Synagogue of Satan Jews perhaps? What about your ancestors yamit82? “82” must be the year of your birth as your conduct is equivalent to a 20 something year old.
No you haven’t.
But it’s never too late to deal with the facts. After all, “the truth will set you free.” Ain’t that right?
the one they call Jesus, real name in Hebrew is Yeshua, He is haMashiach
Call him Yushka.
Can’t be, my Grandmother is the Mashiach and when she returns from the grave she will prove it to you.
I’ll bet you are not as sorry as my ancestors.
I like how you juxtaposed Yushka, being sorry for dead Jews and the Evil Democratic party. You almost said it all in 65 words.
Israeli High Court Defends Jewish Tradition
Can messianic times truly be upon us? Well the month of Elul certainly is. In a ground-breaking decision it appears that the Israeli secular high court has come to the rescue of Jewish tradition by applying the concept of teshuva to the Law of Return.
The Jerusalem Post reports on a stunning case of a Jewish convert to Christianity who apparently will not be allowed into Israel under the Law of Return until she can prove and convince the Interior Ministry of her renewed commitment to the Jewish people.
Justices Neal Hendel, Elyakim Rubinstein and Hanan Meltzer rendered the decision and upheld the unique status of the Jewish people by drawing from historical documentation, secular legal precedents, and Jewish tradition.
The secular court of Israel apparently outshined the London and Tel Aviv rabbinical courts, which maintained that the woman in question had the status of a Jew (although she had abandoned Judaism). According to the JPost editorial report, the justices noted that “… communities throughout the ages regularly ostracized these people, … suggesting that in modern Israel the refusal to reinstate citizenship was a legitimate response…” to those who have abandoned their Jewish identity.
In an age where so many of our rabbis are confused it appears that redemption and wisdom can come from the least expected of places.
I would not let them return until the 7th generation. They can live here with no rights as Jews. If they are found to have lied about repenting I would send them out of here on a slow boat to Gaza.
Hey “Shy Guy”, I’m not Jewish, I quit Christianity because of it’s paganism but the one they call Jesus, real name in Hebrew is Yeshua, He is haMashiach, and I am truly sorry that some of my ancestors treated your ancestors a horribly as they did, there is no excuse for that. Now for the Jewish Americans, the Democratic Party is no friend of the Jew, anywhere
The only one without answers is you. Yes, deflect you must.
Other than the eastern religion dabblers, no. And the precedents with Hebrew Christians would likely apply to such dabblers, if such a case should come up.
And since Israel’s Supreme Court is Jewish but very liberal and leftist, they think the world of homosexuals. Not so the Torah.
Homosexuals are idolators? Who knew!
But there are 3 categories of people who should be outrightly denied entry into Israel: 1) idolators, 2) murderers, 3) adulterers and sexual deviants. Currently Israel’s Supreme Court is 2 out of 3.
False. First of all the vast majority of Chabad Hassidim don’t worship the late Rebbe as a deity of any sort. Second, it is hard to discern the minority which does from the majority. Third, regarding that minority, you are correct. This minority is just as stupid as Hebrew Christians are. Thanks for supporting the point. You deflected again but wound up smacking yourself on the upside of your head.
All the questions about Y’shua’s Messiahship can easily be answered from the Bible – but proving it here and now is not the point.
The question that has not been answered is why the inconsistancy of Israel’s law of return position. To say Messianics are idolators would not be justification. Are not Jewish Athesists, Agnositics, Eastern Religion dabblers, homosexuals, etc. idolators? And what really is the difference between Messianics who follow Y’shua and Chabad that follows Schneerson as far as the accusation of idolatory. The only reasons are hypocracy, fear, insecurity, and bigotry.
That would be the equivalent sin of the Golden Calf.
I still struggle with the Christian assertion that observant Jews, even those who have spent their lives contemplating G-D, those who eat, sleep and breathe Torah are going to go to hell just for not accepting the deity of Yeshua.
Jews believe one can get to heaven through good works or observing mitzvot where Christians believe mankind requires reconciliation to G-D through a perfected intermediary. Christians believe we aren’t worthy enough to approach G-D as we are inherently steeped in unrighteousness and that even our greatest works are as filthy rags.
I’ve always taken issue with the idea of Catholics believing Mary was necessary to intercede between man and Jesus when man could just go directly to Yeshua who would then intercede between man and G-D. Mary as intercessor, to me, seemed an extra, unnecesary step. Jews believe they don’t need any intermediary between themselves and G-D; they just go right to G-D. I say Jews have a far healthier self esteem than Christians.
If they support Israel they support an Israel conceptually different from that of the Jews. Most have a dual agenda as inimical to Jews if fulfilled, would be as dangerous or vile as our Muslim enemies. That said by all means support Israel (needs clarification as to how this support manifests itself), but they should expect no reciprocity or quid pro quo from us. Only a simple thank you if their support is seen to be a benefit to us.
Interesting comment!! Can you back it up? Put up or shut up!
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: when He hath said, will He not do it? or when He hath spoken, will He not make it good?
Isaiah 11:1,2,3
describes THE Messiah!
And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;
The Messiah a Man would Fear the lord. Christian theology of Trinity making Jesus co-equal with G-d fly in the face of these verses. G-d fears G-d?
I wonder why Christians overlook these verses?
Maimonides View,: Is that Christian theology is considered avodah zarah (loosely translated as “idolatry”) for all people, both Jew and non-Jew, as it subscribes to the Trinity. Therefore most Christians could not be considered Noahides. However, Unitarian Christians and other followers of Jesus who do not believe that Jesus is a deity would still be considered Noahides.
Maimonides was clearly of the opinion that Christianity was idolatry. He is believed to have ruled in three places that Christianity is idolatry and forbidden to non-Jews:
Ger Toshav, one who accepts upon himself the seven laws as we have explained — his wine is forbidden to drink, but permitted to benefit from. He can be appointed over wine, but wine is not deposited by him. Such it is with all non-Jews that are not idolators, such as the Muslims — their wine is forbidden to drink, but permitted to benefit from; This is also how we were instructed by the Gaonim. However the Christians — since they are idolators, one is even prohibited from benefiting from their wine.
And also
Know that this Christian nation, who advocates the messianic claim in all their various sects, all of them are idolaters. On all their various festivals it is forbidden for us to deal with them. And all Torah restrictions pertaining to idolaters pertain to them… We deal with them as we would deal with any idolaters on their festival
Does The Trinity Make Sense? (1of2) Rabbi Tovia Singer vs William Lane Craig Debate
Does The Trinity Make Sense? (2of2) Rabbi Tovia Singer vs William Lane Craig Debate
Rabbi Zevi Yehudah Kook (1891-1982)
Christianity should be dismissed as an internal Jewish heresy; G-d the creator clearly cannot be a man; the Jewish G-d is alive whereas the Christian’s is dead. Christianity is the refuse of Israel, in line with the purported ancient Talmudic portrayals of Jesus as boiling in excrement.
Jeff said:
That’s what I’m struggling with. Does their supreme court denounce atheist Jews as not Jewish or is that ire reserved only for Messianics? If Messianics are Torah observant where an atheist isn’t, yet the Messianic Jew is deemed not a Jew but the Atheist who outright rejects the one true G-D, and many times are outright hostile to the concept, gets a pass, that just doesn’t seem right to me. Judging from Yamit’s previous contributions on this thread the Messiah’s importance doesn’t supercede the importance of acknowledgment of the G-D of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or adherence to Torah.
Is it accurate to say that ShyGuy is of the mind that any belief that Yeshua is equal to G-D or Is G-D is just downright blasphemy? Hence ShyGuy’s hostility.
Yamit shared:
Thank you for sharing this Yamit.
Georg von starkermann said:
I disagree. Israel survives because the LORD holds to His promise.
Nevertheless, the Jewish people – even if they are sinners – remain the Jewish people.
And repentance and prayer and acts of righteousness and justice will avert the calamity of the decree.
One can be born a Jew and cut ones self off from his people. One such example are Jews who are worshipers of false deities. That includes your dead Jesus pagan mangod on a stick.
As for being a messiah, yeh, Jesus was a false messiah. Sorry it didn’t work out. Better luck next time.
A Jew can be an athest and be a Jew, an agnostic and be a Jew, a homosexual and be a Jew, a believer in Snerson as the Messiah and be a Jew (and even proselitis other Jews), a follower of Eastern religions and be a Jew, eat pig and other traf, desecrate the Shabbat and every other commandment and still be a Jew, but if he or she believes in a Jew named Y’shua who fulfilled 48 of of the Messiah ben Joseph (suffering servant) scriptures (and will fulfill the Messiah ben David scriptures – quoted by Yamit – in the future) and is shomrey shabbos, Biblically kosher, supporter of Israel, circumcised, Pesach observant, etc. then he or she is not a Jew according to the supreme court and other Jews who are so insecure and fearful that their beliefs won’t stand up to the Messianics that they just black list them and verbally (and sometimes physically) abuse them.
If you don’t see a hypocritical inconsistancy in the denouncing of Messianic Jews than you need new eye glasses.
I really enjoy arguments about Messianic Jews not being Jewish. These Jews are ardent supporters of israel, almost 100% in almost every Messianic congregation. Among Evangelical Christians, the support and love for Israel is almost 100% If for not the love of Israel by these people, Israel would have vanished years ago. The majority of Jews voted for a known anti semite called Barack Obama. This same majority will vote for Obama come 2012, even though the Jews know more about Obama’s ties to the Moslem world. What’s the reason for this?
Most American Jews are Ghetto Jews. They remember exactly what my people(The Germans) did to them during and prior to WW2. These Jews are taking no chances other than to vote lock stock and barrel for the Democrats and their minions. They feel safer with these Democrats then with any other political party.
Ghetto Jews want the security of the dominent power, and even as someone else stated” Jews live like Episcopalians they vote like Puerto Ricans” This is the ghetto Jew. Don’t take chances, don’t rock the boat.
Obama is anti Israel, so will these Ghetto Jews be anti Israel. All 78% of those who voted for him.
Thank God we have the Messianic Jews and the Evangelicals supporting Israel.
Among orthodox Jews and many conservative Jews there are no theological disagreements. The basic principles (see 13 foundation principles) are accepted by all and only differences in interpretation regarding the application of the principles. see Talmud (oral Law)
why is the identity of the Messiah so contentious?
The word “Messiah” is an English rendering of the Hebrew word “Mashiach”, which means “Anointed.” It usually refers to a person initiated into God’s service by being anointed with oil. (Exodus 29:7, I Kings 1:39, II Kings 9:3)
Since every King and High Priest was anointed with oil, each may be referred to as “an anointed one” (a Mashiach or a Messiah). For example: “God forbid that I [David] should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s Messiah [Saul]…” (I Samuel 26:11. Cf. II Samuel 23:1, Isaiah 45:1, Psalms 20:6)
Where does the Jewish concept of Messiah come from? One of the central themes of Biblical prophecy is the promise of a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God. (Isaiah 2:1-4; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Isaiah 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34)
Many of these prophetic passages speak of a descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of perfection. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5)
Since every King is a Messiah, by convention, we refer to this future anointed king as The Messiah. The above is the only description in the Bible of a Davidic descendant who is to come in the future. We will recognize the Messiah by seeing who the King of Israel is at the time of complete universal perfection.
What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? The Bible says that he will:
A. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
B. Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
C. Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
D. Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: “God will be King over all the world—on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One” (Zechariah 14:9).
The historical fact is that Jesus fulfilled none of these messianic prophecies.
Judaism is not predicated on The Messiah. We don’t need him TO BE JEWISH and to fulfill our purpose. Christians do! If Judaism is a TREE, THE MESSIAH ISN’T EVEN A TWIG!!!
We Jews are liberal enough to allow other religions their belief, but not so overly liberal that we credit them with the label “truth.” We do not concede the possibility of a different Gate to heaven … therefore Our Temple’s gateways to Heaven are open to all.
“And also the foreigner who is not of your People Israel…when he shall come and pray toward this House, and you shall hear.”
1 Kings 8
Note: This also by the way, debunks the Christian belief that there must be blood sacrifice for redemption. Prayer in place of sacrifice. Don’t need no sacrificial Lamb. 🙂
In a real Jewish society, the line generally would be what one does in the privacy of his own domain and public displays. Since Judaism is not a religion the collective must protect itself similar to law and penalties that of democracies who legislate and enforce laws and ordinances to protect that democracy from anti-democratic ideas and movements which threaten it. So one can say there are many instances where antidemocratic laws are legislated in order to protect the democratic society.
Jewish social and political society depends on maintaining the moral purity of our society and our moral compass for doing so is what G-d has deemed moral not me or my neighbor. Only strong moral societies would or could expunge from within that society deviant and immoral conduct.
Tolerance, another concept for permissiveness has destroyed the fabric of every society that allowed and practiced it. Pagan worship is tolerant,(Christian societies) whereas Jewish worship is exclusionary. The social process of moving from a strict religion to a permissive one could be likened to entropy.
You claim to be a middle of a roader? That’s too ambiguous and an impossible position to take. Things like speed limits on whether there is a stand to take whether the speed limits are 60 mph or 62mmp, can be tolerated but how about opening a gay bar or any bars in suburban residential areas? there are thousands of examples I could give to support my position.
I agree that a large multi-ethnical society like America would find my positions impossible but for a small country like Israel with the vast majority being Jewish, allows for a closed system of ethical and moral collective behavior and intolerance to the non Jewish foreign ideas and manifestations of what is alien and anti Jewish.
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. Numbers Chapter 23:9
Deuteronomy 33:28 So Israel will live in safety alone;
In the past Caroline Glick has stayed clear of the missionary/messianic issue, because she did not want to alienate evangelical support for Israel and did not deem evangelizing Christians as a formidable or immediate challenge to Israel. I had a long email exchange with her on this topic a couple of years ago. But it’s interesting how the analogy crept into her recent column and she seems to comprehend the danger now.
Simply debunked.
Go ahead. Explain what they got wrong. Waiting….
You are boring us with your trivialities and quotes from mere men. The Messiah, the One who fulfilled numerous prophesies (to anyone with eyes to see), is The Messiah of the world. I am an Israelite, and will always, be one. I don’t need you all, or anyone else to tell me whether or not I am a Jew, or acceptable to you. I am acceptable to YHWH because I have accepted Yahshua, the final Sacrifice of YHWH. You may choose to blaspheme, but you will answer to YHWH’s Messiah. You, or anyone else, can’t take Israel from my heart.
I see your point about the expanding definition of tolerance, I do. I admire the moral absolutes of the Orthodox Jews but you’re talking to someone who looks for middle ground. Not too radical either way. You approve of “ostracizing” homosexuals? What does your understanding of ostracization entail? Will ostracization change the homosexual? How would you counsel the homosexual? Would you beat the homosexuality out of them? Christians are taught to: love the sinner hate the sin. I find homosexuality morally reprehensible, believe me. The idea of “gay marriage” is sickening and I do not support it here in the USA no matter how normal Hollywood tells me it is. But should we beat, imprison or kill homosexuals? If we do any of these things then how does that communicate God’s love and forgiveness? I understand you adhere to the letter of the law and believe the harshness of the law is necessary but as a Christian we are also taught forgiveness & redemption. Can the homosexual be redeemed through fear, beatings, imprisonment, etc.? Would you just expel them?
Is there no room for theological disagreement? Surely, even religious Jews have theological disagreements. When you disagree with each other do you just denounce all those you don’t agree with as no longer Jewish and kick them out or kill them? If those you disagree with believe in the one true G-D, the G-D of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then why is the identity of the Messiah so contentious? I would think that as long as you share the same bottom line: believing in the one true G-D that would be enough. Maybe I’m just asking the wrong questions. What is your understanding of the Messiah?
Tolerance and moral subjectivity starts with accepting other religions and not ostracizing homosexuals. The sphere of tolerance is continuously expanded. If we tolerate all religions, why not tolerate Islam? If we tolerate homosexuality, why not accept gay unions? Then the cornerstone institution of family is undermined by same-sex marriages. Judges will find no reason to prohibit polygamy, and the only argument I’ve heard against bestiality is animal rights; shouldn’t rape a sheep. The line between tolerance and weakness is too fine for a state to dance.
Israel cannot be tolerant. She must be a Jewish country. That’s her reason for existence. Think of it as a zoning regulation. Arabs, homosexuals, and Peace Now members can live thirty miles away from their current residences, in Jordan or Lebanon. Or in Canada, if it would have them.
After seeing what has become of Europe and North America, I find it odd you would still be advocating tolerance.
Shy Guy said:
He was over 30 years Orthodox. Evidently, he had a Road To Damascus experience i.e. a supernatural occurrence influenced his decision. His wife divorced him and his children would no longer speak to him over it. To date, he has reconciled with 2 of his 3 children.
Shy Guy said:
No, I’m a Christian. I started attending a messianic congregation a few months ago because I wanted to learn more about the jewish roots of the Christian faith as opposed to the Romanized version. Not to mention, it never hurts to brush up on the OT. I just refuse to fight over Messiah/not Messiah because when Messiah comes all those who choose to argue over it will be able to ask Him if its His 1st or 2nd visit to J’Salem. What you believe is between you and yours and it doesn’t change my appreciation for the Jewish people, the contributions they have made and I have no doubt that the land of Israel is in the hands of its rightful owners. I still do not appreciate being called a supersessionist European, however, Shy Guy. I’ve gone out of my way to not proselytize here because I understand you find it offensive. I know I’m not going to change your mind and you aren’t going to change mine.
Yamit said:<
That’s fine. It is your nation, after all, and if you want to be just as intolerant as the Muslims you are welcome to it.
So you must be a Shinto Buddhist.
Why the “of course”? Most messyanics aren’t Jewish and the ones who were actually born Jewish usually come from very ignorant Jewish households or completely rebelled against anything Jewish before having some personal crisis and being lulled into some cult, yours included.
Hmmmm…….
It didn’t work. New methods have evolved – fat free and environmentally friendly.
There are new sins all the time. You’re addicted to them.
/turns the other cheek
Interesting even our Bolshevik Supreme Court has ruled messianic (jews,sic) are not Jews and have no rights as Jews in Israel.
I would ship all of our messianic jews to Gaza. A match made in Heaven! ;).
I think Glick is using data in Gross opposition the the survey results above or she is being disingenuous.
Beyond Distancing: Young Adult American Jews and Their Alienation from Israel
Publication Date: 2007
Author(s): Steven M. Cohen, Ari Y. Kelman
Publisher: Jewish Identity Project of Reboot
What Jews under 35 feel towards Israel goes beyond apathy to outright resentment
Shy Guy said:
I am not a Messianic Jew. I said my rabbi was. He was raised orthodox of course. He warned me about the hostility that Messianics receive; he was disowned by his family even. You want me to go away. Very well. Way to prove American Eagle correct. I’ve never threatened to boil anyone in oil. Way to hold me accountable for what others did long before I was ever born. I guess, in your eyes, I am guilty for what others did and can never be made clean for THEIR sins. You’re a dick.
ISRAEL & YOU
9. Do you agree or do you disagree
with each of the following
statements?
Agree
Strongly Agree
Not
Sure Disagree
Disagree
Strongly
a. Caring about Israel is a very important
part of my being a Jew………………. 26% 44% 12% 15% 3%
b. I am worried the United States may
stop being a firm ally of Israel………… 17% 37% 16% 25% 5%
c. If Israel were destroyed, I would feel
as if I had suffered one of the
greatest personal tragedies of my
life………………………………………….
34% 30% 18% 13% 5%
d. I would call myself a supporter of
Israel…………………………………… 34% 48% 12% 5% 1%
e. I am sometimes uncomfortable
identifying myself as a supporter of
Israel……………………………………
3% 11% 15% 44% 27%
f. Israel occupies lands that belong to
another people………………………. 3% 10% 17% 32% 36%
g. Though I don’t condone terrorism, I
am sympathetic with the Palestinians’
drive for national liberation…………..
4% 21% 21% 24% 30%
h. American Jews should not publicly
criticize the policies of the
government of Israel…….……………
6% 20% 23% 39% 13%
i. Given my views on tolerance,
diversity and pluralism, I am
uncomfortable with the idea of a
“Jewish State” of Israel……………….
4% 8% 18% 34% 36%
10. Below are different ways people may feel about Israel. In each case, how often would you
say that you feel this way about Israel – never, sometimes, often, or always?
Never Sometimes Often Always
a. Proud…………………………………………..6. % 29% 33% 32%
b. Excited ………………………………………1…2 % 40% 28% 20%
c. Ambivalent …………………………………3…8 % 46% 12% 3%
d. Ashamed ……………………………………7…1 % 27% 2% 1%
11. How emotionally attached are
you to Israel?
Very Attached Somewhat Attached Not Very Attached Not At All Attached
25% 43% 24% 8%
YOUR BELIEFS & OPINIONS
8. Do you agree or do you disagree with Agree Not Disagree
each of the following statements? Strongly Agree Sure Disagree Strongly
a. The Holocaust has deeply affected me……………… 39% 46% 8% 6% 0%
b. I am proud to be a Jew………………………………… 64% 31% 4% 1% 0%
c. I have a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish
people………………………………………………… 49% 34% 11% 6% 1%
d. Being Jewish is the primary way I identify myself……. 25% 30% 10% 29% 5%
e. It is important to me to have friends who are Jewish.. 21% 40% 13% 22% 4%
f. I wish I knew more Jewishly……………………………. 15% 34% 24% 24% 4%
g. I want any Jewish community that I’m a part of to
include non-Jews……………………………………. 22% 48% 19% 8% 2%
h. I feel part of a number of communities………………. 22% 48% 18% 12% 2%
i. I have a Jewish responsibility to care for people in
trouble (as with Darfur or Katrina)…………………… 18% 39% 24% 16% 3%
j. I feel as moved by the oppression of non-Jews as
by the comparable oppression of Jews…………… 27% 47% 16% 9% 2%
k. I have a special responsibility to take care of Jews
in need around the world…………………………… 20% 39% 23% 16% 2%
l. If I were marching for a social cause where the
march had a Jewish contingent, I’d march with it…. 15% 33% 37% 13% 3%
m. It bothers me when people try to tell me that
there’s a right way to be Jewish……………………. 41% 39% 11% 8% 1%
n. Most synagogue services are not interesting to me. 11% 31% 14% 35% 8%
o. I find some synagogue services appealing to me….. 15% 55% 14% 12% 3%
p. Even if I don’t observe every aspect of the
Sabbath, I do try to make it a special day………….. 12% 27% 16% 36% 8%
q. Jewish charities place too much emphasis on
helping only Jews…………………………………… 6% 20% 27% 36% 10%
r. Jewish organizations stifle productive conversations
about Israel…………………………………………… 5% 11% 42% 32% 10%
s. I find Jewish organizations largely remote and
irrelevant……………………………………………… 6% 23% 27% 34% 11%
t. Jews should marry whoever they fall in love with,
even if they’re not Jewish…………………………… 29% 34% 13% 14% 9%
u. I would be upset if a child of mine were to marry
a non-Jew who did not convert to Judaism……….. 13% 17% 14% 29% 28%
v. I am concerned that the number of Jews in the U.S.
will diminish over the next couple of generations.. 23% 39% 19% 16% 3%
THE 2007 NATIONAL SURVEY
OF AMERICAN JEWS
2. Do you see yourself as:
Yes
a. Religious? …………………………………………………………………………. 35%
b. Secular?……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 44%
c. Spiritual? ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 61%
d. Observant (religiously)?…………………………………………………………………………. 31%
e. Jewish by religion? ………………………………………………………………………………… 89%
f. Jewish by ethnicity? ………………………………………………………………………………. 82%
g. Culturally Jewish?………………………………………………………………………………….. 78%
h. Pro-Israel?…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 82%
i. A Zionist? ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 28%
3. With respect to your belief in God, which term best applies to you?
Believer: 67% Agnostic: 14% Atheist: 6% Not sure: 13%
4. How much anti-Semitism do you think there is in the United States today? Is there…
A great deal: 38% A moderate amount: 48% A little: 13% None at all: 0%
5. Looking ahead over the next several years, do you think that anti-Semitism in the United
States will increase, decrease, or remain the same?
Increase: 47% Decrease: 6% Remain the same: 47%
6. How much anti-Semitism do you think there is in Europe today? Is there…
A great deal: 62% A moderate amount: 32% A little: 5% None at all: 0%
7. Looking ahead over the next several years, do you think that anti-Semitism in Europe will
increase, decrease, or remain the same?
Increase: 62% Decrease: 4% Remain the same: 34%
BEYOND DISTANCING:
Young Adult American Jews and
Their Alienation from Israel
Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman
With the assistance of Lauren Blitzer
Been to Israel 40% 36%
Most close friends Jewish 34%
Seder 73%
Fast Yom Kippur 58%
Services High Holidays 54%
Shabbat candles 25%
Attend services monthly 24%
Synagogue member 40%
Been to JCC past year 32%
Donor to Jewish Federation 37%
Being Jewish very important 46%
Attached to Israel 25%
He is not a rabbi. He is also not a Jew, either by birth or by decision. Take your pick.
Neturei Karta consist of a handful of people. Noobody supports them except for the Arab League and maybe free pistachio nuts from Iran.
As for messyanics like yourself being pro-Israel, by definition this is a joke since your continuing infiltration (that’s what it is a great percentage of the time) into Israel and into Jewish communities weakens the spirituality of the Nation of Israel, which does just the opposite from supporting or divinely protecting the Jewish State of Israel.
Go away. We preferred you when you threatened us with boiling oil for killing your dead pagan Jew mangod on a stick.
My Rabbi is a Messianic Jew and he is unswervingly pro-Israel. He most certainly is more pro-Israel than Neturei Karta. It is hypocritical of Neturei Karta Jews to continue to reside in Israel while believeing Israel’s current existence is wrong. Neturei Karta Jews should match their actions with their beliefs and not reside in Israel while simultaneously denouncing her existence. This article’s smearing of ALL Messianic Jews as anti-Israel is disgusting.
2a. Some of the most arch enemies of the Jews came from those institutions. Why? Because it was part of it’s establishment, I believe. The party of the Democrats is no longer a party that is in compliance with Democracy. They are not Socialists. These are ARCH Communists. They are the GLOBALISTS. Communists have never been and won’t ever subscribe to the philosophy of Democracy, because they are elitist. This is why most don’t see themselves in the realm of the COMMON person. This is actually what they would consider and insult. Yet, they themselves have been deceived. Look up the word Sophism and what Plato would have thought about OUR Educational institutions of LOWER LEARNING (the IVY league colleges and Universities) are the breeding grounds of deception. Communists thrive in such an environment. Look the “institutions” of “HIGHER” education —
1. American Jews have been indoctrinated to believe that they only democrats or that the party of Democrats is the ONLY party, which supports the Jews and the Israeli state. I have, on my website, through many postings of my opinion of news articles, debunked that the Democrat party is the same party as it was even 40 years ago. Somethings have changed. They began with the 1938 establishment of the Muslim Brotherhood. The PARTY which is now in bed with the Communists. The Communist began their infiltration of the Democrat party at around the same time. I don’t subscribe to this being a coincidence. Angela Yvonne Davis, Brandeis university – Political party Communist (until the early 1990s)-
3. While Islamist have many points that are common there is ONE that is not. Islamists believe that ALLAH is always correct, which is a g-dlike understanding and therefore no questions can come forward and it remains always consistent. The Communists allow for a philosophical “evolution” – just as they believe that the Constitution is a living and breathing document. The Islamists don’t allow for that. This is a MAJOR divergence and one that can not be reconciled.
This last point, is actually why, in the end, the Islamists and the Communists will do battle. This seed of secession is already being planted in Saudi Arabia – Moderate Muslim from Saudi Arabia – The current leadership – “communism, capitalism, and so on – has gone bankrupt. Only Islam is left to lead the world.” — http://txlady706.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/moderate-muslim-from-saudi-arabia-the-current-leadership-%e2%80%93-communism-capitalism-and-so-on-%e2%80%93-has-gone-bankrupt-only-islam-is-left-to-lead-the-world/
There will only be one.
Judaism can’t ever die. It’s the truth and the truth can only be suppressed with many vices. Both the Communists and the Islamists have tried and have been moderately successful. The truth always survives.
One lesson to draw from this is, don’t believe everything you read on the Web. It’s just a sim world, not the real world.
The web world is overrun with anti-Israel Jews and anti-Israel liberals in general; the real world, not so much.
It follows that condemning “the left” or “the liberals” as automatically anti-Israel or antisemitic is counterfactual and therefore unwise; unwise because a blanket condemnation turns us away from those who would support us.