Moishe Rosen
- Not to be confused with Moses Rosen, Chief Rabbi of Romania
Martin "Moishe" Rosen (April 12, 1932 – May 18, 2010)[1] was the founder and former Executive Director of Jews for Jesus, an evangelical Christian missionary organization that focuses specifically on evangelism to the Jewish people. His parents were Ben Rosen and Rose Baker. Rosen was raised in Denver, Colorado. According to Rosen his mother's parents were "Reform Jews from Austria", his paternal grandfather was Orthodox, and although Rosen's father regularly attended an Orthodox synagogue[2] he was irreligious and viewed religion as a "racket".[3]
Rosen married Ceil Starr on August 18, 1950, and they became Christians in 1953. After graduating from Northeastern Bible College, Rosen made a commitment to be a missionary to Jews from 1956. He was ordained as a Conservative Baptist minister in 1957. He founded what became known as Jews for Jesus in 1969. In 1973, Rosen left the employment of the American Board of Missions to the Jews (now called Chosen People Ministries) to incorporate a separate mission which became known as Jews for Jesus ministries. In 1986, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He stepped down from his position as Executive Director in 1996, and continued to be employed as a staff missionary, remaining one of fifteen board members until his death on May 19, 2010.
In 1997, the Conservative Baptist Association named him a "Hero of the Faith."
A March 2010 article on Charisma Magazine's website indicated that Rosen had been suffering from a number of serious health issues, including bone cancer.[4] Rosen died on May 19, 2010 of prostate cancer.[5]
[edit] Publications
Rosen wrote numerous books, including:
- Sayings of Chairman Moishe (1972)
- Jews for Jesus (1974)
- Share the New Life with a Jew (1976)
- Christ in the Passover (1977)
- Y'shua: the Jewish way to say Jesus (1982)
- Overture to Armageddon (1991)
- The Universe is Broken: Who on Earth Can Fix It? (1991)
- Demystifying Personal Evangelism (1992)
- Witnessing to Jews (1998)
- Christ in the Passover (2006) [revised and expanded]
[edit] References
- ^ Jews for Jesus founder dies Baptist Press
- ^ Moishe Rosen: Founder of Jews for Jesus
- ^ Jews for Jesus, Moishe Rosen with William Proctor, Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1974, p.21 Rosen sums up his religious training by saying, "My father's belief – 'religion is a racket'."
- ^ "Moishe Rosen spends a lot of time resting now as he copes with the effects of prostate disease that metastasized into bone cancer. Last fall, he nearly died after surgery for an intestinal blockage."
- ^ Moishe Rosen, 78; founded evangelistic group Jews for Jesus
