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'''Counter-missionary''' is a term used mainly but not exclusively to describe [[Jew]]ish organizations who seek to help fellow Jews understand proselytizing of Christian and other religious groups and help them connect or reconnect to their Judaism. <ref> Cho, David, “Conversion Outreach Plan Stirs Outrage”;,</ref> <ref> http://www.aishdas.org/torahnet/Counter-Missionary/ Aishdas Torahnet</ref>. These groups can be found within all [[Jewish denominations]]. The Jewish term is "Kiruv Rechokim" which translates to "Jewish Outreach."
'''Counter-missionary''' is a term used mainly but not exclusively to describe [[Jew]]ish organizations who seek to help fellow Jews understand proselytizing of Christian and other religious groups and help them connect or reconnect to their Judaism. <ref> Cho, David, “Conversion Outreach Plan Stirs Outrage”;,</ref> <ref> http://www.aishdas.org/torahnet/Counter-Missionary/ Aishdas Torahnet</ref>. These groups can be found within all [[Jewish denominations]]. Reaching out to Jews to draw them near to Judaism is commonly referred to as Kiruv or Keruv (Hebrew: קירוב‎, "bringing close"). The goal of counter-missionaries is to bring Jews to Judaism. Countering other religions' efforts to convert Jews to foreign religions is a by-product of the desire to keep Jews Jewish. If other religions did not target Jews for conversion from Judaism there would be no need for "counter" missionaries, but there would still be a need to educate secular Jews through outreach. This article will explain the need and the response.


== Christians Targeting Jews for Conversion to Christianity ==
== Christians Targeting Jews for Conversion to Christianity ==

Revision as of 01:15, 30 December 2009

Counter-missionary is a term used mainly but not exclusively to describe Jewish organizations who seek to help fellow Jews understand proselytizing of Christian and other religious groups and help them connect or reconnect to their Judaism. [1] [2]. These groups can be found within all Jewish denominations. Reaching out to Jews to draw them near to Judaism is commonly referred to as Kiruv or Keruv (Hebrew: קירוב‎, "bringing close"). The goal of counter-missionaries is to bring Jews to Judaism. Countering other religions' efforts to convert Jews to foreign religions is a by-product of the desire to keep Jews Jewish. If other religions did not target Jews for conversion from Judaism there would be no need for "counter" missionaries, but there would still be a need to educate secular Jews through outreach. This article will explain the need and the response.

Christians Targeting Jews for Conversion to Christianity

Many Chrstian denominations target Jews for conversion. [3]. The JTA, a Jewish News Service, conducted an extensive analysis of Christian efforts to convert Jews to Christianity [4] and determined that the Southern Baptists (at 16 million the largest single Christian denomination in the United States [5] the Assemblies of God [6], and the Missouri-Synod Lutherans[7] have all increased their efforts to convert Jews to Christianity in the recent past. The article states that "Jews for Jesus completed a five-year tour called “Behold Your God” that brought its message to 53 cities worldwide. Chosen People Ministries saw its income grow by 31 percent, to $7.9 million, between 2003 and 2006. The Phoenix-based Jewish Voice Ministries International says that since 1993 it has drawn 500,000 people to festivals and concerts aimed at evangelizing Jews in Eastern Europe, South America and India.

"Jews for Judaism, [8]which is a Jewish counter-missionary group, writes that there are over 900 Christian and Hebrew Christian groups in North America actively involved in missionizing the Jewish people. Jews for Judaism further states that these groups are currently spending over $250 million per year on efforts to convert Jews to Christianity. Jews for Jesus, the best known single ministry to the Jews, spent over $15 million in 2008. [9].

The Assemblies of God "The AOG is one of the oldest denominations to adopt the "Jewishness" approach of converting Jews to Christianity. What began in 1983 with only 18 "Jewish Centers" and a "Home Missions to the Jews Department," has culminated in the formation of the NJF or "The National Jewish Fellowship ." The NJF specifically targets Jews to "proclaim, educate, and encourage the furthering of the truth of Messiah (Jesus) among the world's Jewish community." Hebrew Christian "Rabbi" Felix Helpern, President of the Assemblies of God NJF, calls upon gentiles and Jews a like to "plant" more "synagogues" within their church framework. "I see the fellowship acting as a catalyst to planting more synagogues within the Assemblies of God and facilitating more (Hebrew Christian) Messianic fellowships within our churches," he stated. AG News." [10]

Israel has more than 100 Messianic congregations, per Yaakov Shalom Ariel, associate professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina and author of “Evangelizing The Chosen People.”"[11].

A leading effort to convert Jews to Christianity is the "Jews for Jesus" Baptist cult. Jews for Jesus was founded by a Southern Baptist Minister (Martin Meyer Rosen),and still has close ties to the Baptists. To better entice Jews Martin Meyer Rosen took a more "Jewish" sounding name (Moishe Rosen). Rosen was ordained as a Conservative Baptist minister in 1957. Rosen developed conversion techniques targeting Jews by overlaying Jewish symbols to Christian beliefs in an attempt to get more Jews to accept Christian theology, (e.g. celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover with Christian overtones).[12]. 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 a Doctor of Divinity Degree from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

The current director, David Brickner, is also a Baptist having graduated from the Moody Bible Institute[13] and the Fuller School of World Mission [14].

Jews for Jesus is one of many sects established to missionize to Jews and convert them to Christianity. Jews for Jesus has a full-time staff of 214 spread out over eleven countries and twenty cities. There are also branch offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada (in Montreal and Toronto), France, Germany (in Essen), Israel, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Ukraine (in Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Kiev and Odessa). In addition to its English-language website, the group has websites in Hungarian, Persian, Italian, Spanish and Korean with an annual budget of over $15 million.[15]

Counter-missionary organizations respond to the efforts of these and other evangelical Christians who target Jews for conversion away from Judaism via personal counseling, web sites with articles addressing often used missionary tactics and discussion forums where Jews who have questions about the differences between Judaism and other religions can be answered.[16]/

Muslims targeting Jews for Conversion

Although most missionary efforts to convert Jews to other religions are sponsored by Christianity, Muslims have also targeted Jews for conversion. [17] Rabbi Moshe Cohen, of Yad L’Achim, an Israeli based Counter-Missionary organization[18], has identified Al Dawaa, an Israeli based Muslim group headed by Sheikh Abu Yassin of Kfar Manda. Yad L'Achim authored the article "New Danger: Muslim Missionaries." [19]

Why Jews are Vulnerable to Missionaries

The worldwide Jewish population is 13.3 million Jews. In 2001, 8.3 million Jews lived in the Diaspora and 4.9 million lived in Israel. Just about half of the world’s Jews reside in the Americas, with about 46 percent in North America. [20].

In North America a significant number of Jews marry non-Jews, up to 72% of Jews marry non-Jews.[21] This is called "inter-marriage" and inter-marriage rates have risen from roughly 6% in 1950 to approximately 40%-50% in the year 2000.[1][2]. Harris Interactive has conducted a survey indicating that 52% of American Jews do not believe in G-d.[22]. The result of inter-marriage and a secular (non-religious Jewish) upbringing is a huge decline in Jewish population as Jews convert to other religions (see above, the great efforts by Southern Baptists, Assemblies of God and others to convert Jews to Christianity) or simply to no faith at all.

The foremost sociologist of American Jewry, Marshall Sklare, wrote: “Many intermarried parents declare….that upon maturity their child will have the right to choose his own identity. This generally means that his identity will be with the majority group. Only if the child has formed a particularly strong identification with the parent who is Jewish will he be motivated to integrate into the minority community. The majority of the children of intermarried Jews, then, will be Gentiles. ...”[23].

Today, of the approximately 6 million Jews in the United States, about 2 out of 3, either do not identify themselves Jewishly or maintain an affiliation with a synagogue. Of 5.6 million Jews, 2 million American Jews live in households identified as non-Jewish. 60% of Jews below 40 years of age live in households identified as non-Jewish. Since 1985, 52% of Jews who married have done so outside the faith. 1 million, or 54% of all American Jewish children under the age of 18 are being raised as non-Jews or with no religion. In 1962, 540,000 Jewish children were attending afternoon weekend schools, and 60,000 were enrolled in day schools. By 1990, fewer than 240,000 Jewish children attended afternoon /weekend schools and 140,000 attended day schools, a net loss of of 220,000 Jewish children. Of the population that consists of people who were born Jewish and are Jewish by choice, only 11% attend synagogue weekly.[24].


The Jewish Response, Counter-Missionary Education

The combination of Jewish apathy, as witnessed by secular (non-Jewish) lifestyles and inter-marriage with non-Jews and the massive efforts to convert Jews to Christianity is causing Judaism to assimilate and leave Judaism behind. The Jewish response is primarily in the form of Jewish outreach and education.

Some Jewish resources are specifically aimed at countering efforts the missionary efforts aimed at Jews. Jews for Judaism is an international organization that provides a wide variety of counseling services, along with education, and outreach programs that enable Jews of all ages to rediscover and strengthen their Jewish heritage. Jews for Judaism has offices in Baltimore, Maryland / Washington DC, Toronto, Canada and Los Angelos, California.[25]. On their website Jews for Judaism offers many articles discussing missionary tactics towards Jews[26], approaches by Mormons[27], Jehovah's Witnesses[28] and various "proof texts" and other arguments often used by missionaries as they evangelize Jews.[29].

Messiah Truth[30] is another counter missionary organization which includes articles countering both Christianity[31] and Islam[32] under the heading of "Knowing Your Own Orchard."

Messiah Truth also sponsors an educational site, the Virtual Yeshiva[33], which includes a number of articles on countering missionary approaches[34] including Why Jews Must Reject the Belief in Jesus[35], Isaiah 7:14 (virgin birth)[36], and Isaiah 53, the Suffering Servant[37]. The Messiah Truth organization also offers an interactive forum where Jews may ask questions about Judaism or missionary arguments and be answered by Jewish experts including Rabbis, Yeshiva instructors, and Hebrew professors.[38].

There are other Counter-Missionary resources including Outreach Judaism[39], a site run by Rabbi Tovia Singer. Outreach Judaism is an international organization that responds directly to the issues raised by missionaries and cults, by exploring Judaism in contradistinction to fundamentalist Christianity. Outreach Judaism provides full-time, multi-level informational resources such as: 

   * A 24-part audio series which may be downloaded for free[40]and and in-depth study guide entitled, "Let's Get Biblical!"[41]
   * A role-play program for teenagers
   * Stimulating and provocative adult education lectures and seminars 
   * College campus outreach
   * Counseling
   * Discussion groups for teenagers and adults
   * Networking with other Jewish organizations worldwide

Rabbi Moshe Shulman has responded to specific missionaries who target Jews, including Michael Brown[42], Rachmiel Frydland, Risto Santala, and David Stern (author of the Christian "Complete Jewish Bible").[43]. Rabbi Shulman's website offers scholarly articles on the mis-use of the Targums, Midrash and Talmud by non-Jews who quote from Jewish sources in an attempt to convert Jews.[44]. In Israel the leading Counter-Missionary organization is Yad L'Achim (Hebrew: יד לאחים) is an Orthodox Jewish organization operating in Israel focussing on outreach and counter-missionary activity. Yad L'Achim is made up of both paid staff, and volunteers, and is largely supported by donations both from Israel and the diaspora[45].

Other online resources include articles by Professor Mordochai ben Tziyyon[46], Jewish Pathways is for people who want to take the next step in their Torah learning and observance.[47], The National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) is an independent, non-profit organization which is dedicated to providing, through educational courses and experiential programs, a basic Jewish education for every Jew in America.[48]. Aish HaTorah (Hebrew: אש התורה, Esh HaTorah, "Fire of the Torah") is a Jewish Orthodox Ashkenazi organization and yeshiva. Aish HaTorah is actively pro-Israel and encourages Jewish people to visit Israel and connect to the land and its history. From a religious perspective, however, it follows a mostly Charedi philosophy. Some have asserted that the organisation reflects a more Religious Zionist philosophy in its attachment to Israel, promoting Jewish pride and by sending young American Jews to Israel.[49] The organization's stated mission is "providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their heritage." Its headquarters are in the Old City of Jerusalem. The government of Israel awarded it 40 percent of the land facing the Western Wall.

The organization has branches in 35 cities around the world. Each branch has independent governance and funding.[50].


See also

References

  1. ^ Cho, David, “Conversion Outreach Plan Stirs Outrage”;,
  2. ^ http://www.aishdas.org/torahnet/Counter-Missionary/ Aishdas Torahnet
  3. ^ http://www.jewsonfirst.org/evangelizing.aspx Jews on First, Evangelizing the Jews
  4. ^ http://jta.org/news/article/2007/11/15/104639/evangelicalpartI JTA, Inc.
  5. ^ http://www.sbc.net/ SBC
  6. ^ www.ag.org/ AG
  7. ^ www.lcms.org/ LCMS
  8. ^ http://jewsforjudaism.org Jews for Judaism
  9. ^ http://jewsforjudaism.org/faq-quick-links-157 Jews for Judaism
  10. ^ http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/who-are-the-assemblies-of-god-newest-content-443 Who are The Assemblies of God, and what do they have to do with the Jews?
  11. ^ http://jta.org/news/article/2007/11/15/104639/evangelicalpartI JTA, Inc.)
  12. ^ http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/library/library-primary-228/book-reviews/265-christ-in-the-passover-why-is-this-night-different- Christ in the Passover
  13. ^ http://www.moody.edu/ Moody
  14. ^ http://www.fuller.edu/academics/school-of-intercultural-studies/school-of-intercultural-studies.aspx Fuller
  15. ^ About Us (Jews for Jesus)
  16. ^ http://messiahtruth.yuku.com/ Messiah Truth Forum
  17. ^ http://www.jews-for-allah.org/ Jews for All-ah
  18. ^ http://www.yadlachimusa.org.il Yad L'Achim USA
  19. ^ http://www.yadlachimusa.org.il/Index.asp?ArticleID=598&CategoryID=193&Page=1 Muslim Missionaries.
  20. ^ http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/world-jewish-population.htm Simple to Remember
  21. ^ http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/IntermarriageWhyNot/ Intermarriage, Why Not?
  22. ^ http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/jewsdontbelieve/ Simple to Remember
  23. ^ America’s Jews (New York: Random House, 1971), p. 202
  24. ^ http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/intermarriage-statistics/
  25. ^ http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/home-mainmenu-1/about-us-primary-221 Jews for Judaism
  26. ^ http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/library/library-primary-228/missionary-tactics Missionary Tatctics
  27. ^ http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/library/library-primary-228/mormons-on-jews Mormons
  28. ^ http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/library/library-primary-228/jehovahs-witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses
  29. ^ http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/faq-primary-211 Proof Texts
  30. ^ http://www.messiahtruth.com/response.html Messiah Truth
  31. ^ http://www.messiahtruth.com/analysisc.html Christianity Analysis
  32. ^ http://www.messiahtruth.com/analysisi.html Analysis of Islam
  33. ^ http://virtualyeshiva.com Virtual Yeshiva
  34. ^ http://virtualyeshiva.com/counter Counter Missionary
  35. ^ http://www.virtualyeshiva.com/counter/reject.swf Reject Jesus
  36. ^ http://www.virtualyeshiva.com/counter/is714_1.pdf Isaiah 7:14 - An Accurate Grammatical Analysis [Part I & II]
  37. ^ http://www.virtualyeshiva.com/counter/isaiah53a.swf Isaiah 53 - Who Is the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53? [Part I]
  38. ^ http://messiahtruth.yuku.com/ Messiah Truth Forum
  39. ^ http://outreachjudaism.org/ Outreach Judaism
  40. ^ http://outreachjudaism.org/biblical.html Download Audio Files from Outreach Judaism
  41. ^ https://www.outreachjudaism.org/OrderForm.aspx?selected=study Study Guide
  42. ^ http://www.judaismsanswer.com/Brown-Index.htm Michael Brown
  43. ^ http://www.judaismsanswer.com/lies.htm,
  44. ^ http://www.judaismsanswer.com/ Judaism's Answer
  45. ^ Yad L'Achim's About our Staff page
  46. ^ http://mordochai.tripod.com
  47. ^ http://www.jewishpathways.com/ Jewish Pathways
  48. ^ http://www.njop.org/ Jewish Outreach
  49. ^ Evans, Will Clarion Responds, As New Details Emerge About "Radical Islam" DVD, URL:http://www.npr.org/blogs/secretmoney/2008/09/new_details_emerge_about_radic.html. Accessed: 2008-10-03. (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5bIjeosJf)
  50. ^ http://www.aish.com Aish

Further reading

  • Evangelizing the chosen people: missions to the Jews in America, 1880-2000 by Ariel, Yaakov Shalom (The University of North Carolina Press) ISBN-10: 0807825662
  • Evangelizing the Chosen People: Missions to the Jews in America, by Ariel, Yaakov Shalom (he University of North Carolina Press), ISBN-10: 0807848808
  • Twenty-Six Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus by Asher Norman (Black White and Read Publishing) ISBN 978-0977193721
  • Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History by David Klinghoffer (Doubleday) ISBN 978-0385510219
  • The Jewish response to missionaries: Counter-missionary handbook by Bentzion Kravitz (Jews for Judaism) ASIN: B0006RRKJG
  • V'Da Mah SheTashiv: Know What To Answer (To Missionaries) A Thorough Jewish response To Missionaries by Ben Solomon (Outskirts Press) ISBN 978-1598009347
  • You Take Jesus, I'll Take God: How to Refute Christian Missionaries by Samuel Levine (Hamoroh Press) ISBN 978-0960475414

Groups which prompted this response

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