Yesterday I read an article in the Jerusalem Post, subtitled “Watch out missionaries”, about how Messianic Jews were being harrassed in Arad by local Gerrer Hasidim. The reporter wrote of the hardships the Messianics had to endure, ranging from being threathened and cursed on the street to having their buildings burnt down.
This wasnt the first time I heard about this, when I was in Israel I spoke to a pastor in Beersheva who told me firsthand how they were consistently harrassed and threathened and how one time the congregation was stormed, and he was thrown in the baptismal font!
These stories are disheartening, especially upon hearing how the Police doesnt involve itself very much…
However, there is another side to these stories, which I think should also be taken into account:
While in Israel volunteering in a soupkitchen I got to know a girl who worked there full-time. She was quite desperate for love – which I wasnt going to give her, besides normal friendship – but one day she told me that she went to see the dentist and while sitting in the lobby got to know this very friendly woman that also believed in Jesus but was Jewish.
This made me a bit uncomfortable as many Messianic Jews in Israel were simply Evangelicals with Jewish blood, which is not bad in itself, but in my opinion far from desirable.
I knew the girl was vulnerable, she had lost both of her parents, had problems with her eyes and just longed for friendship and love. Hence I was expecting the woman at the dentist and her fellow congregants to take advantage of her situation by extending her the love and friendship she desired, in order to convert her.
I returned home and came to Israel a couple of months later to hear the rest of the story:
At first it was nice, she was warmly welcomed and felt loved, and after some time she started to believe, but then noticed that they were trying to get her married to a Messianic Jew so that she would stay. That made her uncomfortable and the people werent so friendly anymore when she didnt cooperate, and she resolved to leave behind all this “Jesus-stuff” and never return again.
Though a case in itself, I think its important that this is known, that things like this happen, that counter-missionaries are not making everything up. Needless to say its not true that every Messianic Jew is a missionary hunting for prey but there are vulnerable people targeted, who are often not given the chance to make a well thought out decision.
Hence I can understand the tireless efforts made by organizations like Jews for Judaism or Yad L’Achim. That doesnt mean I agree with their methods, I am in the end a Christian as well, but if the tables would be turned and vulnerable souls among my family and friends would be targeted, I would surely also speak up.
Again note that Im not sanctioning their actions, Im just saying that their frustration is based on something real.
See also this article written by the director of Jews for Judaism that attempts to lay out why they are combatting missionaries. Interestingly, she herself was involved in the Messianic world as well before she converted (back) to Judaism.
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