Havurah - Jews for Jesus

A symphony of stuff...

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Make music with God this summer by considering:

New York Summer Witnessing Campaign 2011

For Jewish believers ages 18–30. Consider joining us for what could be the most exciting evangelism opportunity of your life. Mid-June through end of July. Connect at aaron.abramson@jewsforjesus.org or www.jewsforjesus.org/swc

Halutzim 2011

Our two-weeks-of-outreach-and-fun trip to New York City for Jewish believers ages 16–18. Dates are July 12–26. Contact Heather Blecher at halutzim@jewsforjesus.org or www.halutzim.com

Camp Gilgal

Messianic camps for Jewish children and youth ages 8–18. East and West-based camps run in three age-appropriate tiers.

For information, dates and online registration, see www.campgilgal.com or contact Dave "Moose" Garrett at moose@jewsforjesus.org

Massah 2011

Young adult Jewish believers spend ten weeks in discipleship and evangelism in Israel, then move on to countries like India to reach out to Israeli travelers. More at massah.jewsforjesus.org

Blue Mosaic

Our NEW mobile evangelistic music team -- is looking for Jewish believers age 18–39 who are excellent vocalists, singer-songwriters, and accomplished instrumentalists. Contact Jeff at jeff.millenson@jewsforjesus.org or 415-864-2600 x151.

Want to be part of CADET? (Creative Arts Discipleship Evangelism Team -- see lead article.) Contact Aaron at aaron.abramson@jewsforjesus.org

Added: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Inside the Mind of Blue Mosaic

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Blue Mosaic is Jews for Jesus' newest, and very international, musical team. They focus on evangelism in secular venues like coffeehouses and campuses, in addition to performing in churches and Messianic congregations. You can read their full bios, listen to sound samples, and find their schedule at www.bluemosaic.org. Pray for Blue Mosaic, and check out their site because we are looking for others to be part of the team in the near future!

Havurah put a series of incisive, probing questions to the team members. Here are their revealing responses, introducing to the world for the first time ever, the mind of Blue Mosaic.

Giselle Le'Aupepe

Born in:	Sydney, Australia.
Your instrument(s):	Vocal cords and percussion, as well as piano and guitar
Languages you know fluently:	Australian
Favorite music band or artist:	Wilco
Influenced musically by:	All things that make sound
Favorite movie:	Before Sunrise
Favorite book:	The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Favorite food:	Pomegranates
Favorite city:	Brussels or Florence
A Scripture verse that means a lot to you:	Amos 5:6 - "Seek the LORD and live . . ."
Most interesting encounter (evangelistic or otherwise) you've had while traveling with Blue Mosaic:	Whilst in Hinesville, Georgia, Julia and I realised that we were staying only about an hour away from the beach. A little stir-crazy after not having seen the ocean for four months, we drove down to beautiful Tybee Island for the afternoon. Not having a church meeting that Sunday evening gave us an opportunity to attend a service. So I looked up churches on our GPS and we picked the first one, called Chapel by the Sea. Entering the tiny sanctuary, we were warmly greeted by a dozen people. It turned out that their mission country for the year was Australia, and after discovering that I was Australian, they hauled Julia and me up on stage to share about our work. And the pastor was also a Jewish believer with a passion and affinity for our cause. How cool!
Shade of blue (as determined by the editors of Havurah):	Bondi blue*

Nathaniel Wiseman

Born in:	Canada
Your instrument(s):	Voice (baritone)
Languages you know fluently:	English and Hebrew
Favorite music band or artist:	Take 6
Influenced musically by:	Classical music of various kinds, Take 6, Andre Crouch, D.C. Talk, a variety of worship bands, U2, and more
Favorite movie:	Henry V
Favorite book:	The Bible (of course!); Lord of the Rings and the Narnia series
Favorite food:	Ice cream
Favorite city:	Not applicable [Ed. -- We don't know if this means Nathaniel likes all cities equally or dislikes them equally. We hope it's the first.]
A Scripture verse that means a lot to you:	Ephesians 4:29 - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Most interesting encounter (evangelistic or otherwise) you've had while traveling with Blue Mosaic:	At our first open mic in Brooklyn, New York, a young Jewish man, not a believer in Jesus, got up and read a hilarious piece about his guilt-laden struggle with his Jewish identity and his love-hate relationship with his Yiddishe momme. Then, as an encore, he sang a very soulful (and beautiful) rendition of "Amazing Grace"! Whether he really understood the song or not, I don't know. One of our Brooklyn staff, Jeremiah Zaretsky, got a chance to speak with him afterwards.
Shade of blue (as determined by the editors of Havurah):	Azure*

Mandie Greenberg

Born in:	USA
Your instrument(s):	Vocals
Languages you know fluently:	English
Favorite music band or artist:	Justin Nozuka and Imogen Heap.
Influenced musically by:	Regina Spektor, Ella Fitzgerald, Kerah Hanes, Batya Segal, Rachel Boskey, Coldplay, and in the most generous amounts: my mother!
Favorite movie:	A Knight's Tale.
Favorite book:	Lord of the Rings. And definitely the Bible!
Favorite food:	Does coffee count? Because it should. If not, then roasted red peppers.
Favorite city:	It's a tie between New York City and San Francisco.
A Scripture verse that means a lot to you:	Proverbs 18:10 -- "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."
Most interesting encounter (evangelistic or otherwise) you've had while traveling with Blue Mosaic:	At the University of North Carolina, there was a man in the free speech courtyard preaching the gospel, but in a really inflammatory way. So we set up our guitars on the other side of the courtyard and handed out broadsides while some of us played and sang. I sat down next to one guy and asked what he thought of the "Preacher Man." It turned out that his dad was a missionary to Israel, and during their travels as a family, he had turned from Jesus and towards Judaism. I challenged him to consider whether a life without Jesus was actually better, and he sincerely said he would.
Shade of blue (as determined by the editors of Havurah):	Baby blue*

Julia Pascoe (team leader)

Born in:	London, England
Your instrument(s):	Guitar
Languages you know fluently:	British English!
Favorite music band or artist:	Nanci Griffith
Influenced musically by:	American folk music
Favorite movie:	Forrest Gump
Favorite book:	A Thorn in the Flesh by Pablo Martinez
Favorite food:	Lamb chops and shrimp!
Favorite city:	Nashville and Barcelona
A Scripture verse that means a lot to you:	Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Most interesting encounter (evangelistic or otherwise) you've had while traveling with Blue Mosaic:	Giselle and I were at a Florida university wearing our T-shirts that said, "How can you be Jewish and believe in Jesus? Ask me!" A Jewish girl approached us and said, "So -- how can you?" We shared our stories with her and were gratified to see her face light up as she told us that she thought Jesus was a really good person. She knew that she wasn't "supposed" to believe, yet she wanted to really know. In the end she gave us her information to receive literature and further contact.
Shade of blue (as determined by the editors of Havurah):	Royal blue*

*See Wikipedia for visuals of the various shades.

[ Comments ]

Added: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Is Messianic Music Dead?

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PST

My dad has always been into music. I remember the smell of vinyl and the hundreds of interesting (and bizarre) album covers scattered throughout our living room. We used to sit and listen to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Cream; The Who; The Rolling Stones; Dylan; The Beatles -- and Lamb. Yes, Lamb, the Messianic Jewish rock band that produced several albums in the 70s and 80s. My father, who is Jewish, had become a believer in Jesus. Lamb's Messianic themes and their fusion of Jewish and rock sounds were things he related to in a unique way.

Certain kinds of music will always resonate deeper with us than others. I enjoy the sound of Bob Marley, but I suspect that "Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights" carries more meaning for Jamaicans from Marley's generation. I love Indian food, but it's not as familiar as my grandma's rugelach. Remember the scene in the film Ratatouille where the food critic is instantly transported back to the sounds and smells of his mother's home by eating one bite of ratatouille? Music is similar.

Some Background on Messianic Music

It was this resonance that made Messianic music in the 70s and 80s fresh, unique and instantly recognizable. Joel Chernoff, Paul Wilbur and Stuart Dauermann were among those who produced an array of Messianic music that listeners both Jewish and non-Jewish could enjoy. Often, they fused Eastern European Jewish minor chord progressions, danceable freilachs and Israel-focused lyrics. It was a familiar, lively sound that is still pulsing through many Messianic congregations today.

When Jews for Jesus began in the early 70s, there were many young, talented Jewish believers who were seeking ways to express their Jewishness and their "Jesus-ness." Fortunately for the budding Messianic Jewish movement, they were encouraged to use their gifts. Some of this encouragement came from the churches who were interested in hearing fresh Jewish cultural expressions of faith. Some came from individuals like Moishe Rosen who actively nurtured the talent of people like Stuart Dauermann, then a graduate student at Manhattan School of Music. "Moishe Rosen encouraged me to believe that I could write a whole new kind of music that was needed," Stuart has said. "We did not feel any need to reject the music we heard in churches. We just had to have something that was more us."¹ Stuart's efforts paid off and a group called the Liberated Wailing Wall would perform and produce twelve albums of music over nearly three decades.

At that time the landscape of the Jewish community was different than today. Many Jewish believers had been raised within a first or second-generation Jewish immigrant community and were familiar with Eastern European Jewish culture. Some had grown up with Yiddish-speaking parents or grandparents and many had firsthand experience of anti-Semitism. Most were also first-generation in their faith and paid a price for following Y'shua, sometimes being cut off from family and friends.

Consequently, the Liberated Wailing Wall reflected American Jewish culture and the personal faith journeys of its members. Much of the music reflected an Eastern European Jewish sound; the performances had a Fiddler on the Roof look and feel.

Though the team accomplished a lot, times have changed. Today, fewer and fewer Jewish people relate to that kind of music. For better or worse, Jewish identity has evolved. In some ways, Israel now has a renewed focus, because of its increasing population as well as through college programs like Birthright. The Jewish community has become increasingly diverse. Sephardic Jewish culture, for example, has gotten belated recognition from Ashkenazic Jews. Jewish people tend to be less connected than in previous generations to Eastern European shtetl culture.

Tuvya Zaretsky did his doctoral work on ministry to Jewish intermarried couples. He noted that at the time he wrote, about 2004, the intermarriage rate among American Jews stood at around 50%, while in the case of cohabiting Jewish people, 81% lived with Gentiles. The children of Jewish-Gentile couples also intermarried 75% of the time.² Many of these Gentile partners had some kind of Christian background.

This means that for many Jewish people today, Jesus and the church are not as far removed from Jewish upbringing as they once were. And intermarriage has broadened the ethnic diversity of the Jewish people.³

That is why over a year ago, a group of us gathered around a large meeting table to discuss the future of music ministry in Jews for Jesus. We determined that the time had come to retire our Liberated Wailing Wall music team. An extreme decision, perhaps, but a necessary one. We were interested in revitalizing Jews for Jesus' music ministry for the new emerging Jewish culture. After all, music is important; it plays a vital role in several ways.

Music, Worship and Truth

Throughout history, music has played an important role in worship, the expression of truth and the affirmation of peoplehood. Jewish people have an especially rich history of musical expression. The Scriptures were memorized and meditated upon through chanting and singing. Theological truths were often conveyed through the poetry. The Psalms carried theological significance that was set to a meter and melody familiar to the people of Israel. The work of the psalmists helped foster corporate Jewish identity and provided a context for approaching God's truth. The Psalms served as the songbook of the worshiping people of God throughout the ages.

Songs memorialized God's faithfulness and the history of Israel. Psalm 98:1-9 called Israel to "sing a new song." Moses did just that upon crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1–18). Deborah sang a victory song after the king of Canaan was killed (Judges 5:1–31). David sang a song of lament over the death of Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1:17–21.

We also find songs in the New Testament. Mary bursts into praise in Luke 1:46-55 after being chosen to be the mother of the Messiah; Philippians 2:1-30 is considered one of the earliest New Testament hymns.⁴

And many throughout history have continued to contribute to this tradition, from Syriac sacral music⁵ to Martin Luther, a music lover whose hymns such as "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" are still sung in churches around the world today. The American Moravian movement, for instance, used music to express their faith, writing a huge corpus of sonnets and arias, many of which are highly esteemed by classical music listeners today.⁶

Music and Social Change

Music has united people for social change. We see this in both the secular and Jewish arenas. Sometimes the change is for the better, sometimes for the worse, but it is undeniable.

"The Internationale" was originally written in French by Eugene Pottier in the 1800s. It eventually became the rallying cry for socialism worldwide and was adopted as the Soviet national anthem after the Russian Revolution in 1917.⁷

Martin Brown's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" became one of the most important African American statements of the 20th century. Nearly 200,000 protestors led by Martin Luther King, Jr. sang it in Washington in 1963. It not only encapsulated the civil rights struggle but it united people in change.⁸

In the UK, young people came together through the raw honesty of the punk movement. Joe Strummer and Mick Jones of The Clash put feelings of angst into perspective through incisive lyrics and driving guitar sounds. "London Calling" was heralded as an anthem for the punk movement, embodying the anti-establishment attitudes of British youth. Consequently, the culture itself changed.

In the Jewish world, the Jewish national movement was spurred on by composers both in Israel and abroad. The St. Petersburg Society for Jewish Folkmusic, founded in 1908, was comprised of graduates of the St. Petersburg and Moscow Conservatories who rediscovered their Jewish national roots and created a new genre of Jewish art music.⁹ Numerous Israeli composers have been important in affirming Israeli identity, such as Paul Ben Haim, who was known for nationalistic themes.¹⁰ Today, Matisyahu has raised the Jewish profile through his Hasidic image.

Music, a Catalyst for Personal Change

Music not only can bring about social change, but personal change as well. Sometimes it does this by bypassing the usual channels of information and truth.

When I was serving with Jews for Jesus in New York, I went to Yale University one summer for a time of outreach. There I met a Jewish student who was an English major. He had been studying Milton's Paradise Lost and had become rather spiritually interested. But ultimately it was the evocative Christian lyrics of an artist named David Bazan of the band Pedro the Lion that had raised the issue of Jesus in a way that caused him to pursue more answers. We were able to discuss the New Testament in more depth as a result.

Similarly, Moishe Rosen's wife Ceil became receptive to the gospel after listening to Christmas carols. There was something about the music that made the truths of the gospel approachable for her.¹¹

Revitalizing Messianic Music

Music can bring us together. It can affirm truth. It can be a catalyst for change, not just reflecting culture but being a powerful means for shaping culture. For this reason music is never static, but constantly changes and adapts.

And so at Jews for Jesus, we have attempted to revitalize our music ministry and have begun implementing two ideas.

First, we have launched a mobile evangelism team called Blue Mosaic. By the time you read this, Blue Mosaic will have been on the road for about nine months, performing on campuses, in city centers and cafes and in other creative venues. As the opportunity has arisen, they have also played in churches and Messianic congregations. (See the accompanying article.)

Second, we have formed a discipleship/creative arts program tentatively called CADET (Creative Arts Discipleship Evangelism Team). CADET is for Jewish believers who wish to develop creatively and spiritually. The first CADET team is set to begin this year. For the first semester, team members will focus on creative development and spiritual discipleship. In the second semester, they will work together on a multimedia presentation that they can present in a range of venues.

If either of these programs strikes a note for you, do not hesitate to let me know at aaron.abramson@jewsforjesus.org. I would be glad to talk to you more about the ways you can be involved. These are just two ideas. There are certainly other Messianic groups and individuals out there writing new, relevant and unique music. If you or someone you know has written something, please send us a sample, a MySpace link or a demo CD. We would love to be able to listen to your music and encourage you in your artistic pursuits.

No, Messianic music is not dead. Together let's imagine what it looks like to have a new group of artists reshaping the way we think about Messianic music and speaking to a new generation of Jewish people.

End Notes

Stuart Dauermann, Introduction to Avodat Y'shua (San Francisco: Purple Pomegranate Productions, 1991).

Enoch Wan and Tuvya Zaretsky, Jewish-Gentile Couples: Trends, Challenges and Hopes (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2004), pp. 12–13, citing the 2001 American Jewish Identity Survey and the 2000–01 National Jewish Population Survey.

See the previous issue of Havurah on Jewish-Asian couples

songsandhymns.org/music-worship/article/the-early-church:-singing-saints-iii

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syriac_sacral_music

www.moravianmusic.org

www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/internat.html

www.tcnj.edu/~brown82/Lift%20Every%20Voice%20and%20Sing.htm

www.promusicahebraica.org/mt_2.html

www.milkenarchive.org/people/view/search/591/Ben-Haim%2C+Paul

You can read Ceil's story here.

[ Comments ]

Author: Aaron Abramson
Added: Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Reconciling An Artist to His Creator

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PST

by Remy R.

I found myself surrounded by some forty-odd pairs of stoned and glassy eyes, staring at me and soaking in my every word. I was used to being in front of an audience, performing for people, but I could not have foreseen this: having a platform to speak to people about Jesus through performance. The idea had been ridiculous. But in this performance I was not playing a character in some arbitrary plot with lines to recite. I had to be myself and allow God to inspire the words that would come forth to confront my unexpectedly captive audience.

Shortly after that moment, I would marvel at how crazy my God is in getting me out into the middle of nowhere to use me, and to satisfy me in ways I would have never sought out. We had come to Northern India seeking out the subculture of young secular Israeli travelers who flock there, in order to reach them with the gospel of Jesus the Messiah. These locales, which have been growing in popularity for over two decades (the entirety of my life), have become amazingly fertile ground for presenting Jesus. The reason so many Israelis travel there is that India, unlike the travelers' homeland, is large, inexpensive, lacking in as much political tension, and polytheistic -- and so they are free to do whatever they want, even to consider Jesus as the Messiah.

The unexpected part is that I went to India to ask Israelis to try something new, namely Jesus; and I ended up being asked by God to try something new myself.

The result was that I found myself in a tiny smoke-filled room with dozens of Israelis, singing along with my best friend the songs of our heart, as Y'shua, their promised Messiah, was clearly exhibited in every testimony, in every story, in every song. And they soaked it all in. I couldn't have planned that if I had wanted to. And I hadn't.

As a second-generation Jewish believer in Jesus, so much of my life has been committed not to discovering Y'shua as my Messiah, but to what that truth means for my life. I have known for a very long time, and in a very personal way, that God is real, powerful and sovereign, and that he wants and deserves my love. I also knew that he had plans for me; that the talents he had given me meant something. I understood that God's gifts to me not only presented opportunities but also a responsibility to serve him and his purposes.

It took me a long time though, to submit to God's idea of what that would look like, an idea different from what I wanted. In all honesty, in the depths of my fleshly heart, I want to dictate why and how God uses me. Don't we all? And so as a trained dancer, actor, self-taught painter, writer, indulgent and wannabe photographer, what did God ask of me? Which of these did he ask me to share? The answer was not on the list: music!

How infuriatingly and perfectly like God that is.

I was in school for an acting performance at Santa Monica College when one day in the shower I started to sing a little melody that came to me. I thought nothing of it, but once it formed itself into a legitimate chorus and verse with actual lyrics, I brought it to my best friend Sterling so he could try putting music to it. I called it "Rebel," and it turned out to be the first of many songs that would begin pouring out of me from then on. I am not a musician, and I thought absolutely nothing of my songs. They were just a form of catharsis for me. Maybe I could get some fun out of performing them -- maybe.

The summer following writing "Rebel," I committed to participating in Jews for Jesus' ten-week discipleship program in Israel and India called Massah. I had originally fought the idea of being a part of the program, deciding that it was not something I wanted to do. But God had his way in me, and I ended up participating. Throughout the seven weeks spent in Israel, God broke me down and called me into a much more intimate relationship with him. In the midst of twelve fellow young Jewish believers, I began to re-imagine my life and to consider what God might have to say about it. This turn-over of control from myself back to my Creator, sketched upon the backdrop of my first Israel experience, was heavy, overwhelming and ultimately life-changing. Compelled and inspired by the Israel I felt so at home amidst, I began asking God how I could be the artist I felt I had no choice in being, and be consequential in standing for Israel and the salvation of my Jewish people.

The songs continued to pour out of me, becoming the soundtrack of my struggle to let God be my source of satisfaction, constructed entirely with allusions to my strangely deep connection to my Jewish homeland. And I was not alone. The two closest friends to me who accompanied me on the Massah trip, Sterling Reed and Isaac Brickner, confided that they were encountering their own struggle to reconcile God's will for their lives. We together made a pact to press into whatever that was -- together.

By the time we arrived in India, I had mostly made peace with the fact that God would not be content with having parts of me, but wanted my complete service. I had begun praying that he would give something of myself back to me, something that I could do for him that I was uniquely made for. I had no idea of what that could be. But then, sitting in a tiny caf� hedged about by gigantic Himalayans peaks, a new Israeli friend asked us if she could hear the songs we had written. Hesitantly we agreed, encouraged by those who were with us, and late that night we sat on damp mats in a dark room to play for her.

I had never shown the songs to anyone outside of friends and family and was very unsure of how to speak about them to an unbeliever. I felt so unequipped to share with her about Jesus, but that is what I was there to do. And so I figuratively held my breath, and stepped off what felt like the deep unknown to me. As I sang, with each song I gained more boldness to share what it was about. And with every explanation that I gave, our Israeli friend grew in apparent interest. After about eight songs and several in-depth personal and gospel explanations, she abruptly interjected with, "Okay, so explain to me what it actually means to be Jewish and believe in Jesus. I want to know." BAM! The Holy Spirit had prompted us and had prompted her, and the result was a fantastic time of witness. After a few hours of dialogue about Jesus and why she needed Him, my team retired to one of our rooms and excitedly talked about and prayed over the evening. This led to a series of shows in that same damp dark room with dozens and dozens of Israelis that wanted to hear and know.

Once I allowed God to use what I had in that moment, something very cool happened; God gave something of myself back to me, but for the purpose of bringing attention to him. It was so radically not of me, so organic and easy and blessed. After that first private concert, performing and explaining our songs of catharsis, after our friend was so moved by what we shared that she urged us to explain Jesus to her, I knew that even though I was not entitled to it, God had heard me -- and answered.

Remy is a Jewish believer from San Diego. He has been an actor and producer and is currently working as a prep chef in a restaurant in San Francisco. He continues to be part of New Light Ruins and to be involved with Massah. Click here to support Remy through Jews for Jesus.

[ Comments ]

Added: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Contribute* to This!

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 PDT

*We're not asking for money. We want YOU!

Camp Gilgal's Wonderful Winter Weekends -- February 2011. For children and youth ages 8–18. www.campgilgal.com

And now's the time to think about:

Summer Witnessing Campaign 2011 -- If you're a Jewish believer age 18–30, consider joining us for a month in New York of what could be the most challenging evangelism opportunity of your life. Contact aaron.abramson@jewsforjesus.org or visit jewsforjesus.org/swc

Halutzim -- July 2011. Our two-week missions trip to New York City for Jewish believers ages 16-18. Contact Heather at halutzim@jewsforjesus.org or www.halutzim.com

Massah -- June–August 2011. A ten-week discipleship and outreach program for young adult Jewish believers. Seven weeks in Israel, then three weeks in other countries where Israelis travel and hang.
massah.jewsforjesus.org

Added: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Contribute* to This!

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 PDT

*We're not asking for money. We want YOU!

Camp Gilgal's Wonderful Winter Weekends -- February 2011. For children and youth ages 8–18. www.campgilgal.com

And now's the time to think about:

Halutzim -- July 2011. Our two-week missions trip to New York City for Jewish believers ages 16-18. Contact Heather at halutzim@jewsforjesus.org or www.halutzim.com

Added: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Moishe Rosen: His Contribution to the Messianic Movement

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 PDT

A reflection by Richard Harvey

It is difficult to overestimate Moishe Rosen's contribution to Jewish evangelism. In addition to being a bold and fearless evangelist, a charismatic personality and a dynamic speaker and leader, he was also a pioneering strategist and masterly tactician. As founder and leader of the organization Jews for Jesus, he raised the image of the Messiah among our people and challenged the Church to consider the call to take the Gospel "to the Jew first" in a way that few in the past century -- even in the previous twenty centuries -- had attempted and achieved to such powerful effect.

Of course, as he acknowledged, and those of us who knew him would concur, he made plenty of mistakes in thought, feelings and actions. Nevertheless, he made a significant contribution that deserves to be remembered and celebrated.

The concept of "Jews for Jesus" -- in the early days just a slogan on the streets of San Francisco and Berkeley -- communicated a message bigger than any one organization. For perhaps the first time since the days of the early Jewish believers, it was recognized as a Jewish option to believe in Y'shua as Messiah. Through Moishe's gifts as communicator and leader, the existence of Jews who believed in Jesus was visible on the radar of both Church and Synagogue in ways that could not be avoided or ignored.

Moishe also had a significant but often unacknowledged role in the growth of the modern movement of Messianic congregations and ministries. One of the distinctives of the Messianic movement is the claim that Jewish people who believe in Jesus remain Jewish and are encouraged to live out their Jewish identity. And according to Reform Rabbi Jonathan Romain of the U.K., Moishe could be credited with inventing this notion:

His "crime" was not that he attempted to convert Jews to Christianity -- the church had been doing that for centuries -- but that he added a new and subversive element to the missionary campaign by asserting that those who did so were not reneging on their Jewishness but fulfilling it."¹

Benyamin Cohen, the son of an orthodox rabbi and author of the book My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith, similarly claimed Moishe as the founder of a group known as "Messianic Judaism":

His group, often referred to as Messianic Judaism, attempts to merge Jewish and Christian beliefs by convincing Jews to believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ while still remaining Jewish.²

Moishe himself would never have made such bold claims, and in fact some in the Messianic movement would strongly disassociate themselves from the ministry of Jews for Jesus. Yet Moishe did have a significant influence on the modern movement known as Messianic Judaism, and it is this writer's conviction that his influence should not go unacknowledged, and that honor should be given where it is due. Four aspects of his influence are worth considering.

1. Role Model as a Jewish Believer in Jesus

Even apart from Moishe's commitment to evangelism and his gifts as a leader, strategist and controversialist, his character as a Jew who became a believer in Jesus was an example to many. Moishe's Jewish identity was not artificial or academic, but real, earthy and authentic. He was a food-loving, humorous, wise and unpretentious son of a scrap metal merchant who made his own way in life, brought up his family and provided for them, went through the knocks and boosts of life in a difficult and demanding ministry, and was an example of character and humanity that spoke as loudly as his writing and teaching. No one would claim that he was perfect, but he offered a personal example of being Jewish, believing in Jesus and living out his faith in ways that demonstrated that one could be fully Jewish and fully Christian.

In the words used to describe Sir Leon Levison, first President of the International Messianic Jewish (formerly Hebrew Christian) Alliance, he was a "Jew by race and a Christian by grace," and managed to integrate the two. As one of his first broadsides said, "I was born a Jew and I'll die a Jew." This matter-of-factness about his Jewishness was more authentic and genuine than many of those in the Messianic movement who have little or no connection with being Jewish.

2. Missiologist

It goes without saying that the priority of Jewish evangelism was always on Moishe's heart, and his leadership in and advocacy of Jewish missions is well known. What may be less known is that Moishe advocated appropriate contextualization in the Messianic movement. He encouraged the production of resources such as the Avodat Y'shua congregational hymnbook, liturgies for the High Holidays and Jewish life-cycle events, Messianic Passover Haggadahs, and more. He trained his own staff in compiling and leading services. Those liturgies were made available, and became the basis for much congregational worship today. The contextualized Messianic music of the Liberated Wailing Wall continues to be used some thirty years later.³

In addition to his work in contextualization, Moishe spoke out in the area of ethics. In a 1985 paper delivered to the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism (LCJE), Moishe spoke to the issues of the use of Jewish symbols, the use of ethical persuasion, the relationship of contextualization to deception, and the integrity of our witness in such areas as invitations to public events and child evangelism. He concluded, "We must see for ourselves that much of the condemnation of our ethical behavior from the Jewish community is defensive. Nevertheless, there are those areas where we need to take heed that we are conducting ourselves honestly and that our behavior is not a reproach to the name of our Lord."⁴

Moishe stood for integrity and truth in reporting statistics and facts. At one time he threatened another well-known evangelist with the possibility of legal action if he did not substantiate the statistics he was publicizing about his work in Israel. When the post-Soviet era saw a great openness to the gospel in the former Iron Curtain countries, he encouraged those leading campaigns and festivals to ensure the statistics for those responding were accurate. On the other hand, when some rabbis complained that the Messianic movement was just "picking off" people who were poor and uneducated, Jews for Jesus conducted a survey. Beverly Jamison, a statistician, compiled the results indicating that the situation among Jewish believers paralleled that of the larger Jewish community in terms of socioeconomic status, education, and correlation with the branches of Judaism.⁵

3. Friend, Trainer and Mentor to Individuals

Moishe saw the ministry of Jews for Jesus as just one part of the greater movement of Jews coming to faith in Jesus. Many of the individuals now in leadership in Messianic congregations and organizations were advised, mentored and trained by Moishe. These include some who at one time served with Jews for Jesus, including Steve Cohen (The Apple of His Eye, St. Louis MO), Stuart Dauermann (rabbi at Ahavat Zion Messianic Synagogue in Beverly Hills, CA), Mitch Glaser (President of Chosen People Ministries), Loren Jacobs (Shema Yisrael, Southfield, MI), Barry Rubin (rabbi at Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation, Clarksville MD and director of Messianic Jewish Publications), Murray Tilles (Light of Messiah Ministries, Atlanta GA), and David and Martha Stern (David wrote the Messianic Jewish Manifesto and other books and translated the widely-used Complete Jewish Bible).

There were others too who, though not serving with Jews for Jesus, benefited from Moishe's friendship and advice. Among these were Jonathan Bernis (Jewish Voice Ministries International), Arnold Fruchtenbaum (Ariel Ministries), Neil and Jamie Lash (Jewish Jewels), Abraham Sandler (Christian & Missionary Alliance), and Robert Specter (Rock of Israel Ministries, Fairfield OH).

A few comments are worth hearing. Specter noted that "in 1995 Moishe Rosen invited me to join their Summer Evangelism Campaign in New York City. He allowed me to receive the training and experience that would shape much of my efforts in Jewish Evangelism."⁶ Sandler, a longtime missionary to the Jewish people in the C&MA denomination, wrote that "for more than 20 years I have known of and related to the Jews for Jesus organization. I have had their staff speak in my congregation that I pastored. . . I personally participated in one of their two-week training programs . . . I have sent some of our staff people to train with Jews for Jesus and to participate in their witnessing campaigns. Their experience was one of the highlights of their ministry."⁷

Many senior leaders in the Messianic movement such as Yosef Koelner, Paul Liberman and David Sedaca have paid tribute to the influence Moishe had in their lives. Daniel Juster, a founding figure in the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) and currently director of Tikkun International, remarked about the inspiration Moishe gave him in his zeal and passion for evangelism. Paul Liberman, publisher of the Messianic Times, said that "Moishe would speak the truth even though I did not want to hear it -- but I needed to hear it, and he usually turned out to be right." David Sedaca of Chosen People Ministries affectionately reported how "Moishe taught me to drive, and I got my first ticket with him"!⁸ Stan Telchin, the late Zola Levitt, and other Messianic leaders valued Moishe's friendship and support.

4. Supporter and Encourager to the Movement

In addition to the many individuals that Moishe took an interest in, he also encouraged the larger movement in its congregational and ministry aspects.

As to Messianic congregations, Moishe spoke positively of earlier congregational works such as that of David Bronstein in Chicago. Yes, there were aspects to the more recent congregations that he didn't like, such as the use of the title rabbi which he felt only belonged to those who had earned semicha (ordination). Nevertheless, Moishe himself actually led what amounted to two messianic congregations (though they were not referred to by that name), both called Beth Sar Shalom, when he served with the American Board of Missions to the Jews (ABMJ)⁹ in Los Angeles and in Manhattan.

It was not Moishe's intention to make Jews for Jesus into a congregation-planting ministry; direct evangelism was always to remain the focus. But it happened that congregations came into existence as a result of the evangelism that was being carried out, with the Jews for Jesus staff providing leadership and resources until the new congregation was able to stand independently with its own pastor. Such congregations included Kehilat Y'shua (New York City); Adat Y'shua Ha Adon (Woodland Hills near Los Angeles); Beit Y'shua (Johannesburg, South Africa); and Tiferet Israel (San Francisco). One (Shema Yisrael in Southfield, MI, outside Detroit) began as an outreach by a former staff member with the encouragement of Jews for Jesus; it eventually also became a congregation. All but the San Francisco congregation remain in existence.

Moishe encouraged the staff of Jews for Jesus to be involved in congregational life in a number of ways. For example, for their tenure in Chicago, Jhan and Melissa Moskowitz were members at Adat Hatikvah, a UMJC congregation. Jhan was an elder; Melissa was a deacon, head of education, and head of women's ministries. Both were chavurah group leaders. Jhan afterwards led Kehilat Y'shua in New York for a time, as did Efraim Goldstein at Tiferet Israel in San Francisco. Michael Sischy of Jews for Jesus' Johannesburg branch helps to lead Beit Y'shua. Many Jews for Jesus staff continue to participate in the life of Messianic congregations in their own cities, and advocate that new Jewish believers be encouraged to attend either churches or Messianic congregations, depending on what is available, the needs of the person, and the quality of the church/congregation.

Moishe frequently spoke at Messianic congregations and aided in such areas as fundraisers for their building programs. Among those congregations were Ruach Israel (Needham, MA, at the invitation of Rabbi Rich Nichol); Roeh Israel (Denver, led by Burt Yellin); and the Messianic Jewish Center (Philadelphia, headed by Herb Links).

In evangelism, Moishe's own strategy was sometimes adopted by others in the Messianic movement, whether as part of their regular ministry or on a short-term basis. Messianic congregations and ministries sometimes sent their younger members to participate on Jews for Jesus evangelism campaigns. When Steve Cohen led the work in Canada, he was encouraged to partner with Messianic groups in Toronto for evangelism, and members of Melech Yisrael would sometimes join campaigns as volunteers.

And Moishe lent his support to some who had at one time served with Jews for Jesus but now felt called to Jewish evangelism in a different role. Already mentioned are Murray Tilles, who founded Light of Messiah Ministries in Atlanta, and Steve Cohen, who went on to establish The Apple of His Eye mission society within the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Loren Jacobs engages in direct evangelism in addition to his congregational ministry. All have continued to partner with Jews for Jesus in evangelistic outreach and Cohen in particular organizes his own evangelism campaigns modeled on those of Jews for Jesus, including producing a steady stream of broadsides for various occasions.

Whether among congregations or missions, Moishe was an advocate of networking and cooperation. In Chicago, the Harvest Committee was a group of leaders of the Messianic congregations and Jewish ministries in the greater Chicagoland area. Jhan Moskowitz acted as the facilitator for some twenty years, with the group meeting at the Jews for Jesus office every six weeks or so. Moishe hoped that this would be a model for other cities, whereby different ministries would meet together for prayer, outreach, picnics and mutual encouragement. The Harvest Committee continues to meet to this day.

The issue of cooperation between congregations and missions came together in a unique way in 1982. That was the year that the "Messiah Has Come" evangelism campaign took place in London. At the time, this author was one of the leaders of the fledgling London Messianic Fellowship (it was not yet a congregation). It was Moishe who was largely responsible for getting LMF accepted by the Jewish missions in the United Kingdom, and he successfully advocated for us to be involved in the campaign and to receive contacts alongside the various Jewish missions that were participating.

Not least, Moishe's active involvement with the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism allowed him, in addition to encouraging the networking among missions, to often advocate the place of Messianic congregations before leaders of Jewish missions that had reservations about such congregations. (See article on the LCJE.)

5. Messianic Theologian

In my recent book Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology,¹⁰ I identified eight or nine types of Messianic Jewish theology, but there is one type that is missing. That is "Jews for Jesus/Moishe Rosen" Messianic Jewish theology. From one perspective, Moishe's theology could be described as evangelical, Calvinistic and Baptist with a dispensationalist edge. But there is actually more depth and subtlety to his position. He did not formulate it systematically, but Moishe's "Messianic theology" saw Y'shua as the Messiah and the fulfillment of all that Judaism aspired to. Once a person came to know the Messiah, he or she would find true fulfillment in him -- in terms of Jewish identity, in terms of Torah observance and in solidarity with Israel.

His priority was making the Messiah known, and he challenged those with other emphases and concerns to respond to this priority and articulate clearly their own position. Often he had a pivotal influence in causing other Messianic Jews to formulate their own positions, whether in reaction or in response to Moishe's unsystematic and implicit theological system. At the end of the day, many Messianic Jews were sufficiently challenged to study more diligently and come to great personal integrity and authenticity of belief and practice through his example of challenge.

Conclusion

Moishe was always a provocative and controversial figure. As one of the most significant Jewish mission leaders of the twentieth century, he could not but be given some of the credit for shaping the movement known as Messianic Judaism and also sometimes taking the blame for its mistakes.

Some might say that there has often been a love-hate relationship between Jews for Jesus and the wider Messianic movement. If so, this has only added stimulus to the discussion of the questions, "What does it really mean to share the Messiah with our people?" and "What does it really mean to be a Messianic Jew?" By his advocacy of evangelism, by his mentoring roles, by his encouragement of congregations and ministries, Moishe has left us with critical questions that the Messianic movement dare not ignore as it looks to the future.

Dr. Richard Harvey is Academic Dean and Tutor in Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at All Nations Christian College in Ware, Hertfordshire in the UK, and author of Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology: A Constructive Approach (Paternoster: UK, 2009).

Footnotes:

Jonathan Romain, "Did Moishe Rosen Die a Jew or a Christian?" The Guardian, June 23, 2010. All URLs in this article were last accessed August 25, 2010.
Benyamin Cohen, "Death of a Salesman: Moishe Rosen, Jews for Jesus Founder, Is Dead," Huffington Post, June 3, 2010.
As of summer 2010, the Liberated Wailing Wall has been deliberately disbanded as Jews for Jesus moves towards a new approach to our music ministry, which will involve more direct evangelism than in the past. The new music group is called Blue Mosaic, and you will hear more about them in the months ahead.
Moishe Rosen, "An Ethical Basis of Witness to the Jewish Community: A Compendium of Thought," April 1985.
Beverly Jamison and Mitchell Glaser, Jewish Believer Survey: A Demographic Profile of Jews Who Believe in Jesus (San Francisco: Jews for Jesus, 1983; out of print).
Letter from Robert Specter
Letter from Abraham Sandler
Daniel Juster and Paul Liberman, in personal conversation with the author; David Sedaca, at the memorial dinner following Moishe's homegoing, as reported to the author.
Today Chosen People Ministries.
Richard Harvey, Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology: A Constructive Approach (Paternoster Press, 2009).

[ Comments ]

Author: Richard Harvey
Added: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Moishe Rosen: His Contribution to the Messianic Movement

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 PDT

A reflection by Richard Harvey

His "crime" was not that he attempted to convert Jews to Christianity -- the church had been doing that for centuries -- but that he added a new and subversive element to the missionary campaign by asserting that those who did so were not reneging on their Jewishness but fulfilling it."¹

His group, often referred to as Messianic Judaism, attempts to merge Jewish and Christian beliefs by convincing Jews to believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ while still remaining Jewish.²

1. Role Model as a Jewish Believer in Jesus

2. Missiologist

3. Friend, Trainer and Mentor to Individuals

4. Supporter and Encourager to the Movement

In addition to the many individuals that Moishe took an interest in, he also encouraged the larger movement in its congregational and ministry aspects.

5. Messianic Theologian

Conclusion

Dr. Richard Harvey is Academic Dean and Tutor in Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at All Nations Christian College in Ware, Hertfordshire in the UK, and author of Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology: A Constructive Approach (Paternoster: UK, 2009).

Footnotes:

Jonathan Romain, "Did Moishe Rosen Die a Jew or a Christian?" The Guardian, June 23, 2010. All URLs in this article were last accessed August 25, 2010.
Benyamin Cohen, "Death of a Salesman: Moishe Rosen, Jews for Jesus Founder, Is Dead," Huffington Post, June 3, 2010.
As of summer 2010, the Liberated Wailing Wall has been deliberately disbanded as Jews for Jesus moves towards a new approach to our music ministry, which will involve more direct evangelism than in the past. The new music group is called Blue Mosaic, and you will hear more about them in the months ahead.
Moishe Rosen, "An Ethical Basis of Witness to the Jewish Community: A Compendium of Thought," April 1985.
Beverly Jamison and Mitchell Glaser, Jewish Believer Survey: A Demographic Profile of Jews Who Believe in Jesus (San Francisco: Jews for Jesus, 1983; out of print).
Letter from Robert Specter
Letter from Abraham Sandler
Daniel Juster and Paul Liberman, in personal conversation with the author; David Sedaca, at the memorial dinner following Moishe's homegoing, as reported to the author.
Today Chosen People Ministries.
Richard Harvey, Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology: A Constructive Approach (Paternoster Press, 2009).

[ Comments ]

Author: Richard Harvey
Added: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Moishe, Buddha and the LCJE

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 PDT

An excerpt from the forthcoming biography by Ruth Rosen

"This way, Moishe!" Jhan pointed to some small boats on the river. He then darted to the other side of the road before his boss could reply.

It was a small town in Thailand, but even so, Moishe looked both ways to be sure it was safe to cross. He paused as a Vespa whizzed by. The occupants, catching sight of Moishe, pulled off to the side of the road as they screeched the motor scooter to a halt. Two diminutive men quickly dismounted and came running back to Moishe. Smiling shyly, first one, then the other, reached out to rub the large, American tummy. They laughed -- not derisively, but with delight -- ran back to their scooter, and quickly rode away. Jhan, watching from across the street, stood shaking his head in disbelief. Moishe, hands aloft and both eyebrows raised, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "Who knows?"

"Have you noticed," he asked Jhan, "that the Thais are such a very attractive people? Their smiles are so open and friendly."

"Well those guys who rubbed your belly certainly were friendly."

"I wonder what that was about?" Moishe's expression was somewhere between thoughtful and bemused.

"Well, look at how many of the tourist attractions around here are Buddhist Temples, statues, you know, Buddha this and Buddha that. Buddha is built into the fabric of life here. And you know how they keep saying it's good luck to rub the Buddha's belly?"

"You mean the laughing Buddha? Well, I know I'm fat, but do I look like the laughing Buddha to you?" He pulled his face into a caricature of a glower.

Moskowitz laughed. "No, Moishe, I don't think anyone could ever mistake that face for a laughing Buddha. But still, how often do people in Thailand lay their eyes on someone your size? You're probably the closest thing they've seen to those statues, you know?"

The above events took place in 1980, when Moishe went to Pattaya to participate in a conference called COWE, the Consultation on World Evangelization. The 1980 conference in Pattaya was the second meeting of that group. The conference included seventeen mini consultation groups to focus on specific areas of world evangelization. Jews for Jesus was part of the group for reaching Jews with the gospel.

David Harley, then the principal of All Nations Christian College in England, was the COWE coordinator of the Mini-Consultation Group on Reaching Jews. He had met Moishe in the late 70s; Moishe had come to talk with people from CMJ,¹ one of the Jewish missions in the UK. At the end of the conference, a group of participants decided to form a task force, so they could continue meeting for mutual encouragement and the added stimulus of cross pollinating ideas and experiences. They called themselves the Lausanne Task Force on Jewish Evangelism, which later became the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish evangelism (LCJE).

When asked to comment on Moishe's level of support for the conference and subsequent development of LCJE, David Harley, the group's first international coordinator recalled,

Incalculable! LCJE would never have come into existence but for the enthusiasm and support of Moishe. If I remember correctly, a small group (Moishe, Murdo MacLeod, Ole Kvarme, Susan [Perlman] and myself) met over a meal during the conference in Pattaya and discussed the possibility of forming an international task force on Jewish evangelism. Moishe was very enthusiastic about the idea from the start and his subsequent support in terms of advice, encouragement and financial commitment was invaluable. LCJE would never have come into existence or continued as one of the most significant products of the Lausanne Movement without Moishe's wholehearted involvement.

The history of the LCJE is worth explaining in this biography because it helps demonstrate that, whereas Moishe's identity was inextricably linked to his founding and leading the ministry of Jews for Jesus, his influence stretched far beyond that mission. He was an international force for the cause to which he devoted his life: making Jesus known to Jewish people.

Postscript:

Even prior to the LCJE, Ruth Wardell, who was in charge of the ABMJ's Long Island work, had encouraged Moishe to become involved with the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews (FCTJ), a 1970s network of Jewish evangelism professionals. In Moishe's view, the FCTJ was a precursor to the later LCJE.

The LCJE continues to meet internationally and in continent-specific meetings. Their web site can be found at www.lcje.net

And watch for announcements of the biography's publication in the coming months.

Footnote:

Abbreviation for the organization The Church's Ministry Among Jewish People.

[ Comments ]

Author: Ruth Rosen
Added: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Moishe, Buddha and the LCJE

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 PDT

An excerpt from the forthcoming biography by Ruth Rosen

"This way, Moishe!" Jhan pointed to some small boats on the river. He then darted to the other side of the road before his boss could reply.

"Have you noticed," he asked Jhan, "that the Thais are such a very attractive people? Their smiles are so open and friendly."

"Well those guys who rubbed your belly certainly were friendly."

"I wonder what that was about?" Moishe's expression was somewhere between thoughtful and bemused.

"You mean the laughing Buddha? Well, I know I'm fat, but do I look like the laughing Buddha to you?" He pulled his face into a caricature of a glower.

When asked to comment on Moishe's level of support for the conference and subsequent development of LCJE, David Harley, the group's first international coordinator recalled,

Incalculable! LCJE would never have come into existence but for the enthusiasm and support of Moishe. If I remember correctly, a small group (Moishe, Murdo MacLeod, Ole Kvarme, Susan [Perlman] and myself) met over a meal during the conference in Pattaya and discussed the possibility of forming an international task force on Jewish evangelism. Moishe was very enthusiastic about the idea from the start and his subsequent support in terms of advice, encouragement and financial commitment was invaluable. LCJE would never have come into existence or continued as one of the most significant products of the Lausanne Movement without Moishe's wholehearted involvement.

Postscript:

The LCJE continues to meet internationally and in continent-specific meetings. Their web site can be found at www.lcje.net

And watch for announcements of the biography's publication in the coming months.

Footnote:

Abbreviation for the organization The Church's Ministry Among Jewish People.

[ Comments ]

Author: Ruth Rosen
Added: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles