Jews for Jesus Blogspot

Thank you, 49ers, for a great season!

2012-01-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

by Jeremy Hoffmann

As Jews for Jesus headquarters are in San Francisco, many of us here are San Francisco 49er fans. So, although our team lost in overtime Sunday to a fine New York Giants squad, we offer this tribute to our team and especially to coach Jim Harbaugh:

Oh, what a difference a coach makes!

In his first season as 49ers coach, Jim Harbaugh helped turn a 6-10 team into a 13-3 unit that made it all the way to the NFC Championship game. He also helped transform the much-maligned Alex Smith into one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL!

How did Harbaugh do all this?

By never criticizing his players in front of each other or to the media
By being quick to praise his players’ efforts.
By fighting for every yard.

Wouldn’t you like a coach like that, one who could strengthen you through life’s difficulties? There is such a helper. The Bible refers to him as the Holy Spirit. Like a good coach, he is able to instruct you. In fact, he will lead you to the truth:

“The Father . . . will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. . . . he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17)

The Holy Spirit was not invented by Christians in the New Testament. You can find the Ruach Ha Kodesh in the Hebrew Scriptures too! After King David sinned with Bathsheba, he called out to God:

“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:11)

There was another king (some referred to him as the Son of David), and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Pontius Pilate mockingly gave him another title, “King of the Jews,” as he suffered on a cross to die for our sins.

But three days later, Y’shua (Jesus) achieved victory over the greatest opponent we all face—death—when he rose from the grave and proved that he is the King of Kings!

And he will infuse us with the Holy Spirit if we turn from our sins and believe in him:

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)

Want to make the greatest catch of all? Receive Y’shua today! To learn how, click here.

Who will be in the Super Bowl? The best option...

2012-01-17T13:05:00.001-08:00

Just because the media spotlight is off of Tim Tebow, doesn’t mean that avid football fans who are interested in God, don’t have a story to tell.
The NFC/AFC championship games are this coming Sunday. And there are several scenarios that could become reality:

There could be a re-match of Super Bowl XLII with the Giants and Patriots.
Or the Patriots could be defeated by a hungry Ravens team.
Or the Giants could be defeated by a very, very good Niners team.
And then we could have a Har-Bowl come February 5th.

I go for option #4. I like the idea of brothers, who love one another, competing for a trophy. Besides, I live in San Francisco, and my heart has been with the Forty-Niners for a lot of years.
It’s okay to have favorite teams that we root for. If you think about it, God sees us, the human race, as his favorite team to root for. He wants us to get that trophy. It’s called eternal life. It’s much more important than the outcome of any sports event. You see, God touched down on earth two thousand years ago as a man, Y’shua (you know him better as Jesus) to offer us a place in His-story. I go for that option. It’s the best one.

by Susan Perlman

Midnight in Paris

2011-06-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

(A Reflection on the Film Now Showing in Theaters)
by Rich Robinson

So You Wanna Be a Green Lantern?

2011-06-22T14:58:00.001-07:00

So You Wanna Be a
Green Lantern?

A Reflection on the Film Now in Theaters

Who wouldn’t want to be …
Chosen for a great task?

Equipped with a really cool power ring?

Outfitted in an awesome glowing green bodysuit?

Test pilot Hal Jordan did!
Of course he also had to . . .
Be tutored by Tomar-Re, a fish-faced alien.

Go through boot camp with Kilowog, a cross between a gorilla and a hippopotamus.

Be overseen by the Guardians, owl-like blue beings on perches.

And face off against Hector Hammond, a scientist who morphs into David Crosby on a bad hair day.

Though he admits he’s afraid, Hal can only save Earth by not giving into fear, the ultimate evil.

But let’s face it … we’re not really superheroes.

Unlike Green Lantern, we don’t always overcome our fears.
Some fear death…

others fear life.

Some are afraid of sickness or pain…

others are afraid of failure.

(Some are even afraid of success.)
Many fear that their lives don’t have meaning.
Some fear the inevitable sequel to this movie.

We can’t overcome our fears like Hal Jordan, just by will power. But there is a way to conquer fear:
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. — 1John 4:18.

But who has perfect love? Only one person, who said:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” — John 14:27

That was Jesus speaking. He wasn’t a test pilot, but he landed on earth to show us God’s love, to take away our fears, and to fulfill our hopes by giving his life for our sins.

For that, you don’t need a power ring.
Don’t be afraid to check it out.

Email rich.robinson@jewsforjesus.org

God's Dairy Restaurant: Thoughts for Shavuot

2011-06-06T09:14:00.001-07:00

by Rich Robinson

Among the many customs associated with Shavuot, eating dairy meals is one of the most popular — a time to get the finest cheesecake from Junior's in Brooklyn, or to make your own. (Dairy in Jewish culture refers to non-meat meals, not only to milk products. The nearly defunct "dairy restaurant" was a popular destination for blintzes, salads, tuna and the like.)

Jewish tradition loves to offer a multitude of explanations for customs, most of which have nothing to the do with the actual origin of the customs but which range from giving ethical insight to directing attention to the text of the Bible to downright entertainment. Among the various reasons we have heard for why dairy food is eaten on Shavuot, these ten stand out (as you read them, remember that Shavuot is traditionally held to be the day on which God gave the Torah to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai.)

When Israel received the Torah at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19), they did not have the proper utensils for preparing kosher meat, so they ate dairy products instead, which do not require the same kind of stringent preparation.
Exodus 23:19 places these two laws next to one another:

Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.
Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
Jewish tradition often found significance in juxtaposed items, so it connected Shavuot, which involves firstfruits, with eating dairy, which involves milk.

Numbers 28:26 says, "...when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Feast of Weeks"... "The Hebrew phrase is literally, "a new offering to the Lord in your weeks," which forms an acrostic me-chalav, "from milk."
In Jewish mysticism, the numeric equivalent of chalav (milk) is 40, the same number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai.
In Psalm 68, Mount Sinai is called Har Gavnunim, (mountain of peaks or rugged mountain), which sounds like gevinah, the Hebrew word for cheese.
Shavuot occurred during the season when lambs and calves are suckling, so dairy was readily available.
The Jewish people spent so long at Mt. Sinai that their milk turned into cheese. (My favorite explanation!)
The land of Israel is described as a land flowing with "milk and honey."
Receiving the Torah was like a rebirth, so we eat milk, which is "baby food."
The Torah is likened to milk and honey in these biblical verses:

Song of Songs 4:11 (according to some interpretations)

Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;

milk and honey are under your tongue.

The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon.

Psalm 19:9-10

. . . The ordinances of the LORD are sure

and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the comb.

The eighth explanation invokes the well-known phrase concerning the biblical land of Israel as a land "flowing with milk and honey." This expression has made its way into popular culture as the name of a Broadway musical, an Israeli band, and even an album by John and Yoko.

Less known perhaps is that following the exodus from Egypt, we embarked on forty years of kvetching in the desert, including this gem of a complaint found in Numbers 16:13: "Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert?" Note well: our complaint was that Egypt was the land of milk and honey!

But more than referencing geography, the prophet Isaiah, reminiscent of the final explanation above, invited the Jewish people to listen to what God had to say, and couched the invitation in terms of drinking milk (as well as in terms of water, wine, and bread).

Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

(Isaiah 55:1-2)

In the New Testament, the image is taken up again in a communication to new followers of Jesus. This is in reference to learning from God / listening to God / growing spiritually, and reminiscent of explanation #9 above:

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

(1 Peter 2:2-3)

The land of Israel was, and is, a land flowing with milk and honey. But it was so only because God dwelt there and spoke his word to Israel in that place—a word which eventually spread to the rest of the world.

Which means that the Bible, in essence, is — God's dairy restaurant.

Despite the disappearance of such culinary icons from the Jewish cultural scene, “God's dairy restaurant” remains open in the pages of the Bible. Let Genesis be your blintz, Jeremiah your whitefish, Matthew your mushroom soup. The menu is full, the price is great, the taste is superb!

New Livestream of Jews for Jesus videos.

2011-06-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Check out our live feed of our video playlist.

Watch live streaming video from jewsforjesus at livestream.com

A Holocaust Remembrance Day Reflection

2011-04-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

by Rich Robinson

A friend’s post on Facebook alerted me to an article which appeared April 22 on The Wall Street Journal’s web site and has since been reposted or commented upon on numerous other sites.
The article is about portrayals of Jesus in film, but the part that is most striking concerns the Holocaust and a story related by the filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille. In 1928, a Polish man by the name of William E. Wallner viewed DeMille’s movie King of Kings. He thereafter became a Lutheran pastor in Prague. According to John A. Murray whose byline appears on the WTJ article:

Shortly after Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia, a doctor in Wallner's parish was sent to a Nazi concentration camp. Wallner shared with DeMille how the doctor, a Jewish convert to Christianity, encouraged his fellow prisoners "to die bravely, with faith in their hearts." As a result, the doctor became a target of Gestapo officers.

The doctor, DeMille relates, was brutally beaten to the point that a Gestapo officer said mockingly: "Take a look at yourself. Now you look like your Jewish Christ."
This Messianic Jewish physician is then reported to have cried out, "Lord [Jesus], never in my life have I received such honor—to resemble You." Continues Murray:

Distraught by the doctor's proclamation, the Gestapo officer sought out Wallner that night. "Could Pastor Wallner help him, free him from the terrible burden of his guilt?"
After praying with him, Wallner advised, "Perhaps God let you kill that good man to bring you to the foot of the Cross, where you can help others." The Gestapo officer returned to the concentration camp. And through the aid of Wallner and the Czech underground, he worked to free many Jews over the years that followed.

I have not been able to find out much about William E. Wallner.A brief online biography reads: “Reverend William Edward Wallner was born in Poland in 1904. He was the only survivor of eleven children in his family. The rest of his family lost their lives during the Holocaust.” He was known to be a photographer and his photographs are available in an archive at the University of California Santa Cruz. Eventually he relocated to San Bernardino, California, where he died in 1988.

I know nothing else about Wallner nor have I researched the story about the Messianic Jewish doctor or the Gestapo office to verify DeMille’s account. If it is the same William Wallner, we find him delivering a paper in 1964 at the Logumkloster Consultation on the Church and the Jewish People with the title, “The Jew in the church. Can a Hebrew Christian remain a Jew?”. Could an actual encounter with a Jewish believer in Jesus have interested him in the subject?

Taking the story at face value, on this Holocaust Remembrance Day we are reminded of three things:
First, there were many Hasidei Ummot ha-Olam, Righteous Gentiles who worked to save Jews during the Holocaust, of whom Wallner would have been one. These remarkable individuals showed true menschlikhkeit (Yiddish for true humanity) and the true nature of God.

Second, repentance and restoration are always possible. Did the guard who maliciously killed one Jewish person go on to assist in the saving of many others? Even King David, after all, orchestrated a murder, repented, and though there were consequences, Nathan the prophet announced to him, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” (The full story can be found in the Bible in 2 Samuel 11–12.)

And third, there were Jewish believers in Jesus who died in the Holocaust and others who were (and are) survivors. (Read some of their personal stories here.) For them, the Holocaust was not a reason to disbelieve in Jesus but a place to embrace, as a Jew, faith in the Messiah who also suffered and died.
On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, let us remember the Six Million, along with the Righteous Gentiles, the power of repentance, and the Messiah who suffered and died for Jews and for Gentiles both. In this way we not only “never forget,” but also face the future with courage and hope.

Flowers of the Son (Documentary Film)

2011-03-23T10:15:00.001-07:00

reivewed by Rachel Friedlander

Israel is home to some seven and a half million people. But to billions others, it is a stray and distant thought—the very mention of which often evokes images of terrorism, religious conflict, and concrete rubble. But from amid the sounds of conflict, one group of missionaries hears the cry for peace and salvation.

Flowers of the Son documents the experiences of the volunteers participating in “Behold Your God,” a four week evangelistic outreach that spans twelve geographic regions of Israel. Through pamphlets, banners, skits, musical performances, phone calls, and door-to-door visits, these missionaries engage both young and old, religious and irreligious in conversation about the Messiah, Y'shua.

Directed, written, and produced by Emmy award-winners Herb and Amy Kossover, Flowers of the Son packs quite the punch in a short, 30 minute time slot. Despite its slightly cloying, Hallmark card introduction, this half hour is not filled with typical evangelistic fare—there are no heartrending accounts of injured orphans and puppies, no sickening musical number. It is the truthful, occasionally gruesome story of what these missionaries face on a daily basis.

It is made apparent that whether serving on the front lines or behind the scenes, these campaign workers have the unity of an army and the resilience of soldiers. Despite their uniform of brightly colored t-shirts, they are of different genders and nationalities with unique gifts and testimonies. But just like the campaign itself, this film is a collaboration. The voices of all types of missionaries are heard through narrative, interviews, and both live and reenacted footage.

But the cries of opposition are also heard, loud and clear. Instances of verbal abuse and physical assault permeate the film, providing a realistic picture of the spiritual war that is taking place in the streets of Israel. Fortunately, there is hope amid the horror. Serving as the dessert of this cinematic meal, two inspiring accounts of religious seekers leave a lasting taste of promise.

Whether showing moments of the ugliness of human nature or the beauty of salvation, the audience will be captured by the stunning cinematography, enjoyable soundtrack (including the sounds of New Light Ruins), and vivid storytelling. Flowers of the Son inspires those around the world to look past the crumbling cement and to see the life that is bursting up through the cracks.

Purim Play: Kosher Joe Episode 9

2011-03-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

In the Purim Play to End All Purim Plays, Kosher Joe and his friends put on a classic story with a modern twist.

Watch more episodes at KosherJoe.com!

Book Review: The Year of Living Biblically -Reviewed by Matt Sieger

2011-01-26T16:35:00.001-08:00

A few years back, A.J. Jacobs, editor at large for Esquire magazine and a secular Jew, decided to live one year attempting to keep every commandment in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Then he wrote about it in the New York Times bestseller, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.

Jacobs has an engaging and funny style, but he also approaches his subject manner seriously and with reverence. He began his project by reading the entire Bible and writing down every command, which filled up 72 pages! Then he set out to practice as many of the commands as possible, often leading to bizarre situations. In accordance with Ecclesiastes 9:8 (“Always be clothed in white”), he wore white clothes every day, sometimes a white robe. This led to some interesting discussions, such as the one with an elderly man in the park who asked Jacobs why he was dressed like a prophet. Jacobs explained that he was trying to keep all the biblical commandments, including things like stoning adulterers. The man replied, “I’m an adulterer. Are you going to stone me?” Jacobs said yes, that would be great, and pulled some pebbles out of his pocket, whereupon the man grabbed the pebbles and threw them in Jacobs’s face. Jacobs figured he was now justified to return “an eye for an eye,” and threw one pebble at the man’s chest, thus “fulfilling” the command to stone adulterers!

On a more serious note, Jacobs obeyed the many commands to thank the Lord and after a while, thankfulness became a habit. He visited with a broad spectrum of people who profess faith in God, traveling to the Creation Museum in Kentucky, Jerry Falwell’s church, and Evangelicals Concerned (an organization for the gay and the gay-friendly). One obvious omission (at least to me) was Jews for Jesus. For an author who was trying to integrate the commands of the Hebrew Scriptures with those of the New Testament, we seemed like an obvious choice! I was pleased that he mentioned that when he ran into situations where the New Testament commands seemed to contradict those of the Hebrew Scriptures (forgiveness rather than “an eye for an eye,” for example), he went with the New Testament teaching. But he didn’t mention Jews who believe in Jesus.

When I asked the author why, I received this reply: “I actually did spend a bit of time with the Jews for Jesus folks, and found them fascinating and engaging. I even started a chapter on it, but the God's honest truth is, I ran out of space and time.” It’s nice to know we weren’t forgotten.

Throughout the book, Jacobs hopes that by keeping the commandments, he will be changed from within. By doing what the Bible says, he hopes to become more holy. But when he ends his experiment after a year, he admits to feeling a good deal of relief that he will no longer be worrying at every moment whether he might be violating a commandment. And other than being a more thankful person than when he began, he gives no evidence of permanent change.

That’s because Jacobs is putting the cart before the horse. Simply trying to obey the commandments doesn’t get us closer to God, because we first need a relationship with him. And we can’t have that relationship until our sins are washed away. Jesus made that possible when he died on the cross, shedding his blood to meet God’s requirement that sin be paid for. Jacobs didn’t give much attention in his book to Scriptures such as Joel 2:13: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate” or Psalm 51:17: “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

Our first order of business with God is repentance. Then, when we experience his forgiveness and are born again to new life, we discover the truth of these words from the New Testament: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Happy New Year, Trees and People Who Are Like Trees

2011-01-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

by Rich Robinson

January 20, 2011 is Tu Bishevat, which means "the 15th of the month Shevat" and falls—are you ready?—on the 15th of the month Shevat. To spice things up a bit, it is also the new year for trees, which has something to do with Leviticus 19:23-25 and figuring out when you can start eating fruit from trees, though the holiday is not actually mentioned there.
Like all Jewish holidays, this has its traditions mostly having to do with fruit or trees. To get into the Tu Bishevat mood, you can eat a nice piece of new fruit, or each one of the "Seven Species" (Deuteronomy 8:8) of the land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and finally dates or honey. Or hey, eat all of them, or make up something new and original.

Some people have a Tu Bishevat seder which, as some of my grade school friends of long ago would have said, is "like a Passover seder only different." And since we are all about fruit and trees on this day, the environment becomes a matter of concern, so Tu Bishevat is essentially the Jewish Earth Day. If it were a political party, Tu Bishevat would be the Green Party.

Some draw a spiritual application, citing Deuteronomy 20:19 in the translation "Man is a tree of the field" and try to figure out all the ways people are like trees. Actually, the translation of that verse varies depending on your version of the Bible. Here, however, are some other verses that are less debatable about people, trees and fruit, worth meditating upon:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)

And I even tried to look for Bible verses that relate to each of the Seven Species. I actually tried finding them in the New Testament, just to prove that it's a Jewish book. I also found Passover, Hanukkah, a bris, Shavuot, a seder, and a bunch of other Jewish things in the New Testament, but that's for another blog. Anyway, I found six out of seven of the species. Which seems OK, since one of the authors of the New Testament, Luke, was a Gentile anyway.

So this Tu Bishevat, and this whole month, why not meditate on these seven verses:

Wheat –

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25, Jesus speaking. People-as-nature metaphor.)

Barley –

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." (John 6:9-14, at the Feeding of the Five Thousand.)

Grapes –

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? (James 3:9-12; I managed to get figs and olives in there, too. If grapevines can bear nothing but grapes, how come people made in God's image don't bear His character all the time? In a word: sin. See New Testament for solution).

Figs –

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." (John 1:47-49; OK, so it doesn't really matter what kind of tree it was. But Jesus knew. Score one for omniscience.)

Pomegranates –

Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. (Song of Solomon 4:3, description of the songster's bride; the Bible says things about the physical creation as well as spiritual things – after all, God created the physical world.)

Olives –

After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! (Romans 11:24; Paul, the apostle, in a passage warning Gentile Christians, the wild branches, not to boast of superiority over Jewish people, the natural branches).

Dates/Honey –

John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. (Mark 1:6, describing the lifestyle of John the Baptist. I wouldn't try that diet myself, but I like his advice on repenting of sin.)

If you have a thought to share about these verses, use the comments link in this article.

Sources:

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday8.htm
http://www.aish.com/h/15sh/
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3264/jewish/Tu-BShevat.htm
The Bible

Tradition, Tradition

2010-12-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

by Rachel Friedlander

It’s always interesting to watch the range of expressions that flash across a person’s face when they hear that I am a “Messianic Jew.” Sometimes, I try to clarify: “I’m Jewish, and a Christian.” This doesn’t seem to help. They wonder if I’m a mutt, some strange crossbreed of two animals that shouldn’t reproduce. That is usually how the conversation begins.

A couple of years ago, some days after school had been let out for Christmas break, four of my college friends tried to appease their curiosity. Stephanie, my roommate at the time, had grown up in a Christian home, but didn’t practice her beliefs. Danielle also had some experience with religious ceremonies, as she was raised Catholic. The other two, Renee and Josh, were atheists. They all wanted to understand my seemingly oxymoronic, mixed-breed lifestyle. So they chose to come to my family’s celebration of Hanukkah.

Letting friends into the eccentric world of my family is always a gamble, like having someone taste-test your signature dish for the first time. My mother guided them into the dining room and began the introductions. Somewhere after I introduced my father, David, my brother Arin, his wife Erin (we have to distinguish by calling them Boy Arin and Girl Erin) and their son, Isaac, my friends began to look skeptical. It was around the time I came to my two other brothers, Mark and Ezra, that I thought they were going to ask which of my relatives was named Jesus.

After they climbed the many branches of our family tree, the celebration began. Things started tamely enough, with my father singing some prayers in Hebrew from the Siddur as we gathered around the hanukkiah (many incorrectly refer to it as a menorah). It being the last evening of the eight-night celebration, every one of the branches held a spindly candle. As my father continued the prayer, we each lit a wick.

I saw my friends’ eyes, wide in the candlelight, the four of them standing close together behind my brothers. Josh is short but well-built, with wide shoulders. He wore a band T-shirt, skinny jeans, and a silver lip ring that glinted in the candlelight. Beside him was my father. He towered above Josh, wearing a full beard and a plaid dress shirt, tucked into jeans. His body was bowed over the prayer book, leaning towards the dancing flames. Rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, he read from the Siddur, “Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha’olam...”

We listened to my father’s voice, falling and rising in the sweet, guttural melody, my family joining in after all the candles were lit. When he lowered the book, everyone, both friends and family, stood in a moment of stupor, staring at the tiny flames of remembrance in awe. Normally, this is where a Hanukkah celebration would end. But my family is different.

Somehow, generations ago, we developed a tradition. My father again lifted his Siddur, sweeping into the first note of this prayer with unrivaled gusto. His voice boomed through the house as he began to march. Mark ran to grab the conga drum, Ezra the maracas, my family grabbing musical instruments from shelves and cupboards and running to follow my father. My mother opened the kitchen cabinets and began shoving pots and pans and large utensils into the hands of our guests. This is the priceless moment: they look at their hands, holding these strange objects, and wonder in what brutal, sacrificial practice they must participate.

They carefully followed the line that had formed behind my singing father, which had by now become a parade of noise. We sounded like an untrained junior high band, melding the sounds of South Africa and Jamaica, with a hint of Emeril Lagasse’s kitchen. My father’s voice, however loud, could barely be heard over our musical accompaniment.

As if this weren’t enough of a bustle, tradition also claims that the best position is directly behind my father, which both acknowledged my father as the head of the house and confused our guests. As he led us in a winding path around every room on the first floor, reminiscent of the hardest level of Snake, my family fought for this position. It was every man for himself.

My friends watched in mild horror as we shut the door in the face of our followers, pulled out chairs to block their path, or turned off lights to blind their way. We continued our drumming, tambourine waving, and maracas shaking as we fought our way to the front, my guests humbly tapping their pot covers together.

I think it was about the time my mother dragged a chair in front of Danielle, or when I jabbed Renee in the back with my maracas, that they began to clang their pots and pans together with a little more passion. Maybe Josh began to see the similarities between this tradition and some of the many concerts he attends. This mosh pit simply included tambourines, kitchen utensils and Jews.

By our fourth or fifth circuit around the entirety of the first floor, it was hard to tell the difference between the hosts and the guests. I think a few chairs even moved without the help of Friedlander hands. The parade now moved in uniform disorder, with every member displaying their combination of both musical and WWE [World Wrestling Entertainment] skills. I couldn’t have been more proud.

When my father led us back to the dining room, where the mosh-pit parade had first begun, he circled around our large dinner table. This was the telltale sign that the dance was nearing its end. As my father’s notes became slightly more prolonged, Mark used his foot to whip a chair out from the table, securing the conga drum between his knees as he sat down. My family halted and stationed themselves around the table, giant smiles plastered over our weary faces.

All instruments paused for a moment and my father hit the last note. Then, all at once, we waved our tambourines and shook our maracas as hard as we could, Mark beginning the longest, fastest drum roll I’ve ever heard. My father faded out long before our instruments, gasping for air as we woke up the neighbors with our finale.

Maybe my brother Mark would develop arthritis from those drum rolls, and maybe I couldn’t hear anything for a while afterward. But as we all waved, shook, and clanged by the brightly lit hanukkiah and sent the flames into a frenzy, I couldn’t help but think that this blending together created the perfect mix. Perhaps my friends hadn’t expected a conversation about my seemingly confusing beliefs to be answered in a night of dancing, but scanning across their faces at the end of the night, I saw a new expression upon their faces. It wasn’t one of scrunched-up confusion, but of a happiness and contentment that can only come from the Hanukkah parade.

Courage and Cowardice Displayed When a Jew for Jesus is Beaten in Israel

2010-11-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

by David Brickner

Opposition to the gospel seems to be heating up in the Land of Israel. While most Israelis are secular and tend to either be open or indifferent to our message, the religious minority is becoming increasingly hostile and is more and more willing to resort to bullying and even violence in their determination to stifle our message.

If you have been reading RealTime, you know that we are in the midst of a comprehensive evangelistic outreach called "Behold Your God, Israel." Recently we concluded our sixth evangelism campaign in the North Shore region of Israel, including the cities of Hadera and Netanya. We were very encouraged because some seven hundred people requested further literature, and eight people prayed with us to receive the Lord during the campaign. But we also noticed a marked increase in physical assaults. Our leader, Dan Sered reported the following:

"We faced opposition from outraged individuals as well as organized groups. In Netanya, one team was trapped and beaten up by fifteen Orthodox. Other teams were chased, kicked and had fruit thrown at them. In Hadera, one team was kicked and pushed. As for bannering, two teams had stones and eggs thrown at them. One team's banner was broken and a team member's face was punched."

More recently one of our staff members, Vlad, was leading a team handing out gospel tracts at Tel Aviv University, when he was assaulted and knocked unconscious by two Orthodox Jewish men. Vlad reported:
"Two ultra-Orthodox men appeared and watched us for a couple of minutes. When I saw them bend over to pick up stones, I decided to take the team to our backup site. Those religious men were about twenty-five meters away from us. We began to cross the road to where many taxis passed by."

One of the volunteers reported, "We approached a Sharoot bus and knocked on the door, but the driver did not open the door. At this point the taller of the two men held Vlad in a hammerlock. The second man was grabbing for the tract bag, trying to wrestle it away. He finally ripped the stitching in the bag strap and the bag came free. They shoved Vlad to the ground and the smaller of the two jumped onto him, and punched him four or five times while he cursed at him in English. As this man got to his feet, he turned and kicked Vlad square in the face with his boot, and then jogged off laughing. They were still carrying the bag and laughing as they went out of my view."

Vlad lost consciousness briefly and needed both volunteers to help him up and out of the street. He reported, "People in the cars shouted to us to call the police. A Muslim man, Ibrahim, witnessed some of the incident and brought me a bottle of water. A Jewish lady, Shiri, approached me and said that she saw everything that had happened and asked how she could help. I thanked her [and they got contact info from the man and woman.]"

An ambulance came and Vlad spent five hours in the emergency room, where doctors reset his broken nose and put four stitches in his upper lip. The next day Vlad and one of the volunteers went to the police station to file a complaint.

We see here a picture of both courage and cowardice in the land of Israel. I am so proud of the courage of our missionaries and volunteers who are willing to risk physical assaults to stand up for the Lord and proclaim His gospel. The branch brought a team back to the university, as it is important to let people know that violence will not stifle gospel proclamation. But it isn't easy and we need to continue to pray that God would sustain them and grant them continued courage to stand for the Lord.

At the same time, I am embarrassed and angered by the cowardice of these religious young men and others like them who violently attack both young men and even young women, then run away rather than take the legal consequences of their behavior. In fact, I was concerned about sharing this incident with you lest anyone mistakenly think that these bullies represent the majority of Jewish people in Israel. Please believe me when I tell you they do not! This behavior is not what mainstream Judaism teaches nor is it considered acceptable behavior by the majority of the Jewish community in Israel or anywhere else.

I think it is important for me to share this information because the situation is getting more violent among a religious minority, and we do need you to pray. Please pray for our staff in Israel, especially that God will bless and strengthen Vlad and his wife, as well as all our staff and volunteers, with continued courage and grace to press on despite those who are out to hurt us.

We hope you also will pray that those who committed the criminal assault will be caught, and will not only be deterred from further assaults but will have their eyes opened to what is in their own hearts.

Finally, please pray for us for wisdom in how to respond, as well as for protection from the Lord for our people. Of course it isn't just Jews for Jesus staff and volunteers who are facing this problem.

A recently declassified U.S. State Department cable to the U.S. Secretary of State reported on the increasing violence of the religious Jews against believers in the Land:

1. The May 15 mass public burning of New Testaments in the Tel Aviv suburb of Or Yehuda highlights a growing trend toward anti-missionary incitement in Jewish neighborhoods throughout Israel. Other notable incidents include the October firebombing of a Jerusalem church shared by Baptists and Messianic Jews (i.e. Jews who believe Jesus was the Messiah) and the March 20 bombing of a Messianic Jewish home in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, in which a 15-year-old boy was gravely wounded. Contacts in the Messianic Jewish and Evangelical congregations throughout Israel describe a worsening situation and allege complicity or complacency on the part of police, local governments and the Interior Ministry. For their part, anti-missionary groups such as the ultra-Orthodox Yad l'Achim appear more determined than ever to escalate their campaign against Christian and Messianic congregations that they see as "cults" determined to steal Jewish souls.

2. While anti-missionary groups such as the ultra-Orthodox Yad l'Achim (Hand to the Brothers) have long sought to uproot Messianic Jewish and Evangelical Christian congregations in Israel, their activities have gone largely unnoticed by mainstream Israeli society. Targeted congregations have suffered harassment and occasionally even vandalism or violence ... but such incidents rarely made the national press. Despite the harassment, the number of Messianic Jews and Evangelical Christians has grown in recent years through both immigration and conversion. In recent months, however, increased press reporting and complaints from religious freedom activists have indicated an increase in Yad l'Achim activism and a growing, wider backlash against the presence of Evangelical or Messianic congregations and missionaries living in Jewish communities. Contacts describe ... allege a situation of near impunity where police fail to adequately investigate hate crimes against them…

We should not be surprised by the behavior of those who oppose the gospel. The Bible told us this would happen as we stand up and identify with our Lord. We, His servants, are not greater than our Master who experienced far worse at the hands of the religious leaders of His day.

So what can we as believers do in response? Y'shua taught us: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). There you have it: love, bless, do good and pray. That seems a tall order, but it is what our Lord commanded.

Would you pray for us to have the courage to follow our Messiah's teaching from this verse? First, we need to be praying for our persecutors, that they come to know their Messiah Jesus. Despite their cowardice and seeming delight in doing harm, we need to love them and do good to them. However, that does not mean we should give in to them. There are laws in Israel that can and should be upheld and when the religious opposition break these laws they should be held accountable. We need to be wise in how we relate to these people and their attacks.

As an aside, we would urge wisdom on the part of Christians who love Israel to be very discerning in your support. Some Christian organizations seem intent on giving money to Orthodox groups in Israel without respect to their bad behavior towards the believers. I know they desire to do good, but they seem unaware that certain Orthodox groups encourage or protect those who commit these acts. Many Christians are also unaware that when they give to someone like Yechiel Eckstein, who promotes "On Wings of Eagles," he disburses funds to a wide variety of organizations, including those involved in anti-missionary tactics.^*
It takes praying courage to confront persecuting cowardice with resolve, with truth and with love. Please pray for believers in Israel to have these qualities in abundance in the days to come.

End Notes

*We have also met many Christians who mistakenly think that Yechiel Eckstein is a believer in Jesus, because of the way he refers to the Scriptures, the end times, etc. While Rabbi Eckstein is not a believer in Jesus, he appeals to many Christians because of his philanthropic work and the friendship he extends. Eckstein began fundraising among Jewish people, but eventually realized that evangelical support “was like a mountain waiting to be conquered.” However, he explained, “I have always had one red line: that I would never work with any group involved in missionary activity targeting the Jewish community. However, if there are groups that believed [sic] in the end of days or that all the Jewish [sic] will eventually turn to Jesus, but in the meantime they see it as their obligation to share with us a love for Israel, then that is acceptable to me. I still have my red lines today and I will never work with groups like Jews for Jesus or Messianic community.” [click here for full article]

Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem

2010-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

by David Brickner

This week I am writing to you from Jerusalem. Next week I will be in Cape Town, South Africa at the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization's world congress, a gathering of over 4000 church and mission leaders from around the globe. I have been asked to be on a panel that will discuss "Praying for the peace of Jerusalem," in line with Psalm 122, particularly verse six: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you.'"

As I plan what I'd like to say, I wanted to give you a preview of some of my thoughts on the subject.
Over the ages, Jerusalem has been a study in profound contrasts: a place of hope and despair, life and death, love and hatred. The city is mentioned 776 times in the Bible, which describes Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God, the throne of the Lord, a city of truth and a holy mountain—but it also calls Jerusalem a place of iniquity, a heavy stone that no one can lift and a cup of reeling and drunkenness.

The prophets agonized over Jerusalem, longing for the day when God would finally restore His presence there. Jesus wept passionately over the city, knowing it would be witness to the most enormous cruelty and terrible destruction imaginable.

If we are to care for our world, we must follow the biblical mandate—and we must follow Jesus' example—to love and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Like His prayer, our prayers for the city should include mournful tears as well as hopeful longing. As we pray, we should be aware of Jerusalem's past, mindful of her present, yet always doggedly looking to God's promise for her future.

Jerusalem is a spiritual microcosm of our world today, and her future stands as a great biblical symbol of what our world will one day become under the rule of its Creator when He makes all things new. Therefore, our prayers for Jerusalem ought be informed by all the richness of a full biblical theology.

Modern Jerusalem is a city like so many others, filled with people, poverty, crime and construction. The most recent census was completed in 2003, but since then it is estimated the population of Jerusalem has grown to 764,000—approximately 470,000 of its people being Jewish and the rest made up primarily of Arabs, the majority of whom are Muslim. Jerusalem is an intensely devout city: approximately 50% of the Jewish population is religiously Orthodox. An estimated 1,204 synagogues, 158 churches, 72 monasteries and 73 mosques are located there.

Jerusalem also has the highest poverty rate of any city in Israel, with over 40% living below the poverty line. That includes over 50% of all children who reside there.

Politically, Jerusalem is as divided as any city possibly could be. Israel has declared all of Jerusalem to be the undivided capital of the Jewish state, but no embassies are located there and Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the future capital of their own state. During 4000 years of struggle for control of Jerusalem, over 118 separate conflicts have been waged— everything from religious uprisings to military campaigns.
Jerusalem today is not a city of peace, and yet Psalm 122 instructs us to pray for her peace and her prosperity. How do we do that?

Since the Scriptures tell us to do good "especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10), I believe that our prayers for Jerusalem should begin by interceding for the people of God living there. Messianic Jews, Arab Christians and believers from various nations comprise a small minority of Jerusalem's inhabitants, but I think we ought to pray especially for their peace. Some cooperation and fellowship among believers does exist and has grown in recent years, but we still need to pray for unity and love among the followers of Christ in this city.

Using our Messiah's prayer in John 17 as a model, we can pray earnestly for the humility, strength and sacrifice needed to pursue peace within the diverse family of God living in Jerusalem. The desire for unity must come from the heart, and must be seen in personal examples set by congregation leaders there.

Second, in a place so wracked by injustice and political struggle, as we pray for prosperity we must pray for mercy and justice to flow. Messianic Jews are regularly persecuted and denied citizenship and other rights by a small but zealous group of religious Jews. Palestinian Christians often face danger from Muslim neighbors because of their faith, as well as hardship from Israeli authorities because they are Arabs. Christians from other countries have to be circumspect so as not to have their working visas denied by religious Jews in the government. The Bible reminds us to pray for those in government, to remember the political leadership as well, and pray for all efforts at peacemaking no matter how frail and feeble they appear.

And what about the poverty in Jerusalem? Some Christian ministries are reaching out to help with clothing, food and rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol, but they are relatively few in number. We should pray for increased effort on the part of God's people to meet the needs of the downtrodden of Jerusalem—both Jews and Arabs.

These are all aspects of peace that we can and should pray for the people of Jerusalem. Yet true and lasting peace only comes through the Prince of Peace, and so our most fervent prayers should be directed toward the propagation of the gospel of peace in the city of peace. When Arabs and Jews can sincerely say to one another, "I love you in Jesus' name," the whole world will see the reconciling power of the gospel. Only in Christ is peace between such enemies made possible. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit do we see such reconciliation in Jerusalem, and only as God's people are willing to risk opposition and persecution in order to boldly proclaim His name.

My parents have lived as citizens of Israel in Jerusalem since 1989, but I first visited there in 1984. I had come to Jerusalem with our Jews for Jesus singing group, the Liberated Wailing Wall. I remember nervously setting up equipment for an outdoor concert on Ben Yehuda Street in downtown Jerusalem. As we sang our Jewish gospel music a large crowd gathered—there were Jews and Arabs who stopped to hear us—some believers in Jesus, but mostly unbelievers. Many were clapping, smiling; some were even doing a little folk dancing off to the side. I thought to myself, "Praise God, here we are preaching the gospel right out on the streets of Jerusalem."

Then I noticed out of the corner of my eye a group of young ultra-Orthodox men walking towards us with looks of grim determination on their faces and I knew we were in trouble. Sure enough they came and stood in front of us shouting and screaming. Then one of them reached out and tried to grab the violin bow to wrench it out of my wife's hand.

I'm thinking, "We are about to be martyred right here, right now, in Jerusalem," when up walks a large Israeli, a secular Jew, about 6'4", 250 pounds and completely bald. He says to those Orthodox men, "You touch them and I will touch you!"

Our would-be attackers backed away and we continued with our concert unharmed. The Bible says the angel of the Lord encamps round those who fear Him to deliver them from harm. I just never imagined the angel of the Lord looking like a 6'4" 250 pound bald guy!

That story illustrates both the challenges and opportunities faced by all who stand for Christ in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is home to fair and open-minded individuals, as well as to those who think they would be doing the Almighty a favor by driving away—through any means possible—anyone who stands publicly for Jesus.
As we pray for the prosperity and the peace of Jerusalem, may we recognize the prophetic significance of such peace. We will face opposition from within and without because we are focusing our efforts on a place and a people that are at the center of God's concern for all of humanity. Yet we know that as we pray into the future hope and promise of God concerning this place, we can be assured of His answer from Scripture:
"Thus says the LORD: 'Again there shall be heard in this place ... the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever" (Jeremiah 33:10-11).

Columbus Day, Yom Kippur, and My Big Fat Jury Duty Day: A Few Random Thoughts on Fair Trials

2010-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

by Rich Robinson

I was called to jury duty the other day. After sitting through an orientation, a video, a roll call, and a wait outside the courtroom, we were finally admitted. Inside, we heard shouting from the front. It turned out to be the defendant, who was loudly, and repeatedly, insisting that he was not getting a fair trial. Unfortunately, he flubbed his chance of getting any trial, because after a few minutes of nonstop ranting, the judge had him removed and we were all dismissed.

I have no idea if the man in question ever had, or will have, a fair trial or not. Certainly the Jewish people throughout history have often been as it were on trial in the court of non-Jewish opinion, where a guilty verdict has been rendered for the "crime" of … being Jewish.

October 11 marks Columbus Day, commemorating his voyage of 1492 that led to the discovery of the Americas. It was both a bad day and a good day for the Jews. Bad, because it coincided with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (deliberately set for Tisha B'Av, the day of mourning over the loss of the Temples and other tragedies). Good, because it led to the discovery of what would become a safe haven for Jewish people.

Columbus wrote in his diary: "In the same month in which their Majesties issued the edict that all Jews should be driven out of the kingdom and its territories, in the same month they gave me the order to undertake with sufficient men my expedition of discovery to the Indies."*

Whether or not Columbus was himself Jewish has been a matter of intriguing debate. A Google search will turn up numerous pages on the subject such as this one. But as Columbus made his journey, the Jews of Spain and afterward Portugal made journeys of their own to what is known as the Sephardic Diaspora. Some headed to Amsterdam, some came to the New World, some went elsewhere. The first synagogue in North America was founded in 1654 by Jews who had first made their way to Recife, Brazil, but then, upon the arrival of the Portuguese, came up to the northern hemisphere.

Several weeks back was the observance of Yom Kippur, still another kind of "trial" in which, according to tradition, God's judgment is sealed for another year — judgment as to whether we will be written in the Book of Life for yet another year.

To some, the trial of Yom Kippur is metaphor, a sort of reminder that we ought to behave better in the coming year. (Perhaps Yom Kippur should be made mandatory for all political candidates, Jewish or not. It might inspire a whole new level of political behavior.) For others, Yom Kippur has actually become a time to judge God Himself for His alleged crimes against humanity in failing to stem the spread of evil. I actually did hear a student-led Yom Kippur service some years ago where various ones came to the bima (lectern) to recite their poems "forgiving" God.

Why bring together Yom Kippur and Columbus Day? For many, Ferdinand and Isabella, Torquemada, and other self-appointed judges of Jewish fate are more real than God Himself. The well-being and shalom of the Jewish people, we are reminded, has appeared to often be at the mercy of those who were our overlords. Yet even as we work for our people's shalom, we would do well to be reminded that God is the ultimate magistrate, who will both sustain the Jewish people and also judge us all.

As to sustaining the Jewish people, the often-melancholy prophet Jeremiah wrote this note of cheer:

This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD Almighty is his name:

"Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me."
Jeremiah 31:35-36

And as to judging, the second Psalm contains this poetic passage:

Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.

"Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters."

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.

Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying
Psalm 2:1-5

And, since God is a righteous judge, he would be remiss to judge the enemies of the Jewish people and not judge His own people as well. That, after all, is what Yom Kippur is about. Another prophet, Isaiah—he is perhaps the greatest of all prophets of the Hebrew Bible—said:

Stop doing wrong,

learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
Isaiah 1:16-18

In the end, no one will complain to God that they didn't receive a fair trial.

And now, we'll take a question.

Dear Rich, I thought this was the Jews for Jesus website. How come you didn't mention Jesus in this blog?

Answer: What, it wasn't long enough already? If you want to know how Jesus relates to trials, the law, and judgment, read the journey of a Jewish lawyer to Jesus, "How a Jewish Lawyer from Brooklyn Came to Believe in Jesus". Or see the special courtroom edition of our limited-run webzine Y-Not.

*Quoted in Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy, p. 193.

A Kosher Recipe

2010-09-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

Review of KosherJoe.com by Rachel Friedlander

How does one make theological discussions, Biblical questions, and the beliefs of Messianic Judaism lighthearted and entertaining? With a little flash animation and some quick wit, this seemingly impossible proposition is fulfilled. The Kosher Joe animated series, which debuted in October 2009, has already released six episodes.

In each installment, Kosher Joe, a rather pensive Messianic Jew, receives questioning emails from confused viewers. These emails broach common and controversial topics, encouraging discussion and debate. Joe's musings are often interrupted with the contrasting (and oft hilarious) opinions of his sister, Abbie, Uncle Moishe, congregational leader Isaac Jacobs, and Rabbi Brickman.

The points in each episode are presented in varying fashion—some, like "Green Onions for Passover?," convey a simple, yet profound message with humor. Others are doused in Scripture and debate. Accordingly, runtimes range from a little over a minute to nearly four minutes.

Although the series may sound like Strong Bad removed his boxing gloves and converted to Judaism, these videos do more than entertain. They may not teach you how to draw dragons or mix your own techno music, but they do invite the audience to take time to ponder important and life-changing points. In some episodes, they make this opportunity literal, inviting viewers to participate in a poll or to email Joe himself.

But these are not the only form of interactive features. The website (http://www.kosherjoe.com/) that houses the series also provides links to resources that discuss the viewpoints presented in each episode. That way, whether one would like to take a closer look at the biblical issues or try a round of the "Kosher or Naught?" game, the site is an appealing destination for Jew and Gentile, for sane and meshuggeneh alike.

Jesus the Jewish Martyr?

2010-07-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

By Rich Robinson

As I write these words, a somewhat controversial exhibition is underway at the London Jewish Museum of Art’s Ben Uri Gallery. The exhibition is entitled “Cross Purposes: Shock and Contemplation in Images of the Crucifixion” and, running through September 19, includes works by both Jewish and non-Jewish painters. One critic, Benjamin Perl, complained that they should just call it a Christian museum. “From all the subjects from our heritage, why choose this?” he said in an interview. However, the Jewish Chronicle took on online poll, finding more supporters than naysayers. Co-chair of the gallery, David Glasser, remarked that “what was considered as the most sacred and holy of images—the Crucifixion—has evolved into a universal and generic motif.”

But why indeed? And why in a Jewish museum?

Matthew Hoffman—assistant professor of Judaic Studies and History at Franklin & Marshall College—focuses specifically on the Jewish use of images of the crucified Jesus in his recent book From Rebel to Rabbi: Reclaiming Jesus and the Making of Modern Jewish Culture. (The exhibition in London, on the other hand, includes works by non-Jews).

Though the first chapter deals with the rather well-known story of the Jewish “reclamation” of Jesus as a Jew in Western Europe and America, it was the rest of the book that engaged me the most. There, Hoffman focuses on modernist Yiddish literature of Eastern Europe, much of which is inaccessible to the non-Yiddish-reader but some of which is translated in this volume.

It indeed takes a book to describe the currents of Jewish life about which Hoffman writes. Especially in Eastern Europe, Jews embraced Jesus as a fellow-Jew, not in any Christian sense, but as a way to re-appropriate him from what Jews understood to be a Christian misinterpretation. Not a god, but a martyr. “Jesus,” stated Chaim Zhitlovsky, founder of the early 20th-century Yiddish socialist magazine Dos naye leben (The New Life), “was martyred as the first Jewish socialist revolutionary.”

On the other hand, embracing the Jewish Jesus was at the same time a way to share in the wider non-Jewish world, for adding Jesus to the “canon” of Jewish personalities meant sharing in some aspect of European/Christian culture. Hoffman captures the dual nature of what was taking place: “Did establishing Jesus as a figure within the modernist Yiddish literary canon serve as a way for modern Jewish writers to subvert Christian cultural claims on the figure of Jesus? Or was it merely a way to share in these claims as part of a broader cosmopolitan culture?” (p. 119; emphasis mine).

Either way, “for almost all modern Jewish writers Jesus’ death is understood more within the Jewish tradition of martyrdom than the Christian tradition of vicarious atonement and sacrifice” (p. 125). He is “not … a redeemer, but … the archetypal victim of the world’s cruelty” (p. 152). And particularly of the world’s cruelty toward the Jewish people.

This kind of “re-appropriation” of Jesus was, as Hoffman points out, often polemical: You Christians are the persecutors, and you use Jesus to justify your persecutions. But we Jews know Jesus was a Jew like us, and we know he was not Messiah or Son of God but Martyr, Sufferer, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, suffering as we did. We take him back as he really is, and tell the true story!

What then is a martyr? Someone who dies for a cause, the cause of their beliefs? Or perhaps someone who dies simply for being who they are, because the world cannot stand who they are. Messianic Jewish people, and the Church at large, believe Jesus to be Messiah, Atoner, Suffering Servant, Son of Man, Son of God. “Martyr” is typically considered the mislabeling of others who see him as a victim who did not outlast his political moment.

But is there a connection to the Yiddish writers Hoffman speaks of? Jesus was, of course Jewish. He died for a cause, and his cause was that of bringing atoning healing to the world. He died too, because the world could not stand him just as for much of its history it could not stand the Jewish people. Moreover, Jesus is part and parcel of his people, the Jews. When people suffer, does not God suffer too? When Jewish people have suffered, has not the Jewish Jesus suffered too? Jesus was Martyr, but he was not Victim. The modernist Yiddish writers may have been, in some ways, closer to the truth than they knew.

Movie Review: Inception

2010-07-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Review by Rachel Friedlander

Filmmakers have found a new way to get rich without bumping ticket prices. Instead, they’ve created a movie that is so densely crammed with information and complexity that moviegoers need two screenings just to fully grasp the plot.

The story follows Dom Cobb, a master in his profession of extraction. To perform his job, Cobb delves into the subconscious of others as they sleep in order to learn of their hidden secrets. But when his mind tricks turn him into a suspected criminal, Cobb must perform one final job: inception. This seemingly impossible task involves planting, not stealing, an idea deep within the recesses of one’s mind. In order to accomplish this, Cobb must recruit an eccentric team of subconscious soldiers before the line between reality and fantasy disappears.

Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), has employed quite the motley cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Lukas Haas, Michael Caine, Tom Berenger, and Marion Cotillard. With these names, all the bases are covered. Whether cerebral, emotional, artistic, foreign or thriller film lover, young and old alike will each find a face they recognize, a reason to watch.

If none of these were a draw, Christopher Nolan’s reputation precedes him. But this time, instead of capes and Batmobiles, Nolan attempts to attract by combining Oceans 11 or Italian Job with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Unfortunately, despite its lengthy cast list, Inception lacks the group chemistry that was evident in both Oceans 11 and Italian Job, and much of the emotion that was portrayed in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

But what it failed to do in comparison with others is balanced by how it managed to stand out. The complexity of the concept matched with well-executed effects produced impressive results. If your head isn’t reeling by the time the credits roll, it certainly will during the ensuing discussions the film produces. But the intricacy is executed skillfully—Nolan expects much of his audience, but when we follow faithfully, everything makes sense by the end.

Yet even if one grasps the concept, Inception provides no hard and fast answers. It simply raises questions. At one point in the film, Cobb says, “What's the most resilient parasite? An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.” Yet this very concept, though it may sound impressively dramatic in a movie trailer, proposes that human minds are swayed by any thought that enters their brains. What a pathetic view of our generation.

Everyday, each human on this planet is barraged by things we would rather not hear, or things we shouldn’t see. This world is perpetually attempting to influence us in one way or another, and thoughts, both positive and negative, continuously enter our brains. Yet we are able, and even more, responsible, to maintain our filter, to shut out what doesn’t belong.

Rabbi Ben Zoma said in the Talmud, “Who is mighty? He who subdues his passions.” True, it is not always easy to tame the beast of temptation, but it is this control that separates us from the animals. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, another Jewish teacher understood this struggle. Paul says: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” He, like any of us, was constantly coaxed by the ways of those around him.

Jesus was no exception. When He walked on this earth in human form, He endured every form of temptation. And, as Hebrews 2:18 states, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Through Him, we have the strength to battle unsavory ideas, to prevent them from infecting our mind.

But because there is no perfect human, sometimes these thoughts take seed in our minds, growing into full-fledged sin. Even then, there is hope. Because Jesus died for our many mistakes, He paid the penalty for when our mind becomes intoxicated with deadly, fruitless ideas. And that is no dream—it’s reality.

Movie Review: Despicable Me

2010-07-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Review by Rachel Friedlander

Following a wave of computer-animated children’s movies, Despicable Me asks audiences to put on their 3D glasses and forget about Toy Story 3. Although they only achieve one of these requests, witty one-liners and a heartwarming theme keep audiences in their seats.

Despicable Me tells the story of aging super-villain Gru, with an accent of an Eastern European and a wardrobe of an emo teenager. In his master plan to be the master of evil, Gru and his Lego-head minions battle his nemesis to pull off the most impressive heist in history: stealing the moon. But when he adopts three orphan girls to unknowingly aid in his strategy, parenthood comes knocking at his mansion of malevolence.

The plot is a tame version of familiar stories and the characters’ faces are seemingly recognizable (wasn’t Agnes in Monsters, Inc.?). But aside from the predictable storyline and often-bland characters, Despicable Me sparkles in unsuspecting ways. The soundtrack, which includes “Sweet Home Alabama” and several songs by rap artist Pharrell Williams, is unlike that of any of its computer-animated peers. And with a cast that includes such names as Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Jermaine Clement, and Kristen Wiig, one wonders whether the movie would have been more entertaining without the computer animation.

Despite the fuzzy feel-good nature of the film, this computer animation also poses danger. Just as this generation tires of the weighty scripts and lengthy scenes of old films, generations to come may tire of releases like Despicable Me. If directors are too dependent on the latest technology (whether it’s Technicolor or 3D) to create success, the interest in the movie will fade as soon as the fad.

In order to last beyond the trend, films must provide us with something more lasting than effects— they must send audiences home with leftovers. Despite the tiresome preparation, the main course of Despicable Me provides enough meat to savor well after we leave the table.

There is a reason this transformation from Villain of the Year to Dad of the Year is a familiar, sugary sweet recipe. We may not steal the moon, use freeze guns on unsuspecting citizens, or cut people off in our steel tanks, but each of us has a despicable nature that needs transforming.

2 Corinthians 5:17 states: “Anyone who belongs to Messiah is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” Instead of adopting three, doe-eyed orphans, why not think of ourselves as orphans with a heavenly Father who wants to adopt us? Only he can change us from Masters of Evil to Servants of Good.

Movie Review: The Last Airbender

2010-07-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Review by Rachel Friedlander

Whether a devoted fan of the former animated television series or a newbie to the world of Zen-powered elemental manipulation, audiences will be hoping The Last Airbender is the last of its kind.

The film, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, depicts a chosen child named Aang and his struggle to accept his destiny as the Avatar. This role forces him to put aside the pleasures and traditions of a “normal life” and accept the powers necessary to save the Water, Earth, and Air tribes from the Fire nation.

In an odd mixture of Captain Planet and the Bible, Shyamalan takes epic struggles and universal themes and renders them utterly mind-numbing. Instead of putting on rings of ecological power, the forces of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air perform endless amounts of inept tai chi, making the film feel more like an instructional workout video than a summer blockbuster. Even the prevalence of Biblical elements, which seem to be represented in almost every character and event, fail to invigorate the plot. From the role of a savior to epic battles, from Judas’ betrayal to discipleship, the borrowed elements don’t create any converts.

Although remaining predominantly loyal to the plotline and characters, Shyamalan demolishes any sense of individual personality or humor that was apparent in the animated characters. The only evidence to remind viewers that these characters are indeed children is the amateur acting. With the exception perhaps of Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) and Shaun Toub (Crash, Iron Man), the cast is comprised of faces I don’t recognize and performances I don’t want to remember. These lackluster stars are not helped by the hopelessly tacky lines and unnecessary commentary, which both obscure the confusing and overly clarify the obvious. So, unless one has a soft spot for flying, beaver-bison (Aang’s mode of transportation) or glowing, arrow-shaped tattoos (Aang’s mode of power), I’d suggest saving your money for when Shyamalan remembers his talent.

Any moral fiber that could be gained from the messianic symbolism is drowned in a tai-chi-summoned tsunami (ironically, the most ethical moment was through one such tidal wave, which is used to create peace rather than destruction).

Shyamalan does have the characters utter some dramatic attempts at spiritual revelation. The heroine’s grandmother tells us that Aang will “begin to change hearts” and that it is there that “all wars are won.” Perhaps these lines aren’t so stunning because they’re borrowed from a real Savior. In Luke 6:45, Jesus says: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

From the depths of a cave, hidden deep in Aang’s spiritual subconscious, a creepy dragon spirit is the voice of familiar wisdom. The fire-breather reveals: “You must show them the power of one.” If you weren’t already channeling Captain Planet, you could simply look at John 17:20, where Jesus says: “I pray also for those who will believe in me . . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

The real Avatar—uh, Messiah—can do a lot more than move rocks and make waves. Getting to know him doesn’t require picking him out of an ice globe, but picking up the Bible. And that’s more than Aang can claim, even after hours of tai chi.

Book Review: Jewish Doctor’s Meet the Great Physician

2010-07-07T12:09:00.001-07:00

Jewish Doctor’s Meet the Great Physician

By Ruth Rosen
Review by Rachel Friedlander

Throw out your Band-Aids and NyQuil—doctors have discovered a life-changing cure. Jewish Doctors Meet the Great Physician, newly edited by Ruth Rosen, contains testimonies of ten doctors and five patients that will have this “germaphobe” generation dropping the hand sanitizer and reaching for the pages.

These ten Jewish physicians have diverse specialties, backgrounds and situations, with one thing in common: they all have an emptiness they can’t cure. Some stories are quirky, such as that of a former hippie tree-hugger who lived in a remote Hawaiin forest, about 25 miles from civilization. Others are dark and poignant, such as that of the death camp survivor who defied all odds and became a doctor.

Yet these physicians were not always healing wounds and saving lives; they were struggling with broken relationships, health concerns, and spiritual starvation. Each story is ridden with heavy deliberation—no decision was made lightly, no sacrifice easily given. Yet through the encouragement of close friends and extensive personal probing and education, these ten men and women came to conclusions that transformed their lives. We soon discover that the true beauty of these testimonies lie in the painfulness of the journey.

There is a pause in the middle of these testimonies, a section devoted to those on the other side of the stethoscope: the patients. In the span of five accounts, we confront Crohn’s disease, Down syndrome, multiple deaths, and the fear, anger, and denial that inevitably accompany them.

Overcoming seemingly insurmountable situations, these patients are no victims. Instead of depressing us, they inspire us to rise above. One account is given by a man who lost his mother to tuberculosis, his father to a stroke, and his wife to cancer. Instead of dropping into a downward spiral of despair, he said, “In the time since, I have tried as best I could to tell others, especially my unbelieving family, of God’s tenderness and assurances—how he alone, through his son, Jesus, transformed sorrow into joy, despair into hope, death into life.”

Although impressed with the major transformations of these doctors and patients, I was often disappointed with the source. At times, some of the situations or relationships that brought about epiphanies were unfavorable or unhealthy. Yet it is apparent, both in life and in this book, that God can produce divine results despite our human nature.

Despite this setback, the book’s final section provides teaching and closure, addressing several of the questions that may arise as one reads through the testimonies. Susan Perlman makes phenomenal points concerning pain, Richard Harvey adeptly explains the triunity of God, Ruth Rosen outlines what it means to be a Jew for Jesus, and David Brickner offers readers an appointment with the Great Physician.

It is impossible not to relate to the contents of this book. Who has not experienced pain, broken bones or broken hearts? Regardless of the range of one’s skepticism or the size of one’s tear ducts, no reader can escape being moved by these truthful, powerful testimonies, and the Great Physician who prescribed them.

Stories of Jews for Jesus

2010-07-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

Edited by Matt Sieger
Available from Purple Pomegranate Productions

Review by Rachel Friedlander

In the most comprehensive collection yet, Matt Sieger compiles 19 testimonies in Stories of Jews for Jesus. This colorful cast creates episodes of laughter and tears, comedy and tragedy, each with an inspirational ending. Although this multitude of testimonies creates an intimidating page count, the pick-and-choose buffet format allows for each chapter to stand on its own.

Between the pediatrician who survived the concentration camps of the Holocaust, the bodyguard who has protected Ariel Sharon, and the lawyer who won a Jews for Jesus case in the Supreme Court, readers will be both captivated and challenged. Instances of drug addiction, family separation, deaths and disease tarnish these shining accomplishments, creating testimonies that are accessible by every human, Jew and Gentile, believer and unbeliever.

Despite their impressive nature, these testimonies are not told in an auditorium. There is no aura of professional sterility. Instead of a podium dividing the reader from the writer, it is a coffee table. With each story, we are invited into the living room of the author to hear their personal triumphs and failures. This "dear diary" format of full disclosure allows readers to discover the emotions, motives and viewpoint behind the stories.

Although the cozy, living room-feel of the collection provides insight, this strength also proves to be a weakness. Much like the nostalgic relative, the occasional testimony becomes thick with fond memories, and teatime begins to run long.

In complementing contrast, three teaching sections provide a fruitful finale to the collection of accounts. The juxtaposition of personal testimony and scholarly considerations satisfy both the right and left-brain readers. The teachings, written by Efraim Goldstein, Gail Simonowitz, and Susan Perlman, address the chapter of Isaiah 53 and the identity and nature of the Messiah.

In addition to providing substantial grounding for the discoveries made in the testimonies, these teachings also create a skillful segue into the conclusion: a call for unbelievers to receive salvation. In the final words of his testimony, Tuvya Zaretsky encourages readers to set aside their fear and pick up the search, because "Truth remains what it is, whether we choose to believe it or not."

Bring Back the Jingle

2010-06-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Video 1: Jolly Green Giant

Video 2: See the USA in your Chevrolet

Video 3: Ajax Detergent

I don't know about you, but when I see advertisements on TV these days, I usually can't remember what the product is that they're advertising. I remember that I saw an ad for a car, but I can't tell you if it was for a Lexus or a Ford. Usually all I remember is that the car is winding along some mountain road with a lot of curves, which isn't going to be an incentive for me to buy the car anyway since I live in San Francisco. It'll be a long time before I drive on a road like that. And if I did decide to buy a car based on the ad, I have no idea which dealer's showroom I should be walking into.

I miss the old days when advertisements had jingles that helped you remember what the product was. Today they call that "branding." Sure, the jingles were second-rate music and sometimes annoying the way an old friend can be, but at least you knew the name of the company.

One of the best-known jingles was for a brand of frozen vegetables: "In the valley of the Jolly, ho-ho-ho, Green Giant." (see video one on the right) You would always remember that "Green Giant" was the company.

Or how about this one for an auto company? "See the USA, in your Chevrolet." (see video 2 on the right) No mistaking that for a Ford or Chrysler.

Then there was this little ditty that would make Ogden Nash turn over in his grave: "New Ajax laundry detergent is stronger than dirt! Stronger than dirt!" (see video 3 on the right) I don't know how long that ad ran, but I guess you can be "new" for a long time in the advertising business.

Even without jingles, advertisers knew how to get you to remember who they were. They used slogans like "Ford has a better idea" or "Schlitz—the beer that made Milwaukee famous." These days, even when they do have a slogan like, "What's in your wallet?" I can't remember what the company is. It just isn't the same.

Somehow advertisers can get away with things that nobody else can. It's alright for advertisers to pound the names of Apple and Gatorade into our heads all day long by sheer repetition in the hope that we'll go out and get the latest Mac or the newest flavor of Gatorade. At least the Federal Trade Commission says it's okay.

Can you imagine if the Democrats or the Republicans used jingles? Or religious groups? What would people think if they heard a jingle that went (with apologies to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young):

All Souls Church
Is a very, very, very fine church.

Or (to the tune of Oklahoma):

Te-e-e-e-mple Kodesh
Where the oneg's always big and full
Where the heimisch crowd
Is always wowed
By the rabbi's tallis made of wool!

Imagine hearing those on the radio over and over again. You might actually be inclined to visit a house of worship that used a jingle like those. But synagogues and churches can't get away with what advertisers can. After all, faith isn't supposed to be a commodity that most people want to hawk.

And yet religion has had its share of slogans, too. There's Martin Luther's famous slogan, "Here I stand. I can do no other." The great sage Hillel said, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary." I don't know if they set them to music, though.

Then there's the Jews for Jesus. You've seen them standing on street corners or handing out their literature on campuses. They have slogans like the name itself, "Jews for Jesus." Or sometimes I've seen, "Jesus made me kosher." Or even, "Christmas is a Jewish holiday, or at least it should be."

I don't really mind religious slogans. If they're good, they make me want to think, not to buy. I think there's a place for slogans and even jingles in faith. They're more positive than the political slogans I've heard, and they make more sense than a lot of political jingles (when William Howard Taft ran for president in the early 20th century, his jingle, set to music, was "Get on a raft with Taft." Taft weighed in at around 340 pounds and no one in their right mind wanted to get on a raft with him.)

Maybe we won't be hearing jingles to visit Ner Tamid or First Prebyterian Church anytime soon, but slogans and songs can be a creative way to make us think and tap our toes at the same time.

—Pseudo-Rooney

*Recently a cache of articles was found that sound remarkably like Andy Rooney. However, scientists have proven that Andy Rooney was not in fact the author of these articles; the unknown writer has been dubbed "Pseudo-Rooney" by scholars. Since no else has seen fit to publish his writings, we've decided to go ahead. This is one of his recent pieces.

He being dead still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

2010-05-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

If you are reading this, it means that I have gone on to my reward. As I
write this, I can only think of what the Scriptures say and that is, "Eye
has not seen, ear has not heard, neither have they entered into the heart of
man the things that God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) Well, I have a big curiosity and by now, I know.

I don't suppose that I will be writing you any new material, but there are a
few articles in the works that might still come through.

As I go, I feel that I have left a number of things undone. I think
everyone must feel that way. There were words of appreciation that I looked
for an occasion to express, but they didn't come. There were words of
regret that I would have expressed to others. And there were words of
encouragement that I had for all who were believers.

I'd like to encourage you to stay with Jews for Jesus. I was the Executive
Director until 1996. Many things have changed. Some of them definitely for
the better and others that I can't say were for the worse, but things that I
would not have thought to do. Nevertheless the core of what Jews for Jesus
stands for is still central.

As I go, one of the things that concerns me deeply is how much
misunderstanding there is among believers. I never thought I would live to
see the day when those who know the Lord and are born again were supporting
the efforts of rabbis who, frankly, not only don't know Christ, but don't want to know Him.

To be an honest ministry, it can only come from the Holy Spirit; and
the Holy Spirit can only indwell those who have the new birth and are born
again. Therefore, I would urge you to think very seriously before you support any "ministry" that involves Jewish people and doesn't actually bring the gospel to the Jews.

Likewise, I am concerned over something else that I never thought that I would
see or hear and that is, Jews who have become believers in Jesus and have
important positions in ministry yet feel that their primary purpose is to
promote Jewishness and Judaism to the Jews.

I hope I can count on you to show love and respect for the Jewish people,
but Jewishness never saved anybody. Judaism never saved anybody no matter
how sincere. Romans 10:9 & 10 make it clear that we must believe in our
hearts and confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus in order to be saved.
There are no shortcuts. There is no easy way. Within Judaism today, there
is no salvation because Christ has no place within Judaism.

Aside from these concerns, I want to say that I feel as I have always felt
that we stand on the edge of a breakthrough in Jewish evangelism. Just a
little more. Just another push. Just another soul - and we will have
reached critical mass where we begin generating that energy that the whole
world might know the Lord.

I would also encourage you to be faithful to those Bible-teaching,
Bible-preaching churches that give spiritual food. More than ever, the
church needs faithful members who can be an example to the young people
coming in. Maybe there are some features about your church that keep you
from being enthusiastic - look around and see if there might be a better
church for you. If there is, join it and enjoy it. If your church is doing a lot right, then stay where you’re planted.

I don't expect that Jews for Jesus will be undergoing any turmoil because of
my demise. For many years, the leadership has been in competent hands, but
this is a time when there needs to be some encouragement. The executive
director and the staff need to hear that you intend to continue standing
with us.

Anything done for Christ will last. Anything you do to help and encourage
Jews for Jesus at this time will have lasting effects on all of us. So
instead of saying "good bye," I'll just say, "until then - I'll see you in
the sky."

Moishe

Moishe went to be with his Messiah and Lord on May 19th. We are rejoicing for him but appreciate your prayers for the Rosen family and for our whole ministry as we mourn our loss. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that gifts be made in his honor to Jews for Jesus, 60 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 for the Moishe Rosen Center in Israel. You can do this online at: jewsforjesus.org/moishetribute

View our tribute site for Moishe for details on Memorial service and an opportunity to share your sentiments.

Is Homer Simpson Worth Saving?

2010-03-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

Before the latest episode of The Simpsons aired on Sunday, March 28 (Palm Sunday and the day before Passover), the show's producer, Al Jean, promised, "people of all three religions will be equally offended."

He was right. The episode, in which the Simpsons visit Jerusalem, offended me as a Jew and as a believer in Jesus (I am both), and, if I were a Muslim, I'm sure I would have been offended as well.

Not that the show wasn't very funny at times. The airplane carrying the Simpsons to Israel smashes a wine glass as it touches down on the runway. They stay at the Wailing Waldorf. Their Israeli tour guide escorts them in a van labeled "Chosen People Movers." Homer's Christian neighbor, Ned Flanders, goes to a movie, The Reformers (a takeoff on The Transformers), in which two Jewish transformers are about to do battle when one says, "We can't transform on the Sabbath. Let us power down and contemplate the Torah." And they do.

I won't bother to detail the more offensive jokes and comments. Suffice it to say that the writers didn't run jokes by clergy from any of the Abrahamic faiths.¹

I'm far more concerned about the misimpressions the show gives about Jewish and Christian belief. When Krusty the Klown, who is Jewish, tells Lisa Simpson that he doesn't want to go to hell, she tells him, "Jews don't believe in hell." While that may be true of many modern-day Jews, it hardly speaks of a significant minority. Author Simcha Paull Raphael notes that "rabbinic literature does assert that certain classes of sinners are eternally condemned to Gehenna [hell]"²

Even more disturbing to me were the words of Ned Flanders, who invites the Simpsons on the trip to Israel in the hope of redeeming Homer. When Ned finally loses patience with Homer in the Holy Land, he says, "I believe every soul has the possibility of salvation. At least, I thought so till now. Homer Simpson, you are not worth saving!"

Those words hurt Homer, but Ned never apologizes. That bothered me even more.

The good news of the Bible is that although we all have sinned (and, in that sense, none of us are worth saving), God demonstrated his love for us by sending Y'shua (Jesus) to die for our sins. So we have much worth to God.

A common misconception is that we can somehow make ourselves good enough to be accepted by God. That is as impossible for the "Ned Flanders" of this world as it is for the "Homer Simpsons."

This is a holy week on both the Jewish and Christian calendars. And that makes it a good time to reflect on the Lamb of God who, if we will receive him, makes us acceptable to God. Jesus (Y'shua), claimed to be the once-and-for all Passover sacrifice who not only died but rose from the dead! Happy Pesach! And Happy Resurrection too!

Endnotes:

Adam Wills, "Holy Homer: Sacha Baron Cohen Guides the Simpsons Through Jerusalem," Los Angeles Jewish Journal, March 21, 2010.

Simcha Paull Raphael, Jewish Views of the Afterlife (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2009), 145.