"Before I realized what was happening I had between 50-100 people surrounding me, calling me a missionary and asking me what I was doing in Israel. Boys as young as 6-7 years old were hissing at me, making hateful faces. The group closed in more and more trying to intimidate and I'll be honest it worked.

There was a heavy police presence in the area, but it took the police a while to notice (or want to notice) that suddenly I had become a topic of interest to many in the crowd …

The spirit of hate, the demonic spirit that just radiated off of them is hard to put into words. I tried to look some in the eyes, but I found only a cold, death-like gaze staring back at me.

After about 15 minutes of the crowd getting closer and closer and becoming more and more vocal, I knew it was time to go. I asked a police officer to escort me to my car and then left.

I felt so sick to my stomach. I wasn't really afraid. I was honestly just so sad. These are my fellow Jews, my fellow Israelis, my family ... and they wanted to kill me. I'm convinced that if the police had not been there, they would have tried."

We must pray, speak-up, and stand together with our holy brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael who are at the forefront and paving the way for the rest of us.

Update: Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 1st, hundreds of Ultra-Orthodox protesters are expected to stage a similar protest in Arad. Messianic Jews in that city have faced violent persecution for years. Please pray for the safety of our fellow Messianic Jews in Arad ... and we'll keep you posted.

Americans love coffee. Or, at least we think we do. We like to think that we are coffee connoisseurs. Doppio this, macchiatto that ... part of the reason that Starbucks has been so successful as a franchise is that it's given us an excuse to roll these exotic European words off our tongues while ordering our morning cuppajoe.

But what most of us are drinking isn't actually coffee. It's mostly cream and sugar. Frothed, foamed, whipped, and sprinkled within an inch of itself.

You see, Americans don't actually like coffee. Coffee is bitter. Acidic. It's an acquired taste. What Americans really like is cream and sugar. And we like the concept of drinking coffee, even though we dislike the flavor. Starbucks has succeeded because it allows us to think we're drinking coffee and show off the fact that we are drinking coffee ... without actually requiring us to drink coffee.

This is the state of Messianic Judaism today. For the most part, we have built a very comfortable spiritual home for Jews and non-Jews who do a little bit here, mix in a little bit there, read a book or two ... and soon declare that we are Jewish connoisseurs.

The "coffee" of our movement is Judaism. It is the real, live, messy, complicated, demanding task of living according to the Torah in a community of real, live, messy, complicated, demanding Jewish people.

So if the coffee of our movement is Judaism, then what is the cream and sugar? I'll let you fill in the blank.

Continuity can only exist when we continue to live a Jewish life with and among our people. I am very concerned that the popular watered-down form of faith we call Messianic Judaism today will not exist in another generation or two. This does not mean I am completely without hope for the future. With HaShem's help, we will indeed continue to be a representative presence for Yeshua within greater Israel. But that can only happen when Jews continue to live as Jews. Let me make clear that "living as Jews" does not necessarily mean "Orthodox." There are many ways to be Jewish. But Jewish life must be committed to the foundation blocks which have held us together for over 3,000 years.

Messianic Judaism is like coffee. We can either be true connoisseurs with a deep value and knowledge of our history and tradition, or we can continue to drape our faith with a Tallis and call it "Jewish." It is my deepest conviction that the only Messianic form of faith that can survive into the future is one that truly is a Messianic form of Judaism.

The term “Jewish Believers in Jesus” is actually a broader category than just Messianic Jews. The former category includes all Jewish people in churches, in Messianic Jewish synagogues, and even unaffiliated who profess faith in and allegiance to Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah.

This conference is ground-breaking because it brought together Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Messianic scholars – all of them Jewish - to discuss the global growth of Jewish believers in Yeshua. This is something that has not been done since the earliest centuries of “the Church.” The conference was jointly organized by the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute (MJTI) and the Helsinki Studium Catholicum. A statement was issued affirming the significance of Jewish continuity within the Church, as an ongoing link between its historic beginnings, its present life, and its future hope. The full-text of the statement, and greater detail from the conference will be posted later today on the MJTI website (www.mjti.com).

Dr. Mark Kinzer, President of MJTI, said:

Father Antoine Lévy, OP, Director of the Helsinki Studium Catholicum, affirmed the continuing identity of Jews in their various Christian congregations and offered his own perspective on the unique condition and calling of Jewish disciples of Christ.

Fifteen scholars and theologians from eight countries met for two days of open conference and two days of working sessions to issue a document, the Helsinki Statement (SEE BELOW). Topics discussed included Jewish identity in the Messiah; responding to anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism; the place of Messianic Jewish worship and observance; the Jewishness of Jesus; the biblical, theological and historical background to the present situation of Jewish believers in Jesus; and future plans. The papers delivered at the conference will be published in November/December in Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism (www.kesherjournal.com). A similar event is planned for 2011.

THE HELSINKI STATEMENT

Helsinki Consultation on Jewish Continuity in the Body of Messiah

June 14-15, 2010

Jewish believers in Yeshua (Jesus) from England, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Russia, and the United States met in Helsinki, Finland, on June 14-15, 2010. As scholars belonging to Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Messianic communities, they began a conversation on Jewish continuity in the Body of Jesus the Messiah. They issued the following statement:

We thank God for bringing us as Jews to the knowledge of Jesus the Messiah, and we express a debt of gratitude to those from the Nations who have transmitted the knowledge of Christ from generation to generation. While we seek to speak on behalf of those who share our Jewish identity and faith in Christ, we have no official mandate from our respective communities. In what follows we are expressing our own deeply held convictions.

At this unprecedented event, we have experienced the depth of our bond, and at the same time we have wrestled with the diversity of our ingrained theological and cultural constructs. In spite of church divisions, we have come together as Jews who believe in Jesus. We hope that sharing the fruit of our common efforts will benefit our brothers and sisters in Christ. We do not aim to issue a definitive declaration, but to initiate an ongoing process of discussion.

There are many Jewish people in the body of Christ. We believe that this reality reflects God’s intention that Israel and the Nations live as mutual blessings to one another. In fact, the Church in its essence is the communion of Jews and those from the Nations called to faith in Christ.

In light of this truth, we think that the life of Jews in the body of Christ has theological significance for that body as a whole. Their presence serves as a constant reminder to the body that its existence is rooted in the ongoing story of the people of Israel. This story resounds throughout the celebration of the liturgical life of the community. We believe that this story finds its center in Israel’s Messiah. We believe that Jews within the body are a living bond between the Church and the people of Israel. Accordingly, we would like to explore concrete ways in which Jewish people may live out their distinctive calling in the body of Christ.

Finally, we wish to express to our Jewish brothers and sisters who do not share our faith in Jesus the Messiah that we consider ourselves to be part of the Jewish people and are committed to its welfare.

Signed in a personal capacity by:

Boris Balter (Orthodox - Russia)

Steve Cohen (Lutheran - USA)

Dr. Richard Harvey (Messianic - England)

Rabbi Dr. Mark Kinzer (Messianic - USA)

Father Antoine Levy, OP (Catholic – Finland)

Dr. Iulia Matushanskaja (Orthodox – Russia)

Father David Neuhaus, SJ (Catholic – Jerusalem)

Rabbi Vladimir Pikman (Messianic – Germany)

Jennifer Rosner (Messianic – USA)

Dr. David Rudolph (Messianic – USA)

Dr. Anna Shmain-Velikanova (Orthodox – Russia)

Father Olivier Zalmanski, OP (Catholic – France)

“It is not enough for us merely to proclaim loudly our Jewishness if, like the great majority of Messianic Jews, we are Jewishly unlearned and uninvolved.”

“If we call ourselves Messianic Jews we must intend to back up our words with actions demonstrating that our Jewishness has substance.”

“Ultimately Messianic Judaism depends on Jews, because a Messianic Jew is a Jew who believes in Yeshua.”

“We may know that we have been united with the Messiah by faith, but if we fail to do what our L-rd commands and continue in our worldly ways instead of shedding them, we put G-d to public shame.”

“The Messiah did not and does not bring the Torah to an end. Rather, attention to and faith in the Messiah is the goal and purpose toward which the Torah aims.”

“Our rallying battle cry must be: Torah! Torah! Torah! – understood in the Spirit of the Messiah.”

“Only Yeshua will restore the kingdom to Israel and bring peace to the world.”

There is an elephant in the room that many of us either don’t recognize or choose to ignore.

We live in a day and age when cultural and religious identification are no longer a given. Being raised in a particular culture or faith is no longer a guarantee of ongoing affiliation.

For most of our existence, Jewish continuity was a given. Even if one was not particularly “religious,” there were strong cultural ties. This was especially true of our parents and grandparents generations. And even if we tried to forget our Jewishness, the rest of the world would definitely not let us.

Since religious and cultural communities no longer face the same social pressures from within or from the outside – identification is now rendered primarily to choice. I can choose who and what I want to be.

This is especially true for a whole new generation of Jews that no longer share those same religious and cultural ties to Judaism and the Jewish people. So many Jews of my generation have never been to a synagogue, did not have a Bar Mitzvah, or were raised in another religion.

The Wider Jewish Community

If the Jewish community outside of Israel is to continue to exist, we, within the wider Jewish community must answer the question “Why be Jewish?” It is no longer a given that someone born Jewish will choose to remain or identify as Jewish. It is no longer uncommon to hear those of Jewish descent say things like, “I’m NOT Jewish, but my parents are.” Or, I was born Jewish, but now I’m …”

Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, in his excellent book, ReThinking Synagogues, recalls one particular experience from a weekend retreat that exemplifies this reality:

A couple at the back of the room stood out. As the only people under forty, they has sat quietly for all of Shabbat, somewhat ignored by the others, who were regular attendees at such weekends … Hesitantly, one of them raised a hand … “We came here not knowing what we would find, so maybe we just lack the background, but it seems to me that none of the questions asked so far has any relevance. The only question that counts for us is ‘Why be Jewish?’ That is what we came to find out.”

After a momentary hush, the room erupted in one denunciation after another – all quietly delivered, as if the crowd of older attendees were disciplining children. How could these young Jews be so callous …? The reason for being Jewish is self-evident, isn’t it? How dare they even question that, [especially] after what happened in Europe? (pg. 60)

For far too long the question of “Why be Jewish?” has remained largely unanswered, and primarily dismissed. However, if we are to have any sort of impact on a new (and ongoing) generation of Jews, we must recognize this as a legitimate question.

Jews in the Church

In reality, there are far more Jews in churches than in Messianic Jewish congregations. Although I have my own opinions on reasons for this, one primary opinion is that we (in the Messianic Jewish community) have not yet answered that same question of “Why remain Jewish?” within a Yeshua context. We have not, at least as of yet, been able to widely compel Jews in churches to remain committed to the Jewish community and faith. Although I recognize there are indeed Jews who worship in Churches for a number of reasons, and value their Jewish identities, the majority end up loosing a connection to Judaism and the Jewish people.

There are estimates that in the 1800’s there were hundreds of thousands of Jews who believed in Yeshua. With the impact of the Holocaust aside – where are the descendents of those Jews today? Those who survived the Shoah were largely absorbed into the Church.

As a rabbi, I face this reality all the time. I remember the first time this truly sank in for me. Several years ago I was talking to a Jewish woman who started attending our synagogue. She was married to a Christian, and had teenage and 20 Something children who were all raised in the church. She came to me distraught that none of her children identified as being Jewish, and that her oldest daughter was not only planning to marry a non-Jewish guy from their church, but was adamant about not wanting anything “Jewish” in the wedding ceremony.

I asked the woman what attempts she had made throughout their upbringing to provide any sense of Jewish identity. She responded none (or very little). They had become so involved in their church, and became so busy with life; she could not recall purposeful elements of Jewishness brought into the home. Of course I did not say it, but I was thinking, “And you wonder why they don’t identify with being Jewish?!?” I helped the woman understand that she cannot be angry and blame her children now for not wanting to identify as Jews. Since nothing was done to instill a Jewish identity within them, they cannot be blamed for choosing to be a part of the wider culture they were brought up to be a part of. Of course there are things she could do to try to change that in the future, but for now it was a reality she had to struggle with.

Why be Messianic?

There are also a unique set of questions for second and third generation Messianic Jews. The main one I want to address is the question of “Why be Messianic?” I hear numerous young Jews voice their frustrations at being raised in the Messianic movement, and thinking they understood what it meant to be Jewish. But when they get older and become involved in the wider Jewish community (usually in college), they are faced with realities of identity. And for many, with such strong pulls to the wider Jewish world they are confronted with a legitimate question. If we Jews already have the Bible, pray, and can connect to G-d, “Why do I need Yeshua?” “Why should I remain Messianic?” (Especially with all of the identity mishegoss of the Messianic Movement).

The questions of “Why be …?” must be answered. For if we continue to write them off, or fail to answer them in a compelling way, we run the risk of losing future generations.