<1;,\N Mulling The Millennium Jesus For Jews Southern Baptists urge holiday prayers that Jews will find Christian religion. JULIE WIENER Jewish TelegraphicAgency T he High Holidays are tradi- tionally a time of Jewish soul-searching. But during this year's festivities, a num- ber of evangelical Christians will also be eyeing those souls. In an effort Jewish leaders describe as "arrogant" and "offensive," an organiza- tion that claims to represent almost 16 million Southern Baptists is distributing a new booklet offering suggestions on how to pray that Jews find Jesus. The booklet, tided "Days Of Awe" offers background information on Jewish traditions around the High Holidays and urges Baptists to "pray for Jewish individuals you know by name." The booklet offers prayers for each day from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, asking Baptists to focus prayers on Jews of different countries each day, although it does not include American Jews. For example, on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the book suggests Christians pray for the Jews of Israel. "On Rosh Hashanah, when obser- vant Jews around the world begin 10 days of seeking God, Southern Baptists will be praying they find his Son," according to an article about the effort in the Baptist Press. The same article quoted Randy Sprinkle, director of the convention's International Mission Board, as saying that the effort is an act of love." "Christian intercessors are people of love," he is quoted saying. "They love the Jewish people, even scattered across the earth as they are, because God first loved the Jewish people." The group also targets other non- Christians. It published a similar guide to help Christians pray for Muslims during Ramadan and plans to publish guides for prayer efforts focusing on Hindus and Buddhists. Jewish critics see the prayer effort as an outgrowth of the Southern Baptist Convention's vote three years ago to direct energies and resources toward converting Jews to Christianity. Rabbi A. James Rudin, national interreligious affairs coordinator for the American Jewish Committee, said this is the first such prayer effort he knows of timed to coincide with the Jewish High Holidays. "Many Southern Baptists, particular- ly politicians, want to put the Ten Commandments in schoolrooms and courtrooms, but this program counters two of the commandments: thou shalt not steal and thou shalt not covet," said Rudin, saying the action was equivalent to stealing Judaism from Jews and "expropriating the Jewish religion." "It's particularly offensive and it's not going to work," he said. He said the International Mission Board does not represent all Southern Baptists. Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Reform movement's Union of American Hebrew Congregations, said, "We are deeply offended" by the effort. James Beasley, the director of the Richmond, Va.-based International Mission Board's resource center, said that "a large number" of Southern Baptist congregations had requested copies of the prayer guide, but did not give an exact count. Asked to respond to Jewish criticism of the effort, Beasley referred to the comments of Don Kammerdiener, the International Mission Board's executive vice president, in the introduction to the prayer guide. Kammerdiener acknowledges that "many Jewish leaders reject such efforts as being wrongheaded, arrogant or even contributing to the spiritual and cultur al equivalent of the holocaust." But, he writes, "the Bible is clear in giving Christ's followers guidance regarding the necessity of sharing the gospel with the Jews." Fl 7TH ANNUAL FAMILY SUKKOT CONCERT „ , CHABAD' CHILDREN CHERNOBYL -,gtrafiff:e41,.. In memory of Joanne Zuroff 5t Wednesday, September 29 Southfield Centre for the Arts 24350 Southfield Road Doors open 7:00 pm. Concert begins 7:45 pm Concert will feature singing sensations Shlomo Simcha and Abie Rotenberg A HUMANITARIAN MEDICAL RELIEF PROGRAM FOR RUSSIAN JEWISH CHILDREN TICKETS: Adults: $25 in advance/$30 at the door Child: $10 in advance/$1 5 at the door For reservations call (248) 586-0222 • Family rates call (248)855-6170 Tickets available at: Borenstein's, Spitzer's and Esther's or at the door Proceeds from the concert will help fund a flight to transport children from Chernobyl to Israel! 9/10 1999 1.8 Detroit Jewish News -