Aiming For Detroit

Jews for Jesus targets local community over the High Holidays.

DON COHEN
Special to the Jewish News

Hoc Committee. "We must continue to
embrace the unaffiliated members of our
community and educate our children
n international effort targeting
about our rich heritage and Jewish way of
Jews and Judaism is coming to
life."
metro Detroit and Ann Arbor
The Ad Hoc Committee includes rep-
Sept. 3-24. And no matter how much
resentatives from the Michigan Board of
you try to avoid them, the "Jews for
Rabbis, Council of Orthodox Rabbis,
Jesus" will be working hard to make sure
Jewish Apartments and Services, Jewish
you can't.
Family Service, JARC, the Jewish
"The goal is to make Y'shua (Jesus) an
Community Center of Metropolitan
unavoidable issue," says local co-leader of
Detroit, Michigan Region BBYO, the
the effort, Loren Jacobs, whose congre-
Hillels of the University of Michigan and
gants at the "Messianic" Congregation
Metro Detroit, the Jewish Federations of
Shema Yisrael in Bloomfield Township
Metropolitan Detroit and Washtenaw
call him rabbi. According to Jacobs, local
County and a number of local Jewish day
"Messianic Jews" and members of sup-
schools.
portive Christian congregations as well as
According to Eric Adelman, a
Jews for Jesus missionaries from other
JCCouncil community relations associ-
states will be arriving to share the mes-
ate, the missionaries will target the unaf-
sage that "believing in Jesus is the most
filiated, college students, Russians and
Jewish thing a Jewish person can do."
other new immigrants.
The idea of Jews accepting Jesus as
In response, the Council is "producing
their messiah is one that confuses Jews
educational materials that will blanket
and non Jews alike. But there is no con-
the community" says Adelman.
fusion regarding where all Jewish denom-
Synagogues, Jewish community centers,
inations stand on the issue: Such beliefs
schools and other agencies will distribute
are just not "kosher."
the materials. Ads will be taken out in
"Jews for Jesus is a misleading and
Russian language newspapers.
incorrect term," says Rabbi Elliot Pachter
"We have a positive message that we
of Congregation B'nai Moshe in West
are
a strong, united Jewish community,"
Y Curie
Bloomfield and president of the
he says. "We want people to strengthen
A Jews for Jesus missionary tries to engage passersby at K and 19th streets in
Michigan Board of Rabbis. "By defini-
their affiliation and be proud of their
Washington, D.C.
tion, an individual who accepts Jesus as
Jewish identity."
the Messiah is a Christian."
Adelman says the committee has con-
Your God (BYG) cities," referring to a phrase in Isaiah
Rabbi Pachter's opinion is supported by the state-
sulted with the Jewish community, national organiza-
40:9 they use for their own purposes. In the next four
ment, "Meeting the Challenge: Hebrew Christians and
tions, other cities and the interfaith community. He
months alone, the BYG campaign will take its message
the Jewish Community," authored by Professor
says
the community is very appreciative of a very sup-
to Denver, San Diego, Paris, Houston and San Paulo,
Lawrence Schiffman, chair of Judaic Studies at New
portive
article by Father John West, a theologian with
Brazil. Hundreds of trained missionaries currently are
York University, and also endorsed by leaders of the
the
Archdiocese
of Detroit and pastor of Our Lady of
working the streets of Washington, D.C.
four major Jewish seminaries — Conservative,
Sorrows
in
Farmington,
which has been printed in the
"Messianic" groups estimate there are 150 "Messianic
Orthodox, Reconstructionist and Reform.
Michigan
Catholic
and
sent
to more than 1,000 church
synagogues" in the United States and another 40 or 50
leaders [see page 20].
Schiffman writes, "Numerous studies have shown
in Israel, with a total of about 100,000 adherents.
that Hebrew Christianity or 'Messianic Judaism' is
Rabbi Pachter is concerned about the impact of the
According to the 1990 Council of Jewish Federations
nothing more than a gargantuan effort to
campaign on interfaith relations. Jews for Jesus sup-
population study, more than 600,000 Jews
missionize Jews and convert them to
in North America identify with some type of porters make "aggressive attempts to confront and con-
Christianity. It is well organized and heavily
vert Jews to their cause and are in opposition to the
Christianity, though most are not "Messianic
funded."
mutually respectful relationship we have developed
Jews."
He adds, "This community is not the
with
Christianity," he says. "We have worked together
To counter what they see as both an insult
Jewish community, it is an appendage of the
over the years, while recognizing and appreciating our
and a threat, the local Jewish community has
evangelical Christian community."
differences. However, Jews for Jesus and similar
come together under the umbrella of the Jewish
Christian missionary groups violate the relationship in
Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit to meet
both their message and method."
Jewish Response
the challenge.
Rabbi Scott Hillman is director of the Baltimore-
"Our community has responded to the threat of the
The local three-week Jews for Jesus campaign, planned
based
Jews for Judaism, an international, full-time
Jews for Jesus campaign by uniting and stating that we
to come during the High Holidays, is part of a five-
counter-missionary,
counter-cult, educational, outreach
year international effort begun in 2001 to reach Jews in strongly value our Jewish identity," says Pearlena
and
counseling
organization.
He offers services to Jews
Bodzin,
a
JCCouncil
board
member,
B'nai
Moshe
Israel and 65 other cities, each with Jewish populations
confronted
by
Christian
missionaries
and is very involved
member
and
chair
of
the
Jews
for
Jesus
Response
Ad
of more than 25,000. Organizers call these "Behold
in countering the campaign in Washington, D.C.

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8/27

2004

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