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Saturday, March 6, 2010

Jewish Thought & Culture

This clip is about Messianic Believers/Jews living here in Israel. The first family you see in the video lives here at Yad Hasmonnah. The clip is centered around believers who live here on the moshav, (except the church at the end, don't know them =). Of my four classes, one is called Jewish Thought & Culture. It is taught by Ariel Berkowitz, a Jewish man from Philadelphia who moved to Israel 18 years ago with his family. Between this class, and the people in this clip, I am learning a great deal about the Jewish people (they find it offensive to be called Jews by westerners).

Here are few things in the clip I would like to address:
Ayelet and her family as well as well as the other Jewish people who live here in Israel refer to themselves as Messianic Believers/Jews. They do not refer to themselves as Christians because Christianity is the enemy of the Jewish people, equal to Islam. Ariel just finished teaching us in class what Jewish people think of Christians. Something he stressed a great deal, and I too feel is very important, is the history of "Christian" treatment towards Jews. We all know of the Crusades; the Christians felt it was there duty to spread their faith, restore the Holy Places, baptize Jewish and Muslim infidels, and torture the "Christ killers". Their murderous tactics are remembered very well today among Jewish people. Now, we would not label these people as Christians today, they did not preach the gospel of love that our savior did, but this does not matter to Jewish people. The crusaders came in the name of Jesus, the do not separate the Catholic faith from Protestant, Mormon from Christian, Evangelical from Pentecostal. Every "Christian" denomination is the same to a Jewish person. They do not want to forget the past, even if it took place 1000 years ago. Also important to know is that even leaders of the Protestant reformation were anti-Semitic. Even Martin Luther held violent tendencies towards them. Jewish people will not trust anyone who comes in the name of Christianity, thus this is the reason for the title Messianic Believers. In the clip is a short statement by an ultra-orthodox rabbi against these believers. He says that the believers will kidnap your children. During the medieval period, there was a lie made up by the leaders of the church called the blood libel. It stated that the Jews would steal Christian children, suck their blood, and use it to make matzoh for Passover. A very sick lie, but clearly revealing the anti-Semitic of the day. This law has lasted a thousand years, and the Muslims still tell it to their people. I believe this rabbi is using this "Christian" lie today here in Israel, against the Messianic believers.

The Ronan family in this clip, as well as others claim to practice kosher laws, the sabbath, and circumcision. Many of the Messianic Jews here practice Jewish customs in the Torah, for what I see to be very good reasons. The Ronan's had us IBEXer's over to talk about all the things in this clip, and Ayelet explained this to us. They do not believe in anyway that practicing these things saves them. They feel that as Jews, God gave them, the Jewish people, the Torah, and the laws in it. Even Paul says the Law is good, which is why Messianic Jews still do abide by some of it. As Jews, they feel it is the best lifestyle they can follow. Another important reason is, because of how important kosher, circumcision, and other Jewish practices are here in Israel. As good Jews, they want to be a witness to their neighbors, they can be both believers in Yeshua, and be good Jews at the same time. It is not a practice for salvation, but for practicality, and good living. However, they would not claim that we as Gentiles need to follow the same laws, for God gave the Law to the Jews.



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