SHOCKING! Fruit ripe for the picking, r"l!
U.S. JEWS AND NON-JEWS ARE PACKING SYNAGOGUES AND 'SHOWING UP FOR SHABBAT'Like the good-cop/bad-cop routine, first comes the violence, then comes the "love." If one doesn't get you, the other one might.
...An initiative of the American Jewish Committee that has been adopted by a host of other Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and individuals, #ShowUpForShabbat encourages Jews and others across the United States to attend Shabbat services this weekend.
Synagogues across the country were filled to capacity for Friday evening services, with worshipers of all faiths who had come to show solidarity with the Jewish community. Politicians, celebrities and citizens across the country tweeted their support for American Jews and their attendance at synagogue. In many communities, Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders shared the pulpit with local rabbis.
...Some on Twitter described unheard of turnout for services, and synagogue parking lots overflowing and lines out the door. Some synagogues even performed two services to make sure everyone had the chance to attend that night.
...Jennifer Mendelsohn, found solace in the unprecidented turnout for Shabbat services and wrote about their experiences on twitter. Mendelsohn wrote, "Tonight was astonishing. HUNDREDS of people came to our synagogue to #showupforshabbat. There was nowhere to park. Nowhere to sit. Not enough prayer books. But we sang and we mourned and we were together and we weren’t afraid. And that was exactly what we needed."
Expressing the sentiment that she no longer feels afraid with her fellow community members by her side, going out of their way to show support on a night where Jews and non-Jews sang together, mourned together and stood up to antisemitism as a country.
Would like to hear from anyone in the US Diaspora community if you had any experience with this over Shabbat.
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As a separate, but related, issue, the following demonstrates how Anglo olim are providing a conduit through which assimilation can flow even into Eretz Yisrael.
On Pence having a "Messianic Rabbi" give a prayer in J*sus' name for the Jewish dead...
...Given that Pence is known to be tremendously pro-Israel and respectful of Jews, I would be surprised, and disappointed, if he did not come out with a statement that is clear, strong, and unambiguous, apologizing for any hurt or offense he may have caused or been part of,.... Nevertheless, it doesn’t change my perspective.God forbid! What can we say? What can we do? An entire generation is rushing into the arms of annihilation and dragging as many unsuspecting people with them as they possibly can. And they are proud of it, too.
...one thing that still unites most of us is that we do not believe Jesus was messiah. At a time where we as Jews find so much to bicker about,...this is something that Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Jews, can pretty much all agree upon.
...But, spending much of my time among Christians who genuinely love Israel and the Jewish people, I can vouch for a certainty that many simply do not know or understand why we are different from messianic Jews, or why that would be a problem. Further, many Christians affiliate with messianic congregations so that they can feel a deeper connection to the Jewish roots of Christianity. Indeed, being among people who affirm their belief in Jesus and interweave aspects of Judaism into their lives and worship, is comfortable. For many Christians I know, it feels authentic, and I have had numerous conversations about that with Christian, and even messianic, friends.
Underscoring how even Christians who deeply love Israel and the Jewish people do not understand — recently, I was invited to spend Shabbat in two different messianic congregations by Christian friends who truly did not comprehend the issues that would create for me as an Orthodox Jew, and who sincerely invited me to join them in these services because they wanted me to be comfortable.
These are my friends, devout Christians, who would never do anything to hurt or offend me or make me uncomfortable in any way. They connect with me and my family and other Jews out of love. And still, they just did not know. Fortunately, because we are adults and friends, I was able to explain to them the issues, which created a deeper level of friendship, respect, and awareness.
But these are only two recent incidents, among friends. I could list dozens of such experiences where I have interacted with Christians who know next to nothing about Judaism. Because I am visibly identifiable as an Orthodox Jew with a blue knit kippah always on my head, I am party to lots of interesting conversations and experiences.
I have attended numerous Christian conventions, and even though I am introduced as an Orthodox Jew, many do not know what that means or how we differ from Christians. I get this all the time. I also am mistaken for a messianic Jew as well. Once, I was even approached by someone from a messianic organization who shared with me how he goes about trying to convert Jews. I listened patiently, even interested, and interjected that I am an Orthodox Jew and I believe that Jews should be strengthened and encouraged to be good Jews, and Christians should be strengthened and encouraged to be good Christians.
[ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jonathan Feldstein made aliyah in 2004, married and raising six children in the Judean mountains. He is a long time Jewish non-profit professional and works closely with many Christians who support Israel.]
This begs a question. Can someone ignore all the laws - both d'oraita and d'rabbanan - regarding association with non-Jews (practicing Xians even more so!) and still be allowed to identify as an "Orthodox" Jew?
I find this entire incident of the Pgh shooting and all the reactions after to be extremely puzzling and strange. It has stirred up the leftist world so intensely, as if a message from Shamayim was sent to them and they are now over-reacting out of guilt.
ReplyDeleteThis event has become such a huge 'thing' because there is a message in it for EVERYONE. NO ONE is exempt from this.
Deletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/pittsburgh-synagogue-charleston-emanuel.html
ReplyDeleteCharleston Pastor and Pittsburgh Rabbi Grieve as One
DeleteOh my...
“This incident, like at Emanuel, was not an attack on a particular group,” the rabbi said at the close of the meeting. “It was an attack on America because it challenges our right to assemble and worship our God in the way we want.
It is asur de'oreita to love the mesit (to avoda zara) so by definition a Torah observant Jew cannot have good friends who are messianic jews. As for the "xn love" that he is feeling, I am always suspicious of jews who do not feel uncomfortable with xn love.
ReplyDeleteAs for the "message" from the Pittsburgh massacre, to a large extent people take from it what they choose. I link this event to the chasididic singer at the superbowl not so long ago. I'm sure it caused a lot of (misplaced) American Jewish pride. I feel that Hashem is saying, so you think you're American... Now every Jew in American knows that those bullets were intended for them (chalila) regardless of what kind of Jew they are. Jewish leaders everywhere should be planning for community aliya, but they won't. Never again is completely devoid of any meaning.
http://www.aish.com/jw/s/A-Jewish-Response-to-the-Pittsburgh-Massacre.html
I posted a critical comment on the blog of a rabbi who used to be gungho about aliya, but called the superbowl performance a kiddush Hashem, and my comment was not allowed.
I am truly grateful to you Devora for being one of the last voices of sanity on the Jewish blogosphere.
Elisheva
"American Jewish pride" - apt descriptor. Shame is what is called for and what is missing form this generation in particular. For some reason, in this imbalanced world, sadness, shame, guilt, fear of God - all perfectly good emotions in their proper place - are not allowed to exist. Probably that's why there is so little real teshuvah.
DeleteMost Jews in America are "Sleepwalking" on their iPhones and just don't get it.
DeleteThese missionaries are riding tall with the Trump administration. They have also inserted themselves into the Bibi cabinet. Bibi will never risk the ire of 100 million Evangelicals in the US to demand they stop missionizing in Israel. Now there is also the president of Brazil who is the same religious stripe as Pence.
ReplyDeleteThey want to create a culture at this stage of familiarity with their idol man god. As the Hilonim and also large portions of the Dati crowd especially the younger generation grow up they are exposed to the constant mention of their idol man god. Every Yom Tov, every event, every tragedy etc they insert their symbols to chip away at the healthy and natural recoil normal Jews have to idol worship. It's like a slow boil of a frog.
So we see for example, when the US embassy was moved there was a slew of notrzi prayers offered. They bring their annual idol parade to Jerusalem and there are Jews that participate. They insert themselves into the Yishuvim as "friends." At the tragedy in Philadelphia, they inserted a missionary and their symbols into the mourning process. There is more. Nobody said a peep for these events for the most part and those that did were dismissed as haters.
They will never demand their idol man god be worshipped publically while they are the minority. It's a long term plan they have. At every event they mention their idol. They bring bonds of so called friendship and love. They publish their missionary material in Hebrew.
What happens when they demand "equal representation" in the Israel public life?
They will say: We gave you millions in support! We moved the embassy to Jerusalem! We support you in the UN! We love the Jewish people! Oto haIsh was a Jew! We have a "common Judeo Christian" heritage! etc etc etc. ........ Our holidays are your holidays! We are equal! Our New Detriment has many good things for the Jewish people! Join us in brotherly love! This is how you treat us?
What will happen then? Hashem Yerachem!
Exactly.
DeleteReading the last comment here is frightening and am even angrier at today's typical Jews than the soneh itself. Years ago, no matter what, these notzrim would never have had any success they have today. The main culprit is the makeup of leadership in the State. They have invited in, they have joined with, and have given carte blanche for them to missionize Jews using the new tactics of 'love', r'l. The govt., organizations, etc. have all been infiltrated. We need to remember who invited in the Romans over 2000 years ago. Who are these so-called religious Jews who accept their help on their moshavim, accept charity from them, etc.? Do these Jews know ANY Torah laws, halachot? Guess not. At this point, only H' can help. H' yerachem!
ReplyDeleteI said it before and I say it again first they killed us because of hate and now they want to kill our soul with love. That way you have the final solution. Chas v shalom
ReplyDeleteWe need to cry out to HaShem to reveal Messiach NOW...
Check out the Lausanne Movement website, an umbrella organisation for missionaries, with information about on how to missionise just about any group of people in the world. They have a horrifying paper from the 1980s about converting Jews, see below. I can't find it now, but a while ago I took their online missionary course to see how they operate. It was a series of videos. The main point for missionising in general, not just to Jews, is for them to adopt the culture of their victims and blur the boundaries between us and them. And then to insert the rasha along the way, "we'll be like you" rather than "you should be like us". Basically everything that is happening now has been carefully researched and planned.
ReplyDelete" In the case of Jews who accept J, it must be understood that their Jewish identity is maintained and usually heightened as a result of belief in J as Messiah."
"For a very large number of Jews across the world, support for Israel has become the major rallying point for religious as well as cultural Judaism. A common interest which many Jews and Christians share in the land of Israel and its future can be a viable way to draw them together in friendship."
"These communication blocks are unique to Jewish-Christian relations. Special consideration is therefore necessary if the church is to relate meaningfully with Jewish people. Christians must deal courageously and decisively with such communication blocks if they hope to overcome resistance and share Christ with Jewish people."
:Let us delineate basic influential factors leading Jewish people to faith in Christ:
...
(ii) The initiative of the Christian who cultivates friendships with Jewish people;"
"Christians who would witness to the Jewish people must be relentless in their love and friendship toward Jews regardless of their response to the gospel. "
It discusses how to "reach" Jews in Israel, in moshavim, kibbutzim and the army, and says that this should be done by building personal relationships. On another site, that I forget now, I read all about the code words of missionaries. One of them is the "bridge man", who is the "friend" and doesn't actively missionise himself, yet opens the door for all his missionary friends, basically what is happening in Har Bracha, which btw is where trainee missionaries from The Watchman do their internship.
Reading this last comment, one sees how much they have infiltrated; always said that Esav (because of its evil) is so clever. They have worked it out from both angles to try and undo the 'Yehudi'; from one side, their avodah zorah and from the other side (leftism) g-dlessness. But, I believe that the emmesser Yehudi neshama cannot and, of course, will not be swayed. It is only because of the 'ignorance' of today's Jew, that Esav thinks it has made headway. The Har Bracha so-called Jews who have partnered with them have the souls of the erev rav.
ReplyDelete