Open forum: Jews do not accept messianic Judaism as valid segment of Judaism

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Open forum: Jews do not accept messianic Judaism as valid segment of Judaism

E-mail this article \ Print this article

The March 28 article, ‘‘Messianic Jews united by a building, faith in Jesus,” profiles messianic Jews, but fails to acknowledge that Jewish theology and tradition do not subscribe to the belief that the Messiah has already come. Neither does the article acknowledge that the Jewish community itself does not accept messianic Judaism as a valid segment or denomination of Judaism.

Judaism and Christianity are separate and distinct religions with different scriptures and theologies, including very divergent understandings of ‘‘messiah.” Groups and churches like the one profiled in the article do a disservice to Judaism by misrepresenting Jewish theology and scripture. They do a disservice to Christianity by hiding their true witness to the Christian Messiah, calling it Judaism, or couching it in a non-Christian context.

All 11 historic faith communities that make up The InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington have affirmed the organization’s Statement on Proselytization, which states in part that ‘‘by celebrating Jewish festivals, worshipping on the Jewish Sabbath, appropriating Jewish symbols, rituals and prayers in their churches and, sometimes, even calling their leaders ‘Rabbi,’ [these Christian congregations] seek to win over, often by deception, many Jews who are sincerely looking for a path back to their ancestral heritage. Deceptive proselytizing efforts are practices on the most vulnerable populations — residents of hospitals and old age homes, confused youth and college students away from home. These proselytizing techniques are tantamount to coerced conversions and should be condemned.”

Rabbi Sarah Meytin, Rockville

The writer is assistant director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.

Rev. Dr. Clark Lobenstine, Washington, D.C.

The writer is executive director of the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington.

The term Messianic Jews is an oxymoron. No one who believes in Jesus can be a Jew. While the early Christians may have been Jewish, their acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah started the faith of Christianity with no semblance of Judaism left in their observances.

The welcoming by Christian churches of the Messianic Jewish Congregation to share space is only further evidence of this as they share the common bond of Christianity.

When one asks any leader or member of the four leading branches of Judaism whether the Messianic Jews are Jews, the answer is a resounding, ‘‘No,” all considering them as Christians whether originally of the Christian faith or now converts to that religion.

I find it particularly offensive that on the eve of Passover that The Gazette lends credibility to this Christian organization, masquerading as one with a religious connection to Judaism, using symbols of the Jewish faith to lure converts to Christianity.

Nelson Marans, Silver Spring