Reader Feedback - April 2006

We're grateful for the feedback we've been receiving on recent issues of KOACH on Campus -- we do care what you have to say!  Click here for comments on subjects from Jews to Jesus to the Arab-Israeli conflict.  Keep those responses coming!

Comments on "Jews for Jesus, A Winning Oxymoron"

Meredith Dolgin
New York, New York

I just wanted to add a comment to the author of this article. I enjoyed the article, but I think it missed the crux of why Jews for Jesus as a sect of Judaism, and even as an existent group of people in general is illegitimate. The reason Jesus came was to bring monotheism to the gentiles. Jews had no need for this. They already had a covenant with God.

Now, what I find perplexing is that Jesus preached the importance of values over laws, and rejected the rabbinic tradition (well, the pharisees, basically). So...if Jesus's main premise was that he was the savior..thus, no laws are necessary...why do Jews for Jesus want to practice the laws of Judaism? You'd think if they REALLY believed in Jesus, they would understand that he hated the pharisees and would not want them to practice their laws. Okay, that's my rant. Thanks for listening!

David Feldman
Mount Vernon, Iowa

I found your recent article unfortunate. It is filled with simple slanderous rhetoric and propaganda and I'm surprised there were no links on the page to more thorough arguments from anti-Missionary organizations.

First of all, you seem to be equating Jews for Jesus, a missionary organization, with the Messianic movement at large who do not neccessarily associate themselves with the organization nor their methods.

Secondly, you are talking about your Jewish brethren. Does not the Pirkei Avot speak against ill talk of fellow Jews? It may not make sense to you that the man you mentioned in an earlier article doesn't want to worship in a synagogue, or that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is Moshiach. Does that make my Chabad Rabbi less Jewish? The chabadniks spread their view of Moshiach. They also try to spread knowledge of the Noachian covenant, demonstrating a real desire for world redemption. What is more Jewish than to believe in Moshiach? What about Bar Kochba or the Shabbatai Tzvi? Were their followers worthy of slander?

Reaching old people and young people who are susceptible? Does that actually sound legitimate? For that matter, is your article not directed at young people? Many 'Y'shua' believing Jews agree that street proselytizing is highly inappropriate. They simply want to be Jews in Jewish community and buy kosher groceries like yourself. As far as I can tell, they have more of a heart for reverting from the pagan traditions of Christianity. Messianics agree that Jews have an everlasting covenant with HaShem. Now then, I don't mean to offend, or harp on you. I'm just asking you to be open-minded and instead of fearing these people, embrace their differences. For Tikkun Olam, we can use all the help we can get. You said you are probably moving to Pensacola. I happen to know a Messianic officer stationed there, a close friend. I hope you guys hit it off.

Cynthia Warren
Potsdam, New York

I liked the article about Jews for Jesus. I agree with the author's sentiments completely. My sister goes to school in Syracuse and has walked by the Jews for Jesus' synagogue. She once told me that they had put up a sukkah for Sukkot. The problem was that it was erected on Shabbat. While there are many Jews who don't observe Shabbat very strictly, a synagogue usually doesn't schedule events on Shabbat that violate the sanctity of the day.

I actually found it amusing that Jews for Jesus call themselves Jewish, when a lot of their beliefs coincide more with Christian beliefs than Jewish beliefs. Anyway, I really liked the article and look forward to seeing more from the author.

Avi Eisen
West Caldwell, New Jersey

1. Not all Arabs are Palestinian. Not all Palestinians are terrorists. To generalize like this is not fair.

2. The Jews have a claim on the land based on biblical and historical literature, but it hasn't been occupied by a Jewish government since the destruction of the temple. The land has then switched hands until a Jewish government was reestablished in 1948.

3. Arab workers toiled the land for a few hundred years before the Chalutzim returned and took those jobs away by buying the land from its owners.

4. Dividing the land has been attempted, by the more than generous UN Partition Plan of November 1947, stating the Arabs would get all the major cities and fertile land while the Jewish partition was mostly the Negev.

5. The refugee problem was caused by the Palestinians when they advised these people to abandon their housing for military purposes, promising to return it with their Jewish neighbor's housing in 1948. Since the Arabs lost, they were unable to make good on their promise.

6. There are Jews who feel more strongly towards the land than the do towards other people. A Jew assassinated Rabin because he was going to give away land. Orthodox Rabbis have been reciting Kabbalistic chants every time someone tries to give land away, and they helped instigate defections and violence during the withdrawal from Gaza.

7. Arafat's "posse" never lived in Israel. He just took over the politics of the Arabs in the region. His group is not known to represent the Palestinian's point of view.

Josh Silverstein
Northport, New York

I do not know if I agree with this article. Most of my gentile friends know who Matisyahu is. However, they know and even call him that Jewish rapper or that Hassidic rapper if they know that word. However, none of them ever seem to think it has anything to do with debauchery as the article says.

Also most of them recognize the word moshiach to be associated with that Christ. As both words are about same meaning in different languages. I strenuously think that this writer does not grasp that full concept of music. Even though he is as the bottom says a musician, he is missing that music connects everyone. I mean, I will admit to liking certain X-mas carols.

There is even a joke that all Jews have a favorite x-mas carol or two. Most Jews will sing in choir in public high schools, me included. I sang Jesu Christe and Domine patrius and such. Did I ever believe in what i sang, no. The music however was very pretty. I love music also. Do I care what the music is exactly, it could the group As I lay, or any other Christian group, if the music is good, the music is good, You can like something and not believe it. I just feel that this writer was trying to show something and forgetting about a lot of other factors. Maybe my experiences in New York, which is where I am from, showed me a different world than his. What offended me most was his sly comment about Taglit-birthright israel and buying red string to capitalize on the Kabbalah fad.

Emma Gorbatovsky
Brooklyn, New York

We suffered from anti-Semitism in Russia and here we have anti-Semitism. I speak to a lot of Jewish women and I don't know ...we found that some Jewish men putting down JEWISH women and saying that NO Jewish women ARE BETTER!! Something must be done!! I don't understand WHY do in Israel they so liberal that they concern about EVERYONE but not to make better life for single JEWISH women and EDUCATE Jewish MEN to respect their OWN!

[Posted 3/29/06]