Judaism
todayin America and in Israel
Jews for Jesus movement
Judaism
today
in America and in Israel
Jews for Jesus movement
Branches of Judaism
Synagogue and Temple
JUDAISM IN AMERICA:
Jews to America:
The first group came to New York in 1654. At the time of the American Revolution there were less than 1,000 Jews and no rabbis. In the 19th century came the Ashkenazi from Germany, who were mostly shopkeepers and peddlers, and a few Sephardic, of Hispanic origin, who were mostly merchants and traders. From 1880 to 1920 two million Jews came to the USA mostly from Poland and Russia, most of them Orthodox. The "Pittsburgh Platform" of 1885 marked Reform Judaism's brake from the past as genuine; even "God" was called the "God idea".
Jews in the U.S. Today:
In 1997, there are 6.9 million Jews in the U.S., with 3 major branches: (The "American Jewish Yearbook" 1990):
- Orthodox: 1 million, 1,200 congregations.
- Reformed: 1.3 million, 848 congregations.
- Conservative: 2 million, 800 congregations.
- Reconstructionist: 50,000
In the USA: 2% of the population; In New York City area: 13% of the population.
1- Orthodox:
The Orthodox community, which views the Torah as derived from God, and therefore absolutely binding.
It is the oldest form of Judaism today. They follow the Law of Torah, and the 613 commandments of the Halakah are observed. They pray 3 times a day, eat only kosher food, observe the Sabbath, refrain from sexual intercourse for 2 weeks each month, avoid inter-religious marriage, and devote much time to the study of the Scripture.
Women are excluded from the rabbinate, from reading the Torah in the Synagogue, and a woman does not count in the required quorum of ten to hold a prayer meeting.
The place of a woman is at home.
They are expecting the arrival of the Messiah.
They came to America in 1625 following the Sephardic rite. In 1831 in Philadelphia, the Ashkenazi rite began.
Orthodox institutions include YESHIVOS Seminaries of Torah Study; Hebrew Theological College in Chicago; Yeshiva University; and Rabbinical Council of America.
2- Reform:
The Reform movement follows primarily the ethical content of the Torah.
It is the liberal branch, adopting Judaism to the new changes in the world. The Synagogues are called Temples, and favor the equality of the sexes. They follow the spirit but not the letter of the Orthodox practices. It began in Germany in the 1800s, and was brought to the USA by the Reform Society of Israelites in Charleston, South Carolina. The Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, was founded by Rabbi Wise in 1875. The National Federation of Temple Brotherhoods; NFT Sisterhoods; NFT Youth; National Association of Temple Educators, are some of the Reform organizations. In Israel it is the Reform group, the Ashkenazi group, that is most willing to make concessions to the demands of the Palestinians.
3-
Conservative:
The Conservative Jews, who follow
most of the observances set out in the Torah but allow for change in the face of
modern life.
It seeks a middle ground between the two groups. In 1985 the Conservative Rabbinical Association approved women in the clergy. It was brought to America by Solomon Schechter, and it is called the United Synagogue of America.
4- Reconstructionist:
A fourth group, Reconstructionist Jews, rejects the concept of the Jews as God's chosen people, yet maintains rituals as part of the Judaic cultural heritage.
They are non-Rabbi-led groups, about 80 nationwide, started by Kaplan in New York in the 1900s. They deny original sin, and uphold the basic goodness of humankind.
5- Modern Hasidism: Already commented.
6- Humanistic
Judaism:
Comprised mainly of
agnostic and atheists. Theism is replaced by humanism, and morality lies within each
person. In 1969 Wine founded the Society for Humanistic Judaism in New York.
JUDAISM IN ISRAEL:
1- Zionism and the "State of Israel":
"Zionism" is the movement to secure a homeland in Palestine for the Jews and to support the new State of Israel in its struggles amidst the Arab Islamic world.
Theodore Herzl is called the "Father of Zionism" since he published "The Jewish State" in 1896. Through his efforts the first World Zionist Congress meet in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897.
The efforts culminated in 1948 when David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the "State of Israel". Within minutes the United States recognized the new state, and within a short time Israel was fighting a number of Arab nations.
In the 6 days war of 1967, the Jews occupied all Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. War broke again in 156, 1967 and 1973. In 1978 Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Accord.
In 1996 a new "Palestine State" for the Arabs was created within Israel, with Arafat as the head of it... is not a "territory" with many cities, included Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho... but outside of the city it is again Israel... so, there are now about 50 "checking points" in Israel, and when you go to Bethlehem, for example, you will be checked by the Palestinian Police, and when you leave Bethlehem, you will be checked by the Israeli Police.
To build the "Temple" in Jerusalem, is one the most cherished goals of Zionism today: The Scriptures say that it will be built again in the same place where the Temple of Solomon was... but there is a huge problem: The "Dome of the Rock" stands in that very same place, and it is a constant thorn for the Israeli-Palestinian relations.
2- The Coming of the Jews to Israel:Since the creation of the State of Israel is an avalanche from all parts of the world... it may be near the prophecy of 2Macc.2: "Jeremiah put the Ark of the Covenant in a huge cave in the mountain which Moses climbed to see God's inheritance, and said: "the place is to remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and show them mercy. Then the Lord will disclose these things and the glory of the Lord will be seen in the cloud and the column of fire" (The Great Miracle to come).
3- Judaism in Israel Today:
We already commented the two main groups of Jews in Israel: "Sephardim" and "Ashkenazim": The "Sephardim" are now the dominant religious and perhaps political group of Israel, with 60% of the Jews. The "Ashkenazim", more liberal, are more receptive to concessions to Palestine.
The main "branches" of Judaism in Israel today are about the same as those described in America.
Today's Newspapers (4-17-1997), report some of the conflicts between different branches of Judaism in Israel:
The Union of Orthodox Rabbis of Israel issued a declaration on 3-31-97 saying that "the Reform and Conservative movements were no Judaism", and urged Jews "to avoid the movements synagogues"... these movements teachings are outside historic Judaism, and some rabbis were teaching heretical ideas, for example, allowing members of their synagogues to drive on the Sabbath.
In opposition, the Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary called yesterday (4-16-97) for "dismantling" Israel's chief rabbinate and ending donations to groups that oppose the recognition of non-Orthodox movements in Israel, because they create a climate conductive to violence by one Jew against another.
While the "Reform" and "Conservative" movements comprise the vast majority of religious-affiliated American Jews, they are a minor presence in Israel, whose population is divided, about 4 to 1, between secular and Orthodox Jews.
As for the State of Israel, some Orthodox Jews do not see it as the "Return of the Jews" promised in the prophetic books of the Bible, while most Jews understand the presence of a Jewish state as a major turn in the history of the Jewish people... and surrounded as it is by hostile states, Israel is dependent on world Jewry for continued help.
THE "JEWS FOR JESUS" MOVEMENT:
There are several movements of Jews for Jesus today, one of them is the one with that title.
It is "an international organization whose purpose is to proclaim the message that Jesus, or to use his Hebrew name, Y'shua, is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world; that he accomplished our salvation by dying as an atonement for our sins and rising again on the third day; and that anyone, Jew or Gentile who believes in him will be saved".
It began in September 1973 under the leadership of Moishe Rosen; the current executive director is David Brickner, with the Administrative Headquarters in San Francisco, USA, Telephone (415) 864-2600. There are in 1998 50,000 members in the USA, with offices in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, Miami... and international offices located in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, Germany, Australia... their web-page is http://www.jews-for-jesus.com
They say: "Christianity is a Jewish religion. The whole concept of the Messiah is rooted in Judaism. The first Christians were all Jews. None of them renounced their Jewishness. We consider ourselves to be Jews, not only because we were born Jews, but because we continue in the Jewish ideals, believing that we follow the Jewish Messiah Jesus, who is also the Savior of the world... However, no one can be born a Christian, but you can become a Jewish believer in Jesus or a Gentile believer in Jesus"... I urge you to attend one of their meetings!.
I have a "special message" for the "Jews for Jesus Movement":
There are mainly two kinds of Christianity, as there are mainly two kinds of Judaism:
1- The "Protestant Christianity", similar to the "Rabbinical Judaism", without altar nor sacrifice nor priests, nor Temple, only synagogues...
2- The "Catholic Christianity", like the "Judaism of Moses and Abraham", with temple, altar, priests, sacrifice, mainly the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the most important and widespread religious service of Christianity ... and also with the synagogue, represented by the many "Catholic Associations".
I urge the "Jews for Jesus Movement" to joint this second kind of Christianity, the "Jesus" with altar, sacrifice, priests, temple... the Jesus typified by Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah...
The "perpetual daily sacrifice" of Num.28 and Ex.29, if it is "perpetual", "eternal", is got to be present now and eternally in Heaven... in "Heaven", John saw it through an open door in Rev.5:6, "the lamb standing like slaughtered", the reason for all the joys in Heaven... and, if it is perpetual, is got to be present "now", and it is!... in the 500,000 Holy Sacrifices of the Mass celebrated daily all around the world... the two unblemished yearling lambs offered daily in the Temple have multiply now with the real "lamb of God who really takes away the sins of the world"...Jesus is now the lamb of God!... each "Mass" is not a "remembrance", or just a "renewal" of Calvary, but it is exactly "the same Calvary", the great daily miracle of time and space. Synagogue and Temple