There are many myths about Messianic Jews in Israel. Some of these are perpetuated by Jewish anti-missionary organizations. Others are maintained by the various Christians wokring in Israel. Some are prevalent within the Messianic Jewish communities themselves!
This survey profiles more than 80 Messianic congregations and house groups in Israel today. This is the first time such an extensive survey has been conducted and it is designed to provide statistical evidence for the number of congregations, congregants, and breakdowwn of Jewish and non-Jewish members, among other figures.
It provides an overview of each congregation and its leaders, a brief desciption of the group’s theology, leadership structure (including the role of women), membership, weekly services, and other regular activities. A brief analysis of the statistical results appears in the introductory chapters, which raise questions, subjects of interest and issues important for future reflection.
Josef Rabinowitsch (1837-1899) is one of the most important figures in the contemporary Jewish-Christian history. In 1884 he formed a Jewish-Christian congregation in Kischinew, in the south-western part of Russia. He called it “Israelites of the New Covenant”. As a Jesus-believing Jew Rabinowitsch maintained his Jewish identity. That caused some problems which the Jesus-believing Jews of our time is also familiar with.
Rabinowitsch said the following about himself in 1888: “There are to subjects of interest to me: the one is Jesus Chist and the other is Israel.”
The book gives insights to contemporary Jewish-Christian history and also increases the interest of the Jesus-believing Jews of our own time.
Download in German here.
Download in Russian here.
Download in Hebrew here.
No serious person, Jew or Christian, would question that Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew. Neither is it a question for debate that his first followers were also Jewish.
A lot has happened since then. Today, many Jews and Christians find it difficult to acceept Jesus-believing Jews who insist on their Jewishness.
From different angles, the 15 contributors to this book present the issue of Jewish identity and faith in Jesus, a complex but highly relevant subject for both Jesus-believing Jews and the Christian church.
The Christian church is hereby reminded of the fact that it is no sin to be a Jew, and has never been.
The Apostle Paul who said: “I am not ashamed of the gospel,” also was not ashamed of being a Jew, a Jesus-believing Jew. To his kinsmen in Jerusalem he declared: “I am a Jew.”
Will Jesus-believing Jews continue to be allowed by the Christian church to state the same today? That is the question and the challenge which this book presents.