Article by Moshe
I received this newsletter recently and thought it was an edifying read...good enough for the "Interesting Stuff" section, but I couldn't find it anywhere online. So here it is. It is written by Moshe Kempinski, the owner of the Shorashim of the Old City gift shop.
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Very recently, the Women's conference being organized by the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus has come under great criticism in some quarters of the Jewish community. Some of the main participants have been criticized by certain individuals as being involved in covert missionary activity in Israel. These accusations eventually led to the following result.
"A special Rabbinate committee, headed by Rabbi Simcha Kook of Rechovot, ruled on Thursday that concentration on "Judeo-Christian values" and the study of "the Jewish foundations of Christianity" are forbidden. The rabbis ruled that these efforts are actually part of a long-running campaign to bring Israeli-Jews to believe in Jesus."
Regrettably some of the Christian organizations mentioned in the ban have taken great pains to avoid missionary activity and have received flack from their own Christian supporters in the United States for not being involved in such activity. Though they have generally been successful at avoiding the pressure of falling into the trap that such activity would create, mistakes have been made. In general though some of these groups truly believe that a new day is upon us in terms of relationships between Christians and Jews and that a new day necessitates new forms of thinking and action. Most Christians do believe that in the end Jews will see that they are right. Most Jews on the other hand believe that in the end Christians will see that they were wrong. Yet such a revelatory awareness will only come through Divine understanding intervention and not through human persuasion. That understanding must be more fully accepted in the Christian community but the first blossoms of such an understanding is already evident and bridges are being built. These are the bridges that need to be built in complete accordance with the understandings revealed by the prophets Zacharia, Isaiah and Ezekiel in the book both communities believe to be the word of our Creator..
It is clear to me that the first bridges that are already being built between the Jewish community of faith and the Christian community of faith in the last fifteen years have not been built by men but rather by Divine persuasion.
As a result they will withstand any storm.
Yet it has to be understood that this specific storm and crisis has been born out of malice and blind hatred but rather it is one that has been brewing already for thousands of years. The Rabbinate is giving voice to old fears and they can be convinced otherwise if wise and patient voices are heard. The experience of most Jews in this world is that Christian love usually comes with Christian arrogance regarding Jews and their beliefs. More importantly Christian arrogance has invariably led to hatred, murder and persecution. That was the situation for thousands of years and it will take some time for Jews to be aware that a delicate and fragile change has begun. History has regrettably taught Jews to be wary, suspicious and careful about unconditional love presented by Christians. Not because Christians have difficulty with the love part, they seem to have difficulty with the unconditional part.
Many Jews do not know that there are Christian groups like "Bridges for Peace" and others that do represent a humble and loving spirit that truly trusts that G-d will make all the necessary changes in the hearts of people, if they need to be changed. Accepting that simple belief can change the very fabric of Jewish Christian relations.
Christians can continue to believe that the veil that the Christian bible describes covering the eyes of the Jews will be lifted and Jews will continue to believe what Isaiah says in the Tanach that the veil that covers the eyes of the nations will in fact be lifted (Isaiah 25). In the end their common belief that G-d will take care of will free the two communities to begin to talk to each other.
What are needed now are patience, perseverance and faith in the rulership of HaShem in this world. Those voices in the Christian world that decry the fact that "how can they say this about us ..look how much money we are giving them" are either blind to thousands of years of history and wounds or carry some belief that love is bought with money. Jews who are reacting angrily to all that is going on need to discover that a change has really happened and that they are worthy to be witness to see that change that the tanach and our sages predicted. These changes should not convince them keep their guard down but they should remain ready and aware for the change when it comes.
It is a very delicate time .It is also a time of great choosing. People are going to have to choose which side of the fence to stand on. But it is clearly another signpost in the unfolding nature of the world's redemption.
I have wondered, especially in situations like today, what it would be like to walk across a raging river on a shaky swinging rope bridge that is being built slat by slat.
That is what will be necessary for those who are trying to build and walk across this shaky bridge being built between our two communities. Those sincerely working for change must remember that being attacked for exactly the things that they have tried to avoid is EXACTLY part of the bridge building. The mud slinging and name calling is a result of thousands of years of pain and bearing the onslaught of that is part of the courage and perseverance that is necessary.
When I worked as a family therapist and there were many instances of attempting to bring together families that had been ripped apart by recrimination and mistrust. Part of the process of healing involved allowing old hurts to be raised and aired. It has been so very long since these communities could even see themselves as family, and even those memories were not always pleasant .Yet we are told that those changes must come. Zachariah says that there will be many amongst the Nations that will celebrate on the great Mountain together with the children of Israel .
Yet the ticket involves patience, faith and trusting the thought that after the storm comes the quietude of clearly revealed truth. While it is true that those that stand at the head of that line will have to prepare to fend off the greatest amounts of attacks, but it is especially they that must do so with great understanding and calm resolution.
------------------------------------------------------
Very recently, the Women's conference being organized by the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus has come under great criticism in some quarters of the Jewish community. Some of the main participants have been criticized by certain individuals as being involved in covert missionary activity in Israel. These accusations eventually led to the following result.
"A special Rabbinate committee, headed by Rabbi Simcha Kook of Rechovot, ruled on Thursday that concentration on "Judeo-Christian values" and the study of "the Jewish foundations of Christianity" are forbidden. The rabbis ruled that these efforts are actually part of a long-running campaign to bring Israeli-Jews to believe in Jesus."
Regrettably some of the Christian organizations mentioned in the ban have taken great pains to avoid missionary activity and have received flack from their own Christian supporters in the United States for not being involved in such activity. Though they have generally been successful at avoiding the pressure of falling into the trap that such activity would create, mistakes have been made. In general though some of these groups truly believe that a new day is upon us in terms of relationships between Christians and Jews and that a new day necessitates new forms of thinking and action. Most Christians do believe that in the end Jews will see that they are right. Most Jews on the other hand believe that in the end Christians will see that they were wrong. Yet such a revelatory awareness will only come through Divine understanding intervention and not through human persuasion. That understanding must be more fully accepted in the Christian community but the first blossoms of such an understanding is already evident and bridges are being built. These are the bridges that need to be built in complete accordance with the understandings revealed by the prophets Zacharia, Isaiah and Ezekiel in the book both communities believe to be the word of our Creator..
It is clear to me that the first bridges that are already being built between the Jewish community of faith and the Christian community of faith in the last fifteen years have not been built by men but rather by Divine persuasion.
As a result they will withstand any storm.
Yet it has to be understood that this specific storm and crisis has been born out of malice and blind hatred but rather it is one that has been brewing already for thousands of years. The Rabbinate is giving voice to old fears and they can be convinced otherwise if wise and patient voices are heard. The experience of most Jews in this world is that Christian love usually comes with Christian arrogance regarding Jews and their beliefs. More importantly Christian arrogance has invariably led to hatred, murder and persecution. That was the situation for thousands of years and it will take some time for Jews to be aware that a delicate and fragile change has begun. History has regrettably taught Jews to be wary, suspicious and careful about unconditional love presented by Christians. Not because Christians have difficulty with the love part, they seem to have difficulty with the unconditional part.
Many Jews do not know that there are Christian groups like "Bridges for Peace" and others that do represent a humble and loving spirit that truly trusts that G-d will make all the necessary changes in the hearts of people, if they need to be changed. Accepting that simple belief can change the very fabric of Jewish Christian relations.
Christians can continue to believe that the veil that the Christian bible describes covering the eyes of the Jews will be lifted and Jews will continue to believe what Isaiah says in the Tanach that the veil that covers the eyes of the nations will in fact be lifted (Isaiah 25). In the end their common belief that G-d will take care of will free the two communities to begin to talk to each other.
What are needed now are patience, perseverance and faith in the rulership of HaShem in this world. Those voices in the Christian world that decry the fact that "how can they say this about us ..look how much money we are giving them" are either blind to thousands of years of history and wounds or carry some belief that love is bought with money. Jews who are reacting angrily to all that is going on need to discover that a change has really happened and that they are worthy to be witness to see that change that the tanach and our sages predicted. These changes should not convince them keep their guard down but they should remain ready and aware for the change when it comes.
It is a very delicate time .It is also a time of great choosing. People are going to have to choose which side of the fence to stand on. But it is clearly another signpost in the unfolding nature of the world's redemption.
I have wondered, especially in situations like today, what it would be like to walk across a raging river on a shaky swinging rope bridge that is being built slat by slat.
That is what will be necessary for those who are trying to build and walk across this shaky bridge being built between our two communities. Those sincerely working for change must remember that being attacked for exactly the things that they have tried to avoid is EXACTLY part of the bridge building. The mud slinging and name calling is a result of thousands of years of pain and bearing the onslaught of that is part of the courage and perseverance that is necessary.
When I worked as a family therapist and there were many instances of attempting to bring together families that had been ripped apart by recrimination and mistrust. Part of the process of healing involved allowing old hurts to be raised and aired. It has been so very long since these communities could even see themselves as family, and even those memories were not always pleasant .Yet we are told that those changes must come. Zachariah says that there will be many amongst the Nations that will celebrate on the great Mountain together with the children of Israel .
Yet the ticket involves patience, faith and trusting the thought that after the storm comes the quietude of clearly revealed truth. While it is true that those that stand at the head of that line will have to prepare to fend off the greatest amounts of attacks, but it is especially they that must do so with great understanding and calm resolution.
posted by brandywine on Monday, May 21, 2007
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