Thursday, September 27, 2007

List of Messianic Jews and Hebrew Christians

My friend Richard Gibson contributed many of the names to this impressive and moving list of Messianic Jews and Hebrew Christians. Previously the list was on Wikipedia but was removed after a campaign which labelled the list as "pointless propaganda"! I am preserving it here, links and sources attached.

Messianic Jews

  • Rabbi Daniel Zion - Born in 1883 in Bulgaria, became the Chief Rabbi of Bulgaria. Rabbi Zion had a vision of Yeshua and subsequently believed in him as the Messiah of the Jewish people. He remained the Chief Rabbi in Bulgaria as a Messianic Jew until 1949, a period in which Bulgaria's Jews miraculously escaped the Holocaust. In 1949, Daniel Zion made aaliyah, and became the leader of a synagogue in Jaffa. He died in 1979, aged 96. The Bulgarian Jewish community of Israel gave him full military and state honors. His bier stood in the center of Jaffa with a military guard and at noon was carried by men all the way to the Holon cemetery on foot.
  • Haim (Haimoff) Bar-David - Born in Doupnitza, Bulgaria, 10 May 1905. Lived in Mandatory Palestine working as an agricultural labourer and became a volunteer in the Jewish self defence group Mishmar Ha’am. Pioneer of the Israeli Messianic Movement Haimoff was elected President of the Hebrew Christian Alliance of Israel from 1957 to 1958.
  • Hillel Pokrzywa - Born in 1904 to a Jewish family in Lodz, Poland. For several years he was vice president of The French Alliance of Messianic Jews.
  • Johanna Ruth Dobschiner - Holocaust survivor and author of Selected to Live.
  • Erez Soref - President of Israel College of the Bible.
  • Shmuel Suran - Pastor of Kehilat Brit Yerushalayim, a Messianic Congregation in Jerusalem.
  • Pamela Suran - Jerusalem based Messianic Jewish artist.
  • Zvi Randelman - Pastor of Succat David Assembly, a Hebrew speaking Messianic Jewish congregation in Jerusalem.
  • David Lazarus - Pastor of Beit Immanuel in Tel Aviv, one of the oldest Messianic Congregations in the State of Israel.
  • Jonathan Bernis - Executive Director of Jewish Voice Ministries International and Messianic Rabbi of Shema Yisrael Messianic Congregation in Rochester, New York from 1984-1993.
  • Ron Cantor - Works for Tikkun International in Israel.
  • Joel Chernoff - General Secretary of the MJAA and former President of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance, and lead singer of the music group "Lamb".
  • Aviad Cohen - music entertainer who sometimes uses the stage name "50 Shekel"
  • Ray Comfort-Native of New Zealand. Born to a Jewish mother. Became a Christian in 1972 and is the founder of Living Waters Publications and The Way of the Master tv show and ministry with Kirk Cameron.
  • Jamie Cowen - President of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and Rabbi of Tikvat Israel in Richmond, VA.
  • Stuart Dauerman Messianic Jewish theologian and rabbi of Congragation Ahavat Zion in Los Angeles.
  • Mitch Glaser - President of Chosen People Ministries. Author of The Fall Feasts of Israel
  • Marty Goetz - singer/songwriter and pianist, leader of worship.
  • Rick Gozhanskij - Founder of Powered By HaDavar in Watson, Louisiana.
  • Asher Intrater - Formerly known as Keith Intrater, Leads Revive Israel Ministries which is affiliated with Tikkun International. Contributor to Seeking and Pursuing Peace: The Process, the Pain, and the Product
  • Art Katz - Jewish minister and founder of Ben Israel, a community of end time training and refuge for Jews in flight.
  • Daniel C. Juster - Messianic theologian, first President of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, and founder of Tikkun International.
  • Rabbi Isaac Lichtenstein (1824-1909) - A Rabbi in Tapio Szele, Hungary. He became a follower of Jesus in his middle-years.
  • Netzer (band) - Messianic Jewish rock band
  • Michael Nowell - Soldier in the United States Army, martial artist, and pro wrestler.
  • Alicia Glass - Medical Assistant.
  • Josiah Rosen - singer/songwriter, founder and former member of Augustana (band)
  • Sid Roth - evangelist, and host of Messianic Vision, a daily radio show. Author of Something for Nothing, The Spiritual Rebirth of a Jew.
  • David H. Stern Messianic Jewish theologian, and author, currently living in Israel.
  • Martin "Marty" Waldman - past president of UMJC, founder of Toward Jerusalem Council II (TJC II), Congregational Leader of Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue] in Dallas, Texas.
  • Paul Wilbur - singer/songwriter
  • John Fieldsend - Escaped to England from Nazi Europe on the Kindertransport. Author of Messianic Jews, Challenging Church and Synagogue (1993 Monarch Publications).
  • Rachmiel Frydland - Born to an Orthodox Jewish family near Chelm in the Lublin district of Poland. Died in 1985. Author of What the Rabbis Know About the Messiah (Messianic Publishing co, Ohio and his biography When Being Jewish Was a Crime
  • Sam Nadler - Born to Jewish parents in Queens, New York, President of Word of Messiah Ministries and author of several books including Messianic Wisdom and The Messianic Answers Book. Leader of Hope of Israel Congregation.
  • Burt Yellin - Born and raise to an Orthodox family in New York, he is Messianic Rabbi of Congregation Roeh Israel in Denver USA and author of Messiah, A Rabbinic and Scriptural Viewpoint (1984 published by Congregation Roeh Israel
  • Victor Buksbazen - Author of The Gospel in The Feasts of Israel (1954, CLC)
  • Solomon Ostrovsky - Born in Tagancha, Ukraine and pioneer of the Israeli Messianic Jewish community and author of books in Hebrew and English including Moses on The Witness Stand.
  • Paul Liberman - Born to Jewish parents in America. He is current Executive Director of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance and one of the leaders of Ohav Shalom Messianic congregation in California. He is author of The Fig Tree Blossoms, Messianic Judaism Emerges. (Fountain Press, 2005 reprint)
  • Lydia Buksbazen - Born to Jewish parents and author of They Looked for a City.
  • David J. Rudolph - Author of Growing Your Olive Tree Marriage, a guide for couples from two traditions and The Voice of the Lord Messianic Jewish Daily Devotional.
  • Dr Louis Goldberg - Author of several books including Our Jewish Friends, Are There Two Ways of Atonement?, The Practical Wisdom of Proverbs,. Was Professor of Theology and Hebrew Studies at Moody Bible Institute Chicago.
  • John Fischer - Messianic Rabbi of Ohr Chadash, Clearwater, Florida also Vice President of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance. His books include The Olive Tree Connection, Siddur for Messianic Jews and Messianic Services for Festivals and Holy Days.
  • Dr Gershon Nerel - Israeli born Messianic Jew who prefers the title 'Yechi' - Yehudim Hasdei Yeshua: Jewish Followers of Yeshua. Served on the committee of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel. Contributor to How Jewish is Christianity, 2 Views on The Messianic Movement. (Zondervan, 2003, edited by Louis Goldberg)
  • Joseph Shulam - Born to Jewish parents in Bulgaria in 1946. His parents immigrated to Israel in 1948. He is leader of Kehillat Roeh Israel in Jerusalem. He has co-written The Jewish Roots of Romans and The Jewish Roots of Acts.
  • Sha'ul Zuela - Born in Israel in 1951 in a tent in Hadera to Orthodox Jewish parents from Iraq. Leader of Israeli Messianic Jewish congregation. (source: Twelve Jews Discover Messiah, Ben Hoekendijk, Kingsway Publications 1992, p.51)
  • Menachem Benhayim - Born in America to Orthodox Jewish parents immigrated to Israel in 1963. Was Israel Secretary of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance till his death. He authored Jews, Gentiles and the New Testament [1] and Bound for the Promised Land, [2]
  • Israel Harel - Born in Israel to Jewish parents in Kibbutz Chulda. Messianic Jewish teacher in Israel.[3] [4]
  • Ilan Zamir - Born in Israel to Jewish parents. First chairman of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel (1994-1999). (Zot HaBrit Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel journal August 2001)
  • Boaz Fastman - Born in Israel to Jewish parents. Current General Secretary of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel. [5]
  • Moshe Emmanuel Ben Meir - Born in Israel in 1905 to Orthodox Jewish parents. A pioneer of the Israeli Messianic Jewish movement. His autobiographical journal From Jerusalem to Jerusalem was published in Hebrew. He was founder and editor of Tal (Dew) the third Messianic Jewish journal in Hebrew in Israel.[6]
  • Ze’ev Shlomo Kofsman - Born to Jewish parents and pioneer of the Israeli Messianic Movement. In 1960 he co-founded the second Messianic journal in Hebrew called Ha Lapid. (Zot HaBrit journal Spring 2000 - “HaLapid “(The Torch): The Second Journal of Messianic Jews in the State of Israel)
  • Dr. Michael Schiffman - Born to Jewish parents in America. Author of Return of the Remnant-The Rebirth of Messianic Judiasm.[7][8]
  • Elie Nessim - Born to Jewish parents and leader of Kehillat Tsion in Vancover, Canada.[9]
  • Russell Resnik - Messianic Rabbi and author of Gateways to Torah - Joining the Ancient Conversation on the Weekly Portion, The Root and the Branches: Jewish Identity in Messiah and is Executive Director of the USA based Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations.
  • Bruce Cohen - Messianic Rabbi of Congregation Beth El of Manhattan [10]
  • Ted Simon - Messianic Jewish Rabbi of El Shaddai Congregation [11] and broadcaster of the daily Messianic Minutes radio show.[12]
  • H. Michael Weiner - Messianic Jewish Rabbi of Shomair Yisrael Knoxville. [13]
  • Shlomy Abramov - Israeli hard man, once bodyguard to Ariel Sharon. Author of Shalom at Last: An Israeli's Journey to Jesus. [14] [15]
  • Oded Shoshani - Israeli Messianic Jew. [16]
  • Seth Ben-Haim - Israeli Messianic Jew. [17]
  • Calev Myers - Israeli Messianic Jew. Israeli Lawyer and director of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice which fights for the human rights of Messianic Jews in Israel. [18]
  • Ken Alpren - Messianic Jewish Rabbi/Pastor of Kol Dodi Messianic Congregation, Nashville, USA. [19]
  • Joseph Azriel - Son of a Rabbi in Casablanca Morocco.
  • Gideon Levytam - Born to Jewish parents in Jerusalem on May 14, 1955.
  • Avi Mizrachi - Israeli born Messianic Jew.
  • Natalio Krauthamer - President of the Argentina Messianic Jewish Alliance and vice-president of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance.
  • Malvern Jacobs - Born to Jewish parents in Toronto, studied theater under Lorne Greene and John Drainie in the Lorne Greene Drama Workshop, and appeared on and directed stage, film television and radio productions. Was a "founding father" of the Canadian Messianic movement.
  • Cal Goldberg - President of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of Canada.
  • Nate Seitelbach- Messianic Jewish Rabbi/Pastor of Adat Hatikvat Tzion of Omaha, Nebraska and host of a weekly show on KCRO.

Hebrew Christians/Jewish Christians

(Some may well have called themselves Messianic Jews if the term was current in their day.)

  • Michael Adam Born in Zurich, Switzerland in the 16th century. Translated into Judaeo-German: "Josephus' War", the Pentateuch the five Megillot, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther. (Jewish Witnesses for Christ by A. Bernstein. p.75)
  • Rev. J Adler born in Basel, Switzerland. Translated the New Testament into Yiddish ) (Jewish Witnesses for Christ by A. Bernstein. p.75)
  • Daniel Alexandersson - born in Holland, baptised in 1621. Published a confession of faith in the rabbinic language of Syriac. (Jewish Witnesses for Christ by A. Bernstein. p.91)
  • Dr Joiachim Heinrich Biesenthal born in Posen, 1804. Scholar of the Talmud, Biesenthal also mastered grammatical Hebrew, and studied Latin, Greek and German history. He worked as a missionary for 37 years in Berlin and Leipzig (1844-81). In addition to his native Polish, Biesenthal spoke Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Syriac, Chaldee, Arabic, Ethiopic, Samaritan, French, German, Spanish, Italian and English. d.1886. (Jewish Witnesses for Christ by A. Bernstein. pp.119-130)
  • .. Jacob Gartenhaus - Born in Austria in 1896 into a strict Orthodox Jewish home. Author of Traitor?: A Jew, a book, a miracle : an autobiography. [20]
  • Samuel Schor - Born to Hebrew Christian parents in Jerusalem in 1859. From 1923 till 1925 he was in charge of the Barbican Mission to the Jews in Britain and president of the Hebrew Christian Alliance and Prayer Union of Great Britain (BMJA today) [21], which was founded in the end of 1901. Author of several books including The Everlasting Nation and their Coming King, London and Edinburgh [1933] and Palestine and the Bible. Illustrating the manners and customs of the people in the Bible lands, 19th edition, Book Society, London 1931.[22]
  • Rabbi Samuel Griess - Rabbi of Rivington-Street Synagogue USA 1886. [23]
  • Hermann Warszawiak - Born 1865 in Warsaw, Poland, grandson of the Lipnoer rabbi. [24]
  • Niels Bohr - Danish physicist; (raised Lutheran; mother Jewish)
  • Paul de Burgos - Spanish Jewish convert to Christianity. Most wealthy Jew of Burgos, and was a rabbi and an excellent scholar of the Talmud. He came to believe in Jesus after reading the works of Thomas Aquinas. Appointed as keeper of the royal seal by King Henry III of Castile in 1406.
  • Juan de Torquemada - Spanish converso, famed defender of the converso community in Spain. Worked for Pope Eugenius in Germany and France.
  • Fernan Diaz - Secretary to King Juan II. Nicknamed the Relator; famous defender of the conversos in 15th century Spain. Argued that Spaniards converted to a Jewish religion (Christianity), not Jews converting to a Spanish religion. [25] see point #22
  • Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield - First and only British Prime Minister of Jewish descent (1868; 1874-1880) (raised as an Anglican)
  • Malcolm Fraser - Prime Minister of Australia (1975-1983) (raised Presbyterian; mother Jewish).
  • Christian David Ginsburg (1831-1914), Jewish scholar, was born in Warsaw, Poland. When he converted to Christianity he took on "Christian" as his name in place of his given-name "David". He wrote several important works on the Tanakh (Old Testament), and essays on many subjects including: the Essenes, the Kabbalah, and the Karaites.
  • Jamie Glazov , Russian-Canadian cyber-journalist (Jewish father & maternal grandfather, raised Christian; identifies as a Christian Jew)
  • Douglas Gresham, film producer and son of Joy Gresham (q.v.)
  • Joy Gresham, American writer and wife of C.S. Lewis. Author of Smoke on the Mountain.[26]
  • Josh Groban Famous American singer/songwriter. Has a Jewish father, yet raised as Anglican-Episcopalian following his father's conversion to Christianity.
  • Helen Harris - founder member of Spiritual matters for women and their families; second generation Messianic Jew.
  • Jakób Jocz - Lithuanian Jew who became a Christian and became Professor of Theology in Toronto.
  • Timothy Laurence - Princess Anne's husband (descended from the Levy family of Iraq).
  • Isidore Loewenthal - orthodox Jew born in Germany, grew up in Poland, graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary - New Jersey. He became an Evangelist missionary in Afghanistan under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. Here he translated the New Testament in Pashto and embarked upon compiling a Pashto dictionary before he died at age 37. [27]
  • Jean-Marie Lustiger - Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Paris
  • Alexander Men - Russian Orthodox priest and martyr.
  • Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809-1847)
  • Bernard Nathanson - former abortionist turned pro-life activist. Converted to Catholicism.
  • Robert Novak - journalist; convert to Catholicism; calls himself a "cultural Jew."
  • Harry Oppenheimer - South African billionaire (converted to Anglicanism)
  • Howard Phillips - American conservative activist; founder of U.S. Taxpayers Party / Constitution Party
  • Jay Sekulow - Runs conservative legal group ACLJ.
  • Vladimir Spivakov - Russian conductor and violinist.
  • Karl Stern - neuropsychiatrist and author, convert to Catholicism. Author of Pillar of Fire (1951).
  • Stan Telchin - Author of best selling Betrayed [28] also Abandoned: What Is Gods Will for the Jewish People and the Church? [29] and Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity: A Loving Call to Unity. [30]
  • Richard Wurmbrand - Romanian underground church leader; founder of Voice of the Martyrs.
  • Yochanan Ben Yehuda - A Nashville, TN based Italian Jewish producer, founder of Galilee of the Nations.[31]
  • David Levy Yulee - U.S. Senator from Florida; the first person of Jewish descent to serve in the Senate. (source)
  • Dr. Max Wertheimer - born in Germany, went to Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. Served as rabbi for ten years in Dayton Ohio, USA
  • Michele Guinness - Brought up in an Orthodox Jewish family in England. Author of a number of books including Child of the Covenant (1985, Hodder and Stoughton)[32] and Woman: The Full Story - A Dynamic Celebration of Freedoms.[33]
  • Michael Solomon Alexander - born in 1799 to an Orthodox Jewish family in Scholanke in the Grand Duchy of Posen. He was Orthodox Rabbi of Norwich and then Plymouth in England. He became convinced that Jesus was Messiah and was consecrated as first Reformed Bishop of Jerusalem in Lambeth Chapel November 17th 1841 and arrived in Jerusalem January 21st 1842. As a Jewish Christian he caused considerable controversy. He died in Ras-el-Wady on November 26th 1845.
  • Tom Sangster-Wilson - born to a Jewish mother in Liverpool, England. Former Jewish gangster and co-author of Sons of Israel, Sons of God (1987, Marshall Pickering).
  • Leopold Cohen - Established the American Board of Missions to the Jews in 1894.
  • Dr Richard Ganz - Born in New York to an Orthodox family, now pastor of Ottawa Reformed Prebyterian Church and author of a number of books including Psychobabble: The Failure of Modern Psychology & The Biblical Alternative. [34]
  • Joseph Wolff - Born 1795 at Welersland in Bavaria, son of the village Rabbi.[35] [36]
  • Auguste Neander - Born David Mendel to Jewish parents at Gottingen 10th January 1789, descendents of Moses Mendelsohn the great Jewish reformer. Became a great Church historian with his magnum opus the General History of the Christian Religion and the Church.
  • Isaac Da Costa - Dutch poet born January 14th 1798 in Amsterdam.
  • Alfred Edersheim - Born to Jewish parents in Vienna March 7th 1825, author of numerous books, the best know being The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.[37] [38]
  • Dr Ferdinand C. Ewald - Born to Jewish parents September 14th 1801 at the village of Maroldsweisach near Bamberg in Bavaria. Missionary to North Africa
  • Paulus Ewald - Brother of Ferdinand C. Ewald and pastor of the Lutheran Church in Merkendorf in Bavaria.
  • Aaron Stern Born to Jewish parents on 11th April 1820 at Unterreichenbacn in the former Duchy of Hesse Cassel. Jewish Christian missionary to Baghdad, Constantinople and Ethiopia. Imprisoned for four and a half years by King Theodor of Ethiopia.
  • John Moses Eppstein - Born to Elijah and Rose Levi at Memel in Prussia on February 24th 1827. Moved to Jerusalem aged nine to study in a Yeshiva. He was a Jewish Christian missionary in Baghdad and Smyrna and respected for his Talmudic knowledge and was a great linguist.
  • Dr Paul Cassel - Born Selig Cassel to Jewish parents at Glogau in 1821. One of the most eminent theologians of the German Reformed Church in the nineteenth century and a notable writer. He was an outspoken opposition to Stoker and Wagner, the fore-runners of Hitler. The Jewish Chronicle wrote "Though he has left us, he is by no means our enemy. He still fights against those who hate the Jews." (p.58 Jewish Christian Leaders by George H. Stevens, 1966, Oliphants Ltd)
  • Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky - Born to Jewish parents in the Russian Lithuanian town of Tanroggan in 1831. Jewish Christian missionary to China. In 1879 he became Bishop of Shanghai. He translated the Old Testament into Mandarin for the first time. See: The Jewish Bishop and the Chinese Bible: S.I.J. Schereschewsky (1831-1906). Studies in Christian Mission, vol. 22, Irene Eber. Leiden: Brill, 1999. [39]
  • Isaac Hellmuth - Born in Warsaw 14th December 1820 to strict Orthodox Jewish parents. He became Bishop of Quebec in 1846 and was professor of Hebrew and Rabbinical Literature at Bishop's College, Lennoxville. Later he was Bishop of Huron and Assistant Bishop of Hull. He authored many scholarly works including The Biblical Thesaurus in 1884 and The Divine Dispensation, a critical commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures.
  • Mizra Norollah - Born to Jewish parents in Teheran, Persia, his father was court physician to the Shah. He was a Jewish Christian missionary who played a large part in the establishment of the indigenous church in Persia (Iran) still in existence today.
  • David Baron - Born to Orthodox Jewish parents in 1855 in Russia and brought up in the Russian Polish town of Suvalki. Entered Rabbinical College aged 10. Author of many books including Rays of Messiah's Glory, The Servant of Jehovah, The History of the Ten "Lost" Tribes and Ancient Scriptures and the Modern Jew. Several of his works are available on Wikisource. Others, are available in the form of modern reprints.[40]
  • Sir Leon Levison - Born in Safed in Galilee in 1881 and son of respected Rabbi Nahum Levison. He was the first president of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance in 1925. During the 1914-1918 war he raised over £200,00 for the Jewish Relief Funds and for valuable work for the Secret Service he was Knighted by the King of England.
  • Elijah Bendor-Samuel - Born of Orthodox Jewish parents in Lithuania. His great grandson Paul Bendor-Samuel is the International Director of Interserve.
  • Theodore Bendor-Samuel - Was director of the Messianic Testimony in the UK.
  • Harcourt Samuel O.B.E - Was General Secretary of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance and Pastor of Ramsgate Baptist Church ,1934-49 and of Birchington Baptist Church, 1951-78. [41]
  • Arnold Frank - Born to Jewish parents in the Slovak village of Suja in the Carpathian mountains. He edited Zion's Freund with a readership of 40,000 but was closed by the Nazis in 1936. He was elected the second president of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance in 1937. Biography Arnold Frank of Hamburg by Robert Allen. [42]
  • Isidor Loewenthal - Born of Jewish parents in Posen, in Prussian Poland, in 1826. Jewish Christian missionary to Afghanistan who translated the New Testament into Pushtu.[43]
  • Ridley Haim Herschell - Born 7th April 1807 to Orthodox Jewish parents in Strzelno, Poland. Once deacon of the short lived Hebrew Church in London. One of the founders of Britain's Evangelical Alliance. All Love, A biography of Ridley Herschell by Geoffrey Henderson HTS Media, 2007.
  • Erasmus Simon - Born in Poland, Haim was the son of Rabbi Abraham Simon, known simply as Judah. Founder of the Hebrew Church in London. (Source: All Love, page 35-6)
  • Aaron Levita - Bishop of the short lived Hebrew Church in London 1831. (Source: All Love, page 46)
  • Elias Lebenheim - Secretary of the Hebrew Church in London. (Source: All Love, page 46)
  • Rabbi Haham Ephraim - Tiberius Rabbi and Dayan who died in Jerusalem aged 70 on 30th August 1930. He opened the Beth Doresh Emeth, the House of Seekers After Truth in Jerusalem conducting all the services in Hebrew.
  • Solomon L. Ginsberg - Born to Jewish parents in Suwalki, Poland and died April 1st 1927. He was a pioneer Jewish Christian missionary to Brazil who was considered so dangerous that the authorities paid Antonio Silvino a notorious bandit, to kill him but Ginsberg led him to faith in Jesus instead! It was said that his ministry read like a modern edition of the Acts of the Apostles, in Brazil.
  • Martin Goldsmith - Born to assimilated Jewish parents in England. Author of several books including Don't Just Stand There,[44] Matthew and Mission,[45] Islam and Christian Witness and Jesus and His Relationships.[46] He authored his biography Life's Tapestry [47]
  • Dr Bernard Jean Bettelheim - Born to Orthodox Jewish parents in Pressburg, Hungary in 1811. He was proficient in 28 languages and made the first translation of parts of the Bible into Chinese and Japanese, also compiling a Japanese grammar and dictionary. On May 18th 1926 57 years after his death a monument was errected to his memory in Ryuku, Japan.
  • Arthur W. Kac - President of the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America (1956-1961) and vice-president of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance (1960-1961). Author of several books including The Death and Ressurection of Israel, The Messianic Hope The Spiritual Dilemma of the Jewish People and The Messiahship of Jesus.
  • Heinz W. Cassirer - Philosopher born to Jewish parents in Germany on 9th August 1903. He fled Hitler's German to England where he lectured in Philosophy at Glasgow University. and also at Corpus Christi, Oxford University. He wrote several books including Grace and Law: St. Paul, Kant and the Hebrew Prophets. His labour of love not published till after his death was God's New Covenant, A New Testament Translation.[48]
  • Sam Rotman - Born to Orthodox Jewish parents in 1950 in the USA. Concert pianist who studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. [49]
  • Samuel Wiseman - Born to Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parents in Tiberius 25th September 1835.
  • Joseph Samuel Frey - Born in 1771 to Orthodox Jewish parents in Germany. He was the only Hebrew Christian missionary to the Jews in the world in 1805. 1808 he co-founded The London Society for Promoting Christianity Among the Jews. He moved the the USA founded The American Society for Meliorating the Conditions of the Jews. He authored The Divinity of the Messiah.[50]
  • Adolph Saphir - Born to Jewish parents in Hungary in 1831. Author of several books including Christ and Israel, Divine Unity of the Scriptures, The Lord's Prayer and The Good Shepherd Finding His Sheep. [51][52]
  • Hegesippus - According to Eusebius he was born of Jewish parents in Judea and lived in Rome around 150 A.D. He is the father of Church history and wrote Hyponymata Pente of which only fragments remain in Eusebius's History iv and Photius Bibliotheca (page 232).
  • James - half brother of Jesus. Hegesippus says he was martyred while praying in the Temple in Jerusalem.
  • Paul of Tarsus - Early missionary in the Christian Church
  • Symeon - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem around 62 A.D.
  • Justus I - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 64 A.D.
  • Zacchaeus- Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 112 A.D.
  • Tobias - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 114 A.D.
  • Benjamin - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 116 A.D.
  • Justin - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 118 A.D.
  • Matthias - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 120 A.D.
  • Philip - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 122 A.D.
  • Seneca - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 125 A.D.
  • Justus II - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 126 A.D.
  • Levi - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 128 A.D.
  • Ephres - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 130 A.D.
  • Joseph - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 132 A.D.
  • Jude - Jewish Christian Bishop of Jerusalem 133 A.D. (Jewish Witnesses for Christ by A. Bernstein. p.11)[53]
  • Epiphanius of Salamis - Born to Jewish parents in Roman Judea in 315, became Bishop of Constantia and died in 403 A.D.
  • Paul Philip (Feivel) Levertoff - Born to a Hasidic Sephardi family in Orshal, Belarus in 1878. He helped translate the Zohar into English for Soncino Press [54] and was a descendent of Rabbi Schneur Zalman.[55]
  • Isaac Salkinson - Born to Jewish parents 1820 in Vilna, Lithuania. Translated the New Testament from Greek to Hebrew, published in 1886.[56]
  • Dr. Ginsberg - Born to Jewish parents in Warsaw, Poland 25th December 1821. Translated the New Testament into Hebrew with Salkinson. Ginsburg also published Hebrew text of the T'nach, with his translation of Elias Levita's Massoreth ha-Massoreth and Jacob ben Hayim's Introduction to the Rabbinic Bible.[57]
  • Ernest Lloyd - Emeritus Vice President of the British Messianic Jewish Alliance was also President of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance in 1984. (Source: The Importance of Being Ernest, by Mike Moore, Christian Focus Publishing 2003, ISBN: 1 85792 806 7. [58]
  • Mark Kagan - Born 1885 in Riga Latvia, son of a Rabbi. [59] He was a well respected preacher in Britain and wrote a critique of British Israelism.[60]
  • Jeffrey Seif - Born to Jewish parents, went to Yeshiva and now host of the Zola Levit show. [61] [62] [63]
  • Baruch Maoz - Pastor of Grace and Truth Congregation in Israel. Opponant of the Messianic Movement and author of Judaism is not Jewish. [64] considered by some to mark the boundary between Messianic Judaism and Jewish Christianity. [65]
  • Randy Newman - Author of Questioning Evangelism. [66]
  • Katlin Eva Kalafoni - Born 16 June 1920 in Budapest, Hungary. Holocaust survivor and author of Forgiving Hitler. [67]
  • Jerry Marcellino - Pastor of Audubon Drive Bible Church in Laurel, Mississippi. [68] [69]
  • Rose Price - Holocaust survivor from Skarzysko, Poland. Author of A Rose from the Ashes. [70]
  • Fred Wertheim - Holocaust survivor. Booklet: I Escaped from Hitler Twice: The Fred Wertheim Story [71]
  • Charles Barg - Author of Between Two Fathers. [72]
  • David Rothstein - Brought up a Reform Jew and award winning artist. Author of Drawn to Jesus: The Journey of a Jewish Artist. [73]
  • Eddie Spirer - Jewish Lutheran minister. Autobiography titled Eddie Spirer: The Little Minister. [74]
  • Jack J. Sternberg - Author of Healing The Healer: A Jewish Doctor Finds Jesus. [75]
  • Ernest Cassutto - Dutch Jew who wrote his biography The Last Jew of Rotterdam.[76]
  • Susan Perlman - Co-founder of Jews for Jesus. Author of Loss To Life: A Jewish Woman's Journey to Messiah. [77]
  • Karol Joseph - Author of Nothing to Fear. [78]
  • Bob Mendelsohn - Author of Whoever Heard of a Jewish Missionary? [79]
  • Moshe Radcliff - Free Church of Scotland minister. [80]
  • Steve Schlissel - Pastor of Messiah's Covenant Community Church [81] [82] in Brooklyn, New York. Author of Hal Lindsey and the Restoration of the Jews. [83]
  • Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham. [84] Author of many books including On Being a Jewish Christian: Its blessings and problems. [85]
  • Marvin Olasky - Born to Jewish parents in Boston, USA. Historian and Journalist. [86]
  • Rosa Palay - Born 22nd December, 1922 to Jewish parents in Chernigov, Ukraine. [87]
  • Ruth Nessim - Born to Jewish mother in London. Author of Messianic poetry book Musings From Galilee [88][89]
  • Albert Nessim - Born to Iraqi Jews in Kobe, Japan, on April 3, 1933. [90]
  • Alan Hirsch - A significant figure in the emerging missional church movement in Australia. Books include The Shaping of Things to Come [91] and The Forgotten Ways [92]
  • Hyman G. Rickover - famous U.S. Admiral; born to Polish Jews in 1900; converted to Chrisianity upon marriage to an Episcopalian

Messianic Jew-Christian

(Persons who use both labels to describe themselves)

  • David Brickner — Current executive director of Jews for Jesus
  • Michael Brown Author of four volume work Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus (Baker Book House)
  • Arnold Fruchtenbaum — theologian, founder of Ariel Ministries author of several books including Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology Biblical Lovemaking: A Study of the Song of Solomon and Hebrew Christianity: Its Theology, History and Philosophy.
  • Zola Levitt — author and televangelist
  • Steve Myers — conservative political commentator, founder of and, and publisher of Page One News and From Here to Reality. Once trained as a rabbi; became Christian in 1982.
  • Moishe Rosen - — founder of Jews for Jesus
  • Ceil Rosen - Wife of Moishe Rosen founder of Jews for Jesus and author of Then I Met Messiah.
  • Stuart Sacks - born and raised in an American Orthodox Jewish family, author of books including Hebrews Through a Hebrew's Eyes (1995,Lederer) and Revealing Jesus as Messiah (1998, Christian Focus Publishing).
  • Richard S. Harvey - Tutor, Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies, All Nations Christian Collage in England and joint vice-president of the British Messianic Jewish Alliance - working on PhD on Messianic Jewish Theology
  • Mark Greene - Currently Executive Director of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity and previously Vice Principal of the London School of Theology. He is an author of several books including Thank God it's Monday.
  • Tom Mayr-Lori - Born to Jewish parents in Israel. Current President of the British Messianic Jewish Alliance.
  • Michael Nessim - Messianic musician based in Israel.
  • Steve Maltz - Born to Jewish parents in England. Author of Land of Many Names, People of Many Names and The Truth Is Out There.
  • Stephen F. Gutmann - Baptist minister and British Messianic Jewish Alliance committee member.
  • Charles Halff - Converted to christianity in 1948 in San Antonio, Texas. Author of What It Cost A Jew to Become a Christian and many booklets. Host of the radio program The Christian Jew Hour. Founder of the Christian Jew Foundation.

Source Books

  • A. Bernstein, Jewish Witnesses for Christ, Keren Ahvah Meshichit, Jerusalem, first publised 1909. ISBN 965-447-041-1
  • Dr. Henry Einspruch, Would I? Would You?, Lederer Foundation 1970, ISBN: 1-880226-13-8
  • Henry & Marie Einspruch, Raisins and Almonds, Lederer Foundation 1967, ISBN: 1-880226-10-* George H. Stevens, Jewish Christian Leaders, Oliphants Ltd, London 1966
  • Ben Hoekendijk, Twelve Jews Discover Messiah, Kingsway Publications 1992, ISBN: 0 85476 332 5
  • John Fieldsend, Messianic Jews: Challenging Church and Synagogue, Monarch/Marc Publications 1993, ISBN-10: 1854242288
  • Dr. Jacob Gartenhaus, Famous Hebrew Christians, International Board of Jewish Missions, Inc.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Palestinian Christians

I've previously written about the plight of our Palestinian Christian brethren here and here. As this Jerusalem Post article shows, we need to keep them in our prayers as they suffer under Hamas' rule.

We also, of course, need to be watchful for those Christian anti-Zionists who will blame Israel for the whole situation :-)

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The weakness of the Zionist lobby II

I previously posted on this issue here. I'm pleased to see that Mearsheimer and Walt's book on the supposed strength of the Israeli lobby is getting negative reviews in the USA; sadly, I expect it's too much to ask that the same would happen in the UK.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

British Messianic Jewish Alliance press release and preachers' guide, 13.9.7

I'VE RECENTLY BEEN INVOLVED IN CO-WRITING THE FOLLOWING PRESS STATEMENT AND GUIDE ON BEHALF OF THE BRITISH MESSIANIC JEWISH ALLIANCE (WWW.BMJA.NET). PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE & PASS ON TO OTHERS.

With recorded incidents of anti-Semitism at the highest levels since WWII, it is little wonder that the Jewish community is feeling at best insecure and at worst unwelcome in Britain. The British Messianic Jewish Alliance expressed its concerns in its January 2007 press release which was backed up by the Parliamentary Report into anti-Semitism followed by the government's official response to it and a press release welcoming the report and response from the Evangelical Alliance. Recently Channel 4's programme, The War on Britain's Jews, brought the issues into sharp focus again. The British Messianic Jewish Alliance has been representing the concerns of British Messianic Jews since 1866. We hope to serve the wider body of Jesus Christ by bringing some specialist focus on these serious issues. As preachers seek to be Biblically faithful we offer this booklet as a guide to show how being Biblically faithful is also to be Jewish-sensitive. A Guide for Preachers is available for download for free from:
http://www.bmja.net/A%20guide%20for%20PREACHERS.pdf

We do hope you will join with us as we seek to let more people know of this resource.

In Jesus' service

Richard Gibson and James Mendelsohn

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

5768

This evening marks Rosh Hashanah, the start of year 5768 in the Jewish calendar. Shanah tovah u metukah (a sweet and happy New Year) to all my readers.

Like all Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashanah points to Yeshua the Messiah: here and here

שנה טובה

Is "The World We All Want" antisemitic?

No, but its authors could perhaps have expressed themselves more carefully. I've discussed the issue with Aussie guy David Entwistle here and here.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Never again?

I found myself at Engage's inaugural North Western public meeting last night, which considered the resurgent threat of antisemitism and in particular the potential boycott of Israeli universities by my Union, the Universities and Colleges Union. One of the points which was made was that much discourse on Israel is now repeating the standard tropes of classic antisemitism.

One of the speakers, whom I found to be forceful and articulate, expressed the pessimistic view that the Arab-Israeli conflict is likely to get worse rather than better, and that pressure on Jews worldwide will rise even more. I hope for all our sakes that he's wrong.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Israel news

For the second time this year, there has been a broadly positive report on Messianic Jews on mainstream Israeli TV. Channel 2's February report on Yeshua Superstar has been followed by a Channel 10 report, here (about 12 mins long, in Hebrew with English subtitles). Though Israel is clearly a long way from the revival for which all Christians should long, it is nevertheless encouraging that the plight of Israeli MJs has attracted the broad sympathy of Israel's secular media.

(Note: Jesus is sometimes referred to in the programmes as "Yeshu", a derogatory Hebrew acrostic for "Yimach schmo u'zichro", meaning "May his name and memory be blotted out". His proper Hebrew name is "Yeshua", meaning "salvation".)