Enjoy your bonfires!

Israel hit by Bible burning row - BBC NEWS

Messianic Jews in Israel say they want an inquiry into the burning of hundreds of copies of the New Testament by Orthodox Jews in Or Yehuda last week.

The books were given to the town's Ethiopian Jews by the Messianic Jews, who believe in Jesus as a saviour.

Or Yehuda's deputy mayor says he received complaints about the books, and arranged for them to be burnt.

He has now apologised after his actions have been compared to those of Nazis who burnt Jewish holy scriptures.

Proselytizing to Ethiopian Jews is sensitive because historically they were the target of missionaries who converted many to Christianity in Ethiopia - though they later argued the conversion was forced and they had never really abandoned their Jewish faith, the BBC's Frances Harrison says.

The dispute is revealing growing tension between Messianic Jews and their Orthodox opponents who do not recognise them as Jews, our correspondent adds.

'Dumped and burned'

Many of the details of exactly what happened in Or Yehuda are now disputed.

But the deputy mayor says Messianic Jewish missionaries had targeted an area of the town where many Ethiopian Jews live, distributing packages containing New Testaments and pamphlets.

He says he received complaints and then drove around the area with a loudspeaker urging people to hand over the material to Orthodox religious students who went door-to-door collecting it.

The books were then dumped in a pile and burned.

Messianic Jews complain of institutionalised discrimination and are demanding all those involved be put on trial.

Meanwhile, Orthodox Jews are applauding the destruction of texts they say urge Jews to convert.

me: Happy Lag B'Omer everyone!

I am an "armchair" Kohen.

At least this is what Reuven Prager calls me. Here's his response to my valid inquiry:


RP: Shalom from Jerusalem!

JHK: Greetings. Judah HaKohain here from http://hamikdash.blogspot.com

RP: Never heard of you. I checked your link above, read its pretensions, and wonder why this is the first time you have contacted me. I have served as a Levite on Duty for 25 years, researching and restoring ancient Israelite customs in preparation for rebuilding the Holy Temple; restoring Beged Ivri, Biblical weddings, broken the taboo against wearing Techelet, identified and made available the 11 original ingredients of the Ketoret and 4 ingredients of the Shemen HaMishchah, and restored the mitzvah of netinat machatzit hashekel, establishing the criteria for the machatzit hashekel for this and future generations. And this filth is what you initiate contact with me for?

JHK: Would you please comment on why you are appearing at a messianic convention in Chicago in August?

RP: I was invited to speak. They agreed to my conditions for speaking; namely that I am to be respected for who I am; I am not to be subjected to any attempts to change my religious beliefs; and I am to be protected by staff from any zealous participant who cannot control the urge to 'witness' to me, so I am not left to defend myself from assault. I do not speak about religion or politics, only about the work taking place in Jerusalem to restore ancient Israelite customs in preparation for rebuilding the Holy Temple.

JHK: Do you endorse "messianic" judaism?

RP: Chas V'chalilah. You are obviously an armchair Kohen otherwise you would know me, my work, and the inanity of asking me such a ridiculous question.

JHK: Are you yourself "messianic" in that you consider the Christian god (aka Jesus) the Jewish Messiah?

RP: Are you insane? No.


Well, there you go. Perhaps I was wrong to question him.

The Levite doth protest too much, methinks.

These were legitimate questions. People are known by the company they keep. "Al tifrosh min hatzibor." Speaking to and thereby legitimizing these people are clearly separating yourself from the Klal. Hashem forbids socializing with idol worshippers. Simple.

As to "this filth" (aka my honest inquiry), I am still perplexed why "messianics" would be his choice of audience. Wouldn't a "Levite on Duty" want to distance himself from idol worshipers and those who prey on Jewish souls? Why give their "movement" credence by speaking to them?

Personally, this "Kohain on Duty" would not have anything to do with these people as they harm Jews. THAT'S where we differ. Sorry if that's filth.

Nowhere does Mr. Prager denounce "messianics" on his site. That would be a great first step. I would also love to see a haskama from Rabbis proclaiming his work with them as kosher. Would they give it if they knew the bulk of his time was speaking to "messianics?" Would Ha-Rav Ha-Gadol Amnon Yitzchak Shlita say this was a positive endeavor for Klal Yisrael?

It is time that we choose sides.

Please chime in, people!

Judah's Hashgacha

Dear blogging brothers and sisters:

I am so sick and tired of the infiltration by the so called "messianics" that I have decided to put up or shut up. I have created my own hechsher for sites that do not tolerate J4J's, messianics, evangelicals or the like. Feel free to use it ONLY if you agree to the following:

1. to check out your links and make sure they are "kosher" and not "messianic" in any way shape or form.
2. to delete all comments that are proselytizing in nature to Jews.
3. to not blindly accept "Zionism" as a common ground with those whose ultimate goal is to convert us and bring us to idol worship.
4. to actively speak out against evangelizing of Jews by any religion and to try to mikadesh your site as a tool for kiruv (bringing Jews back to the faith).

If you agree to these terms, please email me at judahhakohain[at]yahoo.com and I will gladly send you a copy.

(For those looking to steal a copy and put it on their site without my express permission, it is registered and therefor not for public use. I have the ability to track it and I will prosecute to the fullest extent allowed by law.)
Enjoy.