Category Archives: New York City

May 1, 2025 · 10:00 AM

Reaching Jewish Students on College Campuses: A Call to Stand and Serve

College campuses are some of the most spiritually open places in our society. It is no exaggeration to say that many young people, including Jewish students, make life-altering decisions during these formative years. 

A STRATEGIC AND TIMELY OPPORTUNITY

The Jewish student population in the United States exceeds 400,000. New York University (NYU) alone has over 6,000 Jewish undergraduates, making it one of the largest concentrations of Jewish students outside of Israel. Columbia and Barnard College (its affiliated women’s college) are not far behind. Together, they represent a vital mission field. 

THE CRISIS ON CAMPUS: THE GROWTH OF ANTISEMITISM

In recent months, the surge in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents on college campuses has been unprecedented. In the 2023–2024 school year, the Anti-Defamation League recorded over 1,400 antisemitic events linked to higher education institutions—a fivefold increase over the previous year.1 At Columbia, Jewish students have been labeled “Zionist aggressors,” with their photos and names posted publicly. Others have found their dorm room doors vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti. One Columbia student told the press, “I’m scared to wear a Jewish star here.”2 Protesters have stormed campus buildings shouting slogans like “From the river to the sea,” which many Jewish people understand as a call for the eradication of Israel. 

At NYU, students wearing Jewish symbols have been verbally harassed, and one Jewish student was assaulted during a protest. In November, Students for Justice in Palestine organized a rally outside the Stern School of Business that blocked entrances and featured chants praising “resistance” in the name of Gaza. Some students reported being spat on. In another case, flyers were distributed accusing specific students of supporting “genocide” because they expressed pro-Israel views. These incidents have created a climate where many Jewish students feel isolated or afraid to speak. 

Despite national media attention, administrative responses have often lagged and incidents ignored, leaving Jewish students feeling abandoned. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched investigations into both NYU and Columbia. 

THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO JEWISH MINISTRY ON CAMPUS

For many years we have conducted a more traditional approach to Jewish ministry on campus and continue to do so, setting up book tables and trying to start spiritual conversations. God has used these efforts to impact students on campus—especially in the current environment where so many students are exhibiting antisemitic behavior. 

For example, a staff member in Boston gives the following testimony, 

In response to the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, especially in Boston, I felt called to stand with Jewish students. In response to the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, especially in Boston, my team and I set up book tables at Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University, Northeastern, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMASS-Amherst).

At UMASS, we set up our book table right outside of the student union, and immediately the Lord opened many conversations with Jewish students. At one time I had five Jewish students standing around my table. One student was a regular at the Hillel House [a Jewish student group with chapters nationwide], another girl was more secular, then a young Jewish kid came to join us from Long Island, NY, and finally two more Jewish students joined in — one being from Israel and the other coming from a traditional Jewish home. Each took an evangelistic pamphlet, and two left with a copy of the New Testament, which I always carry with me. 

A RESIDENTIAL MINISTRY TO JEWISH STUDENTS: THE HOUSE OF LIVING WATERS

Hostility toward Jewish students and Israel makes our ministry of on-campus presence more important than ever. The idea is simple but powerful: young adults live in community near a major campus, host regular outreach events, and form deep, personal relationships with Jewish students. In contrast to pop-up evangelism, the House of Living Waters creates stability and trust. The model has proven effective, as the following testimonies from some of the program leaders indicate! 

Henry 

House of Living Waters in the past months has seen extraordinary growth in what can only be understood as the Lord ’s provision. We had an event on the NYU campus, an interfaith Purim party, and students were engaged and desiring more events from our team. We continue to have our Sabbath dinners and Bible study, which has built up a community of believers and not-yet-believers who are excited to see the community provided through the program. We are partnering with many student groups to continue reaching the campus, engaging with students, and building a lasting community within these campuses. 

Sergey 

“So, what is House of Living Waters doing?” This was the question that two rabbis asked me at Rutgers University while we hosted a Purim event on campus. I had an amazing conversation with them about who we are and what we do on campuses, and I told them that we would love to connect in the future and maybe do something together. Please keep praying for our work in Columbia while we establish the ministry there and specifically for our upcoming events with both Jewish and non-Jewish students. 

Charlene 

House of Living Waters has seen incredible growth this school year. We are hopeful about the connections we are building at NYU, and as we launch at Columbia and even Rutgers. It has been an encouragement to see Jewish and non-Jewish students engage with us at our weekly Sabbath dinners and events. At NYU, one student leader said they were happy to partner with us given all the antisemitism and unrest that has been taking place on university campuses. As a result, Christian students are excited about connecting their Jewish friends with us, and Jewish students have shown an interest in our effort to create a community for Jewish-Christian dialogue. 

NYU, COLUMBIA, BARNARD. . . AND TO THE UTTERMOST CAMPUSES!

NYU is not only in the heart of a Jewish population center, but it also houses over twenty active Jewish student organizations. These groups represent not only strategic access points for Jewish engagement but also spiritual battlegrounds where Jewish students are searching for truth. 

Christian groups are present and active as well. At NYU, InterVarsity, CRU, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), and others have welcomed partnership with our House of Living Waters team. We are working to strengthen collaboration with these groups so they can more confidently reach out to their Jewish friends and classmates. We hope to begin a House of Living Waters program at Columbia in the fall. 

A SNAPSHOT OF OUR OUTREACH

Evangelism: The men at our current House of Living Waters program based at NYU engage students in dorms, coffee shops, and at public events. Through partnerships with CRU, InterVarsity, RUF, and others, our staff are invited into conversations with Christian students who long to reach their Jewish friends. 

Sabbath Dinners: These are the heartbeat of the program. Every week, students come for a home-cooked meal, warm conversation, and spiritual reflection. These Friday evening meals and Bible studies often lead to further questions about the Messiah and what it means to be Jewish and believe in Jesus. 

Discipleship: Those who serve as part of the House of Living Waters are often recent college graduates themselves, so this wonderful outreach program also serves as a powerful tool of training and discipleship for this next-generation team of dedicated, Jesus-focused young adults. The team members are trained in apologetics, theology, and pastoral care, with ongoing personal mentorship by more experienced Chosen People Ministries staff. 

FUTURE PLANS AND THE CALL TO MULTIPLY

We believe God is calling us to replicate the House of Living Waters in other strategic university cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Toronto—to name a few. Each city has a dense Jewish population and major university presence. With the success we have seen at NYU and growing relationships at Columbia and Rutgers, we are eager to build. Each participant receives a stipend each month and free housing in exchange for a year-long commitment to outreach and discipleship. Their week includes a Friday night Sabbath dinner, Bible studies, Jewish holiday celebrations, and strategic evangelism. 

Thanks for caring and for building the future of Jewish evangelism on campus together with Your Mission to the Jewish People.

  1. “Anti-Israel Activism on U.S. Campuses, 2023-2024,” ADL, updated February 7, 2025, https://www.adl.org/re-sources/report/anti-israel-activism-us-campuses-2023-2024.
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  2. Ali Bauman and Christina Fan, “Columbia University Protesters Taken into Custody after Day of Unrest on Campus,” CBS News, updated on April 18, 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/columbia-university-pro-palestinian-pro-israeli-protests/. ↩︎

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January 15, 2025 · 9:00 AM

Israel and Jewish Evangelism Today

Happy New Year! I hope and pray 2025 will be a fruitful year as you and I serve the Lord. 

There is a wonderful story about the relationship between John Wilkinson, a Gentile missionary who founded the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, and J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF International). Every January, Taylor would send Wilkinson a gift with a note attached, “To the Jew first.” Wilkinson would then send the same amount back as a gift to Taylor for his work among the Chinese with a note that read, “And also to the Gentiles.” This true story nicely captures what we will learn in this letter: how we can prioritize reaching Jewish people and still reach the world as commanded by our Messiah prior to His ascension.

There is no doubt that Jewish people need to consciously accept Jesus to obtain salvation and have access to God the Father (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). This saving faith grows out of a Spirit-enlightened understanding of the gospel brought about by embracing Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah (John 3:16–17, 16:8).

It is also clear God made promises to the nation of Israel. While these promises do not guarantee the salvation of every Jewish person, they do assure us that the people of Israel will play an important role in the final chapter of the drama of redemption outlined in the Scriptures.

Believing what the Bible tells us about Israel’s guaranteed role in the future should not dampen our enthusiasm to proclaim the gospel among Jewish people today. Our hearts should be inspired to fervently proclaim the gospel to Jewish people, knowing the time is near and that the salvation of the Jewish remnant is linked to the second coming of the Messiah Jesus.

An End-Times Motivation for Jewish Evangelism

Until recent days, a key factor in motivating many Christians to reach Jewish people with the gospel was the belief that the salvation of the Jewish remnant was connected to the coming of the Lord. The wide acceptance of this end-times inspiration for Jewish missions was also broadly understood among churches throughout the world.

Today, Jewish people and Jewish evangelism have somewhat fallen out of favor among Christians as Israel and Jewish people are not as noticeably needy of redemption. Many Western Christians have sided politically with Palestinians, viewing Israel and Jewish people more negatively, and have directed their “mission impulse” toward social justice issues and evangelizing Arabs, particularly Muslims. I applaud proclaiming the gospel among all people groups. However, many Christians passionate about evangelizing Muslims have embraced a one-sided view of Israel that conflicts with the facts of what is happening in the Middle East and with the Bible itself.

This shift in sympathies is now commonplace in the United Kingdom, northern and central Europe, and it is rising in North America, too. Those who do not take the biblical prophecies about the land of Israel in a literal sense are fueling these shifting sympathies, leading to a declining interest in Jewish evangelism.

This is why understanding the end-times rationale for Jewish missions and the role of Jewish people in the plan of God is critical. It is my hope that Gentile Christians will be moved by the Scriptures to bring the good news to God’s chosen people.

“To the Jew First” (Romans 1:16)

There are several critical passages which should undergird an end-times motivation for Jewish missions. One of the most important is Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Those engaged in Jewish evangelism are familiar with this passage and understand its importance in motivating the church toward Jewish evangelism. This brief verse has been interpreted in a number of different ways, but more often than not, it is used to emphasize the importance of Gentile Christians reaching Jewish people with the gospel.

I would suggest that one of the reasons the apostle Paul believed the gospel should go to Jewish people first was because of his understanding of the events of the last days. When Romans 1:16 is viewed in this way, the urgency of Jewish evangelism becomes evident. One cannot fully understand Romans 1:16 without understanding Paul’s conclusion in Romans 11, where he speaks about the end-times repentance of the remnant of Israel and their reception of Jesus as Savior. If we look closely, the priority described in Romans 1:16 is founded on Romans 11:25–27 (and more fully on 11:11–29) and must be viewed in light of the role Jewish people play in the second coming of Christ.

Paul is not suggesting that the Roman believers withhold the gospel from the Gentiles until every Jewish person in the world is reached. Neither is the apostle implying that the gospel has already come to Jewish people first and that this priority no longer applies to the mission of the church today. Romans 1:16 was written in the present tense. Therefore, if the gospel is still “the power of God for salvation” and is still for “everyone who believes,” then the gospel is still “to the Jew first.”

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, focused his ministry on reaching non-Jewish people with the gospel message. Yet, this did not lessen his concern for the salvation of Jewish people. Wherever Paul went in his ministry among the Gentiles, he also preached the gospel to Jewish people living in that area (Acts 13:13–52, 14:1–5, 18:7–11, 19:8–10). He would make sure this was his first evangelistic effort in a particular city before he spoke to the Gentiles. The salvation of Jewish people was an ever-present concern for Paul, and his actions described in the book of Acts reveal his understanding of what he penned in Romans 1:16.

The apostle’s argument may be summarized (and connected with Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:39) as follows: When Jewish people are successfully evangelized, then Jesus the Messiah will return. There was an end-times urgency in the tone of Paul’s preaching and in his letter to the Roman believers, encouraging them to prioritize outreach to Jewish people. His theology was enacted in his own strategy for mission. And this is why we should follow suit. In effect, Paul argued that if the church desired to witness the second coming of Christ, Jewish people must be evangelized.

The church cannot neglect Jewish evangelism: Jewish evangelism should not become the great omission of the Great Commission, and the church must make Jewish evangelism a priority because of Romans 1:16. 

“All Israel Will Be Saved” (Romans 11) 

Paul connected the priority of reaching Jewish people with the end times, and he argued that God has not cast off His people Israel despite their national rejection of Jesus the Messiah (Romans 11). His concluding statement proving God is not finished with Israel is that “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25–27). Furthermore, he wrote:

Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Rom 11:12, 15).

God has not rejected Jewish people (Rom 11:1) but rather has preserved a remnant within the nation (Rom 11:5) until the remnant becomes the nation. In this passage, the apostle tells us that in the end, God will save “all Israel,” which I believe refers to the entirety of the nation of Israel alive at that time.

This monumental end-times event takes place after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. It is evident from this passage that prior to the salvation of national Israel and the end of days there is a time when God will be at work among the Gentiles in a special way—grafting numerous “wild branches” into the olive tree as described in Romans 11:16–24.

In summary, Jewish people will return to the God of our fathers by accepting the Messiah. The nations will then witness the return of the Lord Jesus. God has not rejected His people because He is always faithful to His promises (Rom 11:29).

Reaching Jewish people with the gospel must become a priority for all Christians as, ultimately, the salvation of Jewish people ushers in Jesus’ second coming and releases the fullness of God’s blessings to the whole world. 

Outreach to Jewish people begins with you! Through your prayers, giving, and witnessing to your Jewish friends, the plan of God will go forth in power! We cannot allow Jewish evangelism to become the great omission of the Great Commission.

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January 6, 2025 · 9:00 AM

The Enduring Call of Romans 1:16

I am writing this brief letter to you right before I visit Israel this month. This is going to be a very significant trip, and I hope you will pray for me.

I cannot easily describe the level of suffering and anguish the last sixteen months have brought upon Israelis, Palestinians, Chosen People Ministries—Israel staff, and for Jewish people globally because of the wave of antisemitism that has erupted since the beginning of this horrible war.

Life in Israel During Wartime

As I write, quite a few of our staff are still moving in and out of bomb shelters on an almost daily basis. The missile sirens seem to be going off day and night, even though the Israel Defense Forces have destroyed so many of the missile launchers in Gaza and southern Lebanon. There are usually between twenty and one hundred (sometimes even more!) explosives fired every day. A number of civilians, both Arab and Jewish, are killed within Israel because the missile defense systems cannot shoot down every projectile or drone.

Israeli soldiers—most of them in their early twenties—are also dying daily both in Gaza and Lebanon . . . more than 800 so far! May I also remind you that there are still more than one hundred hostages held by Hamas in Gaza? As of November, Israeli intelligence has assessed that half the hostages are still alive. Mothers and fathers, husband and wives, and children continue to be distraught and spend hours shedding tears of grief because of the extreme adversity their loved ones continue to endure in the dark underground tunnels of Gaza.

Pray for My Trip to Israel

I will admit that it is a bit dangerous for me and for the two other godly men joining me on this trip to Israel, yet we really do not spend our time thinking about it. Our beloved staff endure this stress day in and day out, and all I want to do is support them. I do hope that you will pray for fruitfulness and safety for our little team as well as for our staff.

We hope to meet and pray with our staff members individually and with their families. We love them so much, and I am personally inspired by and grateful for their bravery during this difficult time. They not only care for their own family, but they are out and about each day meeting the needs of suffering and displaced Israelis. If you have given a gift already to our work in Israel, I want to assure you that it is being used well, as our staff continue their ministry amid ongoing danger.

I will also be reviewing the progress of our new Tel Aviv Messianic Center. I am so grateful for the huge outpouring of support for this new and much-needed center. We are now able to celebrate the completion of our two-year, $6.5 million campaign, which means we now own this beautiful new center in the heart of the Holy Land—debt-free. Thank you so much!

The construction has continued miraculously and should be completed by mid-February. Even our elevator, needed to ensure everyone can participate in our ministry activities, has come six weeks earlier than thought after being fabricated in Germany. All I can say is hallelujah!

The Enduring Call of Romans 1:16

Throughout the month of January, we emphasize the theme of Romans 1:16, where the apostle Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (emphasis added). This text is foundational to our ministry of 131 years. We are still unashamed; the gospel is still God’s power for salvation, and the message is still for everyone who believes—“to the Jew first” and also to the Gentiles!

We are praying for an outpouring of prayer and financial support during this month as we begin the year with a deep concern for the well-being of Jewish people. I cannot tell you how much your prayers, encouragement, and generous support mean to us.

The psalmist wrote, “pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love you” (Psalm 122:6). It is love which is at the heart of our generosity, and this new center was built with the love of faithful Jesus-followers for Jewish people.

The time of salvation is NOW, and your support and prayers are needed NOW . . . and the need to bring the gospel to Israelis and Jewish people around the globe is NOW.

May I also ask whether your local church has invited a Chosen People Ministries speaker? If not, please talk to your pastor and let them know that we are available. You can call our Church Ministries department at (561)-737-1431 or email us at churches@chosenpeople.com. We would be honored to send someone to speak at your church. Your pastor might especially consider a “Messiah in the Passover” presentation during the Easter season.

My wife Zhava and I pray you will know the power of His resurrection and the joy of His presence in the new year.

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July 15, 2024 · 9:30 AM

Christians Will Stand with Israel

I am writing to you from Israel, where I was encouraging our twenty-five-plus staff members—visiting one-on-one to talk and pray with them as they serve the Lord in the midst of some really challenging conditions.

I spoke to a gathering of more than seventy-five young adults at our current rented Tel Aviv Center. My message was from the book of Acts about relying on the Lord and the power of His Spirit during very stressful times. I was also part of a teaching team at a leadership retreat for forty young adults serving in congregational and mission leadership throughout Israel.

The summer is always a busy time for Your Mission to the Jewish People as we are in the midst of many evangelistic efforts and campaigns around the globe, especially in New York City and in Israel. Please take a moment to pray for our annual Shalom New York outreach, which takes place during the last week of July.

Also, please pray for our children’s camps in both the United States and Israel. Our Israel camps this year will focus on both Russian and Ukrainian new immigrants and their families who have fled one war only to find themselves in the Holy Land experiencing another.

I found some very desperate needs in Israel because of the Israel-Hamas war, and I am praying and hoping for good fruit through our Israeli staff at this very moment.

I am particularly concerned for several groups within Israel, including evacuees, soldiers, and the hostages brutally taken on October 7.

PRAYER FOR EVACUEES

There are still thousands of evacuees unable to return to their homes because they live in border towns in both the north and south of Israel. There are thousands of families who have been living in hotel rooms for almost a year now. This living arrangement is becoming so hard, especially on their children. At the hotel where we held the leadership retreat, there were evacuees all around us, which led to some great opportunities to speak to them and try to encourage them during this very difficult moment in Israel’s history! I told many of those displaced people how American Christians are praying for them, and they greatly appreciated this news. So, please pray for these displaced Israelis all throughout the country.

PRAYER FOR SOLDIERS

Please also pray for the young people in Israel, especially those serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Remember, Israel has a mandatory draft, which begins when these teenagers graduate high school. Every day, eighteen- and nineteen-year-old Israeli boys and girls head to the military. They are young, not yet seasoned for battle, and are learning about life the hard way!

Please pray the Lord would especially keep the believing soldiers safe and also provide them with ways to grow spiritually and opportunities to proclaim the gospel among their fellow soldiers. I cannot tell you how many great stories I heard from our staff during my recent time in Israel as well as from some of the younger leaders who took the weekend off from battle to join us! Two brothers in the Lord are tank commanders and went back to Gaza immediately after the retreat to rejoin their fellow soldiers.

PRAYER FOR THE HOSTAGES IN GAZA

Please continue to pray for the hostages. The Israel Defense Forces have made repeated attempts to rescue the more than one hundred hostages still held in Gaza. Some continue to die in captivity, and others have been tortured and mistreated to an incredible degree. How human beings can treat one another so cruelly is not something I can even begin to understand.

We hear of repeated attempts to bring the hostages home, but for the moment, there has been only limited success. On the last day of the leadership retreat, we rejoiced to hear how four hostages were freed by the IDF in a very dangerous and costly military operation.

We need our all-powerful Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to directly intervene on behalf of those still in bondage. While in Israel, I saw signs all over the country asking for their release. There are pictures of these young men, women, and even still some children, who are being held by merciless captors. It reminds me of the words in the Psalms,

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalm 137:1–6)

In Jewish tradition, the authorship of this beautiful and mournful psalm is sometimes attributed to the prophet Jeremiah—the weeping prophet. The contemporary Messianic songwriter Joshua Aaron from Israel sings a soul-filled version of this psalm, which captures the hopes of Jewish people in exile from the land of Israel and their longing to return. I am sure hearing his modern rendition of the ancient text will inspire and bless you!1

I can hardly imagine what the hostages are going through and what their families are experiencing. Of course, I am writing well before you receive this so, perhaps, by God’s grace, additional hostages may have been released or rescued by the time you read our newsletter. At this moment, it does not seem likely, and if they have not been released, please pray, ask your church to pray, and may the Lord bring them home soon!

May I make two more prayer requests?

PRAYER FOR GAZANS SUFFERING UNDER THE HEAVY HAND OF HAMAS

Please pray for the Gazans who are suffering at the hands of Hamas who constantly use their own citizens as human shields. I pray for their deliverance and for the “day after” plan for Gaza to include a more benevolent and caring government to nurture the well-being of so many who have suffered. Pray Israelis and Gazans would find hope and peace through the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Messiah, and for the Lord to touch both groups.

PRAYER AGAINST ANTISEMITISM

Finally, please pray for Jewish people around the globe who are experiencing the greatest movement of antisemitism since the Holocaust. This resurgence of the “oldest hatred” is why Your Mission to the Jewish People recently held a rally with more than 400 attendees in Manhattan last month.

We are also planning a larger conference to gather Christians of all ages and backgrounds to stand against antisemitism. This event is also at Moody Bible Institute on November 9. 

I cannot tell you how powerful and positive it is for Christians to stand with Jewish people and against antisemitism. This creates a new environment of friendship between Jewish people and Christians, which I know will be a blessing to both communities!

A NEW SURVEY OF CHRISTIAN VIEWS ABOUT ISRAEL AND JEWISH PEOPLE

So, what do Christians think about Jewish people and the State of Israel post-October 7? We felt we needed to know, so we asked two Jewish scholars who have done some amazing surveys on this topic to let us help them do a new survey. I believe you will be encouraged by what you read!

So, please keep praying for Your Mission to the Jewish People during these very challenging days!

Thank you for caring and for your generous support and prayers!

1 Joshua Aaron, “Bring Us Back (By the Rivers of Babylon) Psalm 137,” music video, 4:25, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7lHsoascJY.

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June 15, 2024 · 9:00 AM

Christians against Antisemitism

I have been pondering the touching story in the New Testament about the Roman centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant (Luke 7:1–10). As the story progresses, we discover this centurion was noteworthy for his surprising love for Jewish people, which led him to build a synagogue for the Jewish community of Capernaum (Luke 7:5).

Perhaps the centurion saw the dimming spark of God’s presence in the Galilean city, which Jesus Himself chided for its lack of spirituality (Matthew 11:23). Conversely, Jesus commended the words and actions of this centurion who had come to love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I find the Roman centurion to be an inspiration! He loved the God of Israel, the Messiah of Israel, and the people of Israel.

While Jewish people today do not usually require Christian help to build synagogues, we do need help fighting the increasingly virulent antisemitism not seen since the Holocaust. Additionally, our not-yet-believing Jewish people need to hear the gospel message so they, too, can powerfully encounter Jesus the Messiah, the Prince of Peace.

A PROMISE

We live in a world overwhelmed by spiritual, moral, and political confusion, which is why it is so important to see life through the lens of Scripture. For example, though more than 60 percent of Christians above the age of fifty believe the land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel, our younger generation of future leaders in the church are not as certain. The number of those believers under forty who support Israel drops down to below 50 percent! However, when we read about God’s assurances to Abraham and his descendants and the Abrahamic promise to create a people destined to live in the Promised Land, we are clear on this fundamental truth: God gave the land of Israel to His chosen people.

In Genesis 12:1–3, we learn this promise is without conditions and free of time parameters. The fulfillment of the promise depends upon the power of God rather than the capabilities of humankind. Jewish people were created for a holy purpose and mission to bless the world. God said directly to Abram, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, emphasis added). God created Jewish people for the sake of the Gentiles!

A PEOPLE

The very creation of the people was a miracle. Abraham and Sarah were beyond childbearing age, yet God supernaturally intervened to create Isaac, who was the first fruits of God’s promise to Abraham.

God promised no one would ever destroy this people. Numerous nations tried to destroy the people of Israel, but God would not allow it and kept His mighty hand upon them (Jeremiah 31:35–37).

A PLACE

The boundaries of the land given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are outlined in Genesis 15:18: “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.’”

The answer to those who question if Jewish people have a right to the land is to believe this passage and take it literally—as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

The cry of anti-Israel protesters, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” opposes what God promised in His word. As faithful followers of Jesus and those who believe the Bible, we reject the slogan entirely as it displaces Jewish people from the very land God Himself promised!

The tension in the Middle East will never subside until those involved in the conflict recognize the biblical promises of God to Jewish people and take them to heart. God pledged ownership of the land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Any efforts toward reconciliation apart from this promise will ultimately fail.

We do not wish to debate whether 1948 was a human act or accomplished by the power of God. We understand the current conflict is complex, yet at the heart of the issue is the question of whether the land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel by virtue of God’s covenant with Israel. If we read the Bible literally and come to the conclusion that He gave this land—with the Genesis 15 boundaries—to Jewish people, then we must support the right of Jewish people to live in the land God established for His chosen people.

A PURPOSE

God promised Jewish people would live in the Holy Land and be a blessing to the nations. Isaiah predicted shalom (peace) would come to the Middle East: “In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth” (Isa 19:24).

Jewish people will enjoy an enduring peace when the Prince of Peace reigns on His rightful throne. This hope reminds me of the temporary nature of all earthly conflicts, which the Messiah Himself will one day resolve.

A PRAYER WITH A PROMISE

The prayer we should pray throughout the Israel-Hamas conflict is the one for peace the psalmist penned in Psalm 122:6–7: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.’”

This prayer includes a promise: Those who love Jerusalem will prosper. The Hebrew word shalah, which is translated as “prosper,” refers to a sense of inner peace, as those who pray for peace will experience peace in their lives as well.

The peace we enjoy in our relationship with God is a foretaste of the global peace God will bring to the world when His Son returns to reign on His rightful throne. He is the Prince of Peace and will remove the curse of sin at the heart of the current conflict. He will bring humanity back to the peace Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden. The prophet Ezekiel mentioned a future day when the nation of Israel will turn to the Lord, and the land will be “like the garden of Eden” (Ezekiel 36:35).

A PLEA: FOR CHRISTIANS TO OPPOSE ANTISEMITISM

I am hoping both local churches and individual Christians will boldly pray against and actively oppose the rising global antisemitism. Our 130-year-old ministry is here to inspire you to pray for, support, and act on behalf of Jewish people by opposing antisemitism.

Jewish people need our help today!

SEE SOMETHING . . . SAY SOMETHING: A CALL TO ACTION

How can we stand by and watch Jewish people suffer at the hands of modern-day Hamans and Hitlers? Antisemitism is anti-gospel and anti-God. It is antithetical to God’s promises found in Scripture. The problems in the Middle East cannot be solved by removing Jewish people “from the river to the sea.” The beginning of any diplomatic solution must be to allow Jewish people to live safely and peacefully in the land God promised to His chosen people.

Let me be clear: We believe the gospel is the only ultimate hope for Jewish people, Arabs, and all who seek authentic and enduring peace.

So, how can we be part of the solution to this seemingly insoluble problem?

The first step is to turn to the Lord in prayer and intercession and then view the conflict through the lens of Scripture. Our actions must begin with prayer because this battle is a spiritual one, and prayer puts us in the right relationship with the One who made these promises. The Scriptures provide the understanding we need to propose workable solutions because they are in sync with God’s eternal purposes.

Then, like the centurion, we ought to find ways to bless Jewish people, as blessing the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will lead to blessings for the world. If we support those working toward the destruction of Jewish people and their removal from the land of Israel, then we are working against the eternal purposes of God (Acts 5:39)!

Let us join the Holy One in blessing Israel, Jewish people, and all men and women who are created in the image of God and for whom Jesus died.

Thank you for caring, praying, and supporting the 130-year-old work of Your Mission to the Jewish People.

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May 15, 2024 · 9:00 AM

Say “No” to Antisemitism!

As the war in Israel continues, our hearts go out to those suffering due to the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah! The impact of the conflict now stretches across the globe. It has caused the rise of new challenges for the worldwide Jewish community and for Your Mission to the Jewish People, as you can see from the following reports about the growing number of antisemitic incidents in the United States. Sadly, I am certain further events will have transpired by the time my letter crosses your desk or kitchen table. Yet, the pro-Hamas protestors act as if October 7 never happened!

THE CHILLING TRENDS

The Anti-Defamation League, the world’s leading organization tracking and opposing antisemitism, reported in early January, 

In the three months since the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, U.S. antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed, reaching a total of 3,291* incidents between Oct. 7 and Jan. 7, according to ADL’s (the Anti-Defamation League) preliminary data. This represents a 361-percent increase compared to the same period one year prior, which saw 712 incidents.

The preliminary three-month tally is higher than the total number of antisemitic incidents tracked in any year in the last decade, except for calendar year 2022, when the total number of incidents reached a historic high of 3,697. Since Oct. 7, there was an average of nearly 34 antisemitic incidents per day, putting 2023 on track to be the highest year for antisemitic acts against Jews since ADL started tracking this data in the late 1970s.1

Although these statistics are from the United States, this dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents is global, especially affecting Western countries where you might not expect this dramatic rise in Jewish hatred.

I am especially astounded by the antisemitism currently raging in England. According to the Community Security Trust, which gathers information on antisemitism in the United Kingdom, there were 3,328 incidents of abusive behavior, 266 assaults, 305 threats, and 182 acts of damage and desecration throughout 2023. The charity said there was a total of 4,103 antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom in 2023, up from the previous annual record of 2,261 in 2021.2

Similar occurrences of antisemitic hatred were recorded in Canada and Australia, home to hundreds of thousands of Jewish people.

MY FAMILY’S STORY

My maternal grandparents emigrated from Belarus to the United States to escape the everyday horrors of antisemitism. Little did they know the most extreme, diabolical, and destructive expression of antisemitism would soon come from Germany, one of the most sophisticated and Christianized countries in Western Europe.

My grandparents left their homes and families behind because of the attacks against Jewish people (called pogroms), which motivated them to make the dramatic move to an unknown country! Like so many Jewish people, they were desperate to get away from those who sought their destruction and build a better life for their children. They willingly left the land, language, and life they knew to live in a land built upon freedom of religion.

The United States still had some restrictions prohibiting or limiting Jewish people at colleges and fraternal organizations and in certain professions. But my grandparents could still own property, get a better education, and enjoy opportunities in their new homeland they could not get in Europe.

COUNTERING THE CURRENT WAVE OF ANTISEMITISM

So much of the current wave of antisemitism is rooted in the belief in Israel and Jewish people in general as aggressors. We would not suggest every criticism of the policies and actions of the State of Israel, valid or not, springs from the poison of antisemitism. Yet, from what we have seen taking place across the United States, anti-Zionism and the belief Israel is an illegitimate state is often fueled by antisemitism.

I am sorry to say Jewish students on our university campuses are feeling the brunt of a growing, unreasonable anger and hatred. They are often targeted by Hamas sympathizers, who are abetted by administrations at various—and not just “elite”—schools, which seem to look the other way and tolerate targeted protests.

One of the groups countering the growing antisemitism on campuses across our country is the Brandeis Center in Boston—part of the enduring legacy of the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, the late Louis Brandeis. He was a staunch supporter of Jewish rights and the State of Israel. The Brandeis Center plays a vital role in opposing antisemitism on campus.

Let me give you a couple of examples of what they are doing:

The Brandeis Center and Jewish on Campus (JOC) filed a joint complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on behalf of numerous Jewish students at American University (AU) who have been assaulted, threatened, harassed and intimidated in dormitories, classrooms and campus spaces. According to the complaint, AU was fully aware of the pervasive and hostile environment for Jewish students, and not only ignored it, in some cases, it chose to subject Jewish whistleblowers to harassment and disciplinary proceedings.3

And further,

In another story, on the downfall of Harvard’s and UPenn’s presidents and the double standard applied to Jewish students by campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, Marcus [president of the Center] stated: “DEI offices have often acted as if Jewish Americans were outside their scope of responsibility.” When Jewish students go to DEI offices seeking support, “they will receive a cold shoulder from administrators who are quicker to support members of other groups such as African American, Hispanics, or gay or lesbian students.”4

Whereas we hope all those who feel the pain of discrimination and prejudice will find help, the overt dismissal of Jewish student concerns is intolerable and unfair. I believe followers of Jesus need to spring into action on behalf of Jewish people.

SHOULD CHRISTIANS OPPOSE ANTISEMITISM?

We must ask ourselves the question: “Is opposing antisemitism a spiritual duty for all believers in Jesus?”

Today’s antisemitism, seen in synagogue shootings, attacks on a kosher market in France, the taking of hostages at a synagogue in Dallas, and through the growing presence of antisemitism on social media, is no longer merely latent. To a large degree, tensions in the Middle East have exacerbated this growing antisemitism.

However, we would be mistaken in thinking this “oldest hatred” did not exist prior to October 7 or before Israel became a modern state.

After October 7, it did not take long for antisemites to begin targeting Jewish people in the United States, Germany, England, and across the globe. It is apparent their hatred of Jewish people was not new, and the events of October 7 simply sparked what was already there, causing it to rise to the surface. Really, the opposite should have been the case. It is also remarkable how quickly Hamas sympathizers swept the atrocities committed by the terrorist organization on October 7 under the rug.

Jewish people worldwide are now the objects of anger and contempt by these same sympathizers. It seems as if any Jewish event on campus and in various communities is subject to the wrath of radical and violent advocates who believe their mission is to remove Israel “from the river to the sea.”

This terrible surge of global antisemitism needs to be stopped. First, by our prayers, followed by our actions.

THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS OF ANTISEMITISM

The roots of antisemitism remain deeply woven into our culture and those of many Western countries, as well as those nations part of the Arab world. Yet, the problem goes deeper than this!

As I have mentioned in the past, the root of antisemitism is profoundly spiritual.

We affirm God chose Jewish people to be His people and to accomplish His purposes (Genesis 12:1–3). At the exact moment God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the devil chose Jewish people as his target throughout the ages. The devil hates God, our Messiah, the Bible, and Jewish people.

As believers in Jesus, we must support Jewish people globally, even if we have political disagreements with the modern State of Israel. Affirming God’s chosen people is a personal duty for all Christians and requires our standing against antisemitism.

In light of God’s far-reaching purposes for the global Jewish community, we have no option other than to find ways in this hateful environment to defend and protect Jewish people and to oppose antisemitism wherever we see it today.

Thanks for your love, prayers, and support for Israel and Jewish people—and all who are oppressed by Hamas—especially for the hostages held in Gaza since October 7. The next section of the newsletter will offer some practical suggestions for ways Christians can support Jewish people and oppose antisemitism.

Endnotes

*Note: This is preliminary data. An earlier version of this press release was updated on January 17, 2024 to reflect the latest findings.

1 “U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Skyrocketed 360% in Aftermath of Attack in Israel, According to Latest ADL Data,” ADL, January 17, 2024, https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-skyrocketed-360-aftermath-attack-israel-according.

2 Yoni Gordon-Teller, “Antisemitic Incidents 2023,” Community Security Trust, 2024, https://cst.org.uk/data/file/9/f/Antisemitic_Incidents_Report_2023.1707834969.pdf.

3 “February 2024 Brandeis Brief,” Brandeis Center (blog), February 8, 2024, https://brandeiscenter.com/february-2024-brandeis-brief/.

4 “February 2024 Brandeis Brief.”

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May 1, 2024 · 4:22 PM

Campus Antisemitism on the Rise

On May 14, 1948, Israel declared itself a modern nation. This joyful event is celebrated by the Jewish community every year on May 14. It is called Israel Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut), but this does not mean Israel had never been an independent nation throughout history, including the biblical story.

As Mark Twain wrote so many years ago,

The Egyptians, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished.

The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was. . . . All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he [the Jew] remains. What is the secret of his immortality? 1

The secret to Jewish people’s survival, of course, is God’s faithfulness to His glorious promises for Israel as a land and a people. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote,

Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; the Lord of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs from before Me,” declares the Lord, “then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.” (Jeremiah 31:35–36)

I view 1948 as the year when Israel “reasserted” her independence as a nation. As students of the Bible, and especially those who cherish prophecy, we believe the events of 1948 were not merely the fruition of the combined human effort of great men like Theodor Herzl and other early Zionist leaders but rather an act of God. We celebrate this holiday and honor its momentous occasion with Israel and Jewish people around the world, especially in light of the hardships Israelis are facing today. 

As we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut in solidarity with Israel, we recognize and pray for lasting peace, which has been so elusive since the first attacks in 1948 by the Arab coalition seeking to destroy Israel even before the ink was dry on their declaration of independence. So, following the words of the psalmist, we continue to pray for the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem, knowing our prayers for Israel come with a promise, as the psalmist adds, “May they prosper who love you” (Psalm 122:6). 

ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS

Sadly, it has not been a peaceful time for Israel or Jewish people lately, especially at universities around the globe. I never thought I would come to this stage of my life to witness the growing antisemitism taking place today. It is deeply disappointing for me and many Jewish people. The number of antisemitic attacks on Jewish people rose 700 percent after October 7 compared to the same period the year prior. The social media climate has become an intolerable hotbed of antisemitic tropes and attacks.

Let me give you some facts to consider and, hopefully, this will encourage you to pray and even to take action.

The following reports are from the Jerusalem Post, a reputable Israeli-based newspaper, from February 20, 2024.

The number of antisemitic incidents on college campuses in the United States since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7 passed 1,000 on Monday. Adam Lehman, President and CEO of the Hillel International, revealed during a joint session of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs on Tuesday morning. According to Lehman, the number of antisemitic incidents marked a 700% rise since the parallel period a year earlier. Some 44 of these incidents were physical attacks—more than the past 10 years combined; and 56% of Jewish students [said] they feel unwelcome on college campuses, he added.2

The rise of antisemitism on campuses throughout the United States is causing some Jewish high school students to consider this as a factor in where they apply to college!

According to the Jerusalem Post,

A new survey of nearly 2,000 BBYO participants across North America, taken in recent weeks, found that 64% said antisemitism on campus was an important factor in their decision regarding where to attend college.3 More than 60% said they had experienced antisemitism in person. “It made me not apply to some colleges,” Bianca De Almeida, a senior from Miami, told JTA regarding the December congressional hearing, where the presidents of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology also declined to say outright whether campus policy prohibited calls for the genocide of Jews.4

It is a mistake to consider only the “elite” universities problematic. Antisemitism is now everywhere and on almost every campus, including high schools. Earlier this year, a Texas school district reviewed a request to remove a graphic adaptation of Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl from school libraries. The episode received significant attention. According to a report from the “Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission Study on Antisemitism in Texas,” this is the timeline of events:

  • A parent in the Keller Independent School District near Dallas challenged the appropriateness of offering the graphic adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary in the school library, saying it should be viewed only in the presence of an adult. 
  • On August 15, Keller school officials temporarily removed all books that had been challenged during the year during their review process, as part of a policy they had just approved. 
  • On August 19, the book was returned to circulation. . . .
  • The school superintendent wrote to parents “Keller ISD is not banning the Bible or The Diary of Anne Frank, as has been suggested in some headlines and shared on social media.”5

My dear friend, antisemitism is a tool in the hands of the devil, and, as believers, we need to OPPOSE ANTISEMITISM wherever we see it. Antisemitism is an attack on God Himself, as Jewish people are still the “apple of His eye:”

For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

We need to be united, love what our Savior loves, and hate what He hates!

Your Mission to the Jewish People is sponsoring several conferences as we continue to provide resources and opportunities for Christians to stand together against antisemitism. 

THE MOODY CONFERENCE AGAINST ANTISEMITISM

Join us at the Moody Conference against Antisemitism, scheduled at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, November 8–9, 2024. Michael Rydelnik, vice president of the undergraduate school; Mark Jobe, president of Moody Bible Institute; myself; and many others will explore the spiritual roots of antisemitism.

We will suggest ways believers can support Jewish people and take a united stand against this oldest hatred! 

THE COURAGE CONFERENCE

We scheduled a conference at Moody this summer for younger adults serving the Lord on campuses nationwide. We are expecting up to one hundred students who serve the Lord and support Israel and Jewish people on their campuses.

Jewish students on college campuses are being persecuted, and we want them to know they are not alone. We plan to train these young people how to stand with Jewish people and handle persecution because of their identity and faith. We will also have experts join us to teach these students how to find legal protection if needed and how to work with faculty and university administrators to protect their freedoms on campus.

We hope to build a national fellowship of students standing for the Lord and for Jewish people, and your prayers and support are critical to our success.

Thanks for caring.

Your brother,

Mitch

P.S. Please continue to pray for the hostages held in Gaza!

Endnotes

1 Mark Twain, “Concerning the Jews,” Harper’s Magazine, March 1898, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1898twain-jews.asp.

2 Eliav Breuer, “College Campuses See Disturbing Rise of Antisemitism since October 7,” The Jerusalem Post, February 20, 2024, sec. Diaspora: Antisemitism, https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-787895.

3 BBYO (B’nai Brith Youth Organization) is a youth movement for Jewish teenagers. 

4 Jacob Gurvis and JTA, “Jewish Teens Looking at a New Factor in College Search: Antisemitism,” The Jerusalem Post, February 17, 2024, sec. Diaspora: Antisemitism, https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-787385.

5 Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, “Study on Antisemitism in Texas,” November 1, 2022, https://thgaac.texas.gov/assets/uploads/docs/THGAAC-Study-on-Antisemitism-12-2022.pdf. Emphasis added. 

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April 1, 2024 · 9:00 AM

Reflections of a Jewish “Jesus Freak”

I hope this letter finds you rejoicing in the Lord. This year, April is a joyful month for me as my birthday falls one day before Passover! Most years, my birthday falls during Passover, and I have to endure eating unleavened birthday cakes. The only tolerable ones were those made with chocolate fudge. This year, I can eat a normal birthday cake (strawberry shortcake is my favorite!).

Now, to get down to the more serious part of why I am rejoicing in the Lord this Passover.

This year is my fifty-third as a believer in Messiah. Next month, I will celebrate the twenty-seventh anniversary of leading our historic Mission to the Jewish People. I began serving as the president of Chosen People Ministries on May 1, 1997. So, I have many blessings to enjoy this April, including celebrating Passover—my favorite Jewish holiday—and reflecting on continuing to lead this incredible work among Jewish people. 

I would like to tell you how I came to believe in Jesus and ultimately become a missionary among my Jewish people! 

GROWING UP IN NEW YORK AND HEADING WEST

I was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Queens, and lived in a very traditional Jewish home. I had my bar mitzvah (a Jewish rite of passage) when I was thirteen and then, like so many of my Jewish friends, stopped attending synagogue regularly. Each year, my parents sent me to Orthodox Jewish summer camp when we were not going to the Borscht Belt—the Catskill Mountains—where many Jewish people went to spend cooler summers outside the heat of New York City.

Eventually, my parents moved our family to central New Jersey, where I graduated high school at seventeen. My high school career had gone rapidly downhill when I started doing drugs. I still went to college, but only briefly before dropping out a few months later.

While at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, I made some new friends, Fred and Joan. Fred and I decided to move to Sausalito, California, to build a houseboat with his brother Bruce and best friend Jhan. In early spring 1970, we hitchhiked to San Francisco and eventually landed in Sausalito. 

At the time, I knew nothing about the Jesus movement going on in San Francisco. I did not read Christian literature and gave no thought to Jesus. After a while, I was tired of doing drugs. We also had to move out of our houseboat because the building inspector condemned it. We left thousands of dollars of wood and supplies—as well as our dreams—floating on Sausalito Bay. We moved into a hippie commune called the Freaky Dude Ranch, which, though not a proper dude ranch, was quite freaky! I was there with about seventeen other people and lived in a closet with someone who eventually turned out to be a Satan worshiper!

I started doing transcendental meditation but was not very successful at it! I slowly moved away from drugs and got a job through the Marin County Board of Education, teaching in their outdoor education program at a campground near Pescadero, California. 

THE REVOLUTION BEGINS

I loved the 2023 film Jesus Revolution. Seeing our lives reflected in a movie made me laugh and cry. I lived through it, and I can tell you the film is accurate. In the 1960s and 70s, the Lord moved powerfully among young adults, and many of us were Jewish. I believe He can do it again, in any place and at any time, regardless of social conditions and even above and beyond our evangelistic efforts. I believe this outpouring of the Spirit upon my generation was perhaps due more to prayer than evangelism. As the movie portrays, there were hundreds, even thousands, of young seekers who were simply hungry for God! What a time!

One weekend, I went back to Sausalito to visit the spot where we used to keep the houseboat docked and ran into my friend Joan. She had also dropped out of college, stayed with us for a few weeks, and then left for Oregon to try to find some answers to life. She was picked up hitchhiking and brought to a commune in Coos Bay, Oregon, where she accepted the Lord. Finally, after some months, she came south from Coos Bay to San Francisco to tell Fred and me about Jesus.

Of course, she began witnessing to me by telling me the world was ending and other comments I perceived as foolishness. I tried to talk some sense into her as I felt she had either been drugged or hypnotized. Yet, she seemed happier, and after some convincing, she and Fred left for Coos Bay, and I was “left behind!” I was still working at the kid’s camp and enjoying the job quite a bit. 

Eventually, I visited Fred and Joan and met the Christians at their commune, or “ranch.” It was one of the unnamed small Christian cooperatives started by a couple who believed God had told them to love and feed all their visitors. The first night I came to the ranch, I was picked up by rowboat. I was anything but a believer in Jesus then, and the whole experience was quite exotic and spooky but also intriguing!

I met wonderful people, and every time I had a question, they pointed me to a Bible, which I began reading. I had read the Old Testament before, but it was mainly in Hebrew, which I did not understand very well. Now, I was reading it in English and enjoying it very much. I think I was probably beginning to search for God and was tired of my ragged lifestyle. 

I was already thinking about going back to the New York area to return to college as I was frustrated with the selfishness and drugs. 

HOW I MET JESUS

So, I was open to God but not very open to Jesus. I grew up in a strong Jewish community, was raised in a loving Jewish home, and could not possibly imagine how a Jewish person could believe in Jesus the Messiah and remain Jewish!

When I returned to the campground, all I could think about was God and Jesus. I kept reading the Old Testament, and finally, one day, I called out to God and said, “If You are real, show me.” A few hours later, I found a copy of Good News for Modern Man glowing in the moonlight, sitting where there should have been a phone book on the ledge of the only phone booth in the camp. Of course, I stole the book, which turned out to be a copy of the New Testament in modern English! 

I could not stop reading the New Testament. I fell in love with Jesus. I thought He was great. I finally realized He was God in the flesh and felt much more comfortable with Jesus than I did with Eastern religions.

So, I told the Lord if He could possibly forgive and use someone who had almost destroyed his mind and soul, then I would do anything He wanted. I knew there was only one decision to make—whether I would dedicate myself to Jesus. Frankly, it was not a very hard choice. I knew He was the true Messiah of Jewish people and the Lord of my life, and all I wanted to do was follow Him. 

I am happy to identify as a Jesus-movement baby or even a Jesus freak! I wear it as a badge of honor, but the true honor goes to the God of grace, who saved me and has given me an abundant life. There is so much more to say! Just imagine the testimony book we will all write together when we have eternity to sing of His greatness!

JOINING WITH CHOSEN PEOPLE MINISTRIES

After I came to faith, missionaries from Chosen People Ministries discipled me, and the Mission paid my way through Bible college! I am personally grateful for our Mission, and I hope my story inspires you to pray for Chosen People Ministries as we have entered our 130th year of ministry. 

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March 15, 2023 · 8:30 AM

Antisemitism Today

Thank you for taking a moment to read our latest news! We appreciate your interest in what God is doing among the Jewish people and through Your Mission to the Jewish People today! We deeply value your prayers and support. 

TEL AVIV UPDATE

I want to update you on the new Messianic center in Tel Aviv. We are working on two fundraising tracks right now. First, we are only in the third month of raising funds for the purchase of this new Messianic Jewish outreach center in the greater Tel Aviv area—home to about four million Israelis!

Second, we are beginning construction on the build-out of the center as this new commercial space will house our Bible study classrooms, weekly outreach lectures and concerts, young adult activities, a café, and hopefully future congregational activities! The entire area is new, so we will need to renovate the interior space by adding walls, flooring, heating and air conditioning, bathrooms, and more.

We could not be more excited about the future as we are finding a new openness to the gospel in Israel, especially among younger Israelis. It is like an unstoppable wave moving across the country, and we are doing all we can to disciple those coming to faith.

Please pray and join us in building the future of the IsraeliMessianic community through your prayers and generous support for the new center. On the back of this newsletter, you will find more information about how you can give toward the purchase and renovation of the property.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. We can only get it done with your partnership!

ANTISEMITISM KEEPS JEWISH PEOPLE FROM BELIEVING IN JESUS

As you continue reading the newsletter, you will quickly discover this edition focuses on the alarming and deeply tragic increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States and around the globe. This trend dramatically impacts our efforts to bring the gospel to the Jewish people today. Generally speaking, Jewish people blame Christianity for antisemitism.

Unfortunately, one of the most frequent and negative Jewish responses to the gospel is not driven by differences in the interpretation of Scripture or Jewish tradition but by the past and present experiences of Jewish people with Christianity and the church as an institution.

I remember when I told my grandmother I was a believer. She accused me of joining the side of those who persecuted Jewish people. It was incredibly difficult to convince her otherwise. She immigrated to the United States from Belarus because she experienced pogroms, and later the Nazis murdered her entire family for being Jewish. She thought those men and women were Christians! I cannot blame my grandmother for feeling this way, as she did not know any better. She judged what she thought was Christianity based on the actions of so-called Christians.

Is this claim against Christianity accurate? Historically, it is certainly the perception of the Jewish people. Still, I cannot imagine how true Christians who love the Lord and believe the Bible could hate the Jewish people. It has not been my experience since I accepted Jesus a half-century ago. On the contrary, I found true Christians love the Jewish people and do not persecute anyone! If more of my people had genuine Christian friends, they would immediately discover those who persecuted Jewish people—especially in Europe—are different from those who name Jesus as Lord today.

Jewish people still hold Christianity accountable for the crusades, the pogroms of eastern Europe, and even the Holocaust. Without question, some in the past who called themselves Christians mistreated the Jewish people. This truth is a blight on the history of Jewish-Christian relations. Some Christian leaders spoke and wrote harsh words against the Jewish people in the earlier days of the church. These ideas tragically influenced Christian attitudes toward the Jewish people for centuries.

John Chrysostom (354–407 ce),1 who was considered a church father and the “golden-mouthed preacher” (chrysostom is Greek for “goldmouthed”), wrote a series of eight sermons called “Against the Jews.” In one message, he wrote:

Certainly it is the time for me to show that demons dwell in the synagogue, not only in the place itself but also in the souls of the Jews. . . . Do you not shudder to come into the same place with men possessed, who have so many unclean spirits, who have been reared amid slaughter and bloodshed?. . . Must you not turn away from them since they are the common disgrace and infection of the whole world? Have they not come to every form of wickedness?2

There are many other examples from the writings of the early church fathers as well as later pillars of Christianity, including Martin Luther. They were flawed men who did a lot of good but also mischaracterized the Jewish people in ways leading to what is often called “Christian antisemitism.” This history caused the Jewish people to view Christianity—and therefore the gospel—as a threat rather than a lifeline to salvation.

THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF ANTISEMITISM

The real issue is much more profound; we must look at the Scriptures to understand it.

Our current dilemma begins in Genesis 12:1–3 and the Lord’s covenant with Abraham. By God’s Spirit, Moses penned this promise, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3).

From the moment God made Abraham His friend, the devil chose Abraham and his descendants as enemies. After all, Satan understood God would one day save the world through the death and resurrection of a son of Abraham. He also knew the Jewish people would one day repent and call upon Jesus, leading this same Savior to return to reign as king.

When Israel acknowledges Jesus as Messiah (Romans 11:26), all the plans of the ultimate heavenly rebel will fail. Therefore, from the moment of Abraham’s call, the devil tried to hinder God’s plan by moving heaven and earth to crush Abraham’s descendants.

THE SOLUTION TO ANTISEMITISM

The apostle Paul urged the Gentile followers of Jesus to tell Jewish people about Jesus by demonstrating His love in word and deed. For Paul, this lovingkindness would cause the Jewish people to be jealous of the Jewish Messiah living in the hearts and souls of Christians (Romans 11:11–15).

Paul wrote in Romans 11:11, “I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.”

Therefore, we must ask ourselves why Jewish people often perceive Gentile Christians—whom God gave a primary role in reaching the Jewish people for Jesus—as seeking their harm.

We know the enemy works especially hard at turning all of God’s people against each other. One of those ways is to mobilize the same people God called to bless the Jewish people to do the opposite. This sabotage is his failing effort to keep the people of promise from recognizing their Messiah and thus destroy the plans of God for the ages.

We can stand against the evil one by reversing his evil plan. We can make Jewish people jealous and bring the blessings of the gospel to His chosen people.

We can be part of His effort to reverse the curse. By fighting antisemitism, we challenge the devil’s cosmic plot to undo what God created for the world’s redemptive good.

Therefore, Your Mission to the Jewish People wants to encourage you to oppose antisemitism vocally and publicly when you see it. We are the solution to the problem of antisemitism, which is destructive and keeps Jewish people from considering the gospel.

Together, we can make a difference in changing the mindset of many Jewish people about the gospel. Through simply being ourselves and living as authentic believers, we will show Jewish people the gospel is not antisemitic but rather Jewish in nature. As Jesus said, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).

I am sorry to say antisemitism is rising in the United States and around the globe. It is time for Christians to take a stand and oppose antisemitism whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. We do this not simply because antisemitism is wrong and satanic but because we love the God who created the Jewish people and the Jewish Messiah. We want to see Jewish people come to faith in Jesus the Messiah.

1 John Chrysostom (354–407 ce) was the most distinguished church father of the East and one of the most virulently anti-Jewish preachers. Born in Antioch, he was baptized in 373 ce and ordained a priest in 384 ce. He delivered his eight sermons (homilies) “against the Jews” during his first two years of preaching in Antioch (386–387 ce).

2 John Chrysostom, Against the Jews, Homily I, VI, 6–7, accessed February 2, 2023, https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chrysostom_adversus_judaeos_01_homily1.htm.

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November 15, 2022 · 8:30 AM

Giving Thanks to the Lord for He Is Good

Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday that does not come from the Bible. It actually has “Jewish” origins, as many of the Pilgrims viewed themselves as the “children of Israel fleeing ‘Egypt’ (England), crossing the ‘Red Sea’ (the Atlantic Ocean), and emerging from this ‘Exodus’ to their own ‘promised land’ (New England).”1

The Pilgrims believed their role in God’s plan was similar to the purpose God gave to Abraham and his descendants: to be a blessing to the nations. These British religious refugees to the New World eventually led to the Puritan movement, which profoundly influenced the growth of the gospel in what would become the United States of America.

One of the great Puritan preachers, Cotton Mather, published a well-known sermon about thanksgiving in 1689. I especially appreciate his comment:

To praise God, is to Acknowledge in Him something Excellent, as ‘tis said in Psal. 148.13. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His Name alone is Excellent; thus, when we Acknowledge an Excellency in all those Manifestations which God maketh of Himself; then ‘tis that we praise Him. Now the Praises owing to the God of Heaven from us, are obliged not only by what He Is, but also by what He Does: indeed by what He Does it is that we come to Learn what He is. We ought to Acknowledge an Excellency in the Nature of God; which is to Ascribe Glory to Him.2

Ever since I came to faith in Jesus at age nineteen, I have believed that it was better to focus on who God is rather than what He does for us. One great temptation in giving thanks is to focus on what He has done rather than who He is. God’s character and glorious nature never change, but His works can change daily as the Lord is intimately involved in all aspects of our daily lives.

We understand God’s character through the Bible. One of my favorite passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that describes the character of God is in Exodus chapters 33 and 34. If you recall, God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, then hid him in the cleft of a rock, passing by him while declaring the glorious attributes of His nature. This action was in response to Moses’ request, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” (Exod 33:18).

God answered, 

“You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” (Exod 33:20–23)

It is well worth reflecting on the following passage where His attributes are listed:

Then the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” (Exod 34:6–7)

This monumental event on Mount Sinai—the manifestation of God’s attributes—became an important prayer within Judaism known as the Thirteen Attributes of God.

I genuinely believe the best way to thank God is to show our gratitude for His unchanging character. This lesson is what God taught Moses on top of Mount Sinai. Likewise, the Puritan leader Cotton Mather discovered this same truth.

Therefore, we, too, should begin our prayers of thanksgiving by first acknowledging His glorious character and the magnificence of His attributes. Then, we should continue praising and thanking Him for all He has done.

His good works proceed from His good character, and I believe this order in our prayers of thanksgiving is also critical.

WE ARE GRATEFUL

This Thanksgiving holiday, Your Mission to the Jewish People has so much to be thankful for as a ministry among the Jewish people. Our hearts are overflowing with the simple joy of knowing a good and benevolent God who created, loved, and redeemed us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

I am sure you will enjoy the testimonies we have compiled for this newsletter, and please rejoice with us for what the Lord has done! Let me list a few points of praise for your encouragement.

AN INCREASE IN CONGREGATIONS AND JEWISH BELIEVERS IN ISRAEL

When I first traveled to Israel as a believer in 1976, fewer than 500 Messianic Jews may have lived in the land. Some Jewish believers had survived the Holocaust, and a few had moved from North Africa to Israel. Most were not native Israelis and had come to Israel as believers from other parts of the globe. Some came to be part of the great Israel experiment, and others came to serve the Lord in the land. Now, more than seventy years later, there are probably between 20,000 and 30,000 Messianic Jews in the Holy Land, most of whom came to faith in Israel.

I believe we are now in a second-generation and even third-generation outpouring of the Spirit, transforming the national Israeli Messianic body.

This movement of the Spirit has also transformed our ministry as we continue to reach younger generations of Israelis along with the hundreds of elderly Holocaust survivors who we have been serving these past twenty-plus years. We now have our first generation of Jewish believers born in Israel, speaking Hebrew as their native language, attending Israeli schools, and serving in the Israeli army.

These Israeli believers are young, bold, and willing to give their all for Jesus the Messiah!

That is why we have rented a facility in the greater Tel Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Gan where we organize Sabbath outreach dinners, concerts, café nights, Bible studies, reading groups for moms and children, and so much more each month. We can do this because the Lord is working within a new generation of Israelis.

We are in the thick of this outpouring of the Spirit—discipling and nurturing new believers and this new generation of young Israeli leaders!

The future of the Messianic Jewish movement in Israel is bright, and I hope you will want to participate in this work of the Spirit through Your Mission to the Jewish People.

We do need more worship space!

NEW MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES WITH TRAVELING ISRAELIS

We are reaching Israelis by meeting adventurous post-army young adults in places like the Upper West Side of New York City, the South Island of New Zealand, India, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. We are also about to open up ministry stations in Brazil and Japan to reach these wandering Israelis. Our short-term and permanent teams are sharing the gospel with them as they enjoy hikes, BBQs, hummus nights, or a lovely meal of traditional Chinese food!

The Israeli traveler community is a cultural phenomenon and a growing trend that enables us to speak to young Israelis in areas where there is less pressure to conform. In these contexts, they allow themselves to search outside of their usual choices for ways to have happy and meaningful lives and are open to new ways to have a relationship with the God of Israel.

In addition, we are creating a hosting network within the United States, and if you would like to host young Israeli people just out of the army in your home, please let us know! We are now beginning to look for American hosts for the new year.

AN INCREASE IN PRO-JESUS SENTIMENT AMONG YOUNGER GENERATIONS OF JEWISH PEOPLE

We are surprised by the large number of young Jewish people from all over the world responding to our social media, Facebook ads, our new campus outreaches, and the congregations we plant. A recent Barna survey has revealed that Jewish millennials are more open than their parents to the gospel and even to the possibility that Jesus is both Messiah and God in the flesh. We find this astounding! In addition, young people are the majority of the more than 10,000 Jewish non-believers we have met online through our digital outreach campaigns over the last few years, including our Isaiah 53 Explained eBook offer and our “I Found Shalom” video testimonies.

I am also very excited about resuming our residential outreach ministry (House of Living Waters) at New York University (NYU),which has the largest concentration of Jewish students in the United States. We have two young men living in an apartment across the street from the NYU campus and a young woman living in Brooklyn. They are all actively engaged in sharing the gospel with Jewish students.

Again, these opportunities and the openheartedness of the younger generations give me incredible hope for the future of God’s work in bringing the Jewish remnant to Himself in these last days (Romans 11:25–29).

Happy Thanksgiving—and remember to save room for pumpkin pie!

1 Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990), 127.

2 Cotton Mather, “A Sermon Preached to the Honourable Convention of the Governour, Council, and Representatives of the Massachuset-Colony in New-England on May 23, 1689,” https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A50176.0001.001/1:5?rgn=div1;view=fulltext.

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