Jews for Jesus!

He hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 1 Timothy 5:8 If I thought the Jews killed God, Id worship the Jews. Bill Hicks
Richard Glass My Jewish faith is questionable. Judaism has always seemed like a forbidding club, and I fear that I have failed to conform to its membership rules. As a child, the closest I came to God was being fondled by my Torah teacher, Dr Rimok, who was later expelled from the school under ignominious circumstances, mirroring the fate of the Jews exiled from the Promised Land. Over-zealous El Al security staff later exposed my lapsed faith as I travelled through Israel to reach India. Upon hearing of my Jewish roots, I was asked to recite a Hebrew prayer or song to prove my religious origins. I started singing ma nishtana, a Passover song that I had sang as the youngest family member during my youth, but choked under the pressure of my Zionist interrogators. They scolded my performance and proceeded to chastise me for travelling with a Catholic friend. Maybe, I would find a home among the members of Beth Yeshua in Amsterdam, a messianic Jewish community? Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s, blending Christian and Jewish theology. Beth Yeshuas website has a certain nostalgic charm, having 1

apparently been built around the time that Frogger was all the rage on Atari consoles. It took me back to my youth and felt quietly reassuring. Their site informed me that they practice the Jewish faith in the manner that Jews would have done in first century Jerusalem. The only minor difference being that they believe Yeshua (Jesus) is the messiah.

who assert that he does not meet the prerequisite messianic criteria. However, I was reminded of Martin Luthers words that reason is the greatest enemy that faith has. He also believed that Jews were a base, whoring people who were full of the devils feces which they wallow in like swine, but thats just quibbling.

Upon entering the main hall, I was

Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s, blending Christian and Jewish theology.
Their synagogue was housed in a building so unassuming that it took me 30 minutes to locate. The sign stating that it was a reformed church didnt help matters. I was greeted by a smiling beard that had engulfed the body of a man named Paul. He passed me a kippah and hoped I would have a fine Shabbat. I was then sheltered under the aging wing of Dirk, a former Dutch Protestant, and trusted member of the flock. I wanted to delve deeper into the contradictions of being Jewish and believing in Christ, which is anathema to most Jews 2

confronted by large groups of men and women in full Jewish garb, who were dancing in circles. The choreography appeared to combine line dancing with Hawaiian hula moves, but was actually the special Davidic dance of the Messianic Jews. Behind me, families had their hands raised in evangelical ecstasy. To paraphrase Marx, religion seemed to be the opium of the people here. A band played on a distant podium. The piano player seemed high, indulging in freeform New Orleans jazz madness, much to the confusion of his fellow musicians.

I was reminded of Martin Luthers words that reason is the greatest enemy that faith has.

When the music stopped, the piano player walked with sober authority to the pulpit. This was Lion Erwteman, rabbi and founder of the congregation in 1991.

I was reminded of the words of Isaac Asimov, who stated that properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.
drifted off. He then discussed when it would be lawful to murder an intruder in my house, which seemed to depend largely on the presence of sunlight. He ended by discussing love for my enemy and I was told to return any donkeys that strayed onto my property, even if they belonged to the aforementioned enemy. I was reminded of the words of Isaac Asimov, who stated that properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.

The Shabbat proceedings consisted of songs and prayer in both Hebrew and Dutch. The words were projected Karaoke style on a screen by a smiling Japanese man with a kippah and tallit. As a child, I had always wondered what the prayers I was singing actually meant, and was disappointed to learn that they were mostly variations on God is great. I bow to thee God. Rabbi Erwteman then gave a sermon. As he started to speak, the majority of people took out notebooks and pens. A black woman sitting next to me with a lazy eye was so eager to record his wisdom that she accidentally dropped a large bundle of notes that she had apparently collected over the course of several years.

Several Davidic dances later, I decided to abandon my search for God. The smiling beard opened the locked door and seemed hurt that I would not be staying for coffee. I assured him that I may well return and

The sermon was confusing. I learnt that if I stole a neighbours cattle that I would have to recompense him with five cattle (four, if it was a calf). Having never owned cattle, and not expecting to do so in the coming future, my attention

cycled swiftly back to spiritual uncertainty.