From the editor – Issue 35
By Russ Resnik
Identity has been a buzzword for decades. I remember discussions from my early days about “identity crisis,” a term developed by psychologist Erik Erikson. Today we’re talking about “identity politics.” Jewish identity remains as compelling a topic as ever, especially within the Messianic Jewish community. We can best understand identity in the context of community.…
Jewish Identity and Faith in Yeshua, Part 1
By Jonathan Allen
If you are anything like me, you might just be a creature of habit. Many of us are, but perhaps that shouldn’t surprise us. Since the day we were born, we have been learning what to do and how to do it, picking up habits and customs, finding out what works and what doesn’t. Now,…
The Conversion of Non-Jews to Messianic Judaism: A Test-Case of Membership and Identity in a New Religious Movement
By Richard Harvey
Paper presented at the World Union of Jewish Studies Hebrew University, Jerusalem, July 28, 2013.1 Introduction The topic of conversion to Judaism is of great significance in discussion of Jewish identity. Conversion, the process by which non-Jews become Jews, has always occupied an important place on the Jewish agenda. From a theoretical standpoint, conversion…
The Sages of Galilee and the Formation of Community
By Carl Kinbar
It was 135 CE in the Land of Israel. The Temple had been destroyed, the revolt against Rome had failed, and now fear of Roman vengeance drove most Jews out of Judea. They made their way northward, their sages among them, and settled in Galilee and nearby, a region that Jews shared with Samaritans, pagans,…
The Unique Place of Gentiles in Messianic Jewish Congregational Life
By Rich Nichol
Despite dramatic differences in theological outlook, leaders of many modern Messianic Jewish congregations share a common conviction that discerning the proper roles for non-Jewish believers in our congregations is a vitally important enterprise. In this paper we will explore the issue both theologically and practically. Part 1 will explore two rather different approaches to the…
Book Review
Jerusalem Crucified, Jerusalem Risen: The Resurrected Messiah, the Jewish People, and the Land of Promise by Mark S. Kinzer
By Akiva Cohen
Reviewed by Akiva Cohen Mark Kinzer has established himself as one of the most theologically articulate voices from within the community of Messianic Jewish scholars. His pioneering, provocative (in the best sense of the word), and sophisticated theological proposals have engaged a broad spectrum of issues, such as, Messianic Jewish identity, Oral Torah, eschatology,1 ecclesiology,…
Book Review
Moses: A Human Life by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg
By Benjamin Raker Ehrenfeld
Reviewed by Rabbi Ben Ehrenfeld Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg’s volume Moses: A Human Life,1 is both a continuation of her corpus of work as a biblical commentator and a part of the Jewish Lives biography series published by Yale University. In context of Zornberg’s wider collection of work, Moses: A Human Life is unique not so…
Kesher 25-Year Index
By Kesher Editor
TITLE AUTHOR(S) SEASON & YEAR ISSUE /PAGE BIBLE Abraham, Hospitality Man David J. Rudolph Summer/Fall 2006 21/1 Beginning with the End: the Place of Eschatology in the Messianic Judaism Canonical Narrative Mark S. Kinzer Winter/Spring 2018 32/45 Cracking “The Bible Code” Robert C. Newman Winter 1999 8/112 Do You See What I See? An…
