Hesed And Hospitality: Embracing Our Place on the Margins

On a recent Shabbat morning, after the Torah reading, the rabbi opened his d’rash by saying: Judaism is a religion of law. In Judaism, we ask the question, ‘What does the halacha say I should do?’ Christianity is different. It likes to ask, ‘What would Jesus do?’ But we already know what Jesus would do-he…

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Abraham’s Promise: Judaism and Jewish-Christian Relations by Michael Wyschogrod

by Michael Wyschogrod; edited and Introduction by R. Kendall Soulen GRAND RAPIDS: EERDMANS PRESS ©2004 Reviewed by Russ Resnik Modern Orthodox scholar Michael Wyschogrod considers Messianic Jews to be all wrong about Yeshua, but he is essential reading for anyone interested in Messianic Judaism. Wyschogrod often seems to understand Messianic Jews better than we understand…

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Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity by Stan Telchin

(Chosen Books ©2004 A Division Of Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Mi) You can’t tell a book by its cover, perhaps, but what about its title? Stan Telchin has written the latest in a series of oddly entitled books critical of Messianic Judaism. Last year saw the publication of Judaism is Not Jewish: A Friendly Critique…

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Competing Trends In Messianic Judaism : A Response

The mission of the UMJC can be captured in one sentence: We are committed to establishing, strengthening, and multi­plying dynamic congregations for Yeshua within the wider Jewish community. This one sentence, however, introduces the tension underlying Gabriella Reason’s article-the inevitable tension of liv­ing at the intersection of Yeshua and Jewishness. This tension can be healthy…

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Defining Messianic Judaism – A Commentary

(Summer 2002, revised March 2004)  Recently I was leafing through the catalog of a major Christian book supplier and came across a section they had termed “Messianic Judaism.” There were a few books in this section, but most of its space was given to a nice selection of tallitot and kippot, challah covers and candleholders,…

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Defining Messianic Judaism

Addendum 1: What Do We Mean By “Jewish“? The UMJC Theology Committee defines Messianic Judaism as a Jewish congregational movement for Messiah: Messianic Judaism is a movement of Jewish congregations and congre-gation-like groupings committed to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition, and…

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