Aliyah Expert: Messianic Jews and Aliyah!

This was the headline of a feature in the Jerusalem Post today:

This column is written by Maurice Singer who is an independent consultant and former Senior Aliyah Consultant at the Jewish Agency. In other words, he has been a major player in the area of Jewish immigration to Israel. Click here to read the article (scroll down near bottom).

In his column people ask him various questions about how to immigrate to Israel. One of the questions came from a Messianic Jewish couple and was as follows:

Question:

“We are Messianic Jews and would like to make Aliyah. How difficult would this be?”

As an expert this must not be the first time he has encountered the controversial question of Messianic Jews and aliyah. Nevertheless, here was his response.

Answer:

“From the inquiries that I have received, I have come to the conclusion that there seems to be two different interpretations of the meaning of “Messianic Jews”. One seems to be people born Jewish who have embraced Jesus as the Messiah and follow the New and Old Testament. The other appears to be people not of Jewish birth who support the Jewish religion and who believe in both testaments. If the questioner is the former then it would appear that he/she is entitled to make Aliyah in accordance with the Law of Return. If the latter is the case then the questioner does not qualify for Aliyah.”

What? Are you kidding!

In other words this non-Messianic Jewish expert is saying it doesn’t matter what a person of Jewish lineage believes, he/she is qualified to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return.

MY OH MY! How Things Have Changed!

Until recently there is no way we would have seen such a response in print from the mainstream Jewish world in a paper like the Jerusalem Post. I could hardly believe my eyes that this would be his response despite the current reading and interpretation of the Law of Return especially by the Orthodox Jewish community that would say that Messianic Jews have left the fold of Jewish faith and therefore do NOT qualify to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return.

Is this issue less controversial than it was 40 years ago when the revival first broke out in the late 1960’s?

Has the Messianic communities hard work inside and outside of Israel through the Joseph Project etc slowly cultivated an appreciation for our community and a lessening of tensions and greater acceptance?

Whatever it is, the response of this aliyah expert is quite remarkable!

As Bob Dylan once wrote, “The times they are a changin”.

Joel Chernoff

~The views contained in The Joel Chernoff Report are not necessarily views held by the MJAA~

Poverty Not Terrorism #1

Serving lunch to the poor of Tel-Aviv

Over the last few years poverty has been the number one domestic political issue in Israel…not terrorism. With 33% of children and 25% of adults living below the poverty line of $314 per month you can understand the explosive nature of this problem and why it is the number one issue politicians must address if they expect to be elected.

At the same time, over the last few years Israel’s economy has been experiencing 4% annual growth while much of the industrialized world economy has been shrinking. This is very good in anybody’s book. However, that has now changed.

Recession Comes in Like a Bear!

The worldwide financial crisis has finally caught up with Israel. According to an article in the LA Times, economists are predicting that the Israeli economy will shrink 1.5% this year as well as “an 11% decrease in Israeli exports which account for half the value of everything the country produces.”  Even with a growing economy Israel could not take care of its poor, fight the war with terrorists and absorb new immigrants.

War-torn Israeli bus/an Israeli youth overwhelmed

Unemployment is sure to rise along with the numbers of people living their lives below the poverty line of $314 per month. Indeed some estimates say that 50% of the countries populace could slide under the poverty line.

“Pressures Boil Over!” ~ L.A. TIMES

This was the title of a recent article I read in the L.A. Times. What was startling about the article was their description of the seeming breakdown of law and order in Israel. Apparently, businesses are closing and leaving workers and creditors in the lurch. This has triggered the shameless looting of these businesses by those left holding the bag. Israel has been very embarrassed by this and is bemoaning the loss of shame among its citizens.

Right Time – Right Place

Why am I pointing this out? Since 1999, at the behest of God’s leading, the MJAA has developed the infrastructure outside and inside Israel to meet the growing humanitarian crisis. That effort is called the Joseph Project.  Since 2000, over $85 million in aid has been delivered and distributed in Israel.

The "Spirit of Grace," chartered for Israel, carries humanitarian aid thanks to one of the Joseph Project partners, FriendShips

I am amazed that as things get worse in Israel, God has already raised up this partnership of Jew and Gentile through the MJAA to bring deliverance in the form of increasing amounts of humanitarian aid to Israel for the glory of God.

$100 million

Preparing product for distribution from warehouse

Yes…that is the amount of aid the MJAA, through its Joseph Project, is seeking to move into Israel in the near future. Right now, we are currently negotiating in southern Israel near the border with Gaza to open up a regional distribution center capable of handling up to $10 million worth of aid at one time. This is in addition to our main center in Nitzenei Oz which holds at least that much.

What God has put in our heart is to increase our warehouse capability to 100,000 square feet so that we can hold the $100 million dollars in aid. We are working hard to accomplish this.

Please keep us in your prayers…

 That the resources will become available to rent, buy or build the additional warehousing needed to house this desperately needed aid for the growing poor of Israel.

Looking back over the last 14 years…

I am amazed to observe how God saw this humanitarian crisis in Israel many years in advance and positioned the Messianic community in partnership with many Christians around the world through the Joseph Project, to be in the right place at the right time to bring deliverance to Israel for Messiah’s glory.

The lesson for me?

God is always many steps ahead of our problems even if we cannot see the answer coming. The answer or deliverance is on its way! Who knows…deliverance may show up tomorrow!

Joel Chernoff

 ~The views contained in The Joel Chernoff Report are not necessarily views held by the MJAA~