Rabbis Alarmed By "Converts" to Judaism Who Are Stealth Christian Missionaries
July 8, 2009 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
(IsraeINN.com) The Chief Rabbinate has been given a list of more than 60 recent converts to Judaism who continue to believe in Jesus — and are active missionaries.
An immediate solution was found for the future, however. Rabbi Lifshitz presented Rabbi Amar with a list of 17 questions that should be asked of any prospective convert. Under the assumption that the missionaries will either not lie straight out, or that the specific questions will help detect the lies, it is hoped that missionaries will be spotted and weeded out from the conversion rolls.
Yad L’Achim had prepared the list of names, ID numbers and addresses of more than 60 people who were active in missionary groups before, during and after their long conversion process to Judaism. The “converts” were then accepted as members of religious communities, and their children were accepted into religious schools. . . . (continue reading)
A Jewish convert duly authorized by the Chief Rabbinate in Israel is eligible for many benefits and social welfare from the Government of Israel including automatic citizenship and the right of assisted immigration (called Aliyah). Jewish conversion, therefore, has become a huge issue in Israel as tens of thousands of families of Jewish ancestry have sought freedom and prosperity as they fled the fall of communism and Islamic persecution. Many of these families could not prove their Jewish identity and therefore became Jewish converts.
Israel is a secular country, however. The government has been reluctant to distinguish between a secular or non-believing Jew and a religious Orthodox Jew. The issue here is a Jew who becomes a Christian. Would such a person be eligible for the benefits and social welfare and ultimately citizenship that the government provides?
Chief Rabbi Amar (of the Sephardic Jews) decided to grant the conversion of such Messianic Jews. By allowing their conversion to Judaism, Rabbi Amar makes them eligible, like non-believing secular Jews, for citizenship and other benefits that the government provides.
Rabbi Lifshitz whose organization promotes observant, religious Judaism naturally favors distinguishing between a religious Jew and a Christian Jew (or any other kind of Jew other than an observant, religious one). In Israel with so many secular Jews such distinctions are controversial and unlikely to prevail.
Honestly, it doesn't sound like these people are covert missionaries. There are several Christians who believe themselves to be Jews, following all the Jewish customs and none of the Christian ones. The only difference is they believe the messiah has come.
I would understand their desire to join the Jewish community, especially since if you're not Catholic then you probably don't associate Christianity with belonging to a Church. They would see themselves as a subset of Judaism, not wanting people to leave (thus not converting people away), yet wanting to convince others that the messiah has come.
Perhaps an Inquisition is in order?