Jews for Judaism's Response to BYG Campaigns

San Diego, CA
September-October 2004

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Town meeting

In the Press

Important Information

San Diego, California is the next city to be targeted by the Jews for Jesus “BEHOLD YOUR GOD” campaign.

Coincided to begin on Rosh HaShana and running throughout the Jewish holidays, this four-week crusade will hit San Diego from September 17 to October 11, 2004.

Many things unite the Jewish community in a common cause. Threats to our physical security probably top the list. However there is a particular threat to our spiritual wellbeing that also unites us, that is the threat of missionaries who target the Jewish community for conversion. Our reactions include a sense of insult, offence and even anger.

Proselytizing efforts directed at Jews are fueled by the zealousness of millions of Evangelical Christians, including the 16 million member strong Southern Baptist Convention that issued a 1996 resolution recommitting itself to the evangelization of Jews. These proselytizing efforts come in many forms, including lay Christians who share their faith with their acquaintances and Messianic Jews. These Jews have converted to Christianity but maintain that they are still Jewish. Their approach is intrinsically deceptive since they utilize mistranslate biblical passages and use the trappings of traditional Judaism – like calling their ministers rabbis and meeting in mock synagogues with Torahs – to attract followers.

In recognition of the seriousness of this problem the Jewish Council for Public Affairs working together with the counter-missionary organization Jews for Judaism, released its own resolution condemning misleading and aggressive proselytization and urging Jewish communities to mobilize against this threat.

Jews for Jesus is one of the most visible missionary organizations specializing in proselytizing to Jews. With an annual budget of over $15 million, Jews for Jesus has over 150 full-time staff members around the world.

Considered a cult by many experts, Jews for Jesus’ deceptive tactics have been denounced by Jewish and Christian clergy alike. Over 275,000 Jewish families have been devastated upon discovering that their child has converted due to the efforts of this and similar missionary groups.

Jews for Jesus has committed $25 million to a five-year global “BEHOLD YOUR GOD” campaign that “seeks to make Jesus an unavoidable issue to the Jewish people.” Cities outside of Israel with Jewish populations in excess of 25,000 have been specifically targeted for this campaign. According to Jews for Jesus, the success in dozens of cities so far, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Dallas Chicago, Tampa, and Toronto, has already netted over 750 Jewish conversions. They have distributed more than 8 million pieces of literature and 11,000 Jews have responded by saying that they are interested in further information.

All segments of our community are vulnerable, including seniors, immigrants and students. Shockingly, a recent survey indicates that 65% of Jewish students between 7 th and 12 grades have been approached by someone wanting to share their religion with them. However, even the loss on one Jew is one too many. Imagine how would you feel if you found a Jews for Jesus t-shirt in child’s closet?

San Diego is the next city to be targeted by the “BEHOLD YOUR GOD” campaign. Coincided to begin on Rosh HaShana and running throughout the Jewish holidays, this four-week crusade will hit San Diego from September 17 to October 11, 2004. This will be the broadest and most aggressive evangelistic assault the San Diego Jewish community has ever seen.

Jews for Jesus is already laying the groundwork for its multi-faceted campaign. Local churches have already been recruited to assist with logistical help and funding.

The San Diego “BEHOLD YOUR GOD” campaign, implemented by dozens of paid professionals and hundreds of volunteers, will most likely include:

• Daily street evangelism with over dozens of trained missionaries handing out flyers in Jewish neighborhoods, business areas and sight-seeing venues.
• Roving music groupsthat attracts crowds with Jewish style music that promotes a Christian message.
• Direct Mail Campaign ofevangelistic materials to Jewish homes.
• Campus Ministry to reach college students. All area campuses will be targeted,
• Phone Campaign – evenings will be spent cold-calling Jewish people out of the phone book.
• Media campaign that places ads in secular newspapers as well as news coverage in print, radio and television.
• Billboards promoting the Jews for Jesus message. The most common ad promotes a free Survivor Stories video of Holocaust survivors who came to faith in Jesus.
• Home Visits to Jews who have responded to free video campaign as well as surprise visits to senior citizen homes.
• Literature – in addition to being handed out; literature may be stealthfully placed in Jewish stores.

These are the short-term goals of the Jews for Jesus campaign, but there is a more sophisticated agenda.

Utilizing a radical new approach to evangelism, that trains Christian lay-leaders in the most sophisticated techniques that enable them to “witness” to their Jewish acquaintances, the long-term goal places hundreds of trained volunteers in the midst of the local community. This creates an ongoing and increased threat that dramatically shifts the focus away from street missionaries and exponentially increases the number of Christian outreach workers who are more likely to engage Jews under non-threatening circumstances.

Jews for Judaism is the foremost international counter-missionary organization. With full-time offices in Los Angeles, Washington/ Baltimore, Toronto and Johannesburg, Jews for Judaism has a proven track record as well as broad-based endorsements. Our expertise, as well as our ability to work together with all segments of the Jewish community makes us uniquely equipped to assist communities to respond to the Jews for Jesus campaign.

In San Diego, Jews for Judaism is working together with a wide range of agencies including the Jewish Federation, Agency for Jewish Education, ADL, JCRC, Chabad, Hillel and Board of Rabbis. Our objective is to mobilize a concerted community response that inoculates against the threat and simultaneously inspires Jewish pride.

Our goal is to respond with community forums, education presentations to students, training programs for teachers and rabbi, ad campaigns, media briefings and information dissemination. A wide variety of materials have already been created in response to the Jews for Jesus campaign, including The Jewish Response to Missionaries Handbook that is available is seven languages including English, Hebrew, Russian and Spanish. These booklets as well as other materials can be easily accessed for free by visiting www.jewsforjudaism.org

The goal of Jews for Judaism is to empower the Jewish community with the tools and knowledge to counteract this Jews for Jesus crusade. Our campaign will also serve as a positive catalyst to reawaken Jewish pride and identity. Individuals who would like volunteer or support our response can contact the local Federation or Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz at Jews for Judaism at 9911 W. Pico Blvd., Suite 1240 Los Angeles, CA 90035 310-556-3344 • Fax –310-556-3304, email: la@jewsforjudiasm.org,

The San Diego Jewish Federation will host a Town Hall Meeting of Concern featuring Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, August 29, 2004. 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm, at the Lawrence Family JCC. For more information contact Rachel Zagursky at the San Diego Jewish Federation -- 858-571-3444

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