The Conversion of Non-Jews to Messianic
Judaism: A Test-Case of Membership and Identity in a New Religious Movement
Conversion of Non-Jews to
Messianic Judaism: Test-Case of Membership and Identity in a New Religious
Movement” assesses the policy and practice of conversion in Messianic Judaism.
Using surveys, interviews and publications it critically investigates the
theological, anthropological and social-psychological issues, discussing the
implications for individual converts, Messianic Judaism, and the wider Jewish
community.
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 is a
fascinating phenomenon in many respects: religious and national, historical and
social, philosophical and psychological. From a practical standpoint,
conversion is an important social institution that is vital for Jewish
continuity. Jewish attitudes toward conversion have evolved over the
generations, reflecting the changing circumstances and needs of the Jewish
collective.
The focus on conversion and
the issues surrounding it is also of particular interest in the movement of
Jewish believers in Jesus known as “Messianic Judaism”. Dan Cohn-Sherbok states:
From ancient times to the present, conversion
to Judaism has been viewed as an acceptable means of joining the Jewish people.
During the Hellenistic period, Jews actively sought converts. Subsequently with
the rise of Christianity, such missionary outreach ceased. Yet, through the
centuries it has remained possible for non-Jews to enter into the Jewish fold.
In modern times, the different branches of Judaism developed a variety of
procedures for conversion. Paradoxically, however, Messianic Judaism has not
formulated a process of conversion, and such reluctance has contributed to its
isolation from the Jewish community as a whole.
Messianic Judaism has
been variously described as a sect, cult or heresy.
The approach of this paper is to locate it as a new religious movement
intersecting the boundaries of Judaism and Christianity, and to identify the
question of conversion of non-Jews as a means of understanding the
self-identity of the movement as it situates itself between the two religious communities.
The question to be addressed is to what extent the phenomenon of Messianic Jewish
Conversion (MJC), or conversion to Judaism through the Messianic movement,
contributes to our understanding of Messianic Judaism itself as a modern day
revitalization of the Jewish Christianity that emerged within Second Temple
Judaism.
a.
Background of Modern Messianic Judaism
The
movement of Jewish believers in Jesus known as “Messianic Judaism” emerged in
the late 1960s and early 1970s from its roots in the Hebrew Christian movement
of the 19th and early 20th centuries, strongly influenced
by Protestant Evangelical Missions to the Jewish people. Establishing itself in
Israel and Diaspora (particularly in the USA), it has formed congregations and synagogues,
schools, training institutions and national and international organisations.
Yet despite its numerical and institutional growth, there is no agreement on
the means by which non-Jews might be admitted to the movement, nor whether a
process of giyyur should be available
to would-be converts.
b.
Definition of Terms
Whilst
orthodox halacha defines a Jew as the
child of a Jewish mother or a convert to Judaism, for the purposes of this
paper the Reform definition which accepts both patrilineal and matrilineal
descent is adopted, as this is also the most common understanding found in the
Messianic movement. A
Messianic Jew is defined as a Jewish person who accepts Yeshua (Jesus) as
Messiah. Messianic Judaism is understood according to
the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations definition of 2005:
The Union of Messianic
Jewish Congregations (UMJC) envisions Messianic Judaism as a movement of Jewish
congregations and groups committed to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the
covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah,
expressed in tradition, and renewed and applied in the context of the New
Covenant. Messianic Jewish groups may also include those from non-Jewish
backgrounds who have a confirmed call to participate fully in the life and
destiny of the Jewish people. We are committed to embodying this definition in
our constituent congregations and in our shared institutions.
c.
Conversion to Judaism or
Messianic Judaism?
Rich
Nichol, a leading proponent of MJC, asks the question: “Is conversion of Gentiles conversion to Messianic Judaism or to Judaism?”
His answer is:
More than semantics are involved here. As a
Judaism we convert to Judaism. A Reform or Conservative rabbi does not convert
Gentiles to their specific denomination, but to Judaism. It should be the same
among us. So, when the hospital attendant asks one of our converts, "what
is your religion?" The natural and appropriate answer is,
"Judaism."
Nevertheless,
for the purposes of this paper, we understand that MJC takes place within a
Messianic Jewish frame of reference which assumes, accepts and indeed requires
faith in Yeshua as Messiah in addition to fulfilling the other requirements
necessary. This form of conversion to Judaism therefore is distinctive from conversion
to Orthodox, Reform, Conservative or other conversion models.
d.
Numbers of Messianic Jews
i.
Israel.
There
are few reliable surveys of Jewish believers in Jesus. The survey conducted by
Kai Kjaer-Hansen and Bodil Skjøtt estimated 4,785 Messianic Jews in 81 congregations
in Israel in 1999. This
figure has now been revised upwards, and Akiva Cohen states:
Currently there are about one hundred and
twenty Messianic Jewish congregations and small groups in Israel, with a
conservative estimate of approximately ten thousand self-identified Messianic
Jews.
Cohen
adds in a footnote that this number is problematic, as those who are children
from mixed marriages and do not fit the halachic criterion of matrilineal
descent make up a large part of this group. Some would “place the number of
ethnic Messianic Jews at less than three thousand.” Cohen
refers to “unofficial estimates” of the current makeup of the Messianic Jewish
community in Israel:
10 percent Sabras, 55 percent Russians, 5
to 7 percent Ethiopians, at least 25 percent English, French, Spanish and
German immigrants; and 3 to 5 percent expatriates.
ii.
USA
Estimates
for the numbers of Jesus-believing Jews in the USA vary considerably. In 2003
it was estimated that there were between 30,000-75,000, but higher estimates
are often given. Dr Barry Kosmin, co-director of the 1990 and
2001 American
Jewish Identity Surveys
(AJIS) states:
The number of Messianic Jews/ Jews for
Jesus etc. is estimated in most surveys as around 20-30,000 adults. Most of
them are switchers out of Judaism. Due to small samples
and fudgy definitions, statistics on this topic are difficult to obtain and
open to large standard errors – so caveat emptor.
Whilst
not including Messianic Jews as a separate category, the AJIS survey identified
2.3 million “Jews of other religions” who
had two Jewish parents and were born and
raised as “core Jews,” but have switched to a non-Jewish religious group. Thus
the “other religions” reported include the whole gamut from Catholic, Baptist,
Episcopalian to Messianic Jews as well as other religions such as Buddhism,
Wicca, Scientology and Unitarianism.
It
is clear that the number of Jewish believers in Jesus is much larger than those
who are directly associated with Messianic congregations. According to David
Rudolph:
There are presently
over one million Christians in the United States who have a Jewish parent. We
do not know how many of these Christians of Jewish descent attend churches;
however, there is little question that the number is in the hundreds of
thousands.
Figures compiled recently by the World Christian
Database give a lower estimate of 154,810, based on responses from 21 national
and international organisations.
iii.
Europe
According to the
research of Sergio DellaPergola, the European Jewish population can be estimated
at 1,455,900 in 2010.
According to a recent survey conducted by this author, an estimated 25,000
Messianic Jews are found mainly in the United Kingdom (5,000) and Germany
(10,000), Russia (5000) and Ukraine (5000).
e.
Non-Jews in Messianic Congregations
According
to some estimates, between 50-80% of members and attenders of Messianic
congregations in the USA are not themselves Jewish. Whilst Gentiles are
welcomed in most Messianic groups, their presence and role is problematic.
Rudolph and Klayman state:
The demographic reality of Messianic
Gentiles, including a second and third generation, raises a number of questions
that the Messianic Jewish community is currently engaging. Many of these
questions relate to time-honoured traditions in the Jewish world concerning the
participation of non-Jews in Jewish life.
Daniel
Juster writes:
Today we face a new phenomenon. It is that the majority of our congregations
are no longer congregations with majority Jewish membership. While we always expected gentiles to join us,
we fathers of the movement expected that our efforts to reach our people would
be successful and that a majority Jewish constituency would ensue in most of
our congregations. This new reality has
come as a surprise. The majority of Jews
in Messianic Congregations are now in congregations with a majority of
gentiles. I speak of America here, for
the situation in Israel is not at all like this.
Bruce
Stokes, an anthropologist and non-Jewish participant in the movement, claims:
My dissertation … addresses
early thinking on conversion and absorption in the movement. Since that time
the issue has become much more of a discussion point among many in the
movement.
Mitch
Glaser similarly reflects on how the movement is concerned with this question:
There is a growing discussion within
the Messianic Jewish national Organisations about the degree to which Gentile
believers in Yeshua should be allowed to participate in traditional Jewish
observance (e.g. bar/bat mitzvah) and what the role of non-Jews should be in
Messianic synagogue life. There are some within the Messianic Jewish national
organizations who are calling for their groups to recognize Jews by choice who
have undergone a formal conversion process, either Messianic or traditional.
Nevertheless,
interest in the topic is not uniform, and appears largely as a diaspora
phenomenon. One Israeli questionnaire respondent states:
You will know that this is definitely
a non-issue in Israel. Conversion to Messianic Judaism presupposes a level of
organization and structure that is not present in the Israeli Messianic Jewish
movement at this time. The very notion of "conversion to Messianic
Judaism" would raise the hackles of most of the congregational leadership
in the country. Given the theological leanings of the community here, it is an
untenable concept.
f.
Limitations
It
is beyond the purposes of this paper to compare and discuss Messianic Jewish
conversion in the light of conversion processes in other forms of Judaism
(Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, etc). Rather our aim will
be to set the discussion of MJC within Messianic Judaism, where it is a
controversial issue. Similarly the question of the acceptance of Messianic
Judaism by other forms of Judaism and Christianity will not be discussed,
except where this is significant for the intra-Messianic Jewish discourse on
the topic that arises from discussion of MJC.
2.
Discussion
of Conversion within the Messianic movement
Whilst
academic studies of conversion of Gentiles to Messianic Judaism have not
appeared prior to this study, discussion has taken place in several forums
within the Messianic movement. In 1983 the Union of Messianic Congregations
(UMJC) in the USA decided not to recognize conversions of Gentiles within
Messianic Judaism, although a minority of its member congregations
did recognize such conversions. In 2004 the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council
(MJRC), a group of 26 leaders, developed and implemented a formal conversion
process. A range of papers in the UMJC journal Kesher discussed the
views not only of UMJC leaders but those from other Messianic Jewish
organizations, Church leaders and Rabbis from the wider Jewish community.
The UMJC Executive Committee issued the following
statement:
The Union of Messianic Jewish
Congregations (UMJC) was created in 1979 as a broad based organization of Messianic
Jewish congregations, willing to entertain and confront important issues. One
such issue is the role of Gentiles in Messianic Jewish congregations and
whether, in certain limited situations, Gentiles can be formally converted to
Messianic Judaism. In 1983, the UMJC examined this question and
issued a position paper containing two views (available
at www.umjc.org). The majority position opposed Gentile conversion; the
minority supported it. Hence, since 1983 the UMJC does not recognize conversion
of Gentiles within Messianic Judaism. It does, however, include under its
umbrella some groups that do recognize such conversion.
Recently, a group of leaders
affiliated with the UMJC developed and began to implement a formal conversion
process for Gentiles within their local congregations. The UMJC does not
endorse or recognize this process. Yet, the UMJC Executive Committee recognizes
the importance of our founding mandate, “To provide a forum for the discussion
of issues relevant to Messianic Judaism and Messianic Jewish Congregations.” We
will continue to provide for dialogue on this issue and its theological and
practical ramifications, including coverage in our professional journal, Kesher. In
the midst of our diversity, we affirm our unity in Messiah Yeshua and in our
vision for the Messianic Jewish congregational movement.
The
Kesher issue contained the essay
written by Rabbi Rich Nichol advocating conversion,
diverse responses, and two book reviews. Nichol advocates for a conversion
process which is:
- made available in a very limited
way, primarily to those Gentiles who have Jewish spouses, but also to some
others under very specific circumstances (and not presented as the norm
for Gentiles who embrace Jesus as the Messiah...)
- is undergirded by halachic
standards by which the new convert is expected to live
- can help to elevate Messianic
Judaism in our own eyes, in the eyes of our children and in the eyes of a
watching world. A nation with no boundaries will not be a viable nation
for long. Messianic Judaism will not grow to become a vital, worthy
expression of Jewish peoplehood without ameliorating this situation. It is
a matter of survival and it is a matter of integrity.
Nichol
builds his argument further in his 2012 Borough Park Symposium Paper, where he
appeals to the bilaterial ecclesiology model of Mark Kinzer, the work of
post-supersessionist Methodist theologian R Kendal Soulen, and the Jewish philosopher
Michael Wyschogrod. Before
calling for a conversion process as a necessary step in the validation of
Messianic Judaism as a Judaism sui
generis he states:
the fact of Jewish and Gentile
identity cannot be effaced. The ineluctable
character of these dimensions of human identity [emphasis his] attests to
the depth and resolution of God’s consummating engagement with creation. As the
Redeemer, of Israel God acts in fidelity not only to Israel, but to the
totality of the human family’s created and covenantal identity. (Soulen
154-155)
Nichol
proposes that at the core of Messianic Judaism’s self-definition and communal
formation should be the organic connection between Judaism and Christianity as
two faiths. This results in the realisation that “Christianity is acculturated
(Jewish) messianism for the nations.”
Nichol
distinguishes between what he calls the “Missiological Approach (MA)” and the
“Bilateral Approach (BA)”, arguing that the two orientations “create
overarching value systems which are communicated powerfully in myriad ways in
our interactions with one another and with congregants”. As a
Bilateral Approach practitioner, he favours the approach tends to “gravitate
more to a traditional Jewish than an Evangelical Christian starting point” for
congregational life. Because
the “BA congregation is a unique kind of synagogue and not a culturally attuned
church” it is appropriate that its self-identification is primarily Jewish and
it “must be made up primarily of Jews”.
Nichol
recognises that whilst not all Gentiles attending a BA Congregation will wish
to convert to Judaism, and there will continue to be a role for them as Gentiles, similar to that of Gentiles
attracted to mainstream synagogues, the Conversion option should be clearly
available to some for whom it would be appropriate.
Responses
to Nichol’s paper from Michael Wolf, Jeffrey Feinberg, John Fischer, Kay
Silberling from within the Messianic movement and outside observers Dan
Cohn-Sherbok and Douglas Harink provided a variety of responses, from Michael
Wolf’s “absolutely not!” to John Fischer’s “the time has come”.
Michael
Wolf, representing the position of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America and
the Steering Committee of the International Alliance of Messianic
Congregations, argues against a conversion process. According to Wolf, a conversion of Gentiles
does not “conform to scripture” as “the clear and consistent pattern of the New
Covenant is to help God-fearing Gentiles to find their identity as fellow heirs
with their Jewish brethren in Messiah” without
converting to Judaism.Conversion
is “contrary to the principles and practice outlined in scripture”. The
practice of Messianic Jewish conversion, contrary to Nichol’s assertion that it
will help the Messianic movement become accepted within the wider Jewish
community, “will be seen as the ultimate deception”.
Another
danger Wolf sees is that the wider Christian Church will see such a conversion
process as damaging to the role of Messianic Judaism:
I believe that the impact of taking
even a few born again Gentile believers and calling them Jewish will cause
confusion about exactly who we are and what we are doing. We will be seen as
developing into a sect. It does not matter whether we apply the process
carefully or sparingly. Doing it at all is like being a little bit pregnant.
And this will not be lost on the Christian families (and those families’
pastors) of the Gentile (or “former Gentile”) members of our congregations. The
Gentile church will recognize that this is far afield from our original vision
of calling our Jewish people to fulfill their spiritual destiny through a
personal relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach.
Admitting
the practice of conversion would “prove extremely divisive, splitting the
congregation into more classes”, with half the non-Jews in the congregation
lining up to become converts, and the others would refuse, seeing the practice
as non-Scriptural.
As
regards the identity-designation for Gentiles within the Messianic
Congregations, Wolf admits that there needs to be an option for someone who
does not feel comfortable calling themselves “Christian” (because of the
history of Christian anti-Judaism and the negative associations of the term),
but an “unscriptural conversion process is not the answer” and this aspect of
Messianic Jewish life has to be accepted and worked through creatively.
Whilst
some see the introduction of a conversion process into the Messianic movement
as necessary and inevitable, Wolf states the official position of the largest
organisation of Messianic congregations as firmly against such a move. “God
does not change, scripture does not change, and our stand on this issue will
not change either”.
Jeffrey
Feinberg reflects the majority position within the UMJC, arguing that there is
no formal conversion process in the Torah of the Hebrew Bible, and Messianic
Jews should not depend on later rabbinic Judaism for a normative process. The
evidence cited by Nichol for a conversion process in the Brit Hadashah (New
Testament) is misinterpreted by Nichol, who understands the circumcision of Timothy as that of a proselyte.
Nichol states:
Shaye Cohen in his important work, The Beginnings of Jewishness argues that
in the period before the codification of the Mishnah, Timothy would have been
viewed as a Gentile and that his circumcision represented a formal conversion to Judaism. Matrilineal descent,
according to Cohen, though the normative criteria for determining Jewish
identity today, was not the standard in the time of Rav Shaul and Timothy.
According
to Feinberg, Paul already viewed Timothy as an ethnic Jew who needed to
complete his religious obligations. Timothy’s “conversion” should not there be
seen as an example of a Gentile becoming a proselyte Jew. Feinberg sees no
biblical precedent for converting Gentiles who have not been raised in a Jewish
household.
Also, for Feinberg a formalized conversion process is “premature” at the
international level, because the UMJC has yet to define “who is a Jew?”
Recent
discussion has reflected on Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 7, and the
different interpretive strategies on this passage reflect the competing
positions on MJC held by Messianic leaders. David Rudolph disagrees with
Nichol’s reading of Shaye Cohen. He writes:
During
my doctoral work, it became clear to me that Paul's circumcision of Timothy,
immediately after the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council decision, reflects Paul's view
that Timothy was a Jew by matrilineal standards as Shaye Cohen argues. See A
Jew to the Jews, 23-27. Thus, there is a biblical precedent for matrilineal
based Jewish identity that I find compelling and this is not a precedent that
necessarily undermines the patrilineal.
In
his paper in Studies in Christian-Jewish
Relations Rudolph lays out a biblical and theological framework for
dealing with the question of conversion in light of Paul's rule in all the
congregations (1 Cor. 7). Along with Michael Wyschogrod, he recognises
Paul’s continuing Torah observance and Paul’s expectation that this would be
continued by Jesus-believing Jews. As to
the question of Gentile conversion to (Messianic) Judaism, he writes:
What are the implications of my paper for
conversion? It seems to me that Paul’s rule is a general halakhic prohibition
against conversion because of the New Covenant reality described in Acts 15,
Gal 2, Eph 2, etc. Generally speaking, Yeshua-believing Gentiles should not
become Jewish converts (i.e. Jews). This said, many halakhic prohibitions,
including New Covenant ones (e.g. Yeshua's stance on divorce in Mark 10:10-12),
have exceptions and the same may be the case with Paul's rule in all the
churches (1 Cor 7:17-24). What exceptions might there be? I think a compelling
case can be made for exceptions in the case of a Gentile married to a Jew who
feels led by the Lord to embrace the Jewish people as Ruth did (Ruth 1:16). A
direct result of conversion in this case is that the children typically have a
more clear and unambiguous identity as Jews. A similar argument can be made
with respect to Jews adopting Gentile children. Here the children take on
Jewish identity and continue the line of their parents, passing on the covenant
of their fathers to their children as in the case of Yarcha (1 Chr 2:34-35).
There may be other exceptions for which a compelling case can be made on the
basis of Scriptural principles. In the end, we are dealing with the need to
uphold Paul's general halakhic prohibition against conversion. If the
exceptions become the norm, we no longer have a rule. Therefore, my view is
that exceptions need to be carefully weighed by wise and learned leaders in
groups like the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council (MJRC), Tikkun, etc.
A further position
is also expressed by Kay Silberling, who argues that Messianic Jewish
conversion at present lacks authenticity, so should not take place when the
Messianic movement lacks maturity, structure and stability. Those
who do convert will still find their position uncertain.
The fluidity surrounding Jewish
identity makes for lively debates as to whether “Jewish” is a social, cultural,
ethnic, racial, geographic, religious, or mythic category, or some combination
of all of the above. It is very likely, then, that conversion will not
alleviate the anxiety at all. It may actually increase the converts’ social
anxiety by heightening their sense of marginality vis-à-vis some perceived,
monolithic, ontologically Jewish world that is, instead, a social construct and
hence intangible and fluid. They may be expecting that, by undergoing
conversion, they will join a cohesive group that has a clearly marked identity.
Those converts, then, expecting to land on solid, secure ground, may instead
find themselves thrust upon the waves of a stormy and blustery sea. While
riding those waves may be exhilarating to others, it is not likely to comfort
those who are seeking relief from social instability.
The
Messianic movement itself is not a true Judaism, but a ‘judaized form of
Protestant Christianity’.
Finally, Messianic Jews have yet to gain
consensus and to articulate, as a movement, what it is that proselytes are
converting from, and, even more importantly, what they are converting to.
Despite protestations to the contrary, Messianic Judaism, as it is practiced in
many regions of the world today, is not a Judaism. In many, if not most, cases,
it is a judaized form of Protestant Christianity. The world to which many in
the movement continue to gaze for their vision, their direction, and their
theology is the world of late Twentieth Century Christian revivalism.
Rather
than practice conversion to Messianic Judaism, Silberling argues that
A more effective strategy would be for
Messianic Jews to go about defining themselves in a purposefully ethical
manner, without doing so in ways that can harm those who occupy the in-between
spaces of their social and theological worlds. There are other ethical ways to
resolve the tensions, such as encouraging conversion to Judaism through other
avenues for those extremely rare cases in which the lack of a ceremony poses a
singular hardship for individuals or for introducing liturgical practices that
more fully enfranchise non-Jews qua non-Jews.
For
Silberling, then, “Messianic Jews would
do well to create ethical and sensitive practices to enfranchise, educate, and
embrace all the faithful, steadfast, non-Jewish Messianic believers in their
midst.” Whilst
Silberling’s rationale will not appeal to others who oppose MJC, and Silberling
herself may well be more tolerant of conversion of other forms of Judaism, she
finds her views in agreement with those who oppose conversion for the contrary
reasons, that the act of conversion is ‘too Jewish’ rather than ‘not Jewish
enough.’
Such
discussions reflect a variety of interpretive strategies and theological understandings
which are representative of the different theological streams within the
Messianic movement. Such diversity of understandings are found not
just in discussion of conversion but in relation to other controversial
matters, such as Christology, Torah and the place of Israel.
Questions of identity and authority (of Scripture, Rabbinic tradition and
Christian understanding) lie beneath such presenting issues, and have yet to be
resolved. Before summarising these different positions, we will now give brief
case studies of conversion from the converts’ perspective, focusing on the
practice of conversion, and the findings of the questionnaire sent to Messianic
leaders.
3.
Case
studies
These case studies are given to
indicate some of the varying motivations, circumstances and processes followed
by those who have undergone some form of conversion with Messianic Judaism.
A. Hannah – Conversion within the MJRC conversion
process
Hannah was raised in a Christian
home, with her own personal experience of faith in Jesus as her good shepherd
and a constant source of love and caring. She brought up her three children as
Christians, and used their family Bible study as a way to get to really know
the family of “Jesus the Jewish Messiah”. Not satisfied with local churches in
her area, she contacted a Messianic Jewish teacher. She learned how to
celebrate the Passover in a Messianic Jewish context. The Rabbi invited her to
help form a Messianic group starting up in her area and “Messianic Jewish life
and study was now implanted in us”.
She asked the Messianic rabbi
why she worshipped in this non-Christian way and he replied this was the life
style and worship of our Messiah Yeshua.
She found contentment in following this format.”
Hannah realised that now she was
not really Christian any more and she was not Jewish. The Messianic rabbi explained her family were
God fearers. This satisfied them for a
while but they soon discovered they needed to be Jewish. They realizes this
conversion was not and would not be accepted by the established Jewish
Community, but it was their personal, compelling way of uniting themselves to
Yeshua’s [Jewish] family. In the 1990s they took part in a conversion ceremony
which was a very personal ritual between the most awesome God and his promised
Messiah, Yeshua. Since then a a large
portion of their lives has been involved in pursuit of their congregational
goals.
Hannah decided to convert after
a long period of individual and collective study, much self-reflection, prayer,
and honest commitment to the Jewish God and Yeshua as his Messiah. Her
conversion took place under the auspices of the MJRC, as her rabbi belongs to
this group and has advocated publicly a conversion process for non-Jews.
She is very much in favour of a
conversion process as it allows her “an avenue of worship to the God of Abram,
Isaac, and Jacob as a Jew” as well as allowing her to make a public statement
that she is identifying as a Jew. It
affords her a way to “voluntarily unite with Jews thus feeling confident and a
part of the blessing of Genesis 12:3.”
As a Torah-observing convert,
she believes she must be “committed to the Jewish life style of the ‘Old
Covenant’”. Conversion should take place
under the auspices of a ‘qualified leader’. In Hannah’s case, her husband also
converted, and she estimates 10% of her congregation are converts.
Whilst conversion is not a significant issue in the
life of her congregation it has many implications, with relating to the greater
Jewish Community, understanding of true identity. It affects the structure and
societal norms of her congregation.
Hannah understands that her conversion will
not be recognised by other Jewish groups, but would “still like to know why
Messianic Jewish groups are not eligible to be included as another group in the
Jewish community”.
B. Baruch – Conversion within the MJRC Process
Baruch had no connections to Judaism or any other religious
upbringing. His faith in Jesus came in college, where he was immediately
fascinated by the Jewishness of Jesus and struck at the lack of attention in the church he was in to the Jewishness
of his Saviour.
He met a Jewish Christian in his
church and learned all he could from them. He dropped out of college to visit
Israel to learn more, and starting attending a Messianic Jewish congregation,
studying Jewish history and culture, in addition to attending his church.
Baruch was “moving
in a direction toward Judaism without giving up on Jesus”. He spent more than
ten years with missions to the Jewish people but became increasingly
dissatisfied with their approach, realising that he was causing Jews to
assimilate into Christian culture and lose their identity as Jews. He believed
God's purpose for Jewish people included affiliation with the Jewish community,
observance of Torah and tradition and passing these traditions on to future
generations.
He left the Jewish
mission agencies and started a Messianic Jewish congregation, affiliating to
the UMJC, whose leaders mentored and taught him. He began to pursue rabbinical
ordination, without realising that as a Gentile he
should not seek to
become a rabbi, as at that time it was still possible for a non-Jew to be
ordained. Eventually his mentors asked him what he was doing, and urged him to
complete the conversion process through the MJRC, which he was already eager to
do. He had already, without realising it, being living as if he was a Jew
for a number of years before converting. His wife and children joined him in
the conversion process.
Baruch does not
consider conversion as normative or that the involvement of Messianic Gentiles
in Messianic Judaism is limited to those who convert. The congregation he leads
observes some differences in ceremony and liturgy between MG's and MJ's.
C. Chava
– Becoming a “Messianic proselyte” at time of Marriage
When Chava married
Shimon, a Messianic Jew, they added a section to their ceremony that welcomed Chava
into the Jewish community. This was important to them for the sake of future
children so they would have a clear and unambiguous identity as Jews. This has
had the affect hoped for, and their children are very clear about their Jewish
identity.
The wedding took
place as a New Covenant wedding liturgy, with an
optional ceremony whereby a non-Jewish bride of a Jewish groom may become a
proselyte to Israel following the example of Ruth.
In the marriage
ceremony Chava expressed her desire and intention not only to marry Shimon but
also “to join the nation of Israel covenantally as a Messianic proselyte.” She saw this also as a marriage of sort, an
irreversible covenant linking her destiny to the people of Israel. She joined herself
publicly to Israel physically as well as spiritually, in a connection and
commitment independent of her ‘personal salvation’.
Chava understood that as a believer in Yeshua she was already
grafted into and the recipient of all the benefits of the covenant which God
made with our father Abraham. Joining Israel as a “Messianic proselyte” in
addition involved taking on for herself all the obligations of God’s covenant with
Israel as well. She realised she did not
need to become a “Messianic proselye” in order to marry Shimon, but felt called
by God to join herself to Israel in this special way. She had already received
the God of Israel through the Messiah Yeshua. Now she chose to join herself in
covenant to the people of Israel following the example of Ruth the Moabite.
Shimon, as a representative of Israel, and as her husband to be,
accepted Chava ‘into the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’, and stated that
their act of marriage would be seen as a sealing of the covenant she was also
making with the people of Israel.
D. Sarah –
Conversion for all Gentiles
Sarah was brought
up in the traditional Church and at the age of 20 became personally committed
to God. She left and for the next 25 years participated in various evangelical
churches. During that time she became increasingly dissatisfied with
Christianity and started investigating the Jewish roots of her faith. After what seemed a long journey of some 10
years, she discovered Messianic Judaism.
She joined a
Messianic congregation, for several years thinking of herself as a non-Jew
practising Messianic Judaism. As a result of research by the Rabbis in her
movement it became clear that the way ahead for those who were not born Jewish
was conversion. When a conversion course was
introduced, she felt a sense of relief that at last she would be able to call herself
what she was already living out, as she was keeping Shabbat, the Festivals and
High Holy Days, biblical kosher
etc. In 2010, after completing the
course, she went through the mikveh and became a convert to Messianic Judaism.
Since her conversion she believes her relationship with God has improved, her
prayer life has changed completely and her life is more exciting.
4. Instruction
programs
1. Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council (MJRC)
The MJRC
Conversion Process is a 16 page document detailing the motivations for those
seeking conversion, the process of preliminary qualification, application,
sponsorship, education, examination and approval, conversion ceremony, with the
appropriate educational guidelines and syllabus required for the study program,
and the application forms for applicant and sponsor to be completed and
submitted to the Beth Din.
For conversion under the MJRC process, the
“fundamental motive for conversion should be ahavat Yisrael, the love of the people of Israel” combined with “a
corresponding love for the Torah as God’s particular gift to the Jewish
people.”
The applicant
for conversion should see both the written Torah and the oral Torah (i.e., the
living Jewish tradition of interpretation and application of the written
Torah), understood in light of Yeshua’s teaching and redemptive work, as
his/her guide for life.
Whilst all Christians should possess a measure of such love, the type of
ahavat Yisrael that leads to
conversion is one that “so identifies with actual Jews, and with Israel’s
journey through history, that it results in a person experiencing a change in
their sense of self.
They seek
conversion because they now already see themselves as part of the Jewish
people, and could not conceive of their individual or family identity apart
from their involvement with the Jewish people.
This love of
the Jewish people must be tied to a corresponding love for the Torah as God’s
particular gift to the Jewish people. The applicant for conversion should see
both the written Torah and the oral Torah (i.e., the living Jewish tradition of
interpretation and application of the written Torah), understood in light of
Yeshua’s teaching and redemptive work, as his/her guide for life. At the same
time, the applicant’s appreciation for the Torah should not be abstract,
separable from his/her love for the concrete reality of Jewish life. While love
for the Torah may be adequate motivation for conversion within Orthodox
Judaism, in Messianic Judaism we must be especially concerned that love for
Jewish things never be divorced from love of Jewish people.
The MJRC imposes
strict guidelines and caveats on the conversion on non-Jews.
How does the MJRC interpret
and apply the New Testament teaching on the conversion to full membership in
the Jewish people?
The MJRC acknowledges that New Testament halakhah includes a general
prohibition of conversion to full membership in the Jewish people for followers
of Yeshua (Galatians 5:2; 1 Corinthians 7:17-20). We believe that this general
prohibition is still applicable in the 21st century, and is intended not only
to preserve the purity of Yeshua-faith but also to guard the integrity of
Jewish communal life. However, halakhic prohibitions are not universal and
unqualified. There are exceptional cases (e.g., intermarriage; Jewish ancestry;
extraordinary vocation) where the general rule does not apply. The MJRC only
sanctions conversion in such exceptional cases.
How may one apply for
conversion through the MJRC?
In order to qualify as an applicant under the auspices of the MJRC
an applicant must be an individual who is actively affiliated with a Messianic
Jewish synagogue whose leader(s) is a member of the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical
Council (MJRC), or who is actively affiliated with a Messianic Jewish
congregation which adheres to MJRC standards, and who is sponsored by a member
of the MJRC. It is also required that the leadership will recognize the MJRC
conversion process in writing.
2.
Ruth II Process in the Tikkun Network
Daniel Juster, a
leading Messianic Jew who overseas the Tikkun Network of Messianic
Congregations worldwide, opposes ‘conversion’ but advocates what he calls a
“Ruth II Commitment”. Recognising that
some Gentiles wish to make a life-time commitment to the Jewish people and the
Messianic movement he asks:
What about Gentiles who believe they are
called for a life-time to live their life with and before the Jewish
people. They are committed to live in
the context of the Messianic Jewish community and the larger Jewish community
for good. This seems to establish a
different category of commitment and covenant.
What should be done?
Whilst leaving ‘a
small crack open in the doorway to conversion’ Juster prefers the option of a “Ruth
II Commitment” where a non-Jew who senses a life-time call to the Jewish people
and to be part of the Messianic movement is able to affirm themselves as a
Gentile who has committed themselves to the Jewish people.
Some have taken
us beyond the above to conversion. I
think conversion is a dangerous matter and have written this before. It could be misunderstood by the larger Body
of Believers, [and] would be the desire of so many gentiles for the wrong
reasons. It does not seem to be
necessary since a special Ruth inclusion would be a part way step that would be
adequate. I do understand [the need for]
clarifying identity for those with Jewish grandparents who desire to clarify
their place as Jews. I would think that
for those of us that believe in restoration, that any move to conversion would
have to be very carefully done with very strong standards. Major halakhic direction should come out of
the restored apostolic and prophetic leadership in our movement. We are believing for more such leadership to
be restored. There needs to be strong
prophetic confirmation for such a move.
So I leave small open crack in the doorway to conversion. However, I also note that most gentiles in
our midst are just called to be gentiles or to enter Ruth II professions and
still identity as Ruth II gentiles where the oneness of Jew and gentile is
still reflected. At this point, however,
the Jews are their people.
Therefore, at this time, Juster
opposes ‘conversion’, arguing that:
Unless we oppose conversion, we will go
down the slippery slope since there is no accepted halakha in the movement to
define legitimate and illegitimate conversions.
The problems with a conversion process are
both theological and social:
Some think that these folks should be
converted. They simply go through a
conversion process and call themselves Jews.
However there is nothing in the New Covenant Scriptures to support this
and much to discourage it. In addition,
to convert under traditional Judaism without hiding the truth of one’s beliefs
is rare. Is this honest? There have been exceptions. In addition, a Messianic Jewish conversion
will not be accepted in the larger Jewish community.
Juster’s solution “is a calling and life
commitment to live within and before the Jewish community and within a
Messianic Community for life”. Such a
person should
…undergo a process of education and
discipleship in this calling and then make a covenant commitment that is
explicit. Gentiles in the Bible are
never said to become Jews, but we do see Gentiles who joined Israel. When such a covenant commitment takes place
the status of the Gentile changes.
For such a person there would still be a
few traditions that were ‘off limits’, such as wearing the tallit and
circumcision, which would be optional but not required.
If such a person marries a Jew their
children will be considered Jewish and the family will be embraced as a Jewish
family.
What of the children of such a
marriage? The Jewish community will not
recognize as Jewish the child of a Jewish father except in Reform Judaism and
if the person believes in Yeshua, this status in Reform will be questioned or
rejected. However, in the Messianic
community such children are fully embraced as Jewish. In addition, the status of one born of a
Jewish mother who believes in Yeshua will not be accepted as Jewish by
most. The one who is born of a Jewish
mother and who comes to faith in Yeshua is also not required to be accepted by
Israel for citizenship, but this is now being seriously addressed again in
Israel. So in general people in such
questioned categories will have to be accept the declaration of the Messianic
community as to their status.
The formal commitment a person makes under
this arrangement is:
I
come before you today after serious examination of myself and examination by
others. It is my conviction that I am
called to live my life with and before the Jewish people. I therefore profess to live as part of the
Jewish people. Though I am not a Jew, I
come to take up a life that is a reflection of the promise that the Gentile
among you shall be as a Jew. I say to
the Jewish nation, your people shall be my people and your God my God.
Whilst Juster claims that the Ruth II
process stops short of being a ‘conversion’ process, if formalises the
commitment of a Gentile to live as a Jew as much as possible. Without
sufficient Halachic authority in the Messianic movement thought Batei Din and
able to define the status of such a person as a Jew, Juster’s stop-gap solution
attempts to bridge the gap between a full-orbed and definitive conversion
process, and refusing the would-be “Messianic proselyte” a recognition of their
altered status.
3. Messianic
Proselyte – Michael Rudolph
Similarly Michael Rudolph has also
developed a way for a non-Jew to identify with the people of Israel, without
formally declaring that they are Jewish.
4.
Union of British Messianic Jewish Congregations (UBMJC)
This group advocates conversion of all
Gentiles, arguing that it is divisive to maintain a distinction between Jew and
Gentile in the Body of Believers. The group, whilst having some connection to
other Messianic Jewish groups (originally sponsored by an offshoot of the
IAMCS), practices a form of Messianic Judaism the majority of its leaders and
participants are non-Jews who have converted to their own form of Messianic
Judaism under their own self-constituted Beth Din. This raises particular
problems and questions for the other streams of the Messianic movement.
The leader of one of the congregations in
this group, Binyamin Sheldrake, is very much in favour of conversion of
Genitles, arguing that:
In essence it comes down to the Olive Tree
theology of Rom 11. There is only one tree not two and it is a Jewish tree. God
does not have 2 peoples divided by ethnicity or race. Avraham was not born
Jewish and faith saved him and he became the father of all Jews, either by
descent or ingrafting by faith. Avraham teaches us that faith is the way for
anyone whether born Jewish or not. From him came the Jewish people, plus many
others who converted down the ages and joined him in faith.
Sheldrake
does not wsh to see the body of believers in Jesus
divided into ethnic, racial groups that
simply cannot exist. Despite the rhetoric and well-meaning theology, those who
are not born Jewish will always feel, sense themselves to be inferior to those
born Jewish if this kind of racial divide is maintained.
The
conversion program takes at least a year, following a course in which
assignments are written, Hebrew is learned, and those wanting to convert for
the ‘wrong reasons’ are excluded. The
majority of people in this group, composed of four congregations in the UK,
have been through such a conversion process.
Some have Jewish backgrounds but would not be
considered to be halachically Jewish by any other Jewish body, some have
converted from Islam, some from Catholicism, some from evangelical churches.
The reason for all of them is the same: a revelation that it is a revived form
of Judaism with Yeshua at its heart that is the way forward for the salvation
of our people. The prophetic ingathering of the nations to the God of Israel
and His Messiah represents the ‘proof’ for Jewish people that Yeshua is indeed
the Messiah.
Conversion
is thus central to the life of the congregation:
I would say that it fairly central. Judaism
has always welcomed converts (more or less down the ages) and so do we. Judaism
is, should be, an outreach faith, taking the Great Commission seriously. We do,
and seek converts to Yeshua, to the faith that He taught which was and is
Judaism, His Judaism, and not later forms of it. We have begun to develop
programmes to actively reach out to not only our own Jewish community but also
to the ‘nation’ around us, especially to the non-British community where we are
having some success.
It is clear that
this approach is different from the minority cautious and conservative approach
of others within the Messianic movement, and from the majority who do not
practice conversion and are opposed to it. Sheldrake believes that all Gentiles
should convert to this form of Messianic Judaism, but it is not connected to
the other streams of the Messianic movement. In order to locate these different
approaches across the spectrum of the Messianic movement and its different
streams, we now turn to the questionnaire and evaluate the responses received.
4.
Questionnaire
Analysis
More than 500 questionnaires were sent by
email to leaders of Messianic congregations and organisations worldwide between
January and June 2013.
Leaders were identified through listings of congregational organisations, other
organisations such as the Messianic Times and theological institutions, and
personal contacts of the author. 59
individual responses were received, in addition to statements from
organisations. They either answered the questions posed or gave shorter
personal statements of positions held. As expected, due to the controversial
and sensitive nature of the subject, a majority did not respond and several expressed
their concern at such a project.
Concerns were also raised that the paper would give undue emphasis to one
particular position, generally perceived to be the opposing view to that held
by the respondent. However, of the 59 responses received, a full range of
positions was expressed.
Seven respondents were women and ten were
identified as young/emerging leaders. Six respondents were not Jewish but
involved in leadership of Messianic groups and organisations without any
conversion process. Three respondents had themselves undergone a conversion
process. More than twenty respondents
requested anonymity, so all responses are quoted anonymously (as numbered) or
names have been changed, unless material previously published is used, or
specific permission has been given.
Our analysis only reflects the responses
received and does not claim to be proportionate or quantitative, or reflect all
the contours and composition of the Messianic movement as a whole. It is
generally assumed that 90% of UMJC member congregations and 100% of MJAA
congregations are against a conversion process. In Israel the majority with
only a few exceptions are against conversion process.
Results for the Questionnaire are tabulated
as follows:
1. Do you have your own personal policy/views
on conversion of non-Jews to Messianic Judaism? Yes/No (if Yes, please give
details and/or attach your response)
Opposed to MJC 39
(66%)
An option not necessary or recommended 2 (3%)
MJRC conversion 13 (22%)
Another form of MJC 5 (9%)
Total 59
Observation. This finding shows the disproportionately
higher expression of MJRC views, which are approximately 10% of the UMJC and
probably less than 5% of the wider movement.
2. Does your congregation/organisation have a
policy on conversion of non-Jews to Messianic Judaism? Yes/No (if yes, please
give details and/attach your response)
Yes
– 25 (42%)
No – 34 (58%)
Observation – the issue is not significant for
most of the respondents.
3. To what extent are you in favour of a
conversion process for non-Jews who believe in Yeshua as Messiah and wish to
become (Messianic) Jews? (1= very little, not at all – 5 = very much, definitely). Please
give your reasons for your choice:
The question was posed thus to engage the
respondents in critical reflection. Many chose not to give an extent, but to
give their reasons. Less than 50% gave a response. These were
1 = 18; 2=2; 3=1, 4 = 2; 5 = 6
|
1.
Against
MJC in all circumstances – heretical and judaising, against 1 Cor .7 (A)
|
20
(40%)
|
|
2.
Against
MJC, but some exceptional circumstances might be accepted, recognising those
converted elsewhere (B)
|
17
(29%)
|
|
3.
In
favour of an alternative way of including Gentiles in the Messianic movement
(C)
|
3
(5%)
|
|
a.
Ruth
II (Juster, Tikkun Ministries) and “Messianic Proselyte” (Rudolph) – disputed
Jewish ancestry, marriage and children; special calling
|
|
|
4.
In
favour of MJC in exceptional circumstances (ancestry; marriage; special
calling) (D)
|
16
(27%)
|
|
a.
MJRC
(D1)
|
15
|
|
b.
Individual
unregulated conversions (D2)
|
1
|
|
5.
In
favour of all Gentiles becoming Jews – no ethnic distinctions in body of
Christ (E)
|
2
(3%)
|
|
6.
Against
MJC as inauthentic, better conversion to other forms of Judaism (Elhanan) (F)
|
1
(2%)
|
4. To what extent are you against a conversion
process for non-Jews who believe in Yeshua as Messiah to become (Messianic)
Jews? (1= very little, not at all – 5 = very much, definitely). Please give
your reasons for your choice.
Responses reflected the previous question
and the question aimed to check understanding.
5. If conversion to Messianic Judaism can
take place under certain conditions or in exceptional circumstances, what would
they be?
Varies reasons and circumstances were given
by 90% or respondents, particularly family reasons, disputed ancestry,
exceptional call to identify with the Jewish people.
6. Do you have any members of your
congregation/organisation who have undergone a process of conversion to
Messianic Judaism? If yes, what proportion/number of your congregation are in
this group?
90% – none
Others – small, 1, 5%, 10%, majority
7. Please give brief details of their
background, circumstances and reasons for conversion (whilst preserving
anonymity)
Examples given in 25% of responses.
8. Would they be interested in completing a
survey to add to this research? If so, please could you give contact details,
or forward this email.
Some received and responded to the
forwarded questionnaire.
9. To what extent is the issue of conversion
significant in the life and activities of you congregation/organisation– please
give illustrations/examples
Examples
given
10.
What further comments or questions about conversion to Messianic Judaism would
you like to see addressed in this paper?
Several respondents pointed out the special
cases in their own area – especially Israel and Holland.
5.
Conclusion
Conversion of non-Jews to Messianic
Judaism remains a minority option, although it has generated significant
controversy. As in the Jewish community in general, the numbers of converts are
proportionately very low. Apart
from one particular group, it would appear that the Messianic movement does not
encourage conversion, and if it occurs, will do so within a moderated and
supervised process, under a competent Messianic Jewish Rabbinic authority. Yet
questions remain. Is it really possible to “join Israel without becoming a Jew?”
(Juster). Whilst converts see themselves as becoming Jews, non-Messianic Jews
do not accept them as such, except in a very small number of cases. Are the
It is clear
that further research is needed, both on the nature of Messianic Judaism, and
on the issue of conversion, as it points to the tensions and fault-lines within
the movement. Within the UMJC,
there is evidence of an ongoing respectful conversation on the subject. Whilst agreeing to hold differences in tension,
the majority hold to a position of ‘NIMBY - Not in my back yard’. Conversion is
not to be encouraged or practiced, but is not rejected when it does occur. The
majority decision of the UMJC not to perform or recognise conversions to
Messianic Judaism whilst keeping in membership a growing minority group, the
MJRC, who do practice conversions, appears a de facto recognition of those
conversions, but at a distance. The UMJC
recognises the rabbinical ordination of one of the MJRC converts, and accepts
them as a congregational leader and their congregation as having membership within
the UMJC.
Within
the MJAA, there is a clear policy on the non-acceptance or practice of
conversion. In Israel the overwhelming majority of congregations do not accept
or see the need for conversion, although there are some exceptional cases. In
the UK, conversion to Messianic Judaism is not accepted, except for one group
composed of gentile converts to Messianic Judaism, who advocate that all
non-Jews should both accept Yeshua as Messiah and convert to their own form of
Judaism, which does not recognise other Judaisms, whether mainstream Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform and Liberal, or the other Messianic streams.
Dan Cohn Sherbok concludes:
When Reform Judaism emerged
in the 19th century, Reform conversion was condemned by the Orthodox. Today,
Reform converts continue to be regarded as Gentiles by Orthodox Jews. In
Israel, Orthodox rabbis press for a change in the Law of Return so that
non-Orthodox converts will not be permitted to settle in the Holy Land. This
situation has not affected Reform Judaism’s attitude towards conversion, nor
should such attitudes deter Messianic Jews from converting the faithful. Jewish
identity should be available to all those who genuinely desire to become
Jewish, including those who regard Yeshua as their Saviour.
6.
Bibliography
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Juster, “Joining”: “Though circumcision is not required for this
commitment, I do believe that when a man marries a Jewish women and will
produce with her children considered Jewish and a family considered Jewish,
before marriage to a Jew, he should be circumcised. “
“You will know that this is definite
non-issue in Israel. Conversion to Messianic Judaism presupposes a level of
organization and structure that is not present in the Israeli MJ movement at
this time. The very notion of "conversion to Messianic Judaism"
would raise the hackles of most of the congregational leadership in the
country. Given the theological leanings of the community here, it is an
untenable concept” (Respondent 28). As little previous research had been
conducted on this topic, several of the participants in the questionnaire raise
the issue of the sensitivity of the subject. Due to the lack of consensus
within the Messianic movement on this subject, and the way discussion of the
topic would be perceived within the wider Jewish and Christian communities,
where it might be used to criticise the Messianic movement. Whilst it is
inevitable that such possible mis-use of this research is possible, it has been
conducted with the intention of helping to clarify some of the issues involved
whilst critically discussing them, without proposing a particular position or
approach. Through such as discussion a more reasoned assessment of the issues
can be made, which will hopefully generate more light and less heat in what is
already a controversial but as yet still under-researched area in Jewish
studies.
27 USA 1 Brazil 1 Germany 4 Holland 19 Israel 8 UK responses
received (I July 2013).
