http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_for_jesusJews for Jesus is a conservative,[1] Christian[2][3] evangelical organization that focuses specifically on the conversion of Jews to Christianity. Its members consider themselves to be Jews – either as defined by Jewish law, or as according to the view of Jews for Jesus. Jews for Jesus defines “Jewish” in terms of parentage and as a birthright, regardless of religious belief.[4] The identification of Jews for Jesus as a Jewish organization is overwhelmingly rejected by Jewish religious denominations[5][6] and secular Jewish groups[7][8] due to the Christian beliefs of its members. The group's evangelical activities have garnered mixed reactions from other Christian individuals and organizations, largely divided between liberal and conservative Christian lines.[9][1]
History
The organization was founded by Moishe Rosen, an ordained Baptist minister[10] who was born Jewish and converted to Christianity at the age of 17[11]. Rosen was the head of the San Francisco arm of the American Board of Missions to the Jews (an organization now known as Chosen People Ministries). In 1973, Rosen broke off from that organization[12], and in September of that year, incorporated Jews for Jesus as Hineni Ministries with its headquarters in the San Francisco area. Over the next few years, it established branches in other cities. In 1979, it shut down its branches for up to several years to retrain its missionaries. It then went on to open more branches, mostly in United States cities, in the 1980s, as well as abroad in the 1990s. Rosen remained its executive director until May, 1996 when he was replaced by David Brickner,[1] also a Baptist minister[13]. Moishe Rosen died in May, 2010. The organization has maintained its headquarters in or near San Francisco, California since its inception.[14]
[edit] Aims and organization
Jews for Jesus is based in San Francisco, California. Jews for Jesus official mission statement is "to make the Messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide." Through media advertisements, production and distribution of literature, producing music and organizing person-to-person evangelism, the organization asserts that "a specifically Jewish mission" is necessary, saying "Jewish people tend to dismiss evangelistic methods and materials that are couched in Christian lingo, because they reinforce the assumption that Jesus is for 'them' not 'us.'"[15]
Jews for Jesus promotes awareness of the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith. Their website contains brief descriptions of Jewish festivals.[16] The group also provides programs that provide their Christian interpretation of Jewish holidays such as Passover, Sukkot and Hanukkah, explaining what they consider messianic elements and how they believe these festivals are related to Jesus.
