Torah Life & Living

Jews dont proselytize.... Why?

        It is very interesting that Jews do not go out and missionize or proselytize their faith. In fact, we even try to dissuade non-Jews who say they want to convert. We try three times to explain to them that they don't need to convert to make it to Heaven. We ask them why they would want to expose themselves to the horrors of anti-semitism. We discuss reward and punishment and the difficulty that exists in keeping all of the commandments of Judaism. However, when the person still claims that they want to convert properly ... A Jewish court sets up a system of study and after that time of study ends, and the person passes they are then converted and fully welcomed into the Jewish people.

        Why don't Jews proselytize? It is not one of the commandments because we believe that there are many roads to G-d. One can be a Christian or a muslim or whatever and still be able to serve and relate to G-d. Someone not Jewish can attain heaven according to Judaism so we don't feel the need to try and convert anyone to be Jewish.

        When you try and replace the ORIGINAL, the way you feel that you are right is by convincing more and more people to join your religion. Judaism never felt the need to convert people to know that it was the correct religion. We cherish being the "Chosen People" and we try our bests to live up to that title.

T,B,X,Q,Z,A,Y

        What a great way to learn the English language? It doesn't make sense does it? So why when Jews are approached by missionaries are they taught or shown the bible in such a fashion? I wouldn't mind if they would tell us to read the book in order. How does one get to Isaiah 53 without reading the first 52 chapters? How can Leviticus 17:11 make sense without reading the begining of the book?

        Regardless this is how Jews are tricked into thinking that the missionaries might be right. Once they plant the thought in your head, they feel free to find one verse to show you that "SEEMS" to back up what they are saying. In most cases, the missionaries have taken the verse out of context or mistranslated it, or even worse, fabricated the entire verse. Unfortunately, the poor unsuspecting and uneducated Jew is not aware enough to smell a rat or is too naive to believe that this missionary may be lying to him. Lets try and have honest discussions and lets see what happens then. I know the missionaries wont do that!!

"Don't have to be Jewish to love Levys' rye bread"

        The beauty of Judaism in relation to Christianity is that we open up Heaven to any righteous Gentile and we do not make the claim that you have to be Jewish to get into Heaven.
        On the other hand, though Christians are constantly trying to scare the hell into us by quoting
John 14:6 which states "And jesus said "I am the truth, the life and the way, no one comes onto the father but through me". This is why Christians are always proselytizing and trying to get people to give up their Faith and convert.
        We the Jews are only interested in teaching non Jews the 7 universal laws known as the
"Noachide laws". We teach that if Gentiles observe these 7 laws they can achieve Heaven just like Jews who are required to keep all 613 commandments that are found in the Bible.
        I believe that our belief speaks of a G-d that makes serving Him and relating to him available to everyone no matter what their faith or Religion is.That is why Jews have never tried to proselytize anyone and can relate to all faiths. The "My way or the highway" approach has has been responsible for the tragic, bloody, suffering existence that the Jews have been forced to endure since the birth of Christianity.

Keeping Jews Jewish and Proud!!

    G-d has given each one of us the right to choose what we do in life. I feel that in order to make a choice one must have options and knowledge about the choices in order to make an educated choice. In my experience, I have found that when Jews have made a choice to believe in  jesus, it is always done for purely emotional reasons that do not allow for an educated choice. It always seems to come down to the statement "My heart tells me its right". The fact is that G-d tells us not to follow our heart and our eyes for they lead us astray. I have had Jewish Professionals, who have accepted jesus, tell me that they have "Flushed their minds down the toilet and are led by jesus.

    One of the problems I have with that attitude is that it totally removes responsibility and free choice from the individual.G-d went to the trouble of giving the Jews the Torah with 613 commandments and we have the obligation to fulfill them as a people. G-d told us he puts before us good and evil, life and death...choose life. We must serve G-d and live our lives to the fullest by connecting with Him through the performance of those Commandments. The choice is ours and it must be made.In future blogs i will talk about how this concept works and why it is so important. I believe Jews choosing jesus are simply running away from their responsibilities.

RESTORING JEWISH PRIDE AND IDENTITY

     My name is Aaron Schwarzbaum and i am the Founder and Executive Director of Torah Life and Living. T.L.L. is an organization that is called the "E.R. for Jewish Souls". We are involved with situations such as cults, Drugs, teens at risk and mostly Jews who have been convinced or tricked into believing in jesus.

    I believe this is one of the greatest problems facing the Jewish people because there are over 900 missionary organizations spending over 300 million dollars solely targeting Jews for conversion to Christianity.I have been involved with fighting this effort against us for over 34 years!

    I believe that everyone has a right to choose whatever they want to believe, but i think that in order to make a "choice" one must have choices . when one is not knowledgeable about their Judaism, and are then bombarded with Christian conversionary literature, it is not really a choice being made.

    I am hoping to begin blogging about this problem 3 times a week. I hope to share my experiences, beliefs and knowledge with whoever desires to read my blog. I will do my best to be honest, accurate and to always blog with the deepest commitment to try and help my Jewish people stay Jewish. My goal is Jewish pride and Jewish Identity. I welcome the readers and I will try to respond to many if not all those who contact me!

 With Torah Blessings; Aaron