Messianic Judaism

Messianic Judaism

Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of Jewish terminology and ritual....

 is a syncretic religious movement

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian

Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

 theology with elements of Jewish

Judaism

Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

 terminology and ritual. Messianic Judaism states that Jesus

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

 is not merely a man, but the Jewish Messiah

Jewish Messiah

Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...

 and "God the Son

God the Son

God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...

" (one person

Hypostasis (religion)

In Christian theology, a hypostasis or person is one of the three elements of the Holy Trinity.In Christian usage, the Greek word hypostasis means beneath-standing or underpinning and, by extension, the existence of some thing...

 of the Trinity

Trinity

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...

), and that salvation is only achieved through acceptance of Jesus as one's savior. Any Jewish law

Halakha

Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...

s or customs that are followed are cultural and do not contribute to attaining salvation. Belief in the messiahship and divinity of Jesus, which Messianic Judaism shares, is viewed by many Christian denomination

Christian denomination

A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...

s and Jewish religious movements as being a defining distinction between Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 and Judaism.

Some members of the movement are ethnically Jewish, and some of them argue that Messianic Judaism is a sect of Judaism. Jewish organizations and religious movements reject this, stating that Messianic Judaism is a Christian sect. The Supreme Court of Israel has ruled that the Law of Return

Law of Return

The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...

 should treat Jews who convert to Messianic Judaism the same way it treats Jews who convert to Christianity. Mainstream Christian groups generally accept Messianic Judaism as a form of Christianity.

Associations of congregations

Name	Formed	Focus	Current (or last) Leader	Headquartered In
Chosen People Ministries Chosen People Ministries Chosen People Ministries is a religious organization that melds Judaism with evangelical Christian faith and engages in evangelism to Jews. It supports development of congregations of adherents to Messianic Judaism, which it describes as "faith communities that stress the Jewish context of the...	1894 by Leopold Cohn	Chosen People Ministries, formerly known as the American Board of Missions to the Jews, is an organization founded in 1894 by Leopold Cohn as the Brownsville Mission to Jews. It purpose is to convince Jews that worship of Jesus Jesus Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...  is compatible with Judaism. It currently focuses on the production of evangelistic material, geared towards converting Jews and material which links aspects of the Torah Torah Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...  as the Passover Passover Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...  Seder Passover Seder The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...  with Jesus Jesus Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity... . They also plant Messianic Synagogues Church Body A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...  throughout the world.	[Mitch Glaser	New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Messianic Jewish Alliance of America Messianic Jewish Alliance of America The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America was founded in 1915 as the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America.-History:The Hebrew Christian Alliance of America began in the early 19th century as missions by churches to Jews...  (MJAA)	1915	Formerly known as Hebrew Christian Alliance of America, MJAA renamed itself in 1975 to Messianic Jewish Alliance of America to change tactics in evangelism and to coincide with terminology changes in the wider movement.	MJAA General secretary Joel Chernoff Joel Chernoff Joel Chernoff is an American Singer-songwriter and a founding member of the music group Lamb.-External links:* - official website of Lamb and Joel Chernoff...	Springfield, Pennsylvania Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
International Federation of Messianic Jews	1978	IFMJ claims to be the only association of Messianic Sephardic Jews in the world, with member congregations in Argentina, Brazil, France, Israel, Mexico, and the USA. The website notes they are independent of any Christian organization.	Rabbi Haim Levi	Tampa, Florida Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Messianic Bureau International (MBI)	1994, by David Hargis	A Messianic Jewish Association for establishing and chartering congregations and ministries, and training and certifying Messianic rabbis and ministers http://www.messianicbureau.org/ also mbicanada.cjb.net	MRav. Avner Solomon	Halifax, NS
Word of Messiah Ministries	1996	Word of Messiah Ministries provides training to develop Messianic leaders for evangelism, disciple making, and congregation planting among the Jewish people around the world. This work results in more and better Messianic congregations, and Messianic leaders in the worldwide Messianic movement.	Sam Nadler, President	Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
Messianic Israel Alliance	1999	An organization of over 130 Messianic congregations and ministries.
Association of Messianic Congregations (AMC)	2003	The Association of Messianic Congregations provides resources, teaching and fellowship that promote Biblical values, proclaims personal faith in Yeshua as the one Atonement for all humanity, and encourages worship through the diversity of Jewish expressions of faith. It is led by a board of directors.	Pete Koziar is the current Vice- President.	Ledgewood, New Jersey Ledgewood, New Jersey Ledgewood is an unincorporated area within Roxbury Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07852....
Atlantic Messianic Alliance of America (AMAA)	2008	AMAA is a training group and organization that trains and develops Messianic leaders for evangelism. AMAA closely aligns itself with Nazarene Messianic Judaism.
United Messianic Jewish Alliance (UMJA)	2009	A united alliance of congregations pursuing a Messianic Torah Torah Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...  centered life.	The UMJA is co-led by its Beit Din	Spokane, Washington Spokane, Washington Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship (SBMF)		Messianic Synagogues, Congregations and Fellowships who have chosen to affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...  for mutual support.		Bessemer, Alabama Bessemer, Alabama Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations		Cooperating congregations focused on relational unity of Jews and Gentiles in the Messiah.	Russ Resnik, Executive Director	Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

Schools

Name	Formed	Focus	Current (or last) Leader	Headquartered In
Mekor HaTikvah School	1990	HaTikvah, which means “source of hope,” is a rapidly-growing Messianic primary and middle school (thru 8th grade), the only Messianic school in Jerusalem and one of only two in Israel. Both are supported by CMJ.	Dr. Don Stanley
Beth El Yeshiva	1996	Opened November 1, 1996 by its founder, Dr. David Hargis as an auxiliary of Messianic Bureau International (MBI). The school was created to serve the unique need of those who feel especially called to Messianic studies and leadership, but cannot attend on-site classes.	Linda G. Hargis, Ph.D., President and Academic Dean	Hampton Hampton, Virginia Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts... , VA Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Messianic Jewish Theological Institute	1997	The School of Jewish Studies (SJS) offers an online Master of Jewish Studies degree, as well as Graduate Certificates in Messianic Jewish Studies and Messianic Jewish Writings	Andrew Sparks, CEO	Clermont, FL
Messianic Jewish Bible Institute	Feb, 2001	A training school for leaders who will establish Messianic Jewish congregations and ministries in Jewish communities worldwide. Beginning in Argentina, MBJI now has schools in 9 countries, including the US, Israel, Hungary, Russia, Ethiopia and the Ukraine.	Jorge Goldstein, Founder. Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, Chairman of the Board	Dallas, TX
Charles L. Feinberg Center		The Charles L. Feinberg Center is an accredited Master of Divinity program in Messianic Jewish Studies. The program is designed to train those with a call to full-time Jewish ministry as Messianic congregational leaders, outreach workers or educators. These unique training needs are the focus of a program emphasizing biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek exegesis, and the understanding of rabbinic texts. Essential matters of theology and practice are treated through intensive study of Jewish law, religion, culture, sociology and history.	New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

Publishers

Name	Formed	Focus	Current (or last) Leader	Headquartered In
Jewish Voice Today	1967	A bimonthly magazine published by Jewish Voice Ministries International that seeks to stir the hearts of both Christian and Messianic Jewish Believers alike through a thorough examination of Bible prophecy, the Jewish roots of our faith in Yeshua (Jesus), current events as they relate to Israel.	Louis Kaplan, founder. Jonathan Bernis, President	Phoenix, AZ
Messianic Times	1990	Billed as the leading international Messianic Jewish newspaper, it includes news from the worldwide Messianic community, Israeli current events and analysis, opinion pieces, book and music reviews, teaching articles and a directory of Messianic Jewish congregations.	Paul Liberman	Niagara Falls, NY (USA) and St Catharines, ON (Canada)