Dear Rabbi,
I am a believer who was raised in a non-religious home, although I do
have a Jewish parent and my extended family is Jewish. I am young (nineteen),
and have been a believer in the Messiah for several years.
Am I permitted to join a Messianic Jewish congregation?
It is my father who is Jewish, and so I know that under the law I am
not considered to be truly a Jew The problem is that I feel strongly that
Judaism is in my blood and that it is my heritage. I want to embrace this
part of my identity and learn more about it, while at the same time remain-ing
a committed follower of Yeshua. I would like to know if I qualify to become
part of Messianic Judaism. Thank you.
Sincerely
Young and Earnest
Dear Young and Earnest,
Yes, by all means you are welcome to join a Messianic Jewish synagogue
Although your mom is not Jewish, Messianic, Reform and Reconstructionist
Jews all view Jewishness as deriving from either father or mother. So,
you are Jewish and I am glad that, even as a young person, you sense the
need to live a Jewish life while staying faithful to the Risen One. Like
the old Levy's Rye Bread commercial used to say, "you don't have to be
Jewish to enjoy Levy's." So, you don't have to be Jewish to join a Messianic
Jewish synagogue.
But, for Jewish people like us, it is especially important that we
live after the pattern of our ancestors. If we don't have the support of
a loving synagogue, we can easily assimilate and lose our Jewishness. Surely
God doesn't want this to happen. After all, he's taken us through so many
struggles and trials as a people and still, Am Yisrael Chal-the people
of Israel live. So let's livel
warmly,
Rabbi Rich
PS. If you need help finding a place of worship, please let old Rabbi Rich know. And have we got a national youth ministry for you!
RICH NICHOL is tbe rabbi of Ruach Israel Needham, Massacbusetts.