Can a Jew who believes Jesus Christ is the Messiah still make aliyah?

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Ivri Anokhi

If you are serious, please, do the Jewish people a favor and call yourself a Christian.

But you can return to Judaism at any time.

Israel needs Jews, but not apostates.

.

Itay Lahad

That makes you Christian...which is fine. But since your parents are Jewish you can make aliyah.

Proud Grandma

If you beleive in Jesus then you need to be honest and tell them you are christian, otherwise you are deceiving in your Aliyah and you will be returned back if they find out you lied your way to Israel. You are not consider Jewish to them but if your parents are Jewish, you are ok, just tell the truth about yourself. You are Jewish by race but by religion you are christian.

monkeysinamerica

If you believe in Jesus Christ and that He is the Messiah, why denounce Him and His power by trying to make aliyah?

Jesus Christ of Nazareth was born a Jew. Before Jesus arrived, the Jews did not believe in Him, they needed to see signs and miracles before they would believe, and even after God provided signs and miracles they still did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

Aliyah is a man-made tradition, and in the bible God tells his people (Jews) to not partake in 'tradition' as tradition and 'religion' can destroy faith in Him.

Why do you want to make Aliyah if you truly believe in Jesus Christ?

I faced the same question some years ago.

Matthew 15:3
Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

Mark 7:5-9
5So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"

6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'[b] 8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions!

John 3:36
36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."[a]

Michael J

I depends how strongly affiliated with Christianity you are. There's a famous supreme court case of one Brother Daniel. He was a Jewish boy hidden in a church during the Holocaust, and he ended up believing in Christianity and becoming a priest. He was granted Israeli citizenship, but wanted to be identified as a 'Jew' by the government. The supreme court decided that you cannot still be considered a Jew if you follow another religion. Since there is no room for the belief in Jesus in Judaism, you might be in trouble there.

diana

all that matters is what written on a paper!!! don't listen to people you say wrong things!
if your mother or your father is Jewish you can make aliyah!!!
it doesn't matter what you believe in.....
first of all there are many jewish people who don't believe in God... so trust me.. it's ok
second of all it's a free counry

brianinchina2003

This "Are Messianic Jews really Jewish or not" debate is foolish and based on a simple refusal to understand the dual meaning of the word Jewish, which is obvious.

Jewish originally referred to a race with a unique religion.

From the time of Christ there were those Jews who believed Yeshua was Meshiach (a small minority which became an insignificant minority) and those who did not. Those who did not used the word Jewish, when it suited them, to mean those of the Judaistic religion, and also when it suited them to mean all those of Jewish ethnic origin.

There are converted Jews such as Ethiopians and Somalis with no proven Jewish ethnicity, and these are accepted as Jews, by religion. There are also many Jews, especially from Russia and eastern Europe, who are Christian and eat pork, and they are accepted in Israel as Jews because it suits Israel to have large-scale immigration to fight the "demographic war" against the Arabs.

So it's simple - Messianic Jews are Jewish ethnically but not by religion. So obvious. Why the debate? Because Jews (most of whom are secular anyway) want to confuse and cloud the issue.

I don't know the definitive answer to your question because I've met a lot of Messianic Jews and Christians who are ethnically Jewish in Israel and they are convinced that the authorities watch and follow them to see if they're going to church and having contact with Christians during the Aliya vetting process. They're afraid of being turned down.

There is even a law in Israel which states that anyone who changes his religion from Judaism loses his automatic right to live there. In fact it is illegal in Israel to change your religion, or even to "proselytise". But compare this with the indiscriminate welcome of Jews of any faith and none following the collapse of the USSR. Doesn't make much sense, but then in Israel, what does?

CogitoErgoCogitoSum

Religious faith is not a genetic trait that gets passed down from generation to generation.

Make a distinction here... are you of the Jewish faith or of Jewish descent/culture/heritage?

If you believe in Christ then you are a Christian... not a Jew.

Just because Im black doesnt mean I like basketball. Just because youre Jewish (genetics) doesnt mean youre Jewish (religion).

First, define the words youre using. Too many misconceptions in our society derive from failure to understand the definition of a word. Then define yourself when you actually know what youre talking about.

I dont know what aliyah is... but if its a cultural thing then whats stopping you from doing it or having it or making it? Your faith is in your heart, whether youre Christian or Jew... not in the superficial ritualistic culture crap you perform with friends and family.

But dont expect to place religious faith in all religious practices and still appease each God. Praise Allah too, why dont you. Praise Ra, the Sun God. Who knows which religion is the correct one? But if you follow Judaism then you are not following Christianity, and vise versa. Some religions exclude others as possibilities, as Christianity does. So you cant win by preaching both faiths.

arbel y

Yes.

guylookin4fun06

A Jew can't believe in that numbnuts heyzoos.

moneymaker

What in the world makes you, a Jew, believe in Jesus Christ? That's what Christians are for! :)))))

Alessandro84

I am Muslim, and I believe Jesus is the Messiah and I am still a Muslim.

However, in Islam, we don't believe that Jesus is the son of god, we believe he was only a messenger of god created without a father.

in our faith, and no offence, Jesus was sent because Jews altered the message of Moses. And after that, Christians lost their way and thought Jesus is the son of god because of his miracles. Finally, prophet Mohammed came to continue the same origianl message carried by both Moses and Jesus Christ.

I know this is irrelevant to your question, but hey, think Islam

noone u

ur not jewish if u believe the messiah is jesus or are u just a non practicing jew who believs in christianity but hasnt converted

Mark S, JPAA

A Jew who believes in Jesus as the Messiah is ***not*** Jewish by any definition that other Jews use. Here are a few salient quotes, taken from the reference section of this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_for_Jesus

1. â€œ"We believe that Jewishness is a birthright. It is inherited from our parents. Our people are not of one culture; we have diverse cultural expressions (Ashkenazi/Sephardi, Georgian/Russian, Ethiopian, Persian, etc.). Our people are not of one religion. While Judaism might be the traditional religion for many Jewish people, Jews are still considered Jewish even though they might be atheists or even if they embrace other beliefs. Those who say that Jews who believe in Jesus are errant Jews or misguided Jews are entitled to their opinions. But they are not entitled to negate our Jewishness. We are Jews by birth and that cannot change."
2. "There is virtual unanimity across all denominations [of Judaism] that Jews for Jesus are not Jewish." (Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, pp. 139-140).
3. "For most American Jews, it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. Jews for Jesus and other Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews". (Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, p. 9).
4. Jewish groups:
o "To make the record clear, Jews for Jesus is a Christian missionary organization â€“ period." Jews for Jesus: Jewish or Christian? You Decide, Jews for Judaism website, retrieved September 11, 2006.
o "Messianic Jewish organizations, such as Jews for Jesus, often refer to their faith as fulfilled Judaism, in that they believe Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies. Although Messianic Judaism claims to be Jewish, and many adherents observe Jewish holidays, most Jews regard Messianic Judaism as deceptive at best, fraudulent at worst. They charge that Messianic Judaism is actually Christianity presenting itself as Judaism." (Balmer, Randall. Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism, Baylor University Press, Nov 2004, p. 448).

Mikld

Ever heard of a group called "Jews for Jesus"? They believe.

allyourjazz

Messianic Jews follow Jesus, however it is not considered to be a form of Judaism. They still observe all the Jewish traditions and rituals. I visited a Messianic synagogue recently for a class and enjoyed it although i'm not Jewish =) But I'm not familiar with aliyah either =

The Mikester

How can you be Jewish if you believe in Jesus?

TheEconomist

No! There is no such thing as a Jew who beleives Jesus is the Messiah. Give it up and tell your parents you are Christian.

cireengineering

I guess so.

Mr T

History of the Jews in the Land of Israel begins mainly from the ancient Israelites (also known as Hebrews), who settled in the land of Israel. The Israelites traced their common lineage to the biblical patriarch Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Jewish tradition holds that the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob's twelve sons (one of which was named Judah), who settled in Egypt. Their direct descendants respectively divided into twelve tribes, who were enslaved under the rule of an Egyptian pharaoh. In the Jewish faith, the emigration of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan (the Exodus), led by the prophet Moses, marks the formation of the Israelites as a people.

Throughout the centuries, in spite of oppression, banishment, and slaughter, there was an uninterrupted continuity of Jewish life in the country. The Jewish community in the land of Israel has always played a unique role in Jewish history.

This article refers to the history in the Land of Israel in the boundaries defined by Canaan or as the region later also known by the Roman name of Palestina.

Contents [hide]
1 Early times
2 Fall of the Kingdom of Judah
3 The Hasmonean Kingdom and Roman rule
4 Late Roman period
5 Byzantine period
6 Islamic and Crusader periods
7 Mamluk period
8 Ottoman period
9 20th Century
9.1 British Mandate
9.2 War of Independence
9.3 Modern nation of Israel
9.4 Present day
10 Notes
11 External links
12 References

[edit] Early times
Main article: History of ancient Israel and Judah

Tribal allotments of Israel (1759 map)Jewish tradition holds that after forty years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites arrived to Canaan and conquered it under the command of Joshua, dividing the land among the twelve tribes. For a period of time, the united twelve tribes were led by a series of rulers known as Judges. After this period, an Israelite monarchy was established under Saul, and continued under King David and Solomon. King David conquered Jerusalem (first a Canaanite, then a Jebusite town) and made it his capital. After Solomon's reign the nation split into two kingdoms, Israel, consisting of ten of the tribes (in the north), and Judah, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (in the south). Israel was conquered by the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser V in the 8th century BCE. There is no commonly accepted historical record of those ten tribes, which are sometimes referred to as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.

[edit] Fall of the Kingdom of Judah
The kingdom of Judah was conquered by a Babylonian army in the early 6th century BCE. The Judahite elite was exiled to Babylon, but later at least a part of them returned to their homeland, led by prophets Ezra and Nehemiah, after the subsequent conquest of Babylonia by the Persians. Jews were allowed to return with the Temple vessels that the Babylonians had taken. Construction of the Second Temple was completed under the spiritual leadership of the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah.

At this point there was the formation of Jewish political-religious factions, the most important of which would later be called Sadduccees and Pharisees.

[edit] The Hasmonean Kingdom and Roman rule

The Hasmonean KingdomAfter the Persians were defeated by Alexander the Great, his demise, and the division of Alexander's empire among his generals, the Seleucid Kingdom was formed. A deterioration of relations between hellenized Jews and religious Jews led the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes to impose decrees banning certain Jewish religious rites and traditions. Consequently, the orthodox Jews revolted under the leadership of the Hasmonean family, (also known as the Maccabees). This revolt eventually led to the formation of an independent Jewish kingdom, known as the Hasmonaean Dynasty, which lasted from 165 BCE to 63 BCE. The Maccabees purified the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, an event that to this day is celebrated on by Jews on Chanukkah. The Hasmonean Dynasty eventually disintegrated as a result of civil war between the sons of Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. The people, who did not want to be governed by a king but by theocratic clergy, made appeals in this spirit to the Roman authorities. A Roman campaign of conquest and annexation, led by Pompey, soon followed.

Judea under Roman rule was at first an independent Jewish kingdom, but gradually the rule over Judea became less and less Jewish, until it became under the direct rule of Roman administration (and renamed the Iudaea Province), which was often callous and brutal in its treatment of its Judean subjects. In 66 CE, Judeans began to revolt against the Roman rulers of Judea. The revolt was defeated by the Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus Flavius. The Romans destroyed much of the Temple in Jerusalem and, according to some accounts, stole artifacts from the temple, such as the Menorah. Altogether, 1,100,000 Jews perished during the revolt and another 97,000 were taken captive.

Major battles were in Masada and in Gamla. Gamla was the district capital of the Golan Heights first established by the last king of the Hasmonean dynasty. Gamla's citizens saw their battle as directly connected to Jerusalem and fiercely defended their stronghold. Eventually, all of the 9000 city's residents were killed. Both historical sites of Masada and Gamla have been excavated and are frequently visited in the modern State of Israel.

Judeans continued to live in their land in significant numbers, and were allowed to practice their religion, until the 2nd century when Julius Severus ravaged Judea while putting down the Bar Kokhba revolt. 985 villages were destroyed. Banished from Jerusalem, the Jewish population now centred on Galilee.

This was also the time of Schism between Judaism and Christianity. Many Christians considered the new religion to supersede Judaism. See also Council of Jamnia.

[edit] Late Roman period
This was the period of the tannaim, rabbis who organized and debated the Jewish oral law. The decisions of the tannaim are contained in the Mishnah, Beraita, Tosefta, and various Midrash compilations. The Mishnah is completed in Israel by Judah haNasi and the Jerusalem Talmud is compiled.

In 351 CE, the Jewish population in Sepphoris infuriated with the harsh Roman laws started a bold revolt under the leadership of Patricius against the rule of Constantius Gallus. The revolt was eventually subdued by Ursicinus.

The last pagan Roman Emperor, Julian, allowed the Jews to return to "holy Jerusalem which you have for many years longed to see rebuilt" and to rebuild the Temple.

In 359, Hillel II created Jewish calendar based on the lunar year. Until then, The entire Jewish community outside the land of Israel depended on the calendar sanctioned by the Sanhedrin; this was necessary for the proper observance of the Jewish holy days. However, danger threatened the participants in that sanction and the messengers who communicated their decisions to distant congregations. As the religious persecutions continued, Hillel determined to provide an authorized calendar for all time to come.

[edit] Byzantine period
Jews at this time in Israel were living under the oppressive rule of the Byzantines under whom there were two more Jewish revolts and three Samaritan revolts. Under the oppression, Jews still lived in at least forty-three Jewish communities in Israel: twelve towns on the coast, in the Negev, and east of the Jordan, and thirty-one villages in Galilee and in the Jordan valley.

In 438, The Empress Eudocia removed the ban on Jews' praying at the Temple site and the heads of the Community in Galilee issued a call "to the great and mighty people of the Jews": "Know that the end of the exile of our people has come"!

In 450, the Talmud Yerushalmi (Talmud of Jerusalem) is completed.

In 613, a Jewish revolt against the Byzantine Empire coming into aid of the Persian invaders erupted. The Jews gained autonomy in Jerusalem for 5 years but were frustrated with its limitations. At that time the Persians betrayed the agreements with the Jews and Jews were again expelled from Jerusalem. The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius then managed to overcome the Persian forces with the aid of Jewish leader Benjamin of Tiberias. Nevertheless, he betrayed the Jews too and put thousands of Jewish refugees to flight from Israel to Egypt.

[edit] Islamic and Crusader periods
In 638 CE, the Byzantine Empire lost control of the Mideast. The Arab Islamic Empire under Caliph Omar conquered Jerusalem and the lands of Mesopotamia, Syria, Palaestina, and Egypt. Under the various rules, Jews suffered and moved from driven from villages, to towns to coastal towns being reduced in numbers due to massacres. Nevertheless, the Jews still controlled much of the commerce in Israel. The Jews worked as assayers of coins, dyers, tanners and bankers in the community.

The niqqud was invented in Tiberias. The Jews defended Jerusalem and Haifa against the Crusaders in 1099. At the time, there were Jewish communities throughout the country which included Jerusalem, Tiberias, Ramleh, Ashkelon, Caesarea, and Gaza. Yehuda Halevi famously makes his trip to Jerusalem.

The Jews almost single-handedly defended Haifa against the Crusaders, holding out in the besieged town for a whole month (June-July 1099). At this time, there were Jewish communities all over the country. 50 of them are known by name and include Jerusalem, Tiberias, Ramleh, Ashkelon, Caesarea, and Gaza. Along with the Arabs and the Turks, the Jews vigorously defended Jerusalem. When the city fell, the Crusaders gathered the Jews in a synagogue and burned them.

Jews were not allowed to hold land in the Crusader period but concentrated their efforts on the commerce in the coastal towns during times of quiescence. Most of them were artisans: glassblowers in Sidon, furriers and dyers in Jerusalem.

The Hebrew orthography Niqqud, the system of diacritical vowel points in the Hebrew alphabet was created at this time by the Masoretes of Tiberias (see Masoretic Text, Tiberian Hebrew). A large volume of piyutim and midrashim had their origin in Palestine in those days.

During Maimonides' residence in Jerusalem, a synagogue stood on the Temple Mount alongside other structures; Maimonides prayed there. He wrote that in 1165 he visited Jerusalem and went up on to the Temple Mount and prayed in the "great, holy house".[1] Maimonides established a yearly holiday for himself and his sons, the 6th of Cheshvan, commemorating the day he went up to pray on the Temple Mount, and another, the 9th of Cheshvan, commemorating the day he merited to pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

In 1141 Yehuda Halevi issued a call to the Jews to emigrate to the land of Israel and took on the long journey himself. After a stormy passage from CÃ³rdoba, he arrived in Egyptian Alexandria, where he was enthusiastically greeted by friends and admirers. At Damietta, he had to struggle against the promptings of his own heart, and the pleadings of his friend á¸¤alfon ha-Levi, that he remain in Egypt; which also was Jewish soil, and free from intolerant oppression. He, however resisted the temptation to remain there, and started on the tedious land route, trodden of old by the Israelite wanderers in the desert. Again he is met with, worn-out, with broken heart and whitened hair, in Tyre and Damascus. Jewish legend relates that as he came near Jerusalem, over-powered by the sight of the Holy City, he sang his most beautiful elegy, the

gremlins

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