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| Pâ•qidꞋ Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu |
“Denver, CO, Yom Shᵊlish•iꞋ, 24 Sivan, 5759 ([1999.06.08]), Root & Branch: For the past two and a half years, Nathan and Temima were part of the Orthodox Jewish community of Denver. They kept the Sabbath and ate only kosher food. They both studied Tor•âhꞋ with members of the community. They had an Orthodox wedding and their son had a "bris" (ritual circumcision). Recently, Nathan was hired to teach English at one of the Jewish day schools in Denver.
“So? What could be the problem?
“Nathan and Temima aren't Jewish. Nathan admitted to being part of a Hebrew-Christian plot to infiltrate the Orthodox Jewish community and to ultimately assist in bringing members of their Hebrew-Christian congregation to Israel.
“The plot was revealed in mid [99.05], by former members of the same Hebrew-Christian congregation. While Tony and Susan were still members of Adat Elohim Chaim, a Hebrew-Christian congregation in Ft. Collins, Colorado, they were made aware of a plan to place Nathan and Temima inside the Orthodox Jewish community. (The existence of such a plan was subsequently corroborated by another former member of Adat Elohim Chaim.)
“The Hebrew-Christians wanted people to infiltrate the Orthodox Jewish community so that their congregation could be taught to appear to be Jewish. According to Tony, they also planned to move as many members of the congregation to Israel as possible, and establish a Hebrew-Christian moshav (collective community) which would serve as a center for proselytizing.
“In certain ways they succeeded. According to Tony and Susan, Nathan and Temima taught the Hebrew-Christian congregation that they should wash their hands before saying the blessing over bread. Nathan and Temima also taught them "Bentsching" (Grace after meals). They showed the Hebrew-Christian congregation how to look more Orthodox – explaining about tzitzis for men and hair covering for the women.
“Nathan and Temima almost succeeded in getting to Israel as well. Vouchers for the airline tickets provided by the Israeli government were in their hands when their deception was exposed. The Israel Aliyah office has since revoked the vouchers, because of their deception.
“Nathan and Temima were confronted with their deception by Tony and Susan (former members of the Hebrew-Christian congregation), Rabbi Mayer Schwab, Rabbi Aron Yehuda Schwab (head of the Denver Community Kollel) and by Rabbi Aron Schwab's wife, in separate meetings. Initially, Temima denied their affiliation with the Hebrew-Christian congregation Adat Elohim Chaim and the existence of any such plot. However, when confronted with the information that Tony had, Nathan broke down and admitted the existence of the plot to infiltrate the Jewish community and to get members of Adat Elohim Chaim to Israel.
“Nathan also disclosed the fact that no members of his family were Jewish, but maintained that Temima's mother was Jewish. Temima finally admitted an affiliation with Adat Elohim Chaim at one time, and ultimately admitted that her father was the head of that Hebrew-Christian congregation.
“In spite of these admissions, Nathan desperately tried to salvage their plans to go to Israel by telling the Israel Aliyah office a day later that Rabbi Aron Schwab, the head of the Kollel, was mistaken. Nathan claimed that he never admitted that he wasn't Jewish, and maintained again that he was.
“Later that same day, in a lengthy conversation with Mark Powers, National Director of Jews for Judaism, Nathan admitted that he once again lied to the Aliyah office. The truth was that Nathan wasn't born Jewish, but had undergone a "conversion" to Judaism by "Rabbi" Nathan Lerer. Jews for Judaism was instrumental in exposing Lerer, who is not a rabbi, in 1991.
“Lerer's conversion mill is a money making scheme in which the only requirement for conversion is a $1,000 to $3,000 fee. When asked whether he was aware that Lerer's conversions weren't accepted within the Jewish community, Nathan indicated that he was indeed aware of it. Upon further questioning by Powers, Nathan and Temima revealed that they both had undergone "conversion" by Lerer.
“When Nathan was asked about his mother and Temima's parents, both admitted that their parents weren't Jewish, and that their parents had also undergone the bogus "conversions" by Lerer.
“Nathan and Temima sent a letter of apology to Denver's Orthodox Jewish community in which they stated that "it is impossible to express our regret for the damage we caused by our dishonesty. We were wrong and have no excuse, reason or recourse for our horrible actions. We are so sorry for the pain and agony that we have caused everyone… Please know that we didn't mean to cause problems or hurt anyone – ever."
“Along with their letter Nathan and Temima sent $1,400 that they owed to various members of the Jewish community.
“Nathan and Temima went on to state that their actions had "…nothing to do with any kind of 'messianic infiltration plan.'"
“In his conversation with Powers, Nathan denied the existence of any plan, which directly contradicted what Nathan had told Rabbi Schwab. Later in the same conversation with Powers, Nathan indicated that he wasn't quite sure if such a plan existed, claiming that if there was a plan, he and Temima weren't part of it.
“Another former member of Adat Elohim Chaim, in a later discussion with Powers, corroborated Tony and Susan's allegations about the plan's existence. "I can't understand why Nathan would say that he didn't know about the plan," they said.
“While this story is indeed shocking, it is by no means unusual. Many other similar stories of deception by members of the Hebrew-Christian movement have been brought to the attention of Jews for Judaism.
“In Texas for example, the leader of a Hebrew-Christian group attempted to obtain a conversion to Judaism without ever revealing his belief or position. He also wanted to make Aliyah to Israel, and establish his base of operations there.
“In Florida, Texas and a number of other states, Hebrew-Christians have repeatedly infiltrated chapters of Hadassah in order to promote their agendas. Fortunately, Hadassah has taken a bold step to head off these advances by adopting a clear resolution against proselytizing within their ranks. Hadassah remains the only national Jewish organization to have enacted such a resolution.
“Rabbi Aron Yehuda Schwab noted that Jewish communities need to be more cognizant of the activities of Hebrew-Christian groups, and in particular the way they attempt to infiltrate the Jewish community.
“"I knew that 'Jews for Jesus' existed", said Rabbi Schwab, "but I never felt that we in the Orthodox community would be impacted by them. I always knew of the existence of Jews for Judaism as well, but I never imagined that we would one day need to turn to them for help. Thank G-d that Jews for Judaism was there to help us."
This approach is very old news to the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ. Everyday, I routinely process approaches from Christian non-Jews claiming to be Jews (expecting us to recognize them and then cite our recognition). Many seek our help to come to Israel. Still many others seek our help to convert – while retaining their Christians beliefs – in order to come to Israel. Christian Jews seek our help to come to Israel. The Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ rebuff all such approaches. While we extend an invitation both for Jews to make tᵊshuv•âhꞋ and for non-Jews to serve é‑‑ä according to úÌåÉøÈä and be counted (as non-Jewish geir•imꞋ) with Israel to share in ha-O•lamꞋ ha•baꞋ, I offer a word of advice. As a born and raised (former) Christian myself, I have an insider’s native familiarity with all manner of Christianity worthy of Jews for Judaism’s envy. If you want to serve é‑‑ä according to úÌåÉøÈä and be counted with legitimate Israel you can do this as a non-Jewish geir; you don’t have to become a Jew to serve é‑‑ä and be counted with Israel – but, for what you think of as "personal eternal salvation," you do have to renounce Jesus, the Διαθηκη Καινη (NT) and Christian doctrines to turn and do your utmost to learn and practice Tor•âhꞋ according to the interpretations of a legitimate Beit Din (no longer your own eyes and your own heart) and be counted with the world community of legitimate Jews and the State of Israel.
As well known as the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ have become, it is also obvious that Christian “Messianics” realize that the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ, already long established in the Orthodox community in Israel, will never be their ticket to evade the responsibilities of doing their utmost to learn and live according to Tor•âhꞋ. The Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ offer the only way (!) for a follower of RibꞋi Yᵊho•shuꞋa as Mâ•shiꞋakh to serve é‑‑ä according to Tor•âhꞋ as a non-Jew in the Orthodox Jewish community. But you must be straightforward, concealing nothing, and deal with whatever your facts happen to be. Dishonesty and/or concealment have no place in the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ program. Bogus conversions, and even conversions by legitimate Orthodox rabbis under Orthodox auspices when based on subterfuge, will be overturned when they are exposed, just as the above couple’s Jewish marriage is null and void because it was based on subterfuge. Moreover, because it makes it more difficult, perhaps impossible, for legitimate candidates to convert, subterfuge is a particularly insidious and heinous evil which harms innocent gentiles who believe – within the parameters of Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ – that historical RibꞋi Yᵊho•shuꞋa is the Mâ•shiꞋakh and are genuine in their desire to serve ha-Sheim according to Tor•âhꞋ.
This, however, also works to the advantage of the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ since we don’t require (or perform) conversions. The more difficult it becomes for non-Jews to convert, the more significant and necessary the status of non-Jewish geir becomes – and the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ (not the imposters in Texas, Australia, etc.) still remain the only Orthodox group who has succeeded in developing halakhically supported criteria (dating from the 1st century) for admitting non-Jewish geir•imꞋ.
While the subterfuge of the Christian Messianics is appalling, so, too, is the incompetent oversight of the Orthodox rabbis to educate themselves, and their communities, to the problem. Even after this incident, even the Rabbi (Schwab) still hasn’t educated himself that though both are Christian ‘Messianic’ groups, there are significant differences between Jews for Jesus and ‘Edat Elohim Chaim.’ The two are not at all the same thing, and defending against the spectrum of Christian ‘Messianic’ threats requires a more knowledgeable Orthodox public which, in turn, implies a more knowledgeable Orthodox rabbinate to teach them. Yet, counter-productively, the response of the Orthodox community continues to fluctuate between the extremes of hiding their heads in the sand or a hand grenade approach that only backfires. Unsurprisingly, therefore, organizations like Jews for Judaism, who could be doing a far more effective job, still seem to view the experts in Christianity and Christian ‘Messianics’ – the legitimate Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ here in Ra•a•nanꞋâ(h), Israel – with suspicion instead of working with us to implement effective immunizations.
Working with former members of ‘Edat Elohim Chaim’ is the most effective way to deal with infiltrations by current members of ‘Edat Elohim Chaim.’ However, no other Orthodox group remotely approaches the insider’s native experience with Christian groups of the diversity, or on the scale, that the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ have. My documentation in the Orthodox Jewish community and rabbinate in Israel is impeccable, and working together is the only way to develop the most effective antidotes.
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