Faith

Faith

MembersMessianic Jews in the Eyes of Israel, Part 1

How many Messianic Jews live in Israel? Different sources cite different numbers based on their agendas.

Photo: Sophie Gordon / Flash 90

Introduction

Not a few Messianic Jews in Israel today have encountered discrimination and injustice from individuals in society, the media, or the government. For this series, Israeli newspaper articles from 1979 until 2016 were analyzed by the Caspari Center with the focus on the depiction of Jewish believers in the media.

First of all, the struggle of identity needs to be mentioned. The question of “Who is a Jew?” is a reoccurring theme throughout the years regarding different issues. Congregations usually do not publish exact figures regarding their membership; therefore only estimated numbers of believers in Israel are given here. However, the enormous discrepancy in these estimates indicates that different sources bear different agendas in mind: Some sources claim a higher number in order to underline the threat Messianic Jews pose to Orthodox Judaism; others name a lower amount with the purpose of diminishing the importance, and even influence in society, of this minority group in the country.

The Question of Messianic Jewish Identity

The identity struggle for Messianic Jewish believers in Israel is manifest not...

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Patrick Callahan

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