Community Alert: Christian Evangelicals Offering Shabbat Retreat for Har Nof Orphans
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JewishIsrael.com
[Note: The below alert is a joint statement of JewishIsrael and Jews for Judaism East]
The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) , whose core mission is to tell the world that jesus is coming back and to spread that word from Jerusalem, has launched a widely publicized online/email campaign to comfort and support the bereaved families of the Har Nof massacre.
ICEJ states that they are "determined to be a source of comfort and healing" for the traumatized families. The Jewish communities in Israel and throughout the Diaspora should know that ICEJ is equally determined to bring the "good news" of jesus to the Jews...more
7 comments:
That sounds pretty traif to me!
Thanks for posting this.
Also, which family of those who suffered from this latest slaughter would even think of sending their children to this xtian retreat? This plague is the spiritual onslaught just as the physical one is from the arabs. Hopefully, not one child will go to such a retreat and these 'religious' parents (since those murdered were tzadikim) would allow such a chilul Hashem.
Shalom!
Anonymous, unfortunately the missionaries are very slick and often present programs as being run by Jewish groups. I highly doubt that English speaking families from Har Nof will be duped, but many others have been.
a, Hadassa, the more I think about the stranger the offer seems. For sure it's a fundraising scam, since i just can't imagine anyone sending their kids from Har Nof. But maybe the scam aspect will backfire on them.
Like many of these types of events, evangelical access to the Jewish community's vulnerable sectors (i.e, orphans, terror victims, lone soldiers, Holocaust survivors, and the economically needy) is enabled via well-intentioned Jewish activists and leaders who partner with these groups.
Clarification: Chances are in this case that a Jew was going to get the money from ICEJ and arrange a glatt mehadrin Shabbos for the families, without any Christian attendance.
Hence the last paragraph of our alert:
"It goes without saying that any well-intentioned Jewish activists who are coordinating activities and fundraising efforts with the ICEJ should be aware that such efforts empower Christian outreach to Jews in Israel."
Nevertheless, even if there is absolutely no direct christian participation in such an event, missionary organizations are not only doing this as an effort to reach Jews, but also as a fundraiser. They get to show their supporters how they're helping - and influencing - Jews after such a heart wrenching ordeal.
Avraham Leibler
Administrative Director
JewishIsrael.com
Ellen, Avraham, thanks for the extra information. The inroads these groups have been making are so very dangerous.
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