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>>IT'S A FORM OF ATTEMPTED
SPIRITUAL GENOCIDE.
>>THAT'S NOT THE REALITY. THE
REALITY IS NOT CHRISTIANITY
OVER JUDAISM. THE REALITY IS
HAVING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE LIVING GOD OF
ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB.
[MAN ALIVE THEME MUSIC]
>>R.H. THOMSON: HELLO, I'M
R.H. THOMPSON AND WELCOME TO
MAN ALIVE. TONIGHT WE LOOK AT
THE FRICTIONS DEVELOPING
BETWEEN A RELIGIOUS GROUP
CALLED "JEWS FOR JESUS" AND
MANY IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY,A
SPECIFICALLY A GROUP CALLED
"JEWS FOR JEWS". NOW NO ONE
CAN QUESTION THE SINCERITY OF
INDIVIDUAL BELIEFS AND A RICH
PART OF HUMAN HISTORY HAS BEEN
THE MULTIPLICITY OF FAITHS
WHICH GIVE EXPRESSION TO
SPIRITUAL ILLUMINATION,
ILLUMINATION WHICH IS THE
SOURCE OF RELIGIONS. BUT IS
ANYONE SERIOUSLY TO BELIEVE
THAT IN THIS MAGNIFICENCE
WHICH IS CREATION THERE ARE
COMPETING SPIRITUAL SOURCES?
THERE ARE RIVAL ENVELOPES OF
SOULS, RIVALRIES BASED ON
EARTHLY HISTORY AND EARTHLY
CULTURE. A SADDER PART OF
HISTORY HAS BEEN RELIGIOUS
CONFLICT WHICH HAS RUN VERY
DEEP AND VERY BLOODY.
PROTESTANT-CATHOLIC,
HINDU-MUSLIM,
MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN, ET CETERA.
MY PERSONAL FEELING IS THAT
LITTLE OF THIS CONFLICT HAS
BEEN FUELLED BY THE SPIRIT.
RATHER, IT'S DRIVEN BY THAT
CHARGED ENERGY CALLED IDENTITY
WHICH BECOMES WOVEN INTO
RELIGIONS. AND IT IS DRIVEN BY
GROUPS WHO FEEL THAT THEY AND
ONLY THEY ARE RIGHT AND SURELY
THIS RECTITUDE ISN'L
NATURE, IT'S HUMAN NATURE. THE
POSITIVE IN THE FRICTION WE
WILL SEE TONIGHT IS THAT IT
REPRESENTS AND ABUNDANCE OF
SPIRITUAL EXPRESSION.
NEGATIVE, IN THAT IT MEANS,
ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE FIGHTING
OVER TERRITORY OF THE SPIRIT.
>>I FEEL I WAS DECEIVED INTO
BELIEVING THAT SOMETHING THAT
WASN'T JEWISH, SOMETHING THAT
WAS COMPLETELY OPPOSITE TO
WHAT JUDAISM MEANT WAS
PRESENTED TO ME AS AUTHENTIC
JUDAISM.
[SINGING]
>>NARRATOR: SASHA KATZ IS A
UKRAINIAN JEW. AT AGE 17, HE
MOVED TO CANADA AND BECAME A
JEW FOR JESUS. HE BECAME ONE
OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS WHO
WORSHIPPED CHRIST. TODAY, HE
IS PART OF TORONTO'S ORTHODOX
JEWISH COMMUNITY, A PEOPLE
STILL WAITING FOR THEIR
PROMISED MESSIAH.
>>MAZEL TOV!
[LIVELY MUSIC]
>>SASHA KATZ, FORMER MESSIANIC
JEW: I WAS TOLD THAT BELIEVING
IN JESUS WAS JUST A
FULFILMENT OF BEING JEWISH.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU
DIDN'T BELIEVE IN JESUS, YOU
WERE DAMNED FOR ETERNITY.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE NOT
A FULL-FLEDGED JEW.
[PRAYING]
>>NARRATOR: SASHA IS JUST ONE
OF MANY JEWS TARGETED BY
EVANGELICAL MISSIONARIES WHO
HOLD ON TO THEIR JEWISH
IDENTITY. THEY CALL THEMSELVES
MESSIANIC JEWS. THEIR MISSION
IS TO BRING ALL JEWS TO JESUS
BEFORE HIS RETURN TO EARTH.
>>KATZ: IT'S LIKE PART OF THE
FAMILY IS BEING TAKEN AWAY
FROM YOU. FOR THOUSANDS OF
YEARS, JEWS HAD EXISTED AS A
JEWISH NATION, AUTHENTICALLY
JEWISH. WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO
DO IS TO TAKE AWAY PEOPLE AND
BRING THEM INTO THEIR
RELIGION, TAKING THE RUG,
BASICALLY, OUT FROM OUR FAMILY.
>>BERNIE FARBER, CANADIAN
JEWISH CONGRESS: IT'S A FORM
OF ATTEMPTED SPIRITUAL
GENOCIDE. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY
TO PUT IT. THESE PEOPLE ARE
BEING LOST TO JUDAISM AS SURE
AS THEY ARE DYING OFF AND WE
TAKE THIS EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL NOT
LET GO. THIS IS VERY MUCH A
BATTLE FOR JEWISH LIFE AND
JEWISH SOULS.
[SINGING: I BELIEVE HE DIED
AND ROSE AGAIN/I BELIEVE HE
CAME FOR OUR SOULS...]
>>NARRATOR: ANDREW BARRON IS A
JEW FOR JESUS, A MISSIONARY
BRINGING THE GOSPEL TO JEWS.
HIS MISSION HERE IS TO ENLIST
CHRISTIANS IN HIS CAUSE.
>>I HAVE A JEWISH FRIEND. I
WORK IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
AND OUR DISPATCHER IS JEWISH
AND HE'S.. BUT HE'S NOT
SERIOUS, LIKE, HE'S A
CONSERVATIVE JEW BUT I DON'T
KNOW HOW...
>>LET ME GIVE YOU SOME
LITERATURE THAT YOU CAN GIVE
TO HIM AND SOME FOR YOU. I'LL
GIVE YOU MY BUSINESS CARD AND
MAYBE YOU CAN TELL HIM ABOUT
ME AND I'D BE GLAD TO GIVE HIM
A CALL IF HE'S OPEN TO
CHATTING TO ME.
>>OKAY. YAH, DEFINITELY THAT'S
BE GREAT AND I WANT TO PICK UP
A COUPLE OF BOOKS.
>>NARRATOR: BY VISITING
CHURCHES ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
JEWS FOR JESUS ENCOURAGES ITS
CHRISTIAN ALLIES TO SHARE THE
MESSIANIC MESSAGE WITH THEIR
JEWISH FRIENDS, TO CONVINCE
THEM THAT JESUS IS THE JEWISH
MESSIAH.
>>ANDREW BARRON, CANADIAN
DIRECTOR, JEWS FOR JESUS: IT'S
NOT A QUESTION OF CHOOSING ONE
RELIGION OVER ANOTHER. SO MANY
PEOPLE WANT TO SAY THAT
SOMEHOW WE SAID, OH, THIS IS A
BETTER RELIGION, THIS IS A
BETTER DOGMA AND YOU HAVE TO
CHOOSE IT BECAUSE IT'S BETTER.
THAT'S NOT THE REALITY. THE
REALITY IS NOT CHRISTIANITY
OVER JUDAISM. THE REALITY IS,
IS HAVING A PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LIVING
GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND
JACOB.
WE EXIST TO MAKE THE
MESSIAHSHIP OF JESUS AN
UNAVOIDABLE ISSUE FOR JEWISH
PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. IT IS TRUE
THAT MOST JEWISH PEOPLE ARE
SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY
INDOCTRINATED AGAINST THE
GOSPEL. MOST FIND IT
IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW
YOU CAN BE JEWISH AND BELIEVE
IN JESUS -- HOW CAN HE BE THE
MESSIAH OF ISRAEL? WE NEED
PEOPLE TO STAND WITH US AND
LOOK FORWARD WITH US AND TO
SAY, YES, I SEE WHAT YOU SEE,
I KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW, THAT IF
JESUS IS THE MESSIAH FOR
ANYBODY, HE CERTAINLY IS THE
MESSIAH FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
REMEMBER TO GIVE TO JEWS FOR
JESUS FOR ONLY ONE REASON --
BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SAY YES
AND AMEN TO GETTING MORE OF
THE GOSPEL OUT TO MORE JEWISH
PEOPLE.
>>NARRATOR: THE JEWS FOR JESUS
MISSION IS SUPPORTED BY MANY
EVANGELICAL CHURCHES; LAST
YEAR, THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
OUTRAGED THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
BY PROMISING FUNDS TO
MISSIONARY GROUPS LIKE JEWS
FOR JESUS.
>>BARRON: WE'D LIKE YOU TO
JOIN US AS WE REACH OUT
TOGETHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF
THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
>>EVERYTHING I'M GOING TO
DESCRIBE TO YOU TODAY IN
REGARDS TO THE WAYS THE
MISSIONARIES HAVE OVERCOME
THIS EFFORT TO CONVERT JEWS,
IS BASED PRIMARILY ON MY OWN
EXPERIENCE.
>>NARRATOR: JULIUS CISS FIRST
ENTERED A MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE
AT AGE 25, LED THERE BY A
CHRISTIAN GIRLFRIEND. FOR 5
YEARS, HE USED HIS TALENTS AS
ONE OF CANADA'S BEST-KNOWN
ILLUSTRATORS TO PROMOTE THE
MESSIANIC MOVEMENT. TODAY, AS
THE CANADIAN DIRECTOR OF JEWS
FOR JUDAISM, HE LEADS THE
JEWISH COUNTER-OFFENSIVE
AGAINST CONVERSION.
>>JULIUS CISS, CANADIAN
DIRECTOR, JEWS FOR JUDAISM:
THE REALITY IS THE TWO
RELIGIOUS SYSTEM ARE TOTALLY,
100 PERCENT OPPOSITE. WE CAN
AGREE ON ANY MAJOR THEOLOGICAL
PRINCIPLE, BE THAT THE NATURE
OF GOD. CHRISTIANITY CLAIMS
THAT GOD IS A TRINITY. JUDAISM
SAYS NO, IT'S NOT, IT'S A
UNITY. CHRISTIANITY SAYS WE'RE
ALL BORN EVIL, DOOMED TO BURN
IN HELL FOREVER. AND JUDAISM
SAYS NO, WE'RE ALL BORN
EQUALLY INNOCENT WITH THE
POTENTIAL OF DOING EITHER GOOD
OR BAD.
I WAS THE VICTIM OF SPIRITUAL
ABUSE. I WAS DUPED INTO
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN BASED ON
A NEW MISSIONARY TECHNOLOGY
WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ILLUSTRATE
AND HAVING REALIZED THE
MISTAKE I'VE MADE, I AM NOW
MOTIVATED TO SHARE WITH AS
MANY JEWISH PEOPLE, THE NATURE
OF THIS PROBLEM IN HOPES THAT
JEWISH PEOPLE WILL NOT GET
INVOLVED.
[PHONE RINGING]
>>SHALOM. JEWS FOR JESUS.
>>CISS: THE FIFTIES AND
SIXTIES, 1950S AND 1960S, A
FEW JEWS WHO HAD CONVERTED TO
CHRISTIANITY AND ROSE UP THE
RANKS IN SOME OF THE
MISSIONARY ORGANIZATIONS CAME
UP WITH A NEW WAY OF
APPROACHING THE JEW THAT THEY
FELT WOULD REALLY WORK. THESE
JEWS RATIONALIZED THAT THEY
HAD BEEN CONVINCED TO CONVERT
TO CHRISTIANITY, BASED ON THE
CHRISTIAN PREMISE THAT JESUS
WAS THE JEWISH MESSIAH. SO
THEY ARGUED, WHY NOT COME UP
WITH A TECHNIQUE THAT WILL
PRESENT CHRISTIANITY AS SO
JEWISH THAT IT WILL BE
IRRESISTIBLE TO THE POTENTIAL
JEWISH CONVERT.
I'M JUST GOING TO SHOW YOU
SOME OF THESE ITEMS AND YOU'LL
GET A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON
OUT THERE. HERE'S AN
INTERESTING BOOK CALLED, "MAY
YOUR NAME BE INSCRIBED IN THE
BOOK OF LIFE". A TORAH SCROLL
PwON THE COVER -- WHAT IS IT? IT
LOOKS LIKE A VERY KOSHER
JEWISH BOOK. IT SAYS IT'S A
MESSIANIC JEWISH VERSION OF
THE NEW COVENANT SCRIPTURES.
WHAT IS THAT? IT IS A NEW
TESTAMENT. A NEW TESTAMENT. I@v
ILLUSTRATED THE COVER OF THIS
WHEN I WAS IN THE MOVEMENT AND
I ALSO ILLUSTRATED THE COVER
OF THIS, AN ALBUM COVER FOR A
GROUP CALLED KOL SIMCHA. MY
INSTRUCTIONS HERE WERE TO MAKEw
THE ALBUM LOOK AS ATTRACTIVELY
JEWISH AS POSSIBLE. SO HERE WE
HAVE A CHRISTIAN SINGING
GROUP, A PORTRAIT OF ALL 16
MEMBERS DRESSED UP AS JEWS,
DANCING IN FRONT OF THE KOTEL,
THE LOGO'S DONE IN A TEXT THAT
MAKES IT LOOK HEBREW. HE'S
DRESSED AS A HASSI, DANCING
WITH HIS BRIDE.
>>BARRON: WE ORGANIZED
OURSELVES SO WE CAN CELEBRATE
THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS AND
BELIEVE IN JESUS. SO IT'S TRUE
THAT WE ARE BRINGING THE
MESSAGE IN A CONTEXTUALIZED
WAY BUT WE HAVE THE FULL
LIBERTY TO DO THAT WITH
INTEGRITY, HONESTY AND HONOUR
BECAUSE HE IS THE JEWISH
MESSIAH.
>>FARBER: TO ABUSE THE HOLY
SYMBOL OF THE JEWISH PASSOVER
CEDER, TO WEAR A JEWISH PRAYER
SHAWL IN A CHURCH AND
MISREPRESENT ITS TRUE MEANING
IS AS DIRTY AS ONE CAN GET. I
THINK IT'S AN ABOMINATION.
>>BARRON: THE JEWISH
AUTHORITIES DO DON'T OWN OR
HAVE A COPYRIGHT ON JEWISH
SYMBOLS. THEREFORE, ALL JEWS
AROUND THE WORLD AND JEWS WHO
BELIEVE IN JESUS ARE 100
PERCENT JEWISH, AS JEWISH AS
ANY OTHER JEW AND WE HAVE A
RIGHT TO OUR HERITAGE.
[SINGING]
>>NARRATOR: IN THE HEART OF
TORONTO'S JEWISH COMMUNITY,
CITY OF DAVID IS CANADA'S
NEWEST MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE.
ITS FOUNDER, JEFF FORMAN,
TRAINED IN PHILADELPHIA WHERE
HE MINISTERED TO NORTH
AMERICA'S LARGEST MESSIANIC
CONGREGATION. TONIGHT,
MESSIANIC JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
TOGETHER ARE CELEBRATING ONE
OF THE HOLIEST JEWISH
HOLIDAYS, PASSOVER.
>>JEFF FORMAN, MESSIANIC
RABBI, CITY OF DAVID: WE ARE
HERE TONIGHT, AS JEWS, WE ARE
CELEBRATING THE DELIVERANCE OF
OUR JEWISH PEOPLE FROM THE
LAND OF EGYPT, 35-HUNDRED
YEARS AGO. AS MESSIANIC JEWS...
>>NARRATOR: JEWS WHO BELIEVE
IN JESUS, ALSO USE THE
PASSOVER FEAST TO COMMEMORATE
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. IT
IS WHAT CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE
ON EASTER SUNDAY.
>>FORMAN: AND AS HE BEGAN HIS
FINAL PASSOVER CEDER, MANY OF
YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT THE
LAST SUPPER WAS ACTUALLY A
PASSOVER CEDER. I DIDN'T KNOW
THAT GROWING UP. I HAD NO
IDEA, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY A
PASSOVER CEDER. ALL THE
DISCIPLES WERE JEWISH. AS A
MATTER OF FACT, ALL THE
WRITERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
WERE JEWISH AS WELL. SOME
QUESTION WHETHER LUKE WAS
JEWISH BUT I USED AN OLD
FASHIONED STATEMENT -- LUKE
WAS A DOCTOR, HE HAD TO BE
JEWISH.
>>PRIMARILY, THE EARLY CHURCH
WAS JEWISH, ENTIRELY, AND THE
ROMAN EMPIRE ACKNOWLEDGED THEM
AS A JEWISH SECT.
>>AND IN TRUTH, ANTI-SEMITISM
CAME IN VERY SHORTLY AFTER..
MY HUSBAND PROBABLY KNOWS THE
HISTORICAL DATES BETTER THAN I
DO, BUT AROUND THE
CONSTANTINE, YOU KNOW, EMPEROR
OF THE TIME, THINGS WERE
DELIBERATELY SET UP IN WHAT
COULD NOW BE CALLED THE
CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS. THEY WERE
NOT CALLED CHRISTIANS TO BEGIN
WITH. THEY WERE CALLED
"BELIEVERS". THAT'S WHAT I
CALL MYSELF.
>>CISS: IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE
A JEW WHO CONVERTS TO
CHRISTIANITY, CALL YOURSELF A
CHRISTIAN. YOU DON'T SEE
MUSLIMS WALKING AROUND CALLING
THEMSELVES MUSLIMS FOR JESUS,
YOU DON'T SEE HINDUS WALKING
AROUND CALLING THEMSELVES
HINDUS FOR JESUS. A HINDU WHO
CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY
BECOMES A CHRISTIAN AND HAVE NO
GUMPTION ABOUT CALLING
THEMSELVES A CHRISTIAN. THEY
DO IT. WHY, WHEN IT COMES TO
JEWS, DO THEY WANT TO DO THIS?
AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS
IS ONE OF THE MARKETING TOOLS
OF THESE PARTICULAR MOVEMENTS
TO MAKE THE NOTION OF BEING A
JEW AND BELIEVING IN JESUS
THAT MUCH MORE ENTICING.
>>SASHA KATZ: MY BECOMING
INVOLVED WITH CHRISTIANITY HAD
A LOT TO DO WITH MY
PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE AT THE
TIME, WHERE I WAS LIVING, WHO
DID I KNOW, HOW LONG I WAS IN
THE COUNTRY, BEING A STRANGER
IN THE NEW WORLD BASICALLY.
THAT HAD A LOT TO DO HOW I
BECAME CHRISTIAN. BECOMING AN
ORTHODOX JEW, GOING TOWARDS
BEING AN ORTHODOX JEW HAD TO
DO WITH A RATIONAL DECISION OF
MINE. WHAT IS IT? WHAT DOES IT
MEAN TO BE JEWISH?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
>>NARRATOR: MORE THAN 2,000
MESSIANIC JEWS ARE CELEBRATING
THEIR BELIEF IN JESUS AT THIS
YEAR'S MESSIAH CONFERENCE IN
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. OVER
THE PAST TWO DECADES, THE
CONFERENCE HAS GROWN INTO THE
WORLD'S LARGEST MEETING OF
MESSIANIC JEWS. FOR MANY JEWS,
THIS CONFERENCE IS THEIR
BAPTISM INTO A NEW FAITH, THE
BEGINNING OF THEIR SPIRITUAL
LIFE AS MESSIANIC JEWS.
>>ANNOUNCER: GOING TO HAVE
RABBI JONATHAN BERNIS BACK
AGAIN.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
AND IN HIS MINISTRY ALONE, IN
THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, IN
THE LAST FEW YEARS, OVER
100,000 PEOpLE HAVE COME TO
KNOW YESHUA AS LORD.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
AND OVER 60,000 OF THEM ARE
JEWISH. PRAISE GOD.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
>>JONATHAN BERNIS: WE ARE
MESSIANIC JEWS. WE CALL
OURSELVES MESSIANIC JEWS -- AS
OPPOSED TO JEWISH CHRISTIANS
OR JEWISH BELIEVERS -- BECAUSE
WE'RE SAYING TO THE JEWISH
COMMUNITY, WE'RE SAYING TO THE
CHURCH, WE'RE SAYING TO THE
WORLD THAT WE HAVE EMBRACED
THE JEWISH MESSIAH AND WE ARE
STILL JEWS.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
I REMEMBER MY FIRST LETTER
FROM THE RABBI AFTER I BECAME
A BELIEVER, CALLING ME A NAZI.
IT'S NOT EASY BEING REJECTED
BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND
PEOPLE THAT YOU RESPECT. BUT
IN ORDER FOR US TO SEE
OURSELVES AS THE HEAD AND NOT
THE TAIL, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH
ANY UNRESOLVED GUILT.
[MAN BLOWING INTO A HORN]
>>NARRATOR: AT THE MESSIAH
CONFERENCE, JEWISH SYMBOLS ARE
CENTRAL IN WHAT IS A
CELEBRATION OF CHRISTIAN
FAITH.
BY HOLDING ON TO THEIR JEWISH
IDENTITY, MESSIANIC JEWS
BELIEVE THEY ARE THE LIGHT
THAT WILL LEAD ALL JEWS TO
JESUS.
MESSIANIC RABBI JEFF FORMAN
FOLLOWED HIS SISTER AND MOTHER
TO ACCEPT JESUS AS HIS MESSIAH.
>>JEFF FORMAN: WELL, WHEN I
FIRST ACCEPTED HIM, I WENT
THROUGH AN IDENTITY CRISIS
BECAUSE MY HEART WAS SAYING,
"YES, HE'S THE MESSIAH." BUT
MY MIND WAS SAYING, "BUT I'M
JEWISH." SO THERE WAS AN
INTERNAL CONFLICT FOR SOME
MONTHS. BUT WHEN I FINALLY
RECEIVED HIM, I FELT DARKNESS
JUST GO OUT OF ME, AND GOD
GAVE ME THE GIFT OF JOY, WHICH
HAS BEEN WITH ME EVER SINCE. I
WAS ALWAYS KIND OF SEARCHING
FOR GOD, BUT WHEN I RECEIVED
YESHUA, I MADE THAT
CONNECTION, AND I'VE NEVER
BEEN THE SAME.
[JEFF PLAYING THE PIANO]
THIS IS JUST ONE PRACTICAL WAY
TO WRITE IT DOWN 'CAUSE IT
WORKS AND IT DOESN'T EVOKE A
DEFENCE. I DON'T SAY, "DO YOU
WANT TO MAKE JESUS CHRIST THE
LORD OF YOUR LIFE?"
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
THAT COULD EVOKE A DEFENSIVE
MECHANISM. WOULD YOU AGREE?
I DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT.
I SIMPLY SAY THIS, "DO YOU
MIND IF I ASK YOU A QUESTION?"
NOW, WHEN I SAY THAT, I CAN'T
REMEMBER EVER ANYONE SAYING
NO.
NO ONE HAS EVER SAID NO TO ME.
IT PEAKS THEIR CURIOSITY.
"WHAT DOES HE WANT TO ASK?"
SO THEY'VE GIVEN ME PERMISSION
TO ASK THEM A QUESTION.
"HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT MUCH
ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS?" I
DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT GOD.
I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT
THE BIBLE. I JUST SAID, "HAVE
YOU EVER THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT
SPIRITUAL THINGS?"
>>NARRATOR: ON THE ROAD
LEADING INTO THE MESSIAH
CONFERENCE, JEWS FOR JUDAISM
IS CAMPED OUT. JULIUS CISS HAS
TEAMED UP WITH HIS AMERICAN
COUNTERPARTS FOR THEIR 12TH
YEAR, ATTEMPTING TO WIN BACK
JEWS TO JUDAISM.
>>JULIUS CISS: WHY DON'T I
GIVE UP WHAT?
>>I KNOW, I KNOW THE SCHPEEL
ALREADY.
>>CISS: WHAT'S THE SCHPEEL?
>>IF I SAVE ONE SOUL, IT'S
WORTH IT.
>>CISS: YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD
ONE. WHY DON'T YOU COME HERE
AND DO OUR WORK FOR US. OH,
IT'S THE CBC. THEY'RE DOING A
PROGRAM ON MAN ALIVE.
>>MARK POWERS, AMERICAN
DIRECTOR, JEWS FOR JUDAISM:
THIS GUY KIND OF DROVE DOWN
THE ROAD THERE, PARKED HIS
CAR, THEN SNUCK THROUGH THE
BUSHES AND WAS VIDEOTAPING.
WE'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF
VIDEOTAPING THE PEOPLE HERE AT
THE CONFERENCE AND USING IT TO
RAISE MONEY OR WHO KNOWS WHAT
ELSE THEY'VE BEEN ACCUSING US
OF DOING. SO WHAT WE DO IS WE
VIDEOTAPE... THE ONLY THING WE
VIDEOTAPE IS THE PEOPLE
VIDEOTAPING US. BUT, YEAH,
WE'RE SITTING BY THE SIDE OF
THE ROAD HERE. INTO EVERY LIFE
A LITTLE FUN MUST FALL.
>>BERNIS: WE ARE NOT UNDER THE
AUTHORITY OF THE RABBIS, WE
ARE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE
SCRIPTURES.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
AND THAT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
RABBINIC OR MODERN JEWISH
COMMUNITY, MAINSTREAM JEWISH
COMMUNITY, AND MESSIANIC
JUDAISM. I DON'T WANT TO GO TO
THE WAILING WALL AND BE
BLESSED BY THE RABBI. HE DOES
NOT HAVE ANYTHING I NEED. I
HAVE WHAT HE NEEDS.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
>>CISS: IF YOU GO UP THERE AND
YOU DON'T SPEAK A WORD OF
ENGLISH, YOU SPEAK SWAHILI,
YOU GO IN THERE, YOU'RE GOING
TO BE MOTIVATED TO CONVERT BY
THE FACT THAT THE EMOTION IS
GREAT, THE MUSIC IS GREAT,
EVERYBODY'S HUGGING EACH OTHER
AND SWINGING TO THE MUSIC, AND
PRAISE THE LORD. IT'S SO
MOTIVATING. I TELL YOU, IF
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
TO BREAK YOUR BOND TO A
MUNDANE LIFE AND YOU'RE
LOOKING FOR SOME KIND OF
SPIRITUALITY, THEY'RE GOING TO
HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S DOING
SOMETHING.
>>JONATHAN BERNIS, MESSIANIC
JEWISH MISSIONARY: I WANT TO
ASK YOU TONIGHT: DO YOU WANT
TO BE RESPECTED BY PEOPLE,
ACCEPTED BY THE MAINSTREAM
JEWISH COMMUNITY? OR, DO YOU
WANT TO BE HONOURED BY GOD AS
THE RADICAL AND REJECTED
OBEDIENT SERVANT? I DON'T KNOW
WHAT YOU SEE IN YOUR BOOK, BUT
I SEE THIS THING GETTING
BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER,
AND STRONGER AND MORE
POWERFUL, AND I WILL TELL YOU
THAT THE DAY IS COMING,
ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, WHEN
ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED.
LET'S STAND.
[CROWD APPLAUDING]
>>I'M A MESSIANIC JEW.
>>POWERS: NO SUCH THING.
>>WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAY.
>>POWERS: CORRECT.
>>CISS: LET ME ASK YOU A
QUESTION: DID YOU EVER HAVE TO
GO BUY A USED CAR?
>>NO, I...
>>CISS: WHEN PEOPLE BUY A USED
CAR...
>>THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
GOD.
>>CISS: YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR
CAT.
>>WE, AS JEWISH PEOPLE, ARE
VERY VOCAL, BUT WE SHOULDN'T
BE...
>>POWERS: WE'RE HAVING A GOOD
TIME.
>>I HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE TO
SPEND 24 YEARS...
>>CISS: I WILL HAVE TO SPEND
AN ETERNITY BELIEVING THE WAY
I BELIEVE.
>>I USED TO SAY THAT. I WAS
YOU. A YEAR AGO...
>>CISS: I CAN PROVE YOU NEVER
MADE AN INFORMED DECISION. DO
YOU KNOW HOW I CAN PROVE THAT?
>>IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I MADE
AN INFORMED OR NOT.
>>CISS: IT'S YOU.
>>I HAVE FAITH, AND THAT'S
WHAT GOD ASKS OF ME.
>>LET ME ASK YOU THIS: IS
THERE A WAY THAT I CAN BE IN
TOUCH WITH YOU?
>>POWERS: OF COURSE.
>>OKAY. GREAT.
>>POWERS: TURN THIS OVER.
CIRCLE BALTIMORE. MY NAME IS
MARK.
6s>>DO YOU HAVE A POST OFFICE
BOX OR SOMETHING?
>>SHE SAID THAT SHE, FOR 23
YEARS SHE...
>>CISS: LET ME ASK YOU
SOMETHING, YOU KNOW WHAT, SHE
WAS A JEW...
>>FOR 23 YEARS.
>>CISS: LET ME ASK YOU
SOMETHING, IF YOU'RE A JEW AND
YOU...
>>23 YEARS...
>>CISS: LISTEN TO ME.
>>YOU'RE NOT ANSWERING MY
QUESTION.
>>CISS: GOD WILL NOT COME DOWN
WITH HIS HAND OUT OF THE
HEAVEN, PULL YOU UP FOR MAKING
A MISTAKE AND PUT YOU ON THE
RIGHT PATH. WE'RE HUMAN
BEINGS. HE GIVES US FREE
CHOICE. IF YOU DECIDE TO WALK
ACROSS THE ROAD...
>>KATZ: I FEEL NO ANGER, NO
ANGUISH TOWARDS THE PEOPLE,
IT'S NOT THE PEOPLE HOW...
THEY SINCERELY BELIEVE IN WHAT
THEY BELIEVE IN. I JUST WISH
THAT I HAD ALSO HAD MET
SOMEBODY FROM THE JEWISH
COMMUNITY WHO WOULD SHOW ME
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN.
[FOLK MUSIC PLAYING & PEOPLE
CLAPPING ALONG]
WHEN I VIDEOTAPE A BAR MITZVAH
OR A WEDDING, EACH ONE IS
DIFFERENT. EVEN THOUGH I'VE
DONE A LOT OF THEM, EACH ONE
HAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IT'S
A NEW BEGINNING. IN A WAY, I
ALSO HAD A NEW BEGINNING WHEN
I WENT TOWARDS BEING JEWISH,
KEEPING THE JEWISH LAWS, AND
SO IT'S SOMEWHAT OF A PARALLEL
OF WHAT I DO WHEN I FILM THE
BAR MITZVAHS AND WEDDINGS, IN
MY OWN LIFE.
[FOLK MUSIC PLAYING & PEOPLE
CLAPPING ALONG]
>>R.H. THOMSON: THAT'S OUR
SHOW FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU
FOR WATCHING. I'M R.H.
THOMSON. GOODNIGHT.