THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 25, 1997 TAG: 9701250342
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ESTHER DISKIN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 95 lines
The rabbi of a Reform Jewish congregation in Virginia Beach said he is outraged by a letter from the Southern Baptist Convention that urges him to ``know Jesus as the Messiah.''
Rabbi Israel Zoberman, leader of Beth Chaverim, on Thursday received the letter - in the form of a memorandum addressed to ``concerned Jewish friends'' - from the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee.
The letter, mailed to about 10,000 people nationwide, begins by expressing Christians' respect for the teachings of Judaism, but ends with evangelical fervor.
``As examples of what can result when Jewish persons embrace Messiah Jesus,'' wrote Morris H. Chapman, the executive committee's president, ``I encourage you to take note of numerous congregations of `Messianic Jews' in the United States and Israel who celebrate their Jewish culture and historic religious rituals as well as their devotion to Messiah Jesus.''
Zoberman said that Jews, who profess faith in one God and do not accept divinity of Jesus, view Messianic Jews as converts to Christianity. ``This is really a blow,'' he said Friday. ``It is an utter rejection of who we are. And it is cloaked in the language of loving us.''
Zoberman's statements are the most recent local reflection of a vigorous - and often vitriolic - national debate between Jews and members of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination with 15.6 million members.
It started in June when the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution specifically targeting Jews for conversion efforts, provoking angry responses from Jewish leaders and many Christian groups. Since then, the debate has heated up in public and private exchanges - from letter-writing campaigns to Internet conversations.
The B'nai B'rith Foundation of the United States, a Jewish social action organization, launched a campaign against the resolution. It sent out thousands of pre-printed postcards, which were to be mailed back to the convention.
The convention's executive committee, based in Nashville, Tenn., has received about 13,000 cards and letters, including about 50 on Friday, said Ernest Mosley, the committee's executive vice president. The committee has sent out about 10,000 copies of Chapman's memorandum in response.
Chapman's letter, which was prepared in consultation with some Messianic Jewish congregations, was intended to communicate the Baptist position on evangelizing, Mosley said. ``We don't consider ourselves in a hostile relationship to Jews or superior to them.''
Several local rabbis said they have not received Chapman's letter, although some had written critical letters to the Southern Baptist Convention. Zoberman said he called Chapman's office on Friday but had not yet received any response.
Rabbi Mark Golub, leader of Temple Sinai in Newport News and president of the Peninsula chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, said that the Baptist resolution is spurring Jews to renew their efforts on education. His congregation has started adult Hebrew classes and is crafting a spiritual mission statement.
``We cannot, under any circumstances, let those who would disarm us, and reach into the hearts and souls of our people, get the upper hand,'' he said.
Faye Bass, a founding member of Zoberman's congregation, said she believes evangelical efforts typically backfire and reinforce Jews in their faith. On Friday, after receiving a notice about the B'nai B'rith's national campaign, she wrote a ``thank you'' letter to Chapman.
``Your effort, in addition to those of Pat Robertson's followers, is one of the reasons for a return to active religious involvement by young Jewish adults and previously non-practicing Jews,'' she wrote. ``Keep up the good work! Our new Temple building, which was dedicated a year ago, is already bursting at the seams.'' ILLUSTRATION: VICKI CRONIS
The Virginian-Pilot
Faye Bass, a member of the Beth Chaverim congregation, wrote back to
the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, thanking him for
spurring Jews to gain stronger faith in their religion.
EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS
In June, the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution
calling for more efforts to convert Jews to Christianity.
This week, Rabbi Israel Zoberman of Beth Chaverim received a
letter from Morris H. Chapman, the president of the Southern Baptist
Convention's executive committee.
An excerpt from Chapman's letter:
``That belief, coupled with love and goodwill for all people,
culminates in the earnest desire that our Jewish friends know Jesus
as the Messiah.''
Rabbi Israel Zoberman:
``This is really a blow. It is an utter rejection of who we
are.''
Faye Bass, a member of Beth Chaverim, in a letter to Chapman:
``Actions such as these on the part of evangelical Christians
serve to reinforce for me and my family why were are Jews.''
KEYWORDS: LETTER RABBI SOUTHERN BAPTIST