Jews for Judaism

So Rabbi Kinspiro, where should we begin?

Well, a little background for people, like I've said before, the great black hole of most Jews, even well-educated Jews' education, is anything in the Bible after the book of Deuteronomy, Devarim, unless it's Ahav Torah, one of the sections of the books of the prophets we read after the weekly Torah reading on the Sabbath.

Unfortunately, people don't know the story so well, but beginning with the book of Joshua.

I mean, the background to the story of Saul is this is when the Jewish people have entered the land of Israel.

He has the fatal flaw of misplaced modesty.

And one thing you can't have leading the Jewish people, which is something we've discussed before, is you got to have the right combination of diplomacy and strength.

Jews are tough people.

Yeah, I think that's also confusing for a lot of people because usually as a leader, you're seen as somebody who must be ultimately confident.

I think it's also important that we tend to think that the biggest threat comes from professional missionaries.

But the problem is much greater because it's the average evangelical Christian who's a business person, a painter, a professor in a university, a cab driver, who believes now that it's part of their mission in life to share the gospel with other people, especially to the Jews, who are going to approach you and say something to you.

And it's very hard when you were in a conversation and you didn't know anything about them to say, I'm not interested in talking to you.

It takes a lot of guts to tell someone, I'm not interested in talking to you.

I want to talk about the numbers because I need to hear and see it.

From what I understand, 20,000 Israelis consider themselves messianic

According to a survey done, I believe by Channel 2 here in Israel, they estimate there's a minimum of 20,000 Israelis who have accepted Christianity, but don't identify themselves as Christians, but as Yehudi Meshachim, Messianic Jews, which means theologically they believe in Christianity, but outwardly they're practicing Jewish rituals so that they feel that they haven't abandoned their Jewish heritage.

So what is the advantage? What is the pull? What is the interest? I mean, you have Judaism here in Israel available at your feet.