Aren’t there other groups who are doing this? Why did CJF Ministries have to become involved?
We got involved because no one else was doing what we felt needed to be done. Yes, other organizations are doing relief work in the former Soviet Union, and some of them are helping relocate Jewish people to Israel, the U.S., or other countries. However, we are aware of no other group dedicated specifically to helping Jewish believers in the former Soviet Union. This is why we became involved—because no one else was focusing on our messianic Jewish brothers and sisters, who have nowhere else to turn.
The Jewish believers are most vulnerable because they are isolated. They cannot turn to the Russian Orthodox Church and much of the religious establishment because they have strongly-entrenched anti-Semitic elements within them. (The Evangelical Baptists, however, have been strongly supportive of our work in the formerSoviet Union and they have been a blessing to our workers there!)
Jewish Christians are not accepted by the traditional Jewish community, either. Jewish relief organizations will not help them because according to the rabbis, once they become believers in Jesus they are no longer Jewish.
Isolated from much of the "Christian" establishment in Russia, rejected by the rabbis because they believe in Jesus, and targeted by anti-Semites because they are Jewish, our messianic Jewish brethren have no one to help them but us. If we don’t come to their aid, who will?
Our hope and prayer is that the Lord will raise up other organizations to follow our example and do the same thing we are doing—namely, coming alongside the believing Jewish community in the former Soviet Union (and in other parts of the world, including Israel) and ministering to them. The need is far too great for any single organization to accomplish alone. It is unfortunate that many Christian organizations are more interested in supporting and being friends with the unbelieving Jewish community, rather than encouraging and ministering to Jewish believers in Jesus. In 1998, one well-known TV preacher gave the United Jewish Appeal a check for more than one million dollars. He no doubt had the best of intentions, but with so many Jewish believers in Israel and the former Soviet Union unemployed, hungry, and unable to obtain adequate health care, many of us believe that money could have been used more productively (and more biblically), especially since most of it was provided by Christian donors in the first place.
Back to FAQs
We got involved because no one else was doing what we felt needed to be done. Yes, other organizations are doing relief work in the former Soviet Union, and some of them are helping relocate Jewish people to Israel, the U.S., or other countries. However, we are aware of no other group dedicated specifically to helping Jewish believers in the former Soviet Union. This is why we became involved—because no one else was focusing on our messianic Jewish brothers and sisters, who have nowhere else to turn.
The Jewish believers are most vulnerable because they are isolated. They cannot turn to the Russian Orthodox Church and much of the religious establishment because they have strongly-entrenched anti-Semitic elements within them. (The Evangelical Baptists, however, have been strongly supportive of our work in the formerSoviet Union and they have been a blessing to our workers there!)
Jewish Christians are not accepted by the traditional Jewish community, either. Jewish relief organizations will not help them because according to the rabbis, once they become believers in Jesus they are no longer Jewish.
Isolated from much of the "Christian" establishment in Russia, rejected by the rabbis because they believe in Jesus, and targeted by anti-Semites because they are Jewish, our messianic Jewish brethren have no one to help them but us. If we don’t come to their aid, who will?
Our hope and prayer is that the Lord will raise up other organizations to follow our example and do the same thing we are doing—namely, coming alongside the believing Jewish community in the former Soviet Union (and in other parts of the world, including Israel) and ministering to them. The need is far too great for any single organization to accomplish alone. It is unfortunate that many Christian organizations are more interested in supporting and being friends with the unbelieving Jewish community, rather than encouraging and ministering to Jewish believers in Jesus. In 1998, one well-known TV preacher gave the United Jewish Appeal a check for more than one million dollars. He no doubt had the best of intentions, but with so many Jewish believers in Israel and the former Soviet Union unemployed, hungry, and unable to obtain adequate health care, many of us believe that money could have been used more productively (and more biblically), especially since most of it was provided by Christian donors in the first place.
Back to FAQs
Online Donation
or
Mail Checks to:
Redemption 2000
CJF Ministries
PO Box 345
San Antonio TX 78292 USA.