Not Ashamed : The Story of Jews for Jesus

Rating:
Summary: Judasim can never be superseded by Christianity
Review: By seeking G-d in the Nazarene, what we find is an outgrowth of the Greco-Roman Orphic mystery schools. Make no mistake - Christianity is not related in any true sense to the revelation at Sinai. Its only links with the Torah given to Israel are grafts which came to be used as material for a poetic mystery cult. 'Christ' is a Dionysian figure, a Greco-Roman product, although Christianity was influenced by a small semetic sect found in the Holy Land in the first century of the common era and the mystical aspects of Judaism have been liberally reworked by Christians for two thousand years. Yet Christianity's true forebear is not Judaism, and therefore not the G-d of Israel, but rather the pantheism and Egregore of the Orphic mystery tradition of the 'Alexandrian' Roman Empire. From there, it is a short swim back to Egyptian magico-religious practices. The authority for much of this tradition is still found in the Egyptian stream. In a Jewish sense this could be said to be other than angelic, although those within this stream would strongly disagree. Nonetheless, it is not Torah. G-d's relationship with Israel through Torah, stated clearly, is 'olam'- forever, everlasting, for all time. There is no use-by date. When the moshiach comes, may it be speedily in our days, peace will come, return for the Exiles, and a love for the Hebrew G-d in all people. The moshiach will thus fulfil the prophecies and peace will reign, Torah will be adhered to, and no one will ever again bow down to a man in place of G-d, an error which G-d was careful to warn the Israelites against(Devarim 4:9-19) Suffice it to say that in the manner of the Israelites release from Egypt, Liberation is found in Torah and Mitzvah; these are the ways to G-d as revealed to Israel by G-d, again and again; IF one accepts Torah, all other 'ways' are paths of process hedging towards or away from Torah and Mitzvah, and therefore G-d.

Shalom

Rating:
Summary: the rest of the story
Review: I am a former missionary who served with Jews for Jesus.

I found the book very similar to the many training lectures I heard while serving on Jews for Jesus staff.

This book just does not tell the complete story.

Many of the people who worked for Jews for Jesus have incredible stories that have not been told. Some of the stories are good, but some are bad.

Ex Jews for Jesus staff have come together recently and are putting stories together. It is a shame that Ruth Tucker did not tell many of those stories in her book.

Rating:
Summary: A review from EX JEWS FOR JESUS
Review: I am a former missionary who served with Jews for Jesus.

I found the book very similar to the many training lectures I heard while serving on Jews for Jesus staff.

This book just does not tell the complete story.

Many of the people who worked for Jews for Jesus have incredible stories that have not been told. Some of the stories are good, but some are bad.

Ex Jews for Jesus staff have come together recently and are putting stories together. It is a shame that Ruth Tucker did not tell many of those stories in her book.

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: Ruth Tucker was indeed paid by Jews for Jesus to write the book. In fact, Jews for Jesus retained the right for the final edit of the book. We will never know what Dr. Tucker actually included in her book because Moishe Rosen made sure that the book was gone over with a fine tooth comb prior to being published. In effect, Jews for Jesus purchased a reputable name in an effort to lend credence to their activities and to rewrite history to their tastes.

Rating:
Summary: Judasim can never be superseded by Christianity
Review: Ruth Tucker, who takes a back seat to no one in terms of academic and personal integrity, has done a masterful job in conveying a challenging story. The "warts" and all-too-human aspects of the Jews for Jesus organization are well examined; the claims of "cultic" behavior and some of the disaffected former staffers are dissected and, frankly, debunked.

What many of this book's critics won't tell you -- besides the admission that they have (probably) not even READ the book -- is that those who turn away from belief in Jesus are fighting their own battle, and it's not against Moishe Rosen or any other JfJ leader. Being a believer in Jesus is not for everyone, even if the L-rd intended it to be so! Some will fall away, some will be overcome by the cares of modern life, some will succumb to "anti-missionary" arguments.

That is the privilege of each and every person on planet Earth. We each, we all, have to make our own decisions. But the mark of the truly mature, I would submit, is that those who dissent are happy to let others make their own choice, without disparaging or dissing those who choose differently.

Ruth Tucker's masterful examination of the issues surrounding Jewish belief in Jesus will inform, educate and challenge every reader. It sets an example for would-be authors of similar books to follow and strive after.

Rating:
Summary: Parable of the Lost Wheel
Review: Students of Christian history will be interested to know how Ruth Tucker's perspective has changed as a result of the research she did for this book. She remarks,

As a historian, I felt I could not present Jews for Jesus without providing a historical overview of Jewish believers in Jesus and messianic missions since the time of Christ. The long heritage of reaching out to Jews with the Good News of Jesus began with the apostles themselves. The Jews for Jesus organization can be understood only in the light of this remarkable heritage. I confess that I have not previously included messianic Jews in my subject matter. I have followed the course of earlier historians, who since the days of the apostolic church have been telling the story of the Christian church without giving as much as a sentence to Hebrew Christians. I have been changed by this project, and that omission will not occur again--not in my teaching nor in my ongoing writing of a church history text. The followers of Jesus are one, and to omit any part is a loss to the whole. (p.40)

One remarkable account that Ms. Tucker tells in this historical overview is the story of Joseph Rabinowitz (1837 - 1899). This nineteenth century Russian Jew became a follower of Jesus as a result of a spiritual experience he had on the Mount of Olives in 1882. She remarks,

"He had gone to Israel (then called Palestine) hoping to establish a Jewish colony, but was disappointed to find conditions unsuitable for settlement at that time. He had brought with him a New Testament, primarily to use as a geographical guide, but it proved to be more than that. Before leaving the country, he spent a solitary time near the Garden of Gethsemene, where he sat down and reflected on the dismal state of the Jewish people.

Suddenly a word from the New Testament, a word he had read 15 years before without heeding it, penetrated his heart like a flash of lightning: 'If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed' (John 8:36). From that moment the truth that Jesus is the King, the Messiah, who alone can save Israel, gained power over his soul. Deeply moved, he immediately returned to his lodging, seized the New Testament and while reading John's Gospel, was struck by these words: 'Without me ye can do nothing' (John 15:5). In that way, by the providence of Almighty God, it came about that he was enlightened by the light of the Gospel. 'Yeshua Achinu' (Jesus our brother) was from then on his watch word--the message he took back to Russia." (p.72)

Ms. Tucker notes that upon his return to Russia Mr. Rabinowitz founded a movement called the 'Israelites of the New Covenant' and used many Jewish traditions that were absent from Christian churches. He frequently taught in parables the most famous of which was the parable of the Lost Wheel:

"Two foolish people were traveling in a four-wheeled wagon. Noticing that the wagon moved heavily, they examined it, and found that a wheel was missing. One of the foolish people sprang out, and ran forward along the road, saying to every one he met, 'We have lost a wheel. Have you seen one? At last a wise man said to him, 'You are looking in the wrong direction! You should seek your wheel behind the wagon, not in front of it.'

This is the mistake which the Jews have been making all these centuries. They have been looking forward instead of backward. It may be said that the four wheels of Hebrew history are Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. The Jews have been looking into the future when they should have been looking into the past. This is why they have not found their fourth wheel.

But God be thanked that the sons of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 8:8) have found Jesus, that most important wheel of all. Abraham, Moses, and David are, after all, only types and forerunners of Jesus. Thank God, we have found our brother Jesus, our all in all, who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30); in whom alone we have found light and life, liberty and love, both for the great present and for the still greater hereafter. And now we look with longing eyes and joyful hearts towards the brightness of His appearing" (p. 73)

In addition to the historical overview of Jewish missions presented in Ms. Tucker's "Not Ashamed: The Story of Jews for Jesus", I also refer readers to Ruth Rosen's "Testimonies of Jews Who Believe in Jesus", a very inspirational collection of contemporary autobiographies of Jews, from various walks of life, and their accounts of how they became followers of Jesus.

Rating:
Summary: Parable of the Lost Wheel
Review: Students of Christian history will be interested to know how Ruth Tucker's perspective has changed as a result of the research she did for this book. She remarks,

As a historian, I felt I could not present Jews for Jesus without providing a historical overview of Jewish believers in Jesus and messianic missions since the time of Christ. The long heritage of reaching out to Jews with the Good News of Jesus began with the apostles themselves. The Jews for Jesus organization can be understood only in the light of this remarkable heritage. I confess that I have not previously included messianic Jews in my subject matter. I have followed the course of earlier historians, who since the days of the apostolic church have been telling the story of the Christian church without giving as much as a sentence to Hebrew Christians. I have been changed by this project, and that omission will not occur again--not in my teaching nor in my ongoing writing of a church history text. The followers of Jesus are one, and to omit any part is a loss to the whole. (p.40)

One remarkable account that Ms. Tucker tells in this historical overview is the story of Joseph Rabinowitz (1837 - 1899). This nineteenth century Russian Jew became a follower of Jesus as a result of a spiritual experience he had on the Mount of Olives in 1882. She remarks,

"He had gone to Israel (then called Palestine) hoping to establish a Jewish colony, but was disappointed to find conditions unsuitable for settlement at that time. He had brought with him a New Testament, primarily to use as a geographical guide, but it proved to be more than that. Before leaving the country, he spent a solitary time near the Garden of Gethsemene, where he sat down and reflected on the dismal state of the Jewish people.

Suddenly a word from the New Testament, a word he had read 15 years before without heeding it, penetrated his heart like a flash of lightning: 'If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed' (John 8:36). From that moment the truth that Jesus is the King, the Messiah, who alone can save Israel, gained power over his soul. Deeply moved, he immediately returned to his lodging, seized the New Testament and while reading John's Gospel, was struck by these words: 'Without me ye can do nothing' (John 15:5). In that way, by the providence of Almighty God, it came about that he was enlightened by the light of the Gospel. 'Yeshua Achinu' (Jesus our brother) was from then on his watch word--the message he took back to Russia." (p.72)

Ms. Tucker notes that upon his return to Russia Mr. Rabinowitz founded a movement called the 'Israelites of the New Covenant' and used many Jewish traditions that were absent from Christian churches. He frequently taught in parables the most famous of which was the parable of the Lost Wheel:

"Two foolish people were traveling in a four-wheeled wagon. Noticing that the wagon moved heavily, they examined it, and found that a wheel was missing. One of the foolish people sprang out, and ran forward along the road, saying to every one he met, 'We have lost a wheel. Have you seen one? At last a wise man said to him, 'You are looking in the wrong direction! You should seek your wheel behind the wagon, not in front of it.'

This is the mistake which the Jews have been making all these centuries. They have been looking forward instead of backward. It may be said that the four wheels of Hebrew history are Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. The Jews have been looking into the future when they should have been looking into the past. This is why they have not found their fourth wheel.

But God be thanked that the sons of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 8:8) have found Jesus, that most important wheel of all. Abraham, Moses, and David are, after all, only types and forerunners of Jesus. Thank God, we have found our brother Jesus, our all in all, who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30); in whom alone we have found light and life, liberty and love, both for the great present and for the still greater hereafter. And now we look with longing eyes and joyful hearts towards the brightness of His appearing" (p. 73)

In addition to the historical overview of Jewish missions presented in Ms. Tucker's "Not Ashamed: The Story of Jews for Jesus", I also refer readers to Ruth Rosen's "Testimonies of Jews Who Believe in Jesus", a very inspirational collection of contemporary autobiographies of Jews, from various walks of life, and their accounts of how they became followers of Jesus.

Rating:
Summary: Not Ashamed - With Good Reason
Review: The Book "Not Ashamed" is one that portrays fairly accurately the actions of the Jews for Jesus organization. Having been closely affiliated with them for some time, I am quite aware of their methods and their training. It is intense and physically draining at times, but it is all in an effort to prepare the trainee for hours of street witnessing, being spat on, attacked physically and assaulted verbally. The training separates the wheat from the chaff so to speak. The book does a fair job at describing the personalities that founded the movement, but lacks the power, faith and radical nature of the hearts of many of its leaders. The book is not so much about Judaism or Christianity, but more about a small group of Jews believers in Jesus trying to please the God of Israel whom they serve.

Rating:
Summary: don't be NAIVE
Review: The people with the biggest complaint are all former insiders. The people who post negative reviews are all former employees of this "organization." The people who call this group a "cult", whether its true or not, are primarily former staff members. Whatever their success in sharing the gospel, they certainly have left a trail have hurt employees behind them. If the complaints are true, then reading this book and giving money to this organization only helps them hurt more of their own people.

It is a mistake to believe that when Ruth Tucker wrote this book she was given access to all the information. She was paid by the organization and given the history through interviews of their staff, not their former staff. She obviously didn't know that they were careful hiding terrible things in the closet. She had no reason to suspect it. I've met Ruth Tucker and she is an upstand person and an excellent historian. But she was decieved when she wrote this book, which is clear from the number and content of the remarks left by the former staff member.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that if their own former staff memebers harbor such bitter feelings, there has to be a reason. I don't know much more than that, but I refuse to be naive, and I certainly won't buy this book and neither should you.

Rating:
Summary: The truth and nothing but the truth.
Review: This book tells the story of how a small group of Jewish believers started a missionary organization to "make the Messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewsh people worldwide". Specific examples of successes, failures,opposition, and problems are given through personal interviews, media excerpts and commentary by the author. The continued growth of the Jews for Jesus ministry and the wide support base of believers of many denominations testify to the success of following Biblical principles of submission to authority and seeking to serve God wherever one is sent. This book helps one to understand why Jews for Jesus uses unconventional and sometimes radical methods to accomplish its mission. It truly does "tell it like it is".