I don't get it. An atheist or a buddhist with a Jewish mother is Jewish. But a biological Jew, who believes that the Mashiach is Jesus is not. Why? Here's a disturbing report from the Jerusalem Post on Birthright Screening out Messianic Jews. Here are some details, taken from the blog Religion and State in Israel:
Trip organizers for Birthright have begun screening American candidates interested in free trips to Israel to prevent Messianic Jews from participating.
A questionnaire of a Birthright (Taglit) trip organizer that was obtained by The Jerusalem Post includes a question regarding applicants' religious faith.
Under a category entitled "eligibility rules," applicants are asked to declare that they are Jewish.
They are also asked to declare that "I do not subscribe to any beliefs or follow any practices which may be in any way associated with Messianic Judaism, Jews for Jesus or Hebrew Christians."
Attorney Calev Myers, founder and chief counsel of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization that provides legal counsel to Messianic Jews in Israel, called the screening practice "blatant, ridiculous discrimination" and "a shame."Read the whole thing, it's fascinating!
Update: Joel Katz from Religion and the State of Israel kindly links to Birthright Israel's elegibility policy. Here's the relevant bit:
Eligible individuals are those recognized as Jewish by the Jewish community or by one of the recognized denominations of Judaism; or if either parent is Jewish AND the applicant does not actively practice another religion
3 comments:
Shalom Philip,
The issue presented in the article is certainly an interesting one - I suppose its theological, historical, sociological and more...
If you and your readers are curious about the policy of Birthright-Israel, here is a statement from their website under Birthright Israel – Eligibility.
"Eligible individuals are those recognized as Jewish by the Jewish community or by one of the recognized denominations of Judaism; or if either parent is Jewish AND the applicant does not actively practice another religion."
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Joel Katz
Editor, Religion and State in Israel
http://religionandstateinisrael.blogspot.com/
The question of Jewish identity seems to have never been resolved. It's as if the fact that Jews by birth wouldn't also becomes Jews by faith is an anomaly that the Bible had to struggle to come to come to terms with.
Thanks for the linke and the fascinating blog. You're in my reader.
I think the exclusion of messianic Jews is a type of discrimination that even the most "liberal" Jewish denominations are still struggling with. To me (as a Jew) it makes no sense at all.
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