Artzeinu

We are seeing at this time the building of more and more of a community of Jewish people, both in Israel and around the world, with a vision for the restoration of our people. One of the most powerful factors is the growing ability for leaders to discuss in depth the needs of the Jewish people in this age, taking into account the dangers of assimilation and humanism, which lead to a lessening of the uniqueness of our set apart people, and ultimately lead our people away from Hashem.

As we celebrated Chanukah a few weeks ago, evening after evening gazing into the light of the candles, Jewish followers of Yeshua are challenged to not let the light of the Jewish people ever be extinguished. Looking upon the example of the Shamesh (the Servant Candle) and thinking about our Mashiach, Yeshua, we make commitments anew to build and work for the restoration of our people from within. The Jewish people is not them but us. We have a responsibility to be faithful to Hashem in and through our lives inside the Jewish people. This requires us to take our place in both the discussion and the work.

One of the biggest contributors to our discussion over the years has been the annual Hashivenu Forum. This Forum, which meets in Southern California, has provided a platform for innovative visionaries and theologians within our community to discuss the future of the community of Jewish followers of Yeshua and in particular to understand in a greater way what it means to live and be part of the wider Jewish world in more than words but in beliefs put into daily actions.

One of the exciting developments over the recent years has been an increase in attendance at this annual forum, from new areas of the world and not least the community of Jewish followers of Yeshua in Israel. The interaction with Jews from around the world has challenged the large U.S.-based community and helped raise awareness to the restoration work that is happening in Israel at this time. The subconscious knowledge that we are one Jewish people living in many places is brought into light in these forums. We learn from one another and grow.

Two years ago under the leadership of Hashivenu, MJTI began a similar Israel Hashivenu Forum, based in Israel and mostly attended by Israelis. This has proven to be an invaluable tool to bring together many from the community of Israeli Jewish followers of Yeshua, and to encourage an indigenous discourse on Hashivenu themes. We have been blessed to have at each forum in Israel a representation of leaders from the international Jewish community, and we look forward to seeing this grow.

Our discussion still has a long way to go as we seek the ways of Hashem, learn them, and return to Him. When people individually and corporately work to develop practical implementation of these thoughts within the wider Jewish world, we see the faithfulness of our Maker who enables us to teach and live a vision of Jewish life renewed in Yeshua.

Published in Issue One / Volume Two / January 2010
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Haim Ben-Haim

Haim Ben-Haim

Haim Ben-Haim is Israel Operations Director at Messianic Jewish Theological Institute’s Jerusalem Campus.

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