“…your old men shall dream dreams (chalomot), and your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28

Once upon a time, I had the idea for Hashivenu. It all grew out of one phrase found in the Torah service, but quoted from Eicha/Lamentations 5:21: “renew our days as of old.” I sensed at that time that renewal for the Messianic Jewish Movement would not come through galloping off into some unforeseen Holy Ghost future, as some might have it, but rather that such renewal involved reconnecting with the past. The metaphor I often use is that a tree can only grow tall if its roots sink deep. It is by sinking our roots deep in our Jewish past that we will see a renewal in today’s and tomorrow’s Messianic Judaism. And I still believe that.

Under the good hand of God, a handful of others gathered around me, as we all sensed ourselves drawn to serve a cause not yet clear to us. But as we met and prayed together, the mission statement of Hashivenu became clearer, and we identified the seven Core Principles which since then have permeated our actions and the projects, including MJTI.