Who is a Jew?

AS A YOUNG JEW growing up in a traditional Jewish home in Washington, D.C. (both of my parents were Jewish), I never focused on the question, "Who is a Jew?" I was Jewish and that was that. Even though I was not really sure there is a God, I was still a Jew. Even though I only went to synagogue because I had to, I was still a Jew. Although I believed that Torah was the creation of man, although I cared nothing about Israel, although I had left my wife and daughter, although I became involved in the occult, a practice emphatically condemned by Jewish law, I was still a Jew. But when I rejected the occult, returned to my wife and daughter, became an ardent Zionist, and began attending Shabbat services because I wanted to please God and live according to his word, many of my fellow Jews declared that I was no longer Jewish!

The Orthodox rabbis claim that a Jew is one whose mother is Jewish by birth or conversion. Strange, then, that God is never referred to the God of Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel, but always the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now many Orthodox rabbis want to recognize only those who have been converted under Orthodox Judaism. This not only nullifies all Reform and Conservative conversions, but it means that children of such conversion could no longer be considered Jewish.

This would make such individuals ineligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. It is the first step to delegitimize Conservative and Reform Judaism. I believe Messianic, Reform, and Conservative Jews are all Jews! Certainly Hitler would not have made distinctions between these groups of Jewish people. God forbid that such extreme conditions should force factions within our community to recognize one another.

The Real Issue

Actually, the real issue is not merely "Who is a Jew?" but "Who is a true Jew?" The word "Jew" comes from the Hebrew name "Yehudah" (Judah), which means "praiser of God." How could I have been considered a praiser of God as an Orthodox Jew, when I was not even certain that He existed? Certainly my behavior could not have been considered a "praise" to God. Moses was a true Jew, a praiser of God. His was a reverential fear of the Almighty. He spoke to the Lord and the Lord answered. He prayed and miracles took place. Today, as a Messianic Jew, I speak to God and He answers. I have a reverential fear of the Almighty and seek to obey His Word. I pray and miracles take place. Moses said that if we desire to be true Jews, we should follow the new prophet who would come after him. This prophet would be greater than Moses. He would have the Word of God inside of Him. The true Jew would obey this prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

This prophet would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); he would die by crucifixion (Psalm 22:14-18); he would walk among men and die before the second Temple would be destroyed (Daniel 9:26); he would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10). The majority of the Jewish community would reject him (Isaiah 53:1,3) and Gentiles, instead, would follow him (Isaiah 11:10). He would offer forgiveness from sin (Zechariah 13:1, Isaiah 53:5). And one day every Jew will recognize this pierced one (Zechariah 12:10-14). The Talmud declares that if a voice from heaven should contradict the majority of rabbis, we must ignore that voice. A true Jew says that if the Torah contradicts the majority of rabbis, we must then ignore the rabbis. May God grant that soon all Israel would be true Jews.

SID ROTH
From Messianic Vision January 1989