Baltimore, MD - January 11, 2016 - Over 32 years ago, Jews for Judaism was founded by Baltimore’s renowned philanthropic aishes chayal, Mrs. Hannah Storch, and Rabbi Motty Berger, who had the amazing foresight to see how such an organization would fulfill the growing needs of our community. With the mission of strengthening and preserving Jewish identity through education and counseling that counteracts deceptive proselytizing targeting Jews for conversion and promotes critical thinking, the organization greatly impacted Jewish individuals and families across the Jewish philosophical spectrum. The preventative education that it evolved into really was critical to Jewish identity and continuity, in addition to raising individual pride about what Judaism does teach. That became the hallmark of Jews for Judaism’s signature programs--raising that confidence in knowledge base of Judaism and text study.
The last couple of years, however, Jews for Judaism struggled tremendously trying to raise adequate funds and recruit new volunteers and board members who could help take its message out to the community. At a board meeting, in October, members voted to close the organization’s east coast doors.
“The board really did do its due diligence,” says former Jews for Judaism East executive director Ruth Guggenheim. “We looked at many different things and ultimately the vote was to close this office for cost-effective measures and to consolidate with the Los Angeles and Toronto offices, in order to maintain the quality services and programming we have done since we have been in existence “With the internet, phones, and emails, everybody can get services instantly. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world anymore.”
The lack of backing and sufficient funding, perhaps, can be explained as a sign of the times, according to Ms. Guggenheim. “This is a case of either you understand why this is detrimental to the continuity of Judaism and why this can really impact almost every family across the denominational board, or you simply just don’t see it as an issue,” she contends. “I would say, also, in the last couple of years it became much more pluralistic in the secular community--everything is okay and there doesn’t need to be boundaries or differences and we should all live harmoniously together, and any barriers don’t matter--even if you believe in the Messianic belief, if you still call yourself a Jew. The boundaries have just totally disintegrated. Younger people, especially, in the last couple of years, have felt it is something they don’t need to teach anymore. They feel this is not the main problem anymore. Obviously, with the growing anti-Zionism, anti-Jewish sentiments that kids are confronting now on the college campuses, truly it has become an overriding issue from a preventative mode. We kept falling in the background and weren’t able to raise the substantial new funds. The organization was down to myself and a part-time administrative assistant, and you just can’t maintain quality services in the same way.
“We have run, literally, thousands of programs over the years,” continues Ms. Guggenheim, “and people don’t even know the impact that they have made on the hundreds of people in the Baltimore area, alone, whose children and grandchildren are still Jewish, thank G-d, because of people at Jews for Judaism. After Motty [Berger] moved to Israel, Larry Levy worked with me 28 years ago and made a huge impact, as did Mark Powers, Scott Hillman and others who really went out of their way and made a difference in klal Yisrael. Kudos to Mrs. Storch and her family and others who helped the organization stay afloat for as long as it did, because it made such a difference to people and to Judaism.”
According to Ms. Guggenheim, Jews for Judaism would have its work cut out for itself, in Israel--with the worsening proselytizing situation,--and there is talk on the table that the organization will explore the Israel avenue, next. “We are exploring the opportunity to take our knowledge-based services and programming to Israel now, under the name Hatshuva,” says Ms. Guggenheim.
Ironically, she explains, there are over 150 Hebrew Christian or Messianic congregations in Israel, yet, Conservative and Reform movements are not allowed to set up any kind of synagogues there. Since 2010, there have become over 20,000 converted “Messianic believers” of Jewish parentage in Israel. Among the most vulnerable are Russians and lone IDF soldiers.
“As Americans, we grew up in a Christian society, used to J’s witnesses knocking at our door or being asked questions by non-Jews,” notes Ms. Guggenheim. “In Israel, it is different. There are a lot of youth there who do not know much about their own Judaism, per se, but yet they often never confronted confrontational issues about Judaism because they are totally ill-equipped. Many of them are vulnerable because they also lack any Jewish context of their life. They are Israeli and they may know on some level their history better than most American Jews; many are so disengaged about Judaism they are vulnerable simply because of that. The fact that all of them have to serve in the army, creates a certain vulnerability, too…They are all proud to be in the army, but they are all scared. You are going to grasp onto anything when you are vulnerable. I think there is a lot of opportunity to take our expertise, our learning, and apply it with Israelis for the Israeli culture. We can’t do it on our own because we are Americans and we think like Americans. We’ve got to partner…..You have to be proactive--engage young Jews in a positive Jewish dialogue, so they can be turned on by authentic Judaism and not be converted by deceptive proselytizing.
“We’ve been contacted by numerous organizations in Israel right now, who want to take some of what our expertise is--in terms of the research and knowledge base of the American evangelical groups that do support proselytizing in Israel,” she continues. “Even though they may appear to be our best friends, we’ve done enough research and enough connecting-the-dots to be able to show in writing and proof with videos that they are definitely supporting “Messianic Judaism”, engaging Jews in belief of Jesus as lord and savior. If possible, we can take whatever we have here as a legacy to Israel to help klal Yisrael now in Israel.”
You can contact Jews for Judaism by calling its hotline: 800-477-6631, or by emailing Ms. Guggenheim, Ruth@jewsforjudaism.org, or calling her at 443-854-5993. The Jews for Judaism Library Liquidation sale, held in Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Synagogue - (lower level Youth Lounge), 7000 Rockland Hills Drive, 5:00 p.m. to 7 p.m., ends today, Monday, January 11, 2016.
