February Webinar Q&A and Resources

If you missed the February Webinar on "Joseph Rabinowitz: The Herzl of Jewish Christianity & Messianic Judaism," you can now watch it on our website or our youtube channel.

Question: In what way did Rabinowitz see Yeshua as the answer to the Jewish question? I take it, from what you said, he was not looking to the eschaton. Did he see in Yeshua a solution to the persecution of Jews, etc. within foreseeable human history? If so, in what way?

Dr. Richard Harvey:

Rabinowitz's 13 theses, written shortly after his return from Palestine in 1883, describe the problems as he saw them, which were both spiritual and material. His solution, accepting Yeshua as our brother and leader, contained an eschatological expectation but also a practical solution to the problems of the Jews in Russia caught between an oppressive regime, economic hardship, the unrealistic expectations of Zionism (as he saw it), and the pressures of assimilation and secularism. Thesis 13 states: "We hope that the words of our brother Jesus, which were spoken in righteousness, love, and gentleness to our brethren, will take root in our hearts. The fruit of righteousness and salvation, will be love of truth and goodness. Then the governments and nations will change their attitude and will permit us existence and establishment among the other living nations, overshadowed by the European laws, which derive from our brother’s spirit, who gave his life so that the world might thrive and to keep wickedness from the earth."

Here are some additional resources on Joseph Rabinowitz recommended by Dr. Harvey:

• Joseph Rabinowitz and the Messianic Movement: The Herzl of Jewish Christianity (book) by Kai Kjaer-Hansen

• Josef Rabinowitz – The Herzl of Jewish Christianity (article) by Kai Kjaer-Hansen

• Joseph Rabinowitz - On This Day In Messianic Jewish History

• An PDF anthology of Rabinowitz's writings

You can also download Dr. Harvey's full PowerPoint presentation from the February webinar.

Question: Amanda, based on your very interesting upbringing, how do you feel about marriage between Jews and Christians?

Amanda Achtman:

Having been raised in a Jewish-Catholic family, I sometimes say that I'm the result of fruitful Jewish-Catholic relations. I am filled with wonder at and gratitude for the way my parents have lived their marriage and established our family on the basis of common values and the richness of two traditions. At the same time, I have seen in other relationships the possibility for intense tension and conflict between spouses whose traditions differ. For me, Jewish identity and Catholic faith are not just one or two interests among many; they are the tenor of a complete personality. I have found people in both the Jewish community and the Catholic community who think that having parents from two traditions is a matter of deprival for me. But I have also found others in both traditions who see my background as the foundation for my life's uniqueness of purpose. And, the more I study the Bible, the more I see how's God's providence is often fulfilled, not thwarted through unusual relationships and family dynamics.

If you're interested in reading more about Amanda's experiences studying John Paul II in Poland, visit JP2studies.com. Amanda is also blogging daily throughout 2021 about death, dying, culture, and meaning in a way that is consistently humanizing and uplifting. You can check that out at DyingToMeetYou.ca

Additional resources from Amanda:

• Speech of John Paul II on his Visit to Yad Vashem

• Vatican & the Holocaust: “We Remember” - A Reflection on the Shoah

• Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions - Nostra Aetate

• Amanda's Reflections on the March of Remembrance and Hope Holocaust Study Trip to Germany and Poland