1. Witnessing to Jewish People

2. Witnessing to Jewish People
1. Who are Jewish people?
2. How religious are most Jews?
3. How did they get here?
4. What is important to Jews?
5. What are the branches of Judaism?
6. What do most Jews think about Jesus?
7. How do we share Messiah with Jewish people?

3. 1. Who are the Jewish People?

4. Terms:
1. Jewish
2. Judaism
Gal Gadot

5. Jewish is …
•Religion?
•Race?
•Ethnicity?
•Nationality?

6. Jewish is …
1. Ethnicity
2. Heritage
3. Covenant People

7. Judaism is…
Religion:
System of beliefs and practices
Nationality?
Mayim Bialik

8. Jewish ethnicity, ancestry, identity
Judaism religion, family of beliefs and practices

9. How many Jews are there?
14.8M in the world
5.8M in the U.S.
6.8M in Israel
98K in Phoenix
Natalie Portman

10. Central
Phoenix
N Scottsdale
Sun City
Phoenix (98,000)

11. Jews are an unreached group
5.8M Jews in the US
350K Messianic-Jews
< 6%
Beth Yeshua, Havertown, PA

12. 2. How religious are most Jews?

13. Belief in God
God of the Bible 26%
Higher Power 50%
Atheist/Agnostic 23%
Pew Research 2021, p. 67 Bernie Sanders D-VT

14. Belief in God
Jewish theists 76%
Pew Research 2021, p. 67 Bernie Sanders D-VT

15. Attend Synagogue
Weekly 12%
Monthly 8%
Yearly 27%
Never 53%
Pew Research 2021, p. 80 Natalie Portman

16. Where do they worship?
• 37% Reform
• 17% Conservative
• 9% Orthodox
• 37% Unaf
fi
liated/other
Pew Research 2021, p. 57 Wilshire Temple Los Angeles

17. 50% are Intermarried

18. 3. How did they get here?

19. • New Amsterdam (1654)
• Germany (1800s)

20. • Germany (1800s)
• Eastern Europe (1881-1924)
Fiddler on the Roof

21. An American Tale (1986)

22. • Post-Holocaust (1950s)
• Iran (1979-2000)
• Russia (1990-2000)
• Israelis
Iran Israel
Russia
Poland

23. 4. What is important to Jews?

24. 3. What is important to Jews?
What is essential to being Jewish according to Pew Research?
1. Remembering the Holocaust 76%
2. Leading a moral 72%
3. Working for social justice 59%
4. Jewish traditions 51%
5. The State of Israel 45%

25. 3. What is important to Jews?
What is essential to being Jewish according to Pew Research?
10. Practicing Judaism < 15%

26. What else is important to Jews?

27. 1. Jewish traditions
What is important to Jews?

28. 1. Jewish traditions
2. Family
Jews value…

29. 1. Jewish traditions
2. Family
3. Learning
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Jews value…

30. 1. Jewish traditions
2. Family
3. Learning
4. Social Justice
Jews value…

31. 1. Jewish traditions
2. Family
3. Learning
4. Social Justice
5. Remembering Holocaust
Jews value…

32. 1. Jewish traditions
2. Family
3. Learning
4. Social Justice
5. Remembering Holocaust
6. The State of Israel
Jews value…

33. State of Israel…
But not how Christians think of it
Jews value…

34. • Ful
fi
llment of prophecy
• Only democracy in Mideast
• American ally
• God will bless America if…
• Place where Jesus walked
Christians think of Israel as

35. • Jewish homeland
• Jewish self-determination
• Sanctuary against Antisemitism
• Society for distinctly Jewish
values
• Locus of Jewish cultural life
Jews think of Israel as…

36. How do these differences affect your
conversation with a Jewish person?

37. 5. What are the branches of Judaism

38. Orthodox Judaism
• Service is in Hebrew
• No musical instruments
• Men separate from women
• Bible is divinely inspired
• Oral traditions are divinely inspired

39. Written Torah given on Mt. Sinai

40. Written Torah given on Mt. Sinai
Oral Torah given on Mt. Sinai

41. God
Bible The Rabbis

42. Written Torah
God
Bible The Rabbis

43. Oral Torah
Written Torah
God
Bible The Rabbis

44. Oral Torah
Written Torah
God
Bible The Rabbis Jewish People
Interpretation

45. Orthodox Judaism
• Strictly Kosher
• No work on Shabbat
• Wear head coverings
• Pray 3x / day

47. Reform Judaism
• Jews and Judaism should adapt to
changing culture
• But remain distinctly Jewish
Rabbi Buchdahl, Central Synagogue in NY

48. Reform Judaism
• Service is Hebrew & English
• Musical instruments
• Men & women sit together
• More English with explanation
Rabbi Buchdahl, Central Synagogue in NY

49. Reform Judaism
• Service is Hebrew & English
• Musical instruments
• Men & women sit together
• Bible is a human book
• Belief in God is not required
Rabbi Buchdahl, Central Synagogue in NY

50. Reform Judaism
• Reject the Oral Law
• Bible is a human book
• Belief in God is not required
• Stress social justice
• Inclusive and welcoming non-Jews
Rabbi Buchdahl, Central Synagogue in NY

51. Central Park Synagogue in New York City

52. Conservative Judaism
• Jews adapt to modern culture
• Judaism remain faithful to tradition
Cantor Azi Schwartz, Park Ave. Synagogue, NY

53. Conservative Judaism
• Service in Hebrew
• Musical instruments
• Men & women together
• Bible inspired but has errors
• Oral Torah is a guide
Cantor Azi Schwartz, Park Ave. Synagogue, NY

54. Conservative Judaism
• Kosher, but not strict
• Ordain women
• Balance between adapting to culture but
faithfulness to Jewish practice
Cantor Azi Schwartz, Park Ave. Synagogue, NY

56. Hassidic Judaism
• Ultra Orthodox
• Insular community
• Speak Yiddish
• Practice Mysticism
Late Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, Lubavitch sect

57. Hassidic Judaism
• Drawing wayward Jews back
Late Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, Lubavitch sect

58. Core Beliefs of Judaism

59. Core Jewish Beliefs
• One indivisible God or Being
• Old Testament as the Bible
• Obligation to Jewish practices
• Obligation to transmit heritage
• Authority of the sages

60. Orthodox Beliefs
• Heaven & Hell
• Resurrection of the dead
• Atoning for sin by repentance, prayer,
and righteous deeds
• Coming of the Messiah to gather the
Jews to Israel
• Obligation to keep 613 mitzvoth (Laws)
• As many that can be kept today

61. 6. What do they think about Jesus?

62. Good rabbi
Lived in Israel, taught Judaism,
taught justice and mercy

63. Christians came later
Claimed things about Jesus that He
never said

64. Social Activist
Challenged the oppressive
institutions of his day as we should

65. Not the Messiah
Certainly NOT God incarnate

66. Christianity
Source of Jewish su
ff
ering and
persecution for 2,000 years

67. Why Most Jews Reject Jesus
1. Converts are no longer Jews

68. Why Most Jews Reject the Gospel
1. Converts are no longer Jews
2. Worshipping Jesus is idolatry

70. Why Most Jews Reject the Gospel
1. Converts are no longer Jews
2. Worshipping Jesus is idolatry
3. Christians killed Jews

71. Rose Price

72. Why Most Jews Reject the Gospel
1. Converts are no longer Jews
2. Worshipping Jesus is idolatry
3. Christians killed Jews
4. Messiah bring peace on earth

73. Ben Shapiro, Talkshow Host

74. Why Most Jews Reject the Gospel
1. Converts are no longer Jews
2. Worshipping Jesus is idolatry
3. Christians killed Jews
4. Messiah bring peace on earth
5. Evangelicals are associated
with the Political Right — the
antithesis of Jewish social values

75. Jewish Social Values
• Concern for immigration
• Justice for minorities and marginalized communities
• Freedom of religion
• Freedom of speech

76. 7. How can we share the Messiah with them?

77. 1. Make Friends

78. 1. Make Friends
2. A
ffi
rm Jewishness

79. 1. Make Friends
2. Af
fi
rm Jewishness
3. Ask questions

80. 1. Make Friends
2. Af
fi
rm Jewishness
3. Ask questions
4. Share testimony

81. 1. Make Friends
2. Af
fi
rm Jewishness
3. Ask questions
4. Share testimony
5. Stop & listen

82. 1. Make Friends
2. Af
fi
rm Jewishness
3. Ask questions
4. Share testimony
5. Stop & listen
6. Pray for them

83. 7. Set-up a meeting

84. 7. Set-up a meeting
8. Answer questions
from the Bible

85. Answering Questions

86. How to answer questions
1. Present Yeshua (Jesus) as the Jewish Messiah
2. Suggest Yeshua’s Messiahship is not a religious interpretation
3. Explain Truth depends on historical evidence, not opinion
4. Invite Your friend to investigate the evidence themself
5. Arrange 1:1 45-minute mtgs to investigate the evidence

87. 7. Set-up a meeting
8. Answer questions from
the Bible
9. Invite them to church
or Bible study

88. 7. Set-up a meeting
8. Answer questions from
the Bible
9. Invite them to church or
Bible study
10. Ask for a decision