Whose Birthright Is It? (Part 2:Targeting Youth)

[Jewish Israel]

"And Esav spurned the birthright." (25:34)

Well, Parashat Toldot is this week, so Jewish Israel is rightfully dedicating some posts to the "Birthright Parsha" – a story of youths and deception - unfolding right here and now in Israel.

And speaking of twins, will the real “Birthright” programs please stand up?



MASA Israel enables thousands of Jewish youth to spend a semester or a year in Israel in any of over 160 programs, helping them build a life-long relationship with Israel and a firm commitment to Jewish life.

Their slogan: Explore What’s Yours

Their sponsors: MASA Israel journey is a project of the Government of Israel and Jewish communities around the world, represented by the Jewish Agency for Israel and its partners, United Jewish Communities / the Federations of North America, and Keren Hayesod - UIA.


Massah Israel provides a unique experience for young adult Jewish believers in Jesus who desire a deeper relationship with God, a stronger sense of Jewish identity, and a vision for sharing Messiah with Jewish people in Israel and abroad.
Massah is about investment in the future of the people of Israel and in the future of Jewish evangelism. By raising up Jewish believers in Jesus as they seek God’s plan for their lives and by extending the love of Messiah to Jewish people, we can make a difference.

Their slogan: Explore. Study. Serve.

Their sponsor: Jews for Jesus

Then we have...
Taglit-Birthright Israel's founders created this program to send thousands of young Jewish adults from all over the world to Israel as a gift in order to diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity among world Jewry; and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people.

Their slogan: You adventure. Your birthright . Our gift

Their sponsors: The Birthright Israel Foundation; the people of Israel through the Government of Israel; and Jewish communities around the world (North American Jewish Federations, Keren Hayesod and the Jewish Agency for Israel).

Of course in our last post we covered Birthright’s dalliance with Christian missionary Gordon Robertson, a man who says, "You don't have to change your culture, you can still observe the Torah, you can still be Jewish and still believe that Jesus is the messiah." (word just in that "Mr. Robertson had to cancel the event for this week")

So, just who is deceiving whom?

But the game of deception is not only taking place among youth mission programs...

Disconcerting Jesus Concerts:

Recently joint efforts on the part of Rabbi Mottle Wolf of Isralight, Ari Abramowitz of A7 radio, Yehuda HaKohen of the Zionist Freedom Alliance, and Jewish Israel, were able to prevent a known messianic missionary musician from performing in a popular pub café in central Jerusalem. Heck, he dresses Jewish and introduced himself as a Jew to the proprietors…so how were they to know?

Jesus Crashes the Party:

Three weeks ago one of the organizers of the popular Boombamela Festival came to Jewish Israel asking for assistance because the festival had literally become infested with missionaries. The Jews for Jesus site even sports an image gallery of the event. Jewish Israel was told by the organizer that many of the missionary musicians deceptively dress as Torah observant Jews. Granted, a good number of the participants of the festival on the beach are… well… underdressed, but even the most secular of Jews do not want Jesus crashing their party.

Indeed, Jewish Israel had a confirmation of this when the Director of Yad L’Achim recently informed us that a surprising proportion of the complaints and calls they are receiving about missionaries are coming from Israel’s secular community.

Bragging about Baptisms on the Beach:

OM International teamed up with Jews for Jesus and “messianic” congregations to prey on the thousands of Israeli youth participating in the Beresheet New Age Festival in the Galilee. They reported that ,“there were great opportunities for personal witness and good conversions. Twenty-seven people repented of their sins and received Jesus as Lord. Two were baptised on the beach.”


Torah observant Jews frequent Beresheet and other festivals with hopes of bringing their brethren close, but they’ll be the first to tell you that “the largest and only air-conditioned tent at the festival is run by Jews for Jesus and offers free non-kosher food and baptisms.”

Full-blown Jesus Festival:

It’s one thing to have missionaries infiltrating Israeli cultural events and targeting young Jews, but Succat Hallel runs full-blown Jesus festivals for Israeli youth.

Seminars for young Israeli Christian missionaries:

Hillel Fendel of Arutz 7 recently ran a report on a youth conference held in Ashdod where
“close to 200 teenagers received instruction on how to approach and persuade youngsters their age to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. The event was held on Thursday, Oct. 22, and included various musical performances” . A7 also reported that Yad L’Achim has filed police complaints against the organizers for violating the law against missionary activity with minors.

Who were the organizers of this conference? According to the messianic Rosh Pina Project, Israel Pochtar of Voice of Judah Ministries and the Beit Hallel Congregation is fervently praying that the claims and case be dropped by the police.