Another terrific article from Ruth. Honestly, as she hits the nail on the head, I think, ‘so many in Christendom talking about our historic antisemitism, but how many are DOING something about it??’
We MUST humble ourselves and come with tears of repentance!!
Her best line: “I’m pretty sure this is at least part of what God had in mind by allowing us Gentiles to draw near; to create a barrier between the Jews and the nations that seek to annihilate them.”
What a concept!! Laying down our lives to protect them!! OH! This is NOT hard!
natsab 
Thank you Pete.
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Have you seen this? http://unitedwithisrael.org/pm-pushes-for-new-law-defining-israel-as-the-jewish-state/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Will+Israel+Define+Itself+as+the+%27Jewish+State%27%3F+%5BBreaking+News+Update%5D&utm_campaign=20140502_m120247905_Will+Israel+Define+Itself+as+the+%27Jewish+State%27%3F+%5BBreaking+News+Update%5D&utm_term=more_btn_light_png
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No, but not concerned… I know who the land belongs to and the King may have to resolve it… til then, we spread the message of restoration and love Judah!
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Together Fighting Hatred and Intolerance
April 28, 2014 By Guest Contributor 6 Comments
By Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg
I am the son of Holocaust survivors. Most of my family perished in the Holocaust, either in the crematorium or shot dead on the street. I am still deeply disturbed by the tattooed number from Auschwitz on my father’s arm and remember my mother looking twice her age from her experience at the camp. Like many children of Holocaust survivors, I never had grandparents. I became a rabbi as a concept of never again. I vowed that I’d do everything in my power to stop evil and to make certain that people who are like the Nazis, demons that they are, would never succeed.
Before Easter a video called “That Jew Died for You” was released from the group Jews for Jesus. The video has garnered over a million views on YouTube and sparked some very hateful conversation. When I viewed the video, I recognized it as a movie of compassion. Indeed the said purpose of “That Jew Died for You” was to reshape views of Christ and His relationship to the Holocaust, presenting a positive image of hope and salvation instead of despair.
The video depicts a powerful scene set at the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp as a line of Jews awaits their fate. The Nazi guards at the front of the line decide who will go to the work camp and who will go to the death chambers. Toward the end of the video, Jesus, carrying a cross, comes to the front of the line and is sent by the guards toward the death chambers. I am not a stranger to this subject having just authored a new book The Holocaust as Seen Through Film, one of the many books that I have written with a Holocaust theme.
I do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah but I do believe he was a Jew. I am completely non-judgmental with regards to anyone’s religious observances. I don’t judge anybody because I did not go into the clergy for religion’s sake. I went into clergy for humanity’s sake. There are not too many Holocaust survivors’ kids around that think the way I do.
I do not agree with those who are attacking the video showing Jesus carrying a cross and being sent to the showers from the gates to Auschwitz. If Jesus were at Auschwitz he would have been murdered just for being a Jew. If anything the attack on this video bolsters Jews for Jesus, which I’m sure was not the intent of those critics. I think that the purpose of the video was to show that indeed Jesus was a Jew; whether you accept him as the Messiah is up to you. LET ME STATE CLEARLY: I DO NOT ENDORSE JEWS FOR JESUS OR THEIR BELIEFS. But I think their intent was not to harm our Jewish people but to depict Jesus as the observant Jew he was. The historical Jesus was a devout Jew.
I witnessed Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ in Manhattan when it first came out and there was an uproar—there was a fear that it would create a lot of anti-Semitism because of the way that Jesus is persecuted and victimized. The fact is that Jesus, at least the spiritual Jesus, was supposed to die and be resurrected and that did happen in this film. It was not the Jews that killed Jesus; rather it was Pontius Pilate and the Romans. In fact, if you saw that picture, you would see that the Roman soldiers did the floggings. Many people do not understand history at all.
I have taught Holocaust studies for most of my life on the high school and college level. When I discuss the Holocaust and God, I share many possible views. In truth, after having written numerous books on the subject I don’t have an answer. I cannot in good conscience believe that the Jewish people were punished, because if I believe that, then I would not be a rabbi, and probably would be an atheist. One and a half million priceless Jewish children were murdered. What was their sin? The answer I give myself and others is that mankind caused the Holocaust, not God. It is the only answer I can live with.
I believe that it was the teachings of the Church, not Jesus, that allowed Hitler to spread his ideology of hatred for the Jews. I am happy that the teachings of the Church regarding the Jewish people have changed. A special thank-you to the Christians who support the state of Israel.
The bottom line is that Jesus’ message was not to hate the Jews, but to love all humanity, and he would certainly not say that one should hate his own people. Instead of hatred in the world, there should be love. And if that was the message Jesus communicated, then that was an outstanding message for all of mankind. During this period of Easter and Passover, as well as the remembrance of the Holocaust, may love conquer evil and may we together fight hatred and intolerance.
Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg
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Rabbi Rosenburg,
Thank you for your comments and sharing your heart.
As a pastor for more than ten years in a Christian denomination, a few years ago I came face to face with the antisemitism harbored and perpetuated by Christian doctrines and the church fathers. Skeletons get hidden in the closet, and I guess they never thought to bring that one out at seminary or as I was growing up. When I found it, I was horrified.
Over the last few years I have been on a search to understand the historic Rabbi who lived 2000 ago and why/what happened to create this great divide among those who would worship the G-d of Avraham, Yitzhak and Ya’acov. The result is that while I believe in Yeshua, I now walk and promote Torah as the way to rightly live before G-d. And, I understand that Yeshua taught Torah and only Torah. He didn’t teach against either the Jews or the Law of Moses.
We may disagree on Yeshua, but I think we both know a story that in the context of history, paints a very interesting picture. Yosef was prophesied through two dreams, to have his family bow down to him. He was placed in a pit, sold for silver, believed to be dead by his father and sent into Egypt at the hands of Gentile Ishmaelites. There he went through trials, kept Torah, was elevated to be second in command of all of Egypt, however his name was changed and his true identity completely hidden. He was not recognizable to his own brothers later when Jacob’s family was in desperate need. They saw Zaphenath-panea, dressed as an Egyptian, with an Egyptian name, doing Egyptian things… Yet, that is not who he was or even what he was actually doing… In the end, he saves the world and elevates his brothers to a special place while at the same time revealing his true identity to all, both Egypt and his brothers. Interesting. Prophetic? Hmmm.
You and I are both looking for the coming Messiah, one who will rule from Tzion, shepherd his people, teach Torah and restore the tent of David!! At that point, I pray he will be gentle and teach me that which I misunderstand at this point.
Until then, I desire to see the proper perspective of this Jewish Rabbi some call Jesus, which is why I disagree with this particular film perpetuating the Greco-Romanized images of him.
I have recently read and written about the antisemitism in the church and how it led directly to the Holocaust. Hitler simply carried out what many (not all) church fathers had written. Very sad.
I am deeply sorry for any part I ever had in knowingly or unknowingly perpetuating those errors through false doctrines. I have asked G-d for forgiveness and have publicly asked Judah to forgive me as I understand that even if I did not personally do it, I bear some of the sin of my fathers.
Dear brother, I pray we can come together and walk in love and unity before Hashem, and I pledge that if need be, I will lay down my life for Judah!
Blessing to you and Shalom!!
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