Speaking at a September 12 joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid condemned Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas for recent comments accusing Israel of perpetrating “Holocausts” against Arabs.
Read MoreDozens of neo-Nazi demonstrators rallied outside a conservative conference in Florida on July 23, where they reportedly waved Nazi flags and swastikas, displayed antisemitic caricatures, and distributed antisemitic leaflets outside the building where the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit was taking place in Tampa.
Read MoreAt its biennial General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church-USA adopted a resolution “On Recognition that Israel’s Laws, Policies, and Practices Constitute Apartheid Against the Palestinian People.” Critics noted the location of the conference in Louisville, Kentucky, where eight months ago, an antisemitic gunman attempted to murder a Jewish member of the City Council.
Read MoreIkar, a well-known Los Angeles synagogue, was targeted in an antisemitic attack, with swastikas scratched onto its office windows overnight May 26 or 27. Synagogue officials called the incident distressing but "unfortunately not surprising," noting an uptick in antisemitic acts in the last several years.
Read MoreWith deep sadness the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations extends our sincere condolences to the families of those who died during the violent attack on members of the Black community earlier this month in Buffalo, New York. We pray for the full recovery of those who were injured. Our congregations stand in heart-to-heart solidarity with grieving members of the Black community and the larger community of Buffalo.
Read MoreAntisemitic incidents tracked in the 2021 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents by the Anti-Defamation League reached an all-time high of 2,717 in the United States last year.
Read MoreThe UMJC is monitoring news each month on the growing issue of antisemitism worldwide, to raise awareness and advocacy among our members and supporters.
Read MoreOur Father and our King, in these troubled days we pray for peace in the name of the Prince of Peace, Yeshua our Messiah.
Read MoreAnti-Jewish rhetoric has become fashionable across the left-right divide, infecting political discourse in North and South America, Europe, and across the globe. Lately, antisemites use current Israeli policies as a pretext to lash out at Jewish people and Jewish communities throughout the diaspora. The State of Israel (and the Jewish people more generally) have been unfairly smeared with charges of complicity in “apartheid,” “genocide,” and “ethnic cleansing.”
Read MoreA recent blog on the Times of Israel website entitled “The Devious Way That Messianic Jews Are Trying to Destroy Judaism” was filled with misrepresentations and unfounded accusations against the Messianic Jewish community. UMJC President Dr. John Fischer and Rabbinic Counsel Russ Resnik responded with the following blog, which Times of Israel declined to post.
Read MoreOur production of Esther and Mordechai: Heroes of Zoom-Shan is written and directed by David Wein, and stars actors of all ages from 16 UMJC congregations. In addition to serving as the premiere of this zany production, the event will include a kids’ costume contest (the hissing and booing will be led by our kids, too!).
Read MoreThis month has been a time of reflection and concern for all of us in the leadership of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations in the aftermath of the disturbing, violent attacks on America’s Capitol. Over the course of the last year, America has been torn apart by tensions that have left our nation and our community divided.
Read MoreIn the chaotic year of 2020 the partisan divide isn’t strictly generational, but it’s definitely raising the community blood pressure, including within our own Messianic Jewish community. Election Day is a specific nearby date, November 3, but election tension is likely to linger long after the votes are in. So, what to do now?
Read MoreIn today’s uber-uptight political environment it’s hard to know what to say and not say about the current election. (I’m addressing leaders in this blog, but everyone is welcome to read on.) One solution is to simply keep silent on anything remotely political, knowing that you’re unlikely to change anyone’s mind, and someone is going to be offended by (and also likely to misinterpret) just about anything you say.
Read MoreWe are grieved and outraged by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and the deaths of many other victims of racially motivated violence. We are moved to declare our solidarity with brothers and sisters in the black community. You are right to demand recognition as full, respected members of a free society. We hear your lament that injustices caused by systemic racism are no longer tolerable.
Read MoreA few states in the U.S. are beginning to re-open non-essential businesses after a long period of stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders. Over the next 6 - 8 weeks, many other states and European countries may follow suit. It is unlikely that large gatherings will be permitted until later in the summer. In the meantime, you and your congregation’s leaders should take this opportunity to plan for a safe (and likely gradual) reopening.
Read MoreHosting or attending a virtual seder this year? You’re probably looking for an online haggadah so that your virtual seder guests can follow along. Here’s a roundup of online haggadot, both Messianic and mainstream …
Read MoreThe entire global Jewish community is preparing for our first isolated Pesach in living memory. Plans are coming together for virtual seders, Zoom gatherings, and downloadable haggadot. Many are planning to organize a seder in their own homes for the very first time. What’s a Passover-planning newbie to do?
Read MoreYou are stuck at home! Your kids are driving you up the walls! They haven’t seen their friends! They are missing your congregation’s children and youth programming! What are you to do? Don’t worry! We have some ideas to keep them learning, connected and engaged at home!
Read More
