Q. Is the MJCC just another group trying to convert Jews to another religion?
 

A  MJCC does not believe in converting Jews. In fact, the only ones who need to convert are the Gentiles who wish to turn to the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are an organization committed to doing good deeds in the world through our varied and developing programs, resources and activities. Those who are interested in finding out more about faith in G-d through Yeshua the Messiah, are welcome to come and explore, but MJCC’s primary interest is to be regarded as a ‘contributor’ to the community at large.

Q. Are Messianic Jews “Jews for Jesus? 

A. Due to the very visible presence of the organization Jews for Jesus, there is a common misconception that all Jewish believers in Yeshua are “Jews for Jesus.” However, this is not the case. Jews for Jesus is a specific Christian evangelical organization which employs paid workers  and volunteers to actively convert Jews to Christianity.  The difference is that Messianic Jews fundamentally believe that Jews are obligated to remain Jewish and live Jewish lives in obedience to our covenant relationship with God through the redemption of Yeshua the Messiah.  Another difference is that Messianic Jews are not seeking to convert Jews to another religion or in any way away from Judaism; rather it is our desire to see Jews do “teshuvah”— return to the G-d of Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov and come to understand that Yeshua truly is their Messiah. From a Messianic Jewish perspective, faith in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah should lead one into, not away from a greater sense of Jewish identity.

Q. Who is a “Jew”?

A. Biblically speaking to be a Jew means to be chosen by G-d. Our forefathers Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov were chosen. Yishmael had the same father as Yitzhak but he was not chosen to form the Jewish nation; In the same way, Esav had the same father and the same mother as Yaakov, but he was not chosen. Practically speaking, a Jew is someone born of a Jewish parent(s), and therefore a member of the Jewish people (an ethnic group originating with the Israelites of the ancient Middle East); or a person who has formally converted to Judaism. Rabbinical Judaism has changed the rules about who is a Jew. By changing the origin of a Jew from the seed of the father to stemming from the mother the rabbis have eliminated a great number of “true’ jews turning them into non-jews.

There are many Jews who profess to be atheist, Buddhist, Hindu, or Moslems and they are still considered Jews by the Jewish community at large. The only ones specifically singled out are those Jews who have faith in the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). This is a historical problem that is being solved with time. You can be a good Jew, a bad Jew, and even if you don’t want to be a Jew, the reality is that if your father and mother are Jewish, you are still a Jew according to Halachah (Jewish Law).

Q.  Who is a Messianic Jew? 

A. A Messianic Jew is a Jew who believes that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. The true Messianic Jew lives a Torah-observant life out of love for G-d by the power of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit).

Q. Are all Jews who believe in Jesus "Messianic Jews"?

A. Another popular misconception is that any Jew who believes in Yeshua is therefore a "Messianic Jew."  However, there are many types of Jews who believe in Jesus - Jewish Christians, Hebrew-Christians, Jewish Catholics and Messianic Jews.  
Specifically, a Messianic Jew is a person of Jewish heritage who remains committed to the social and religious values of Judaism and the Jewish people, and willingly believes that Yeshua of Nazareth is the long awaited Jewish Messiah.  A Messianic Jew sees their primary community of reference as Jewish.  A Jew, then, who converts and assimilates another religion and loses any affiliation with Jewish identity, is therefore not a "Messianic Jew" because they have chosen, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to abandon their culture and their identity outside of Judaism and the wider Jewish community.  There is no evidence of nor justification for this from the Hebrew Scriptures.

Q. If a non-Jew begins attending a Synagogue, do they become "Jewish"?

A. Many non-Jews have come to find meaning and spiritual fulfillment within Messianic Judaism.  In fact, many non-Jews have become like the god-fearers during the Second Temple period - living fully identifiable Jewish lives - and greatly contributing to the overall life and vitality of the modern Messianic Jewish movement.  Messianic congregations value the participation and spiritual life provided by all its members, whether Jewish or not.  However, the practice of Judaism does not equal the same as being "Jewish," per se.  To be Jewish, one must be a member of the Jewish people, being born to Jewish parent(s); or having undergone a formal conversion to Judaism.  Otherwise, committed non-Jews within a Messianic Synagogue become "Messianic" (or Messianic Gentiles), but not Messianic Jews. There is however a process of Messianic conversion for gentiles into Messianic Judaism.

Q. What are the Jewish Holidays to Messianic Jews?

A. There are seven Moedim (Biblical Festivals) all of which are fulfilled by Yeshua:  
Shabbat,  the first of the festivals given to us by G-d is the weekly Sabbath, and is known as an "island in time."  It is a day of rest in which we focus our attention on G-d, the completion of Creation, rest and joy.  Yeshua said that he was the Lord of the Shabbat and came to bring us complete peace.

Pesach or Passover  commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery and of the Exodus from ancient Egypt. This eight day festival begins with a banquet (Seder) in our homes and has been celebrated for thousands of years. Yeshua died on the Passover and was said to be “the lamb of G-d who takes away the sins of hte world.”

Yom ha Bikurim or First Fruits is celebrated together with Passover with Yeshua being the first fruits of resurrection.
Shavuot is the Feast of Weeks, and is a celebration of spiritual renewal and of the giving of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai over 3000 years ago.  Yeshua is the fulfillment of the Torah coming to live among us...the living Torah, Immanuel-G-d with us.

Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish civil New Year and commemorates the themes of creation, recognizing G-d as our King, and the need for redemption.  Biblically it is Yom Teruah or the Day of the blowing of the Shofar.  These last festivals represent the future fulfillment in Yeshua. When the last shofar will blow, Yeshua will appear to bring redemption to the world.

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, (regarded as the most holy day on the Jewish calendar.  sentence removed )It is a day set apart for reflection and repentance.  Yeshua is our atonement and through his blood our names are written in the Sefer ha Chaim (Book of Life). He is the one who bring us to true Repentance.

Sukkoth is known as the Feast of Booths.  It is an eight day commemoration of the Hebrew’s forty years of wandering  in the desert.  During that time having no a permanent place to live, we dwelled in temporary shelters (Sukkot).  Every year during the festival of Sukkoth we build temporary shelters to remind us of the temporary nature of our lives.  At any time we could be forced to live again in "temporary shelters," and lose all of our possessions.  Sukkoth reminds us that everything we have in life is from G-d, and to be thankful for everything that He provides. Yeshua came to “sukkah” among us, to be a temporary dwelling among us and will one day return bringing tikkun olam (restoration of the world) and establish the olam ha bah (world to come). It will be a day of great rejoicing when all nations will send ambassadors to worship the Lord in the holy mountain of Jerusalem.

Shemini Atzeret is the eighth day of Sukkoth which is a seven day festival with one day extra added to it. The rabbis do not know the meaning of this day and say that when Messiah comes he will explain all things.  Messianic Jews understand that if Yeshua was born on the first day of Sukkoth, then he had his Brit Mila (circumcision) on Shemini Atzeret. Without this he would not be considered a Jew and salvation needed to from the Jew to fulfill prophecy once again.

Simchat Torah is a rabbinic tradition and a very lively celebration occuring at the end of Shemini Atzeret bringing to conclusion (and restarting) the yearly Torah reading cycle.

Messianic Jews also celebrate the Traditional Holidays:
Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian-Greek army in the 2nd century B.C.E. It is found only in the Apocryphal writings in the book of Macabees and in Yohanan 10:22 and is believed to be a late celebration of Sukkoth due to the fact that the Jews could not celebrate Sukkoth while it was in pagan hands. This Festival also remind us about to be on our guard against assimilation.

Purim found in the book of Esther commemorates the annulment of the decree against the Jewish people in ancient Persia (Late 6th century B.C.E.). It also reminds us of the fact that there can be loving non-Jews who have been called by G-d to protect and defend our people. It also demonstrates that there were many who converts to Judaism.

Tisha B'Av is a day of fasting and mourning the destruction of both the first and second Temples in Jerusalem and of the Jewish dispersion.

Tu B'Shvat also traditional is known as the New Year for Trees, and celebrates our connection to our agrarian past and to our need to be environmentally conscious today.
Yom Hashoah is the Holocaust Memorial Day in remembrance of the 6 million Jews and others killed by the German Nazi regime and their collaborators.

Yom HaAtzmaut is Israel's Independence Day and commemorates the Declaration of Independence of the modern State of Israel in 1948.