The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) was founded in 1915 as the
Hebrew Christian Alliance of America, changing its name in 1975. It follows on from the International Hebrew Christian Alliance between the
Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain The Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain, known today as the British Messianic Jewish Alliance, was founded in 1866 by Carl Schwartz "to promote the combination of Jewish heritage and Christian theology." It incorporated the Hebrew Christian ...
and that of America.
As to belief, Messianic Jews believe in
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
(Yeshuah) as their
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...
, nevertheless they continue to perceive themselves as Jews, e.g. by continuing to celebrate Jewish customs. For Messianic Jews, the Bible, the
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
(Tanakh) as well as the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
(especially the four Gospels), forms the basis of their faith. They are convinced that the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
in its entirety is inspired by God. They further believe that one day all Jews will be Messianic Jews and that they will lead all of Israel, the Jews, and the gentile Christian world in worship of the one true God, understanding this to be the Messianic Age.
[Hanna Rucks: Messianische Juden. Geschichte und Theologie der Bewegung in Israel. Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 2014, ISBN 978-3-7887-2879-3]
History
The Hebrew Christian Alliance of America began in the early 19th century as a mission by Hebrew Christians to other Jews. Various independent efforts were united at the Hebrew Christian Alliance of the United States in 1905, in partnership with Hebrew Christian Alliances of other countries, most notably the
Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain The Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain, known today as the British Messianic Jewish Alliance, was founded in 1866 by Carl Schwartz "to promote the combination of Jewish heritage and Christian theology." It incorporated the Hebrew Christian ...
founded by
Carl Schwartz
August Ferdinand Carl Schwartz DD (1817–1870) was a Hebrew Christian clergyman and minister of the Free Church of Scotland serving in Amsterdam and London.
Life
He was born on 20 January 1817 in Meseritz in Prussia, now Międzyrzec Podlaski in ...
1866. The organization was under the sponsorship of Philip Milledoler of the Reformed Dutch Church. Their efforts led to the formation in December 1816 of the first American Christian mission to Jews, which was incorporated on April 14, 1820 as the American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews. There were, however, few Jews in the US at the time, and the organization was run by Christian leaders of a variety of denominations.
Youth organization
The Young Messianic Jewish Alliance (YMJA) is a national organization for members of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America between 13 and 30 years old.
See also
*
Church's Ministry Among Jewish People
The Church's Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ) (formerly the London Jews' Society and the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews) is an Anglican missionary society founded in 1809.
History
The society began in the early 19th ...
(CMJ), Anglican body, formerly the London Jews' Society.
*
Hebrew Christian movement
The Hebrew Christian movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries consisted of Jews who converted to Christianity, but worshiped in congregations separate from denominational churches. In many cases, they retained some Jewish practices and litur ...
, description of various 19th-century bodies and individuals.
References
{{reflist
External links
Messianic Jewish Alliance of America.Young Messianic Jewish AllianceMJAA Messianic Conferences The Joseph Project - Humanitarian aid to Israel.International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues - Congregation directory.Messianic Jewish Fellowship International
Christian denominations established in the 20th century
Conversion of Jews to Christianity
Messianic Judaism
Christian organizations established in 1915