Jews for Judaism
| Founded | August 2, 1985[1] |
|---|---|
| Founder | Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz |
| 95-4040781[2] | |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Location | |
| Services | Counseling for hundreds of primary clients and family members; preventative education programs to thousands of students and adults; publication and distribution.[2] |
| David Rifkind[2] | |
| Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz[2] | |
| Julius Ciss[3] | |
| Rabbi Eli Cohen[3] | |
Revenue (2014) | $1,255,989[2] |
| Expenses (2014) | $841,892[2] |
Employees (2014) | 0[2] |
Volunteers (2014) | 10[2] |
| Website | www |
| Part of a series on |
| Jewish outreach |
|---|
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Jews for Judaism is an international organization that focuses on preventing Jews from converting to other faiths and reclaiming those who have already converted. It provides counseling services, education, and outreach programs to all Jewish denominations. It was established in 1985 by Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz.[1]
The name Jews for Judaism was developed from "Jews for Jesus", one of the principal missionary organizations it was founded to counteract. One of its prominent early members, Larry Levey, was a Jewish convert to Christianity who then converted back to Judaism and led the Baltimore office of Jews for Judaism for a number of years.[4][5] In addition to its activities in response to Christian missionaries, Jews for Judaism has also been noted for its critiques of the Kabbalah Centre.[6][7][8]
Offices
Jews for Judaism has three international offices located in: Los Angeles, California, United States; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Sydney, Australia.[9]
Directors
- Los Angeles, California, United States: Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz.
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Julius Ciss, a former "Messianic Jew".[10]
- Sydney, Australia: Rabbi Eli Cohen.
"Be-True"
Jews for Judaism formed the student organization, "Be-True", as a response to missionary activity on university campuses. The organization runs primarily through student representative volunteers. There are currently "Be-True" representatives in the United States, Canada, and Australia.[11]
Jews for Judaism forums
Jews for Judaism Forums served as a home for many observant Jews, Noahides, practicing Jews, non-practicing Jews, and converts to Judaism. The forums discussed issues pertaining to interfaith couples, and helped inquisitive minds answer their questions about Judaism. Additionally, there were frequent debates on the site between the members and visiting Evangelists. In 2007, Jews for Judaism decided to shut down the forum.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Jews for Judaism International, Inc. Archived 2015-03-15 at the Wayback Machine". Business Entity Detail. California Secretary of State. Accessed on March 23, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Tax". Jews for Judaism International Inc. December 31, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Centers Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Machine". Jews for Judaism. Accessed on March 23, 2016.
- ^ Carol Brzozowski, "Former Convert Fights Christians Who Convert Jews", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, March 04, 1988.
- ^ Jan Hoffman, "Inside Jews for Jesus", New York, April 28, 1986.
- ^ Tom Tugend, "Fraud Arrest at Kabbalah Centre", The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, November 10, 2005.
- ^ Gaby Wenig, "Against the Stream", The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, July 25, 2002.
- ^ Nadya Labi, "What Profits the Kabbalah?", TIME, November 24, 1997.
- ^ Worldwide Centers Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, Jews for Judaism website, accessed November 14, 2010.
- ^ Namm, Lesiah (9 February 2001). "Former Messianic Jew now battles [Christian] missionaries" (PDF). aztorah.com. Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ^ "Centers - Jews for Judaism". be-true.org. Be-True, Jews for Judaism. Retrieved 29 March 2015.