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Targeting Israeli Jews: Some Key Players

Deceptive missionary efforts in Israel take a number of creative and ever-changing forms.  The following are but a sampling of what is taking place in the Jewish Holy Land, a land that has become the new "Ground Zero" for the Jewish-targeting, international missionary community. Revive Israel Ministries, headed by Keith ("Asher") Intrater, is an organization that provides financial and logistical support to conversionary efforts throughout Israel, and operates a "Messianic Jewish" conversionary center and church, called Ahavat Yeshua ("the love of Jesus"), in Jerusalem. Tents of Mercy, led by Andrew ("Eitan") Shishkoff, is a network of five "Messianic Jewish" congregations located in the Galilee region of Israel.  In the guise of offering "humanitarian aid," Tents of Mercy is particularly active in targeting immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and has recently announced that it will be expanding its efforts to reach Israeli teens, "to use this generation of youth to be the evangelists, apostles, pastors, prophets and teachers of Israel’s end-time revival."  Tents of Mercy’s recently established, "Congregational Planning Center" also "sends out teams to do humanitarian aid, evangelism and congregation planting in unreached areas of Israel." Tikkun Ministries International, directed by Presbyterian minister and self-proclaimed "rabbi" Dan Juster, works to "provoke the Jewish people to embrace Yeshua" (Jesus) by establishing "Messianic" congregations in Israel, training new leaders for the conversionary movement, facilitating missionary aliyah, and "fostering Jewish ministry in local churches." Jerusalem Artists, Musicians and Media (JAMM), headed by Richard ("Ayal") Frieden, a Jewish convert to Christianity, assists in "the work of the Gospel and the salvation of Israel" by "outreach" to Jewish youth in Jerusalem that includes a coffeehouse, concerts, "music ministry," "Messianic" congregation, and "arts and media enrichment courses for teens at risk." The Messianic Israel Alliance (MIA), an umbrella organization representing about 150 churches headquartered in Lebanon Tennessee, subscribes to the Two-House Theology. The MIA believes there are two houses of ancient Israel that survive into the present day: Jews, descended from the Kingdom of Judah, and Ephramites (Messianic Jews), descended from the northern Kingdom of Israel (predominantly, the tribe of Ephraim).  To facilitate Jesus' second coming, the MIA believes the Ephramites must accept the Talmud; immigrate to Samaria, the historical home of Ephraim; and convince the Jews to accept Jesus and the Gospel, thereby rejoining the Two Houses of ancient Israel. Maoz Israel Ministries, founded by Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram, publishes Hebrew language conversionary materials and books, runs a "Messianic Jewish" church in downtown Tel Aviv, and is finalizing plans for a coffeehouse "to reach the young people of Tel Aviv." Under the auspices of Calev Myers, an attorney and "Hebrew Christian" leader, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice provides legal assistance to "Messianic" congregations and to missionaries wishing to make aliyah to Israel.  The Institute is currently lobbying to further change Israel's "Law of Return" so as to make it even easier for "Hebrew Christians" to become Israeli citizens. Jerusalem-based Netivyah operates "Kol HaYeshua," the "first Messianic Jewish radio station broadcasting in Hebrew to the Land of Israel," and additionally carries out its missionary activities in the guise of a soup kitchen, youth ministry, and "Messianic Jewish" congregation.