According to information just received by the Task Force on Missionary Activity of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC), the Jews for Jesus and other Hebrew Christian groups are planning to establish centers in cities where they have active branches for the purpose of providing shelter for “those Jews cast out because of their faith in Jesus.”
They acknowledge that this is a departure from former practices and more closely associates them with other missionary groups. They also intend to increase their on-campus presence and activities, the JCRC reported.
JCRC Task Force chairman Seymour Lachman said that the establishment of permanent residences would add an additional dimension that will require appropriate responses from the Jewish community. The Task Force has advocated the establishment of temporary residence centers to which people could come for guidance and assistance. Lachman added that such facilities with appropriate supervision would be especially important as an address to which young people finding themselves drawn to missionary or cult groups can turn.
Jews for Jesus are also utilizing their “Liberated Wailing Wall” group to stage evangelistic concerts featuring “Jewish Gospel Music,” testimonies and short messages, the JCRC reported. With this, as well as other front groups, they are seeking access to campuses with large Jewish student bodies recognizing that this is likely to lead to confrontations. Recently they appeared at Hofstra, Queens College and other area campuses.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
