Here is a taste of the religious intolerance faced by Messianic Jews in the southern Israeli town of Arad from the Gur Hasidim who, for several years, have been busy trying to theologically cleanse the town from Jews who believe Yeshua is Messiah. The Gur have designs on Arad being one of their centres, hence the need to get rid of the Messianics, they’ve even had a pop at Chabad there!
One target of this daily harasment is a sabra Israeli called Yo-Yakim Figueras, who happens to be the leader of a Hebrew speaking Messianic Jewish congregation in Arad.
I am astonished at the patience and tolerance demonstrated by Yo-Yakim and his family. What remarkable people they are.
Yes Mike pretty impressive tolerance in the face of intolerance.
Indeed, it is a beautiful thing. G-d bless R. Figueras and his family.
These Gur are so sad. If they’d only read RPP – they’d learn that Messianic Judaism is a “failed experiment” etc. They wouldn’t have to waste so much time with all the hateful behavior and could get back to Torah like they ought. They may even have time to venture into the Nevi’im a little bit and learn something.
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Very sad to see this.
Well if the Chasidei Gur are trying to present themselves as a bunch of brainless ignorant morons who have nothing better to do, they are succeeding chaval al hazeman. May they continue to repel other Jews away from empty traditions and towards the truth. With enemies like the Chasidei Gur, we don’t need friends.
May they continue to repel other Jews away from empty traditions and towards the truth. With enemies like the Chasidei Gur, we don’t need friends.
Leon, your “empty traditions” comment is quite revealing….you are obviously either not a Jew, and if you are, certainly very ignorant about judaism.
This has been going on for years and I believe they (the Gur Hasidim) may have suffered a major legal setback recently- hence the apparent increase in their harassment. What they seem to misunderstand is just how strong Yakim actually is. Or rather how God strengthens Yakim. Has to be a tough way to live though. Sheesh…
Yes Bobby the Almighty is giving Yakim strength despite one of the guys in the clip screaming that G-d should take him… He has and is working in his life
What is this legal set back, can you tell us more?
Thses Gur Chasidim say that they uphold HaTorah Elohim. I have read the Torah and I cannot find any derective from HaShem to carry out this type of judgment. May HaRuach Yeshua fill Yo-Yakim and HaMishpuchah with wisdom and fortitued. They, will be the victors in all what is happening.
Matthew, most of the anti-Messianics that comment on here regularly would think that they way the Guy behave towards Messianic Jews in Arad is counter-productive to their cause.
Gev, we agree about this for sure. The Gur Chasidim do not represent
all Jews and certainly, imho, are counter-productive to Judiasm.
Right before our eyes, we see how their abusive behavior has not brought the
positive results they should be seeking.
In Arad, the Gur Chasidim are aggresively or were aggresively trying to
take over Chabad’s power base. It seems they are just “liked by everyone”
hahaha
Did you notice the police car drive by what Yakim was being harassed in the waiting for a ride video? http://www.angelfire.com/super/redhorse/2004/08_11/Yakim.png
The problem is that missionaries suffer a fundamental misunderstanding of the Jewish state and a grossly overblown notion of their rights to it. Missionaries believe that they have rights that supersede everybody else’s rights. For instance, missionaries believe their right to evangelize Jews on the turf G-d gave them and that they defend with their lives trumps the Jews’ right to maintain their state as a Jewish state in accordance with their wishes. Missionaries also imagine they are entitled to harass Jews in Israel notwithstanding Israelis’ desire not to be harassed by missionaries. Of course, the missionaries’ concept of supreme missionary rights exists only within their own demented imaginations. Missionaries understand freedom of religion to mean their rights to evangelize Jews, never Jews’ right to run their Jewish state in the Jewish fashion. In short, missionaries view the hard work of the establishment of the state of Israel as the Jews’ obligatory gift to missionaries as a way point for mass surrender to Christian proselytization.
In reality, the Jews of Israel congregate there specifically to practice Judaism and/or to avoid being under Christian influence, including the historically real threat of Christian violence against Jews. When missionaries like Eddie come to make a name for themselves by picking street fights and mowing Jews down with his automobile in Israel–shocker–that is not a fulfillment of the Jews’ purpose in liberating their homeland or of their highest aspirations to exercise their rights there as Jews.
One reason missionaries think that they have the right to impose Christianity on the Jewish state is that in non-sectarian states a freedom of religious diversity not desirable on the Holy Land is necessary and appropriate for cohesive multicultural coexistence. Religious pluralism is appropriate for countries not uniquely established by G-d with an explicit warning never to worship Him through any divine intermediaries like Christians’ Jesus (see the “First Commandment”). Since Israel is “the Jewish state”, missionaries’ expectation of a welcome mat there is as irrational, rude and wrong as the rest of their message to the Jewish people.