Which Half Isn't Jewish?
By Eva Rydelnik
Ever wonder if it's important to transmit Jewish heritage to your kids, when only one of the parents is Jewish? It can be confusing, but my husband and I believe it is important.
Our shared faith in the Messiah compels us to establish a Jewish home. We are united in our desire to raise our kids as Jewish believers, and make them aware of their Jewish heritage. We do not have a bi-cultural home. Our two sons are Messianic Jews. Their Bar Mitzvah speeches reflect our Messianic Jewish family in action.
Bar Mitzvah Snapshots
Seth said:
The "I love Israel" poster, the certificate about "my trees" in Jerusalem's Children's Forest, and the mezuzah on my door show that I am a Jewish young man, concerned for my heritage and my people. I really like being Jewish, and I want to be faithful to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I take seriously my responsibility to honor my heritage and stand with my people.
The Scripture passages that I read today emphasize that Yeshua is the promised Messiah, the son of David, the King of Israel. My Bar Mitzvah is an opportunity to remind myself, and tell all of you, that I have a King, Yeshua, and I have taken an oath of loyalty and commitment to the King of Israel.
Zack said:
I am a Jewish young man. This means I am a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I am responsible to love the Jewish people, to support the State of Israel, to oppose anti-Semitism, and tell the Good News of the Hebrew Scriptures that the Messiah of Israel has come and He is Yeshua of Nazareth!
The most important thing you need to know about me is that I am a Messianic Jewish young man. That means that I am a Jew who believes in Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. I was born a Jew and brought up as a Jew, in a Jewish home. We enjoy Shabbat, celebrate the Jewish holidays, and take the Bible seriously. My Bar Mitzvah is just the beginning of a life of learning about God and serving Him.
From Generation to Generation . . .
There are practical steps that you can take to develop a Jewish home and an appreciation of Jewish heritage.
Here are a few ideas:
1. Make it clear that believing in Jesus is not contradictory to being Jewish (Chosen People Ministries has good resources)
2. Read books about Jewish life and heritage
3. Expose your children to Jewish culture and the arts
4. Celebrate Shabbat and the Jewish holidays
5. Make your children aware of current events in Israel
6. If you celebrate Christmas, emphasize the Messianic promises (forget Santa)
7. If you celebrate Easter, connect it to the Gospel accounts of Passover (forget the Bunny)
8. If possible, live in a Jewish area, so your kids will have Jewish friends
9. If possible, become involved in a Messianic fellowship
10. Do not talk about (or think of) Jewish people as "us" and "them" - we are us, whether we are accepted by the mainstream Jewish community or not!
