Israel and Yeshua [antikvár]

Preface A Hassidic story tells of a traveller who met an old Jewish farmer on the road. He asked, "How long will it take me to walk to Lodz?" The farmer did not answer. The traveller repeated the question; still no answer. "Well," thought the man, "either he is deaf or stupid," and continued his walk. When he had walked fifty meters, the firmer yelled after him, "forty-five minutes!" "Why didn't you answer when I asked?" he replied, tuming toward the firmer. "How could I know the answer before I saw how fast you are walking?" Caspari Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies celebrated its tenth anniversary in November 1992. On this occasion, we want to reflect on the way we are walking, where we have come from, and how to proceed towards the goals - the goals of Caspari Center, and those of today's Messianic Jewish movement. For ten years, Caspari Center has served as a study center for the evangelical church and Messianic Jews in Israel, to deepen the knowledge of our biblical and Jewish roots. In our ministry, scholarship and dialogue, teaching and training of Israeli followers of Jesus go together. This Festschrift encompasses contributions from friends and acquaintances who, together, illuminate various aspects of the ministry and the scope of Caspari Center. Not all the voices agree with each other. This fact reflects the different opinions and camps within the Messianic Jewish movement in Israel, as well as our desire to listen carefully to other voices in the country, whether Jewish or Arab. The articles provide an encounter with biblical roots, which come to life here in the country, and with the situation of Jewish Christians through the centuries, in the land of Israel and in the Diaspora. Theological challenges to the Messianic Jewish movement of today are brought to bear: Where are we coming from? Where are we going? We also bring responses to the evangelical presence in Israel from Jewish rabbis and from the Arab Christian camp. Listening ears and sensitive hearts are needed in this country. Israel and Yeshua - these words encompass the aim of Caspari Center. What is Israel's connection with and response to Yeshua, in the past and today? And how should Jewish followers of Jesus express their belief in a Jewish and Israeli context? In the opening article, the founding director of Caspari Center, Ole Kvarme, defends the challenge of giving the gospel back to the people who first preached and heard it, while at the same time affirming the national identity of the people of Israel and of Jewish followers of the Messiah. Torleif Cigvin Jerusaienx June 1993