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h q Past, Present and Future . . . I have been surprised, as I encounter various Jewish believers, that so many first encountered the Jews for Jesus ministry through the Liberated Wailing Wall (LWW). This mobile evangelistic team continues to present Jewish gospel music and drama in approximately 300 churches and Messianic congregations each year. In a sense the team is an institution, but it is really an amazing and ongoing collection of people’s lives and stories, and I wanted to share some of those stories with you. You’ll hear from Jeff Millenson, who served with the Liberated Wailing Wall many years ago and now oversees the team. You’ll hear from David Abramsky, a member of our last LWW team, and then from Melissa Weinisch, a current member. They will tell you about the team’s beginnings, how it’s changed (or not changed) and how it can change people. I hope you will enjoy their stories. JEFF MILLENSON AA: Jeff, What can you tell us about the LWW? JM: Well, the team officially began in 1972, which predated the founding of Jews for Jesus in 1973. In fact, part of the reason we incorporated as a mission was to provide a foundation to support the LWW ministry. The name is from the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, which is a very Jewish place, and adding the word “Liberated” indicated that we have been set free through our faith in Y’shua. AA: The LWW has been characterized by a “Fiddler on the Roof” sound—the team even uses shtetl costumes. Why that style? JM: We wanted a sound that was recognizably Jewish. Many people have seen the movie “Fiddler on the Roof,” but even those who haven’t immediately respond to the music with the realization, “This is Jewish.” We put that sound together with the gospel message and called it “Jewish gospel music.” AA: When did you first hear the LWW? JM: It was 1974. Moishe Rosen came to Point Loma College, a Christian college I attended. He spoke in chapel about Jewish evangelism and in the afternoon he gave a seminar. He brought an LP called “Hineni” (the first recording by the LWW). I remember him placing it on the big turntable and playing the song, “For God So Loved the World.” It was the first time I’d heard the gospel sung in a Jewish way and it brought tears to my eyes. I didn’t get to see the LWW live until 1979, when I was in By Aaron Abramson with Jeff Millenson, David Abramsky and Melissa Weinisch (Continued on page 2) LWW THE LIBERATED WAILING WALL: THE LIBERATED WAILING WALL: I WINTER 2007 • TEVET -NISAN 5767 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1 WINTER 2007 • TEVET -NISAN 5767 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1

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Page 1: q erh qe rh q er he hqe r hqe q r q e r r qer q S P E A K ... · You Gotta Jump!cassette and songbook at our store website. Please make check/money order payable to: Jews for Jesus

qerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerrhqerhq

Past, Present and Future . . .

I have been surprised, as I encounter various Jewish believers, that so many firstencountered the Jews for Jesus ministry through the Liberated Wailing Wall (LWW). Thismobile evangelistic team continues to present Jewish gospel music and drama in

approximately 300 churches and Messianic congregations each year.

In a sense the team is an institution, but it is really an amazing and ongoing collection ofpeople’s lives and stories, and I wanted to share some of those stories with you. You’ll hearfrom Jeff Millenson, who served with the Liberated Wailing Wall many years ago and nowoversees the team. You’ll hear from David Abramsky, a member of our last LWW team, andthen from Melissa Weinisch, a current member. They will tell you about the team’sbeginnings, how it’s changed (or not changed) and how it can change people. I hope youwill enjoy their stories.

JEFF MILLENSONAA: Jeff, What can you tell us about the LWW?

JM: Well, the team officially began in 1972,which predated the founding of Jews forJesus in 1973. In fact, part of the reason weincorporated as a mission was to provide afoundation to support the LWW ministry. Thename is from the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem,which is a very Jewish place, and adding theword “Liberated” indicated that we havebeen set free through our faith in Y’shua.

AA: The LWW has been characterizedby a “Fiddler on the Roof” sound—theteam even uses shtetl costumes. Whythat style?

JM: We wanted a sound that wasrecognizably Jewish. Many people have

seen the movie “Fiddler on the Roof,” buteven those who haven’t immediatelyrespond to the music with the realization,“This is Jewish.” We put that soundtogether with the gospel message and calledit “Jewish gospel music.”

AA: When did you first hear the LWW?

JM: It was 1974. Moishe Rosen came toPoint Loma College, a Christian college Iattended. He spoke in chapel about Jewishevangelism and in the afternoon he gave aseminar. He brought an LP called “Hineni”(the first recording by the LWW). Iremember him placing it on the bigturntable and playing the song, “For God SoLoved the World.” It was the first time I’dheard the gospel sung in a Jewish way and itbrought tears to my eyes. I didn’t get to seethe LWW live until 1979, when I was in

By Aaron Abramson with Jeff Millenson, David Abramsky and Melissa Weinisch

(Continued on page 2)

ur children’s recordings, Yeladim forY’shua and You Gotta Jump!, are nowavailable on a double CD, Jewish Kids

Celebrate Jesus! Yeladim teaches the Hebrewalphabet, as well as Jewish blessings andprayers. Songs from You Gotta Jump! are funand uplifting—and as with Yeladim they alsoteach Scripture.

We include instrumental “sing along” tracks as well asa songbook for each of the two recordings—making itgreat for children’s choirs. Permission to reproduce thelyrics is included with your purchase. Get the wholepackage for only $18 at http://store.jewsforjesus.orgSuch a deal!

Or, if you prefer, you can call in your order at: 1-877-463-7742 or use the coupon below.

If you use cassettes, you can save $8 as eachcassette and songbook set is a mere $5!

You can also find the Yeladim for Y’shua andYou Gotta Jump! cassette and songbook at ourstore website.

!

Please make check/money order payable to: Jews for Jesus, 60 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5895 Phone: (877) 4-Messiah. Fax: (415) 962-2369. Web: www.store.jewsforjesus.org

itemName and Description Qty Code Price total

Subtotal

Add 15% for shipping and handling

California residents add 7.25% sales tax

Donation for Jews for Jesus ministry

TOTAL ENCLOSEDHVSO09

Name

Street

City/State/Zip

Phone

E-mail

If paying by credit card: Mastercard Visa AmEx

Card No Exp

Signature

Jewish Kids Celebrate Jesus(Double CD and songbook)

The Christian and the Pharisee

SP087

BK274

$18

$13

LWW

THE LIBERATED WAILING WALL:THE LIBERATED WAILING WALL:

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OW I N T E R 2 0 0 7 • T E V E T - N I S A N 5 7 6 7

V O L U M E 1 0 , N U M B E R 1

W I N T E R 2 0 0 7 • T E V E T - N I S A N 5 7 6 7

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2007 Havurah 10-1 pms130 1/19/07 9:51 AM Page 1

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E-MAIL: [email protected]

%415.864.2600

FAX: 415.552.8325

WEB: WWW.JEWSFORJESUS.ORG

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. ©2006

EDITOR: RUTH ROSEN

ART, DESIGN, PRODUCTION: DAVID YAPP

DESIGN EDITOR: MELISSA MOSKOWITZ

WINTER 2007, VOLUME 10:1

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY

HQ60 HAIGHT ST. • SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102-5895

2

JEWSFAR

JESUS

(Continued from page 1)

Seattle. The team was there and I went tosee them four times in one week.

AA: Did you find that the Jewish soundof the music drew you?

JM: Definitely. I really love Jewish gospelmusic. That might not be true of everyonewho serves on the team, but it definitelydrew me. In 1979 the team was planningto go on a world tour. They were looking

for a Jewish believer who could play thepiano. I joined in June of 1980.

AA: So you had experience earlier withthe LWW 25-plus years ago, and now asthe music director, you oversee the team.What is different between then and now?

JM: (laughs) When I first joined the LWW, itwas still in the “van era.” We didn’t travelas far because we had to get to our hosts’homes at a decent hour. It was a littlemore cramped in the vans. I remembertyping on a manual typewriter.

We got our first bus in late 1980, and itchanged everything. We had much more

room, plus we were able to sleep on thebus, which meant we could travel a lotfarther and go more places.

Today, between cell phones and computers,as long as there’s a signal in the area,people can be in touch. That really makesthings better for people on the team.

AA: What in your experience was oneof the most difficult aspects of being

on the LWW?

JM: Being in constant contactwith other people on the team.You realize that other peoplehave their issues, but I thinkthat the hardest part for me wasto realize my own shortcomingsand have to deal with those.That’s the only way to make lifepossible when you are livingwith the same people 24/7.

AA: So what was the best part?

JM: Traveling around the entirecountry. I ended up being withthe LWW in 49 of the 50 states.Somehow I missed NorthDakota, but I was in all the otherstates, including Alaska and

Hawaii because those were the last two stopson our world tour in 1981. Getting a chanceto see the country, to meet believers in everykind of denomination and in Messianiccongregations, and getting a sense of the Bodyof Messiah all together was just amazing.

AA: What can we expect for thecurrent team?

JM: The current team has a couple ofexciting things coming up. They will recordan album this March, at the tail end of theirroad tour. This team has a number of goodsongwriters and they’ve contributed abouthalf the songs that we’re planning to record.It should be available by the fall of ‘07.

AA: What kind of feel do you think thealbum is going to have?

JM: I think it’s going to be like a Psalm.Some songs are full of joy and other songsare more introspective. I think thattogether all the songs are going to be areal expression of what it’s like to havefaith in Messiah and to walk with theLord. I think people are really going toenjoy the album.

AA: As the music director of Jews forJesus and having been involved withmusic over these years, how do yousee Messianic or Jewish gospelmusic changing?

JM: I think Messianic or Jewish gospelmusic changes with the times. Maybe inthe early ‘70s there was just one sound thatpeople thought of as Jewish gospel; wesometimes called it “um-chick,” a verybasic, rhythmic sound with minor chords.I think it’s really expanded. There’sklezmer, there’s Middle Eastern sounds,there’s rock, and so many differentexpressions of faith by Jewish believers.

AA: Are you looking for music forfuture albums and teams, and if so,what kind of music?

JM: Absolutely. I’m on the lookout formusic that in some way has a Jewish feelto it. But that could be in a variety ofmusical genres. I think when people hearthe next album they will see there is avariety of what the LWW does and isinterested in doing. If someone haswritten a song that they would like us tohear, I’d be happy to listen to it. Theycould do that on sheet music or MP3 orwhatever they like and I’d be glad toreceive that. E-mail them to me [email protected] or pop the songsin the mail to me, Jeff Millenson at Jewsfor Jesus, 60 Haight Street, San Francisco,CA 94102.

Above: The Liberated Wailing Wall “Then”From back, left: David Brickner, Michael Kostroff,Jeff Millenson, Patti Brickner, Chris Rowe; front:Karen Elyse Brown, Gina Ciavolino and Jodee Karroll

n today’s “politically correct” environment, honest andrespectful debate over religious differences is an increasinglyendangered species. This is especially true in the long

tradition of theological disputations between Jews andChristians. Nowadays formal discussion and debate is often setaside in favor of “interfaith dialogue.” Such dialogue usuallyfocuses on areas of mutual agreement and cooperation, to theexclusion of honest engagement over areas of disagreement. Inlight of this trend it is gratifying to be able to commend TheChristian and the Pharisee: Twooutspoken religious leaders debate theroad to Heaven.

In this 190-page book just released byFaithworks Publishing, well-knownChristian author and minister R.T.Kendall engages Rabbi David Rosen,former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, in adiscussion of the theological issues thatdivide Judaism and Christianity. Thedebate takes place in the form of 14letters exchanged between the twoleaders, beginning with a discussionabout what makes a true Pharisee. Abroad-ranging discussion follows as the two manage to remain irenicwithout soft-pedaling areas of genuine disagreement.

In light of the long and tortured history of disputationsbetween Jewish and Christian leaders, it is rare to see suchtheological debate bring both heat and light to the subjectmatter. In the past there has been plenty of heat, but notmuch light shed. Genuine and interesting debate seems torequire both. These authors manage to accomplish this in asurprisingly genuine, personable, respectful and refreshingmanner. They engage at some length on specific Messianicprophecies in the Bible, such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 110.They also enter into meaningful discussion over such issues asJesus’ claim to be the Messiah, sin and atonement, theTemple, the authority of Scripture, the Oral law, the reality ofheaven and hell, and the value of evangelizing each other.

In one sense I feel like I have lived my entire adult life betweenthe pages of this book. Jewish believers in Jesus often wrestlewith these issues as we relate to our own families specificallyand to people of the Jewish community in general.

The reader may decide who might be the “winner” in this livelydebate. Personally I believe the real winner is the reader who isprivileged to listen in on the conversation. For those of us whoare committed to the value of proclaiming the gospel, the bookitself is indeed a winner.

Some might be tempted to second guess some of the ways R.T.Kendall chose to engage Rabbi Rosen, but we can all be proudof his firm and loving manner. I was also gratified that he

brought up the subject of Jewishbelievers in Jesus and sought to engagethe rabbi on the legitimacy of ourchoice to follow Y’shua. We havewitnessed many a Christian leader who,out of fear of offending, has soft-pedaledthe gospel and ignored the veryexistence of Jewish followers ofMessiah. Not Dr. Kendall, and for thatwe owe him a debt of gratitude.

Rabbi Rosen is both respectful and directin addressing Dr. Kendall’s challenges tohis traditional Orthodox Jewish positions.His answers demonstrate how muchdiscussion regarding Judaism andChristianity misses the mark because ofdiffering presuppositions. Christians andJews are often asking and answeringdifferent questions, making genuine

engagement difficult. Many Christians may be surprised to readthe pluralistic, even universalistic perspective expressed byRabbi Rosen. But inasmuch as his views are fairlyrepresentative of modern Orthodoxy, it will be quite instructive ifa little disappointing to those who might have expected a morebiblically-based worldview. The fact that Judaism doesn’t teachthe doctrine of original sin or the deity of the Messiah seems tosurprise Dr. Kendall, but to his credit he engages Rabbi Rosenon these and other issues, even when the rabbi seems intent onsidestepping them. Perhaps some Jewish readers will hear thegospel in a new way as a result.

Both Jewish and Gentile believers will learn more aboutJudaism and its arguments against the gospel from reading thisbook. For us Jewish believers, most will come away wishing wehad more opportunities to engage Jewish family and friendswith the gospel message like Dr. Kendall did here. Please Godmay it be so.

7

I

To order, see page 8.

2007 Havurah 10-1 pms130 1/19/07 9:55 AM Page 3

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AA: You have traveled all over the U.S.What are some memorable towns orplaces that you’ve been?

MW: In August we went though Utah andstopped in Arches National Park. It’s hugeand there are no trees. There are just rock

formations. We pulled over and just wentcrazy. I went climbing and found myselfoverlooking the whole park. And it was sobreathtaking. Eventually the whole teamgot up there and we looked over thesepeaks and it was so gorgeous. We spent thewhole day going through the park. It wasgreat to see there is a world outside the bus.

AA: As a mobile evangelistic team, the LWW does do evangelism on the road.Was that hard?

MW: I had passed out tracts with my dad asa kid, but when the team started doingsorties (tract-passing expeditions) I was alittle scared. It’s gotten easier. It’s stillhard, but I have an excitement for it and Iusually find joy in it.

AA: Can you tell us about anunexpected witnessing encounter?

MW: In Nashville, we were at a mall and Istopped at a “Dead Sea Lotion” boothwhere I met two Israeli girls. They askedwhat I was doing in Nashville. When I toldthem I work with Jews for Jesus one said,“OH!” and her friend said, “I’m a Jew forJesus!” I asked the non-believer if she

wanted to talk. She said that she feltsomething was missing and that there wassomething the rabbis weren’t telling her, butshe didn’t know what it was. I convincedher to take her break and walk to Barnesand Noble with me. I opened a Bible withher and watched her read Isaiah 53. Shewas floored! I asked her what she thoughtand she said, “That sounds like Jesus.” Shewanted to read it in Hebrew and said shewould call me and tell me what happened.We exchanged numbers and e-mails. Iasked if I could pray with her before sheleft. I was so excited. We prayed and Iasked God to show her who the Messiahwas and if He was real. I never heard fromher, but I know that God used that time andI was there for a reason.

AA: I also know youworked on some newmusic that is beingconsidered for theupcoming CD.

MW: I submitted six songs,which either I wrote or co-wrote, and four were chosenfor the album. I am thrilled!I didn’t think they would be chosen.

AA: What other innovationshas your team brought tothe LWW?

MW: Michelle Gold, our music director, isa huge fan of mixing things up and makingthem fresh. Almost all of the songs we dohave something that has changed from theway we were taught them. Not drastically,but added solos and changed instruments.We’ve added energy and are having funwith it and enjoying it.

AA: So your team will be heading toEurope after the album. What are your expectations?

MW: I have no clue! We hear that Europe isa totally different “ball game.” I am lookingforward to seeing other countries. I hopeGod will just prepare the way for us.

Aaron says: In many ways, the people youjust read about are ordinary Jewish believers

with a desire to serve Y’shua. But each had awillingness to learn, to be challenged, to bestretched in order to serve God in a biggerway than they had previously imaginedpossible. I hope that this edition of Havurahwill help you to be praying for the currentand future Liberated Wailing Wall teams, aswell as for those they meet and minister to ona regular basis. You can find out more aboutour current Liberated Wailing Wall team athttp://www.myspace.com/liberatedwailingwall.

The Liberated Wailing Wall now (top, left to right):

C.J. LaCour; Jeremiah Zaretsky, Dan Herman, Joe

Franco; bottom, left to right: Tamar Frumkin, Melissa

Weinisch, Michelle Gold Franco and Stephanie Campo

Top: inside the bus is “everything, including the kitchen sink”;

Bottom: the bus parked across the street from our

San Francisco headquarters

6

(Continued from page 5)

AA: What happens after this teamrecords the upcoming album?

JM: This team is going to be going on aEuropean tour in early April and that willtake them through the end of May. They’lldefinitely be going to the UK, and they willalso be going to France, Switzerland,possibly Germany and Poland.

AA: When will the new team begin training?

JM: The new team will begin training inJune 2007, and they will go on the road inmid-August. Their tour will continuethrough the end of November 2008.

AA: How can people be praying for the LWW?

JM: Please pray that God would sustain thecurrent team and that He would keep thingsnew for them. Also for the logistics of thealbum and the European tour, that both ofthese will glorify God. For the new team,we have some in the application processand are still looking. We are especiallylooking for the next team leader, as well asthe person who is going to be the next busdriver/sound engineer. Pray that God willbring the right people and the rightcombination of people to be the next teamso they can carry on the LWW tradition andalso carry it forward.

AA: Thanks, Jeff, for the history andthe update and telling us a little ofyour story. Now we’ll move on to amore recent member of the LWW,David Abramsky.

AA: David, tell us a little about your upbringing.

DA: I grew up in a loving Jewish family. Westarted off Conservative but moved to aReform synagogue where I was bar mitzvahand all that—but heard very little ifanything about God. This left me confused.While I was proud of my heritage, I had tolook elsewhere to try and figure out whatwas going on. I ended up in the sciences,hoping that they could explain the worldaround me.

AA: So what was the turning point foryou toward Y’shua?

DA: I had heard about Jesus and dismissedHim, but then I realized that as a scientist, Ishould test things. I had to admit that I hadconcluded that the New Testament wasn’tfor me, without ever testing or reading itfor myself. That was not the scientificmethod. So I had to pick it up and read it.I discovered that, contrary to what I hadbeen told, it was a very Jewish book. I wasvery attracted to Jesus’ character andteachings. As I read the New Testament Ifelt “at home” and somewhere deep withinI knew it was true.

AA: What’s your background in music?

DA: I have a very musical family.Classical on my dad’s side and jazzon my mom’s side, lots of musicians.I played the piano from an early age.Later I picked up the cello.

AA: Have you workedprofessionally with music?

DA: A little bit. I was with a bandwhen I started to pick up the New Testament.

AA: When did you first hear theLiberated Wailing Wall?

DA: Shortly after I became a believer in1997, I went with some friends to see theLWW. I loved it. People said, “You coulddo that,” and I said, “I would never do that.I have my life and plans. Anyway I couldn’t

live on a bus for a year andhalf in such close quarters.”

AA: Then what made youdecide to join theLiberated Wailing Wall?

DA: Andrew Barron, wholeads Jews for Jesus inCanada, asked me to prayevery year when they werelooking for new teammembers. For five years Iwould pray and then comeback to him and say that I’mnot getting any sense that

this is God’s leading. But the sixthyear I prayed, I got a very clearsense that this was for me. It wasabout the clearest calling I hadever gotten. It’s like I woke up andwanted to do it. I waited a coupleof weeks, and it stayed with me.

AA: How were you stretched in termsof working in close proximity withother people?

DA: Some people say, “How could you dothat?”, but with the Lord you can doanything. That great clear call allowed me

Above: Robyn Wilk, Katie Coddaire and

Jeff Millenson sing during BYG Denver;

left: Jeff talks with a man during a sortie

3

Great and wonderful are Thywondrous deeds, O Lord God,the Almighty. (from Revelation 15:3)From by Stuart Dauermann

(Continued on page 4)

Great and Wonderful

Maybe you can relate to parts of thesestories. Maybe you have similar skills andgifts that God has been developing in yourlife. I want to urge you to consider how Godcould use you on such a team—because weare currently looking for new teammembers and this may be the opportunity ofyour life. Would you pray, like David did,and ask God if this is for you?

If this is something that you desire to be part of, or even if you are just a littlecurious, please feel free to send an e-mail to me, Aaron Abramson at:[email protected]. I would love totell you more about this opportunity andto hear about what God is doing in yourlife. Because I am confident “that hewho began a good work in you will carryit on to completion unto the day of ChristJesus” (Philippians 1:6).

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5

AA: Did you know any of the LWWsongs before you came on the team?

MW: Well, when I first applied my mothertold me, “You know a lot of these songs.You don’t know you know them, but youdo.” She was right.

AA: You sang them at yourcongregation?

MW: Right. Like “Behold, God Is MySalvation,” that’s, you know, timeless.(Laughs) It’s been around forever. “Treesof the Field” I’ve known my entire life.They were among the Messianic standardsthat you do in congregations.

AA: So what kind of music do youkeep on your iPod?

MW: (Laughs) I have an insanely widerange. I love drama so I have tons ofmusicals and sound tracks. I love veryacoustic stuff, like Alanis Morissette,mellow, not too crazy. But then I also like alot of alternative kind of hyper bands. So alittle bit of everything. My dad is a hugejazz fan and I’ve grown up listening to jazzwith him.

AA: Do you have any LWW music onyour iPod?

MW: I do. I had to trick myself intolistening to it. When I was applying for theteam, I put the “Behold Your God” albumon my worship play list. So I startedlistening to it. As I’ve learned more of thesongs from other albums, I slowly butsurely started putting my favorites of the other albums on there. I have my LWW selection.

AA: Has your appreciation ofMessianic music grown?

MW: Yes it has. I love it now. I don’tnecessarily listen to it in my free time, just’cause I’m doing it so much. But Iappreciate it a lot more now that I realize

the complexity of all the differentharmonies and instruments. I mean six-part, ten-part harmonies and all theklezmer. Very well rounded.

AA: The LWW style is not oneverybody’s top ten list of albums, yetsomehow a lot of people still feelconnected to it. Why do you thinkthat is?

MW: Yeah, I think it’s—I’m not evennecessarily sure that it’s the music that hasstuck with me so much as what it represents.It’s like every time we sing in Messianiccongregations, it’s like going home to me.The same with Messianic music. It’s likewhen you go to the synagogue and theysing all the traditional prayers and a partof you is feeling, “Oh that’s me and I’mhere at home.” It’s a comfort thing.

AA: What is your current role on the team?

MW: I sing alto, and tenor sometimes. Iplay guitar, tambourine, finger chimes.I’ve been doing drama with the team. I’mthe youngest, the hyper one who is alwaysgoing nonstop.

AA: How do you feel you fit in to theteam, and how have you grownduring your time with them?

MW: At first I really didn’t fit in. When I gotto San Francisco for training, probably aboutthe first month and a half, I did not want tobe there. I was really fighting God about it.That started to change on Thanksgiving, whenthe old team returned to San Francisco. Theythrew a big Thanksgiving bash in the housewhere we were staying. I was so homesick.I didn’t want to be there and I felt like,“These people are excited about this, I’mnot.” I just wanted to go home. Then Godreminded me He had me here for a reason.It was like He was saying, “Right now youdon’t feel like there is anything here for you,but there is a reason that you’re here.”

After that I started to see what God wasdoing. I had no clue of how much I wasgoing to be stretched. Having been raised apastor’s kid, I always had this mentality,without realizing it, that I knew everything, Iwas fine with God, I knew all the stories, Ibelieved everything. And then God showedme that I really had a lot of work to do andthis was the only way I was going to see it.

to rise above my fears. I learned that Icould live with total strangers and get toknow them as a family. I could give tothem and they could give to me. And theLord could use us as a team. Wasn’t alwayseasy, but the rewards were great.

AA: What was the high point of your tour?

DA: Well, one high pointwas meeting my fiancée(actually my bride by thetime this is in print. Wewere married November12, 2006.) She was on theteam before me, actuallyshe had done two tours, soI met her at the beginningof my tour, which was the end of her timewith the LWW. God had arranged for meto wait six years so that I could meet her.We began seeing each other during mytraining, and once I was on the road,Joanie was a great support, by phone, thewhole time.

Of course praying with someone to receivethe Lord right in a Messianic synagogueafter one of our presentations was also ahigh point. I had never done that before.Just to feel that the Lord was using me.

AA: I understand that your family doesnot share your views about Jesus, andyet your mother and brother attendedone of your presentations in Toronto.What happened?

DA: It was very difficult for them. Mybrother had to get up and walk out; he wasvery upset. My mother stayed through thewhole thing. But it gave me a chance tohave an extended conversation with themlater and really to explain my beliefs to

them for the firsttime. Now theyare starting toask littlequestions. It’s aslow process.

AA: Lookingback, what didyou learnthrough yourexperiencewith the LWW?

DA: That theLord still callspeople to dothings, and you

can do anything through the Lord onceyou’re called. I’ve learned how to stayclose to the Word. When there was tensionand stress and a grinding schedule, I’d getup in the morning and get out of the bus,and I walked and read my Bible. I stayedas close as I could to the Word.

AA: What would you tell someonewho was thinking about joining theLWW and asked for your advice?

DA: First I would say, “That’s great!” Ifthere are fears, look beyond them to whatthe Lord might want for you. It’s somethingyou will be glad that you did, or perhaps

you might regret not doing if you feel a tugbut don’t do it because of fears. Sure thereare difficulties. But there are great joys.Talk with other LWW people. Listen to themusic. Pray and see where you’re called.

AA: Thanks, David, and mazel tov on your marriage! Yours isn’t thefirst and I’m sure it won’t be the last marriage between former LWW members.

AA: Okay, last but not least we havecurrent team member, MelissaWeinisch. Melissa, tell us a little about yourself.

MW: I was raised in a Messianic home. Mymom was with Jews for Jesus when she metmy dad, who was with Chosen People. Bythe time I came along, my father was aMessianic pastor, still on staff with CP. Wemoved all up and down the East Coast,planting congregations and doing Jewishevangelism. I had my bat mitzvah when Iwas 13. When I was 12 or 13 my father leftCP and he specifically focused on being aMessianic pastor.

AA: When did you first hear theLiberated Wailing Wall?

MW: The first time actually I heard them, Iwas a sophomore in high school. I heardabout them long before. My godparents, Samand Miriam Nadler, were both on the originalteam. So I heard about it growing up.

Anyway the LWW came to my father’scongregation in South Carolina in 2002or 2003. My parents went crazy and theywere very excited about the idea of megoing on the team. I really wasn’tinterested. I kind of felt like I wasalready a missionary just by living withmy family. He (God) had different plans.And here I am.

AA: What did you think of Messianicmusic initially?

MW: I was never too excited about it. Allthese songs that I had grown up with aregreat for dancing and worship but I neverchose to listen to it outside of thecongregation. That’s where it was, it stayedat the congregation and then I’d go homeand listen to other things.

(Continued from page 3)

4

May the Lord our God be with us, as Hewas with our fathers. May He neverleave nor forsake us. (from 1 Kings 8:22ff)

From by Jeff Millenson

Top: David and Joanie

Right: David playing cello for

BYG worship team in New York

AA: So it was a maturing experience?

MW: Absolutely. God started meeting me andpushing me and pulling me and stretching me.When the old team came in they told us, “It’sgoing to be hard, but you’re going to grow somuch.” And Sabra, one of the youngermembers of that team, specifically told me thatshe was a different person than when shestarted her tour. As she was talking, I wasthinking, “That’s not going to happen to me;I’m mature, I don’t need any of that.” Andnow, I feel like I’m a completely differentperson than I was when I left training. Friendshave told me I’m different too.

Melissa (right) and her mom Shoshanah both

participated on the Manhattan team for BYG New York

(Continued on page 6)

Solomon’s Prayer

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5

AA: Did you know any of the LWWsongs before you came on the team?

MW: Well, when I first applied my mothertold me, “You know a lot of these songs.You don’t know you know them, but youdo.” She was right.

AA: You sang them at yourcongregation?

MW: Right. Like “Behold, God Is MySalvation,” that’s, you know, timeless.(Laughs) It’s been around forever. “Treesof the Field” I’ve known my entire life.They were among the Messianic standardsthat you do in congregations.

AA: So what kind of music do youkeep on your iPod?

MW: (Laughs) I have an insanely widerange. I love drama so I have tons ofmusicals and sound tracks. I love veryacoustic stuff, like Alanis Morissette,mellow, not too crazy. But then I also like alot of alternative kind of hyper bands. So alittle bit of everything. My dad is a hugejazz fan and I’ve grown up listening to jazzwith him.

AA: Do you have any LWW music onyour iPod?

MW: I do. I had to trick myself intolistening to it. When I was applying for theteam, I put the “Behold Your God” albumon my worship play list. So I startedlistening to it. As I’ve learned more of thesongs from other albums, I slowly butsurely started putting my favorites of the other albums on there. I have my LWW selection.

AA: Has your appreciation ofMessianic music grown?

MW: Yes it has. I love it now. I don’tnecessarily listen to it in my free time, just’cause I’m doing it so much. But Iappreciate it a lot more now that I realize

the complexity of all the differentharmonies and instruments. I mean six-part, ten-part harmonies and all theklezmer. Very well rounded.

AA: The LWW style is not oneverybody’s top ten list of albums, yetsomehow a lot of people still feelconnected to it. Why do you thinkthat is?

MW: Yeah, I think it’s—I’m not evennecessarily sure that it’s the music that hasstuck with me so much as what it represents.It’s like every time we sing in Messianiccongregations, it’s like going home to me.The same with Messianic music. It’s likewhen you go to the synagogue and theysing all the traditional prayers and a partof you is feeling, “Oh that’s me and I’mhere at home.” It’s a comfort thing.

AA: What is your current role on the team?

MW: I sing alto, and tenor sometimes. Iplay guitar, tambourine, finger chimes.I’ve been doing drama with the team. I’mthe youngest, the hyper one who is alwaysgoing nonstop.

AA: How do you feel you fit in to theteam, and how have you grownduring your time with them?

MW: At first I really didn’t fit in. When I gotto San Francisco for training, probably aboutthe first month and a half, I did not want tobe there. I was really fighting God about it.That started to change on Thanksgiving, whenthe old team returned to San Francisco. Theythrew a big Thanksgiving bash in the housewhere we were staying. I was so homesick.I didn’t want to be there and I felt like,“These people are excited about this, I’mnot.” I just wanted to go home. Then Godreminded me He had me here for a reason.It was like He was saying, “Right now youdon’t feel like there is anything here for you,but there is a reason that you’re here.”

After that I started to see what God wasdoing. I had no clue of how much I wasgoing to be stretched. Having been raised apastor’s kid, I always had this mentality,without realizing it, that I knew everything, Iwas fine with God, I knew all the stories, Ibelieved everything. And then God showedme that I really had a lot of work to do andthis was the only way I was going to see it.

to rise above my fears. I learned that Icould live with total strangers and get toknow them as a family. I could give tothem and they could give to me. And theLord could use us as a team. Wasn’t alwayseasy, but the rewards were great.

AA: What was the high point of your tour?

DA: Well, one high pointwas meeting my fiancée(actually my bride by thetime this is in print. Wewere married November12, 2006.) She was on theteam before me, actuallyshe had done two tours, soI met her at the beginningof my tour, which was the end of her timewith the LWW. God had arranged for meto wait six years so that I could meet her.We began seeing each other during mytraining, and once I was on the road,Joanie was a great support, by phone, thewhole time.

Of course praying with someone to receivethe Lord right in a Messianic synagogueafter one of our presentations was also ahigh point. I had never done that before.Just to feel that the Lord was using me.

AA: I understand that your family doesnot share your views about Jesus, andyet your mother and brother attendedone of your presentations in Toronto.What happened?

DA: It was very difficult for them. Mybrother had to get up and walk out; he wasvery upset. My mother stayed through thewhole thing. But it gave me a chance tohave an extended conversation with themlater and really to explain my beliefs to

them for the firsttime. Now theyare starting toask littlequestions. It’s aslow process.

AA: Lookingback, what didyou learnthrough yourexperiencewith the LWW?

DA: That theLord still callspeople to dothings, and you

can do anything through the Lord onceyou’re called. I’ve learned how to stayclose to the Word. When there was tensionand stress and a grinding schedule, I’d getup in the morning and get out of the bus,and I walked and read my Bible. I stayedas close as I could to the Word.

AA: What would you tell someonewho was thinking about joining theLWW and asked for your advice?

DA: First I would say, “That’s great!” Ifthere are fears, look beyond them to whatthe Lord might want for you. It’s somethingyou will be glad that you did, or perhaps

you might regret not doing if you feel a tugbut don’t do it because of fears. Sure thereare difficulties. But there are great joys.Talk with other LWW people. Listen to themusic. Pray and see where you’re called.

AA: Thanks, David, and mazel tov on your marriage! Yours isn’t thefirst and I’m sure it won’t be the last marriage between former LWW members.

AA: Okay, last but not least we havecurrent team member, MelissaWeinisch. Melissa, tell us a little about yourself.

MW: I was raised in a Messianic home. Mymom was with Jews for Jesus when she metmy dad, who was with Chosen People. Bythe time I came along, my father was aMessianic pastor, still on staff with CP. Wemoved all up and down the East Coast,planting congregations and doing Jewishevangelism. I had my bat mitzvah when Iwas 13. When I was 12 or 13 my father leftCP and he specifically focused on being aMessianic pastor.

AA: When did you first hear theLiberated Wailing Wall?

MW: The first time actually I heard them, Iwas a sophomore in high school. I heardabout them long before. My godparents, Samand Miriam Nadler, were both on the originalteam. So I heard about it growing up.

Anyway the LWW came to my father’scongregation in South Carolina in 2002or 2003. My parents went crazy and theywere very excited about the idea of megoing on the team. I really wasn’tinterested. I kind of felt like I wasalready a missionary just by living withmy family. He (God) had different plans.And here I am.

AA: What did you think of Messianicmusic initially?

MW: I was never too excited about it. Allthese songs that I had grown up with aregreat for dancing and worship but I neverchose to listen to it outside of thecongregation. That’s where it was, it stayedat the congregation and then I’d go homeand listen to other things.

(Continued from page 3)

4

May the Lord our God be with us, as Hewas with our fathers. May He neverleave nor forsake us. (from 1 Kings 8:22ff)

From by Jeff Millenson

Top: David and Joanie

Right: David playing cello for

BYG worship team in New York

AA: So it was a maturing experience?

MW: Absolutely. God started meeting me andpushing me and pulling me and stretching me.When the old team came in they told us, “It’sgoing to be hard, but you’re going to grow somuch.” And Sabra, one of the youngermembers of that team, specifically told me thatshe was a different person than when shestarted her tour. As she was talking, I wasthinking, “That’s not going to happen to me;I’m mature, I don’t need any of that.” Andnow, I feel like I’m a completely differentperson than I was when I left training. Friendshave told me I’m different too.

Melissa (right) and her mom Shoshanah both

participated on the Manhattan team for BYG New York

(Continued on page 6)

Solomon’s Prayer

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AA: You have traveled all over the U.S.What are some memorable towns orplaces that you’ve been?

MW: In August we went though Utah andstopped in Arches National Park. It’s hugeand there are no trees. There are just rock

formations. We pulled over and just wentcrazy. I went climbing and found myselfoverlooking the whole park. And it was sobreathtaking. Eventually the whole teamgot up there and we looked over thesepeaks and it was so gorgeous. We spent thewhole day going through the park. It wasgreat to see there is a world outside the bus.

AA: As a mobile evangelistic team, the LWW does do evangelism on the road.Was that hard?

MW: I had passed out tracts with my dad asa kid, but when the team started doingsorties (tract-passing expeditions) I was alittle scared. It’s gotten easier. It’s stillhard, but I have an excitement for it and Iusually find joy in it.

AA: Can you tell us about anunexpected witnessing encounter?

MW: In Nashville, we were at a mall and Istopped at a “Dead Sea Lotion” boothwhere I met two Israeli girls. They askedwhat I was doing in Nashville. When I toldthem I work with Jews for Jesus one said,“OH!” and her friend said, “I’m a Jew forJesus!” I asked the non-believer if she

wanted to talk. She said that she feltsomething was missing and that there wassomething the rabbis weren’t telling her, butshe didn’t know what it was. I convincedher to take her break and walk to Barnesand Noble with me. I opened a Bible withher and watched her read Isaiah 53. Shewas floored! I asked her what she thoughtand she said, “That sounds like Jesus.” Shewanted to read it in Hebrew and said shewould call me and tell me what happened.We exchanged numbers and e-mails. Iasked if I could pray with her before sheleft. I was so excited. We prayed and Iasked God to show her who the Messiahwas and if He was real. I never heard fromher, but I know that God used that time andI was there for a reason.

AA: I also know youworked on some newmusic that is beingconsidered for theupcoming CD.

MW: I submitted six songs,which either I wrote or co-wrote, and four were chosenfor the album. I am thrilled!I didn’t think they would be chosen.

AA: What other innovationshas your team brought tothe LWW?

MW: Michelle Gold, our music director, isa huge fan of mixing things up and makingthem fresh. Almost all of the songs we dohave something that has changed from theway we were taught them. Not drastically,but added solos and changed instruments.We’ve added energy and are having funwith it and enjoying it.

AA: So your team will be heading toEurope after the album. What are your expectations?

MW: I have no clue! We hear that Europe isa totally different “ball game.” I am lookingforward to seeing other countries. I hopeGod will just prepare the way for us.

Aaron says: In many ways, the people youjust read about are ordinary Jewish believers

with a desire to serve Y’shua. But each had awillingness to learn, to be challenged, to bestretched in order to serve God in a biggerway than they had previously imaginedpossible. I hope that this edition of Havurahwill help you to be praying for the currentand future Liberated Wailing Wall teams, aswell as for those they meet and minister to ona regular basis. You can find out more aboutour current Liberated Wailing Wall team athttp://www.myspace.com/liberatedwailingwall.

The Liberated Wailing Wall now (top, left to right):

C.J. LaCour; Jeremiah Zaretsky, Dan Herman, Joe

Franco; bottom, left to right: Tamar Frumkin, Melissa

Weinisch, Michelle Gold Franco and Stephanie Campo

Top: inside the bus is “everything, including the kitchen sink”;

Bottom: the bus parked across the street from our

San Francisco headquarters

6

(Continued from page 5)

AA: What happens after this teamrecords the upcoming album?

JM: This team is going to be going on aEuropean tour in early April and that willtake them through the end of May. They’lldefinitely be going to the UK, and they willalso be going to France, Switzerland,possibly Germany and Poland.

AA: When will the new team begin training?

JM: The new team will begin training inJune 2007, and they will go on the road inmid-August. Their tour will continuethrough the end of November 2008.

AA: How can people be praying for the LWW?

JM: Please pray that God would sustain thecurrent team and that He would keep thingsnew for them. Also for the logistics of thealbum and the European tour, that both ofthese will glorify God. For the new team,we have some in the application processand are still looking. We are especiallylooking for the next team leader, as well asthe person who is going to be the next busdriver/sound engineer. Pray that God willbring the right people and the rightcombination of people to be the next teamso they can carry on the LWW tradition andalso carry it forward.

AA: Thanks, Jeff, for the history andthe update and telling us a little ofyour story. Now we’ll move on to amore recent member of the LWW,David Abramsky.

AA: David, tell us a little about your upbringing.

DA: I grew up in a loving Jewish family. Westarted off Conservative but moved to aReform synagogue where I was bar mitzvahand all that—but heard very little ifanything about God. This left me confused.While I was proud of my heritage, I had tolook elsewhere to try and figure out whatwas going on. I ended up in the sciences,hoping that they could explain the worldaround me.

AA: So what was the turning point foryou toward Y’shua?

DA: I had heard about Jesus and dismissedHim, but then I realized that as a scientist, Ishould test things. I had to admit that I hadconcluded that the New Testament wasn’tfor me, without ever testing or reading itfor myself. That was not the scientificmethod. So I had to pick it up and read it.I discovered that, contrary to what I hadbeen told, it was a very Jewish book. I wasvery attracted to Jesus’ character andteachings. As I read the New Testament Ifelt “at home” and somewhere deep withinI knew it was true.

AA: What’s your background in music?

DA: I have a very musical family.Classical on my dad’s side and jazzon my mom’s side, lots of musicians.I played the piano from an early age.Later I picked up the cello.

AA: Have you workedprofessionally with music?

DA: A little bit. I was with a bandwhen I started to pick up the New Testament.

AA: When did you first hear theLiberated Wailing Wall?

DA: Shortly after I became a believer in1997, I went with some friends to see theLWW. I loved it. People said, “You coulddo that,” and I said, “I would never do that.I have my life and plans. Anyway I couldn’t

live on a bus for a year andhalf in such close quarters.”

AA: Then what made youdecide to join theLiberated Wailing Wall?

DA: Andrew Barron, wholeads Jews for Jesus inCanada, asked me to prayevery year when they werelooking for new teammembers. For five years Iwould pray and then comeback to him and say that I’mnot getting any sense that

this is God’s leading. But the sixthyear I prayed, I got a very clearsense that this was for me. It wasabout the clearest calling I hadever gotten. It’s like I woke up andwanted to do it. I waited a coupleof weeks, and it stayed with me.

AA: How were you stretched in termsof working in close proximity withother people?

DA: Some people say, “How could you dothat?”, but with the Lord you can doanything. That great clear call allowed me

Above: Robyn Wilk, Katie Coddaire and

Jeff Millenson sing during BYG Denver;

left: Jeff talks with a man during a sortie

3

Great and wonderful are Thywondrous deeds, O Lord God,the Almighty. (from Revelation 15:3)From by Stuart Dauermann

(Continued on page 4)

Great and Wonderful

Maybe you can relate to parts of thesestories. Maybe you have similar skills andgifts that God has been developing in yourlife. I want to urge you to consider how Godcould use you on such a team—because weare currently looking for new teammembers and this may be the opportunity ofyour life. Would you pray, like David did,and ask God if this is for you?

If this is something that you desire to be part of, or even if you are just a littlecurious, please feel free to send an e-mail to me, Aaron Abramson at:[email protected]. I would love totell you more about this opportunity andto hear about what God is doing in yourlife. Because I am confident “that hewho began a good work in you will carryit on to completion unto the day of ChristJesus” (Philippians 1:6).

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E-MAIL: [email protected]

%415.864.2600

FAX: 415.552.8325

WEB: WWW.JEWSFORJESUS.ORG

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. ©2006

EDITOR: RUTH ROSEN

ART, DESIGN, PRODUCTION: DAVID YAPP

DESIGN EDITOR: MELISSA MOSKOWITZ

WINTER 2007, VOLUME 10:1

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY

HQ60 HAIGHT ST. • SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102-5895

2

JEWSFAR

JESUS

(Continued from page 1)

Seattle. The team was there and I went tosee them four times in one week.

AA: Did you find that the Jewish soundof the music drew you?

JM: Definitely. I really love Jewish gospelmusic. That might not be true of everyonewho serves on the team, but it definitelydrew me. In 1979 the team was planningto go on a world tour. They were looking

for a Jewish believer who could play thepiano. I joined in June of 1980.

AA: So you had experience earlier withthe LWW 25-plus years ago, and now asthe music director, you oversee the team.What is different between then and now?

JM: (laughs) When I first joined the LWW, itwas still in the “van era.” We didn’t travelas far because we had to get to our hosts’homes at a decent hour. It was a littlemore cramped in the vans. I remembertyping on a manual typewriter.

We got our first bus in late 1980, and itchanged everything. We had much more

room, plus we were able to sleep on thebus, which meant we could travel a lotfarther and go more places.

Today, between cell phones and computers,as long as there’s a signal in the area,people can be in touch. That really makesthings better for people on the team.

AA: What in your experience was oneof the most difficult aspects of being

on the LWW?

JM: Being in constant contactwith other people on the team.You realize that other peoplehave their issues, but I thinkthat the hardest part for me wasto realize my own shortcomingsand have to deal with those.That’s the only way to make lifepossible when you are livingwith the same people 24/7.

AA: So what was the best part?

JM: Traveling around the entirecountry. I ended up being withthe LWW in 49 of the 50 states.Somehow I missed NorthDakota, but I was in all the otherstates, including Alaska and

Hawaii because those were the last two stopson our world tour in 1981. Getting a chanceto see the country, to meet believers in everykind of denomination and in Messianiccongregations, and getting a sense of the Bodyof Messiah all together was just amazing.

AA: What can we expect for thecurrent team?

JM: The current team has a couple ofexciting things coming up. They will recordan album this March, at the tail end of theirroad tour. This team has a number of goodsongwriters and they’ve contributed abouthalf the songs that we’re planning to record.It should be available by the fall of ‘07.

AA: What kind of feel do you think thealbum is going to have?

JM: I think it’s going to be like a Psalm.Some songs are full of joy and other songsare more introspective. I think thattogether all the songs are going to be areal expression of what it’s like to havefaith in Messiah and to walk with theLord. I think people are really going toenjoy the album.

AA: As the music director of Jews forJesus and having been involved withmusic over these years, how do yousee Messianic or Jewish gospelmusic changing?

JM: I think Messianic or Jewish gospelmusic changes with the times. Maybe inthe early ‘70s there was just one sound thatpeople thought of as Jewish gospel; wesometimes called it “um-chick,” a verybasic, rhythmic sound with minor chords.I think it’s really expanded. There’sklezmer, there’s Middle Eastern sounds,there’s rock, and so many differentexpressions of faith by Jewish believers.

AA: Are you looking for music forfuture albums and teams, and if so,what kind of music?

JM: Absolutely. I’m on the lookout formusic that in some way has a Jewish feelto it. But that could be in a variety ofmusical genres. I think when people hearthe next album they will see there is avariety of what the LWW does and isinterested in doing. If someone haswritten a song that they would like us tohear, I’d be happy to listen to it. Theycould do that on sheet music or MP3 orwhatever they like and I’d be glad toreceive that. E-mail them to me [email protected] or pop the songsin the mail to me, Jeff Millenson at Jewsfor Jesus, 60 Haight Street, San Francisco,CA 94102.

Above: The Liberated Wailing Wall “Then”From back, left: David Brickner, Michael Kostroff,Jeff Millenson, Patti Brickner, Chris Rowe; front:Karen Elyse Brown, Gina Ciavolino and Jodee Karroll

n today’s “politically correct” environment, honest andrespectful debate over religious differences is an increasinglyendangered species. This is especially true in the long

tradition of theological disputations between Jews andChristians. Nowadays formal discussion and debate is often setaside in favor of “interfaith dialogue.” Such dialogue usuallyfocuses on areas of mutual agreement and cooperation, to theexclusion of honest engagement over areas of disagreement. Inlight of this trend it is gratifying to be able to commend TheChristian and the Pharisee: Twooutspoken religious leaders debate theroad to Heaven.

In this 190-page book just released byFaithworks Publishing, well-knownChristian author and minister R.T.Kendall engages Rabbi David Rosen,former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, in adiscussion of the theological issues thatdivide Judaism and Christianity. Thedebate takes place in the form of 14letters exchanged between the twoleaders, beginning with a discussionabout what makes a true Pharisee. Abroad-ranging discussion follows as the two manage to remain irenicwithout soft-pedaling areas of genuine disagreement.

In light of the long and tortured history of disputationsbetween Jewish and Christian leaders, it is rare to see suchtheological debate bring both heat and light to the subjectmatter. In the past there has been plenty of heat, but notmuch light shed. Genuine and interesting debate seems torequire both. These authors manage to accomplish this in asurprisingly genuine, personable, respectful and refreshingmanner. They engage at some length on specific Messianicprophecies in the Bible, such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 110.They also enter into meaningful discussion over such issues asJesus’ claim to be the Messiah, sin and atonement, theTemple, the authority of Scripture, the Oral law, the reality ofheaven and hell, and the value of evangelizing each other.

In one sense I feel like I have lived my entire adult life betweenthe pages of this book. Jewish believers in Jesus often wrestlewith these issues as we relate to our own families specificallyand to people of the Jewish community in general.

The reader may decide who might be the “winner” in this livelydebate. Personally I believe the real winner is the reader who isprivileged to listen in on the conversation. For those of us whoare committed to the value of proclaiming the gospel, the bookitself is indeed a winner.

Some might be tempted to second guess some of the ways R.T.Kendall chose to engage Rabbi Rosen, but we can all be proudof his firm and loving manner. I was also gratified that he

brought up the subject of Jewishbelievers in Jesus and sought to engagethe rabbi on the legitimacy of ourchoice to follow Y’shua. We havewitnessed many a Christian leader who,out of fear of offending, has soft-pedaledthe gospel and ignored the veryexistence of Jewish followers ofMessiah. Not Dr. Kendall, and for thatwe owe him a debt of gratitude.

Rabbi Rosen is both respectful and directin addressing Dr. Kendall’s challenges tohis traditional Orthodox Jewish positions.His answers demonstrate how muchdiscussion regarding Judaism andChristianity misses the mark because ofdiffering presuppositions. Christians andJews are often asking and answeringdifferent questions, making genuine

engagement difficult. Many Christians may be surprised to readthe pluralistic, even universalistic perspective expressed byRabbi Rosen. But inasmuch as his views are fairlyrepresentative of modern Orthodoxy, it will be quite instructive ifa little disappointing to those who might have expected a morebiblically-based worldview. The fact that Judaism doesn’t teachthe doctrine of original sin or the deity of the Messiah seems tosurprise Dr. Kendall, but to his credit he engages Rabbi Rosenon these and other issues, even when the rabbi seems intent onsidestepping them. Perhaps some Jewish readers will hear thegospel in a new way as a result.

Both Jewish and Gentile believers will learn more aboutJudaism and its arguments against the gospel from reading thisbook. For us Jewish believers, most will come away wishing wehad more opportunities to engage Jewish family and friendswith the gospel message like Dr. Kendall did here. Please Godmay it be so.

7

I

To order, see page 8.

2007 Havurah 10-1 pms130 1/19/07 9:55 AM Page 3

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qerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerhqerrhqerhq

Past, Present and Future . . .

I have been surprised, as I encounter various Jewish believers, that so many firstencountered the Jews for Jesus ministry through the Liberated Wailing Wall (LWW). Thismobile evangelistic team continues to present Jewish gospel music and drama in

approximately 300 churches and Messianic congregations each year.

In a sense the team is an institution, but it is really an amazing and ongoing collection ofpeople’s lives and stories, and I wanted to share some of those stories with you. You’ll hearfrom Jeff Millenson, who served with the Liberated Wailing Wall many years ago and nowoversees the team. You’ll hear from David Abramsky, a member of our last LWW team, andthen from Melissa Weinisch, a current member. They will tell you about the team’sbeginnings, how it’s changed (or not changed) and how it can change people. I hope youwill enjoy their stories.

JEFF MILLENSONAA: Jeff, What can you tell us about the LWW?

JM: Well, the team officially began in 1972,which predated the founding of Jews forJesus in 1973. In fact, part of the reason weincorporated as a mission was to provide afoundation to support the LWW ministry. Thename is from the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem,which is a very Jewish place, and adding theword “Liberated” indicated that we havebeen set free through our faith in Y’shua.

AA: The LWW has been characterizedby a “Fiddler on the Roof” sound—theteam even uses shtetl costumes. Whythat style?

JM: We wanted a sound that wasrecognizably Jewish. Many people have

seen the movie “Fiddler on the Roof,” buteven those who haven’t immediatelyrespond to the music with the realization,“This is Jewish.” We put that soundtogether with the gospel message and calledit “Jewish gospel music.”

AA: When did you first hear the LWW?

JM: It was 1974. Moishe Rosen came toPoint Loma College, a Christian college Iattended. He spoke in chapel about Jewishevangelism and in the afternoon he gave aseminar. He brought an LP called “Hineni”(the first recording by the LWW). Iremember him placing it on the bigturntable and playing the song, “For God SoLoved the World.” It was the first time I’dheard the gospel sung in a Jewish way and itbrought tears to my eyes. I didn’t get to seethe LWW live until 1979, when I was in

By Aaron Abramson with Jeff Millenson, David Abramsky and Melissa Weinisch

(Continued on page 2)

ur children’s recordings, Yeladim forY’shua and You Gotta Jump!, are nowavailable on a double CD, Jewish Kids

Celebrate Jesus! Yeladim teaches the Hebrewalphabet, as well as Jewish blessings andprayers. Songs from You Gotta Jump! are funand uplifting—and as with Yeladim they alsoteach Scripture.

We include instrumental “sing along” tracks as well asa songbook for each of the two recordings—making itgreat for children’s choirs. Permission to reproduce thelyrics is included with your purchase. Get the wholepackage for only $18 at http://store.jewsforjesus.orgSuch a deal!

Or, if you prefer, you can call in your order at: 1-877-463-7742 or use the coupon below.

If you use cassettes, you can save $8 as eachcassette and songbook set is a mere $5!

You can also find the Yeladim for Y’shua andYou Gotta Jump! cassette and songbook at ourstore website.

!

Please make check/money order payable to: Jews for Jesus, 60 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5895 Phone: (877) 4-Messiah. Fax: (415) 962-2369. Web: www.store.jewsforjesus.org

itemName and Description Qty Code Price total

Subtotal

Add 15% for shipping and handling

California residents add 7.25% sales tax

Donation for Jews for Jesus ministry

TOTAL ENCLOSEDHVSO09

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Street

City/State/Zip

Phone

E-mail

If paying by credit card: Mastercard Visa AmEx

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Jewish Kids Celebrate Jesus(Double CD and songbook)

The Christian and the Pharisee

SP087

BK274

$18

$13

LWW

THE LIBERATED WAILING WALL:THE LIBERATED WAILING WALL:

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OW I N T E R 2 0 0 7 · T E V E T - N I S A N 5 7 6 7

V O L U M E 1 0 , N U M B E R 1

W I N T E R 2 0 0 7 · T E V E T - N I S A N 5 7 6 7

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