Jewish Scene
Jewish leader calls Evangelists 'extremists'
Associated Press
Published: 03.04.08, 07:44
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91 Talkbacks for this article
1. how can we respect Reform Judaism
aj ,   CA   (04.03.08)
when they say things like this?
2. G-d gave ALL of Israel to Jews, including Reform, not arabs.
Bunnie Meyer ,   Santa Monica,CA USA   (04.03.08)
3. Yoffie is not even a real Rabbi so who cares?
anti-Reform ,   Chicago   (04.03.08)
Hagee is more of a Zionist than the phony Jewish Reform Movement which is becoming less revelant everyday. Assimilation and intermarriage is erasing the Reform Movement and it's great news.
4. land concessions and the rest
Andras Bereny ,   Kfar Tapuah, Ephraim   (04.03.08)
Erilc Yoffie, it is Torah that rejects any land concessions. You are not a rabbi and there are no "reform rabbis". Reform is not Judaism and reform so called "synagogues" are not synagogues. They are ordinary meeting halls of poor lost souls, people who don't know who they are, where they come from and where they are going.
5. What makes Yoffie a rabbi?
Yosef Ben Tzion ,   Poriya, Israel   (04.03.08)
Let's be honest for a change. What does one have to do to become a Reform rabbi? Take authentic Jewish sources and test Eric Yoffie against any 8th grade Yeshiva student and see what this so called leader knows about Judaism. Nothing! He sits in America as the head of the organization that leads in assimilation and intermarriage whose congregants have been encouraged for decades to discard the laws of the Torah and he calls everybody else extremists! For thousands of years the Jewish People whether they observed fully or not, had rabbis who followed the laws and advised based on these laws. Then these extremists came along first in Germany, and taught ignorant Jews how to live like Gentiles. In modern America these extremists led in the complete destruction and disintegration of hundreds of communities by making Judaism appear to be absolutely meaningless. All they have left is the support of anti Zionists and lots of donations from ignorant Jews. Their programs are a complete and utter failure in the States so they have been trying to forcefully push their self defeating agenda on Israel and with the help of a very leftist, self-hating Supreme Court they have found success. Think about this: A Gentile woman can 'study' with a Reform school for a few months and acquire almost no real deep knowledge of Judaism. They will convert her and she can become a Reform 'Rabbi'. She can then convert any person who comes in off the street and that person thanks to the Supreme Court of Israel, can make aliya as a Jew! This is not extreme?????
6. OK , listen to a real Rabbi
(04.03.08)
http://videohat.masrawy.com/view_video.php?viewkey=73909be88f5c3e6144cc
7. Reform Judaism goes "against the grain" of...
Joe ,   Ramat Gan   (04.03.08)
Reform Judaism goes "against the grain" of Torah, intellectual honesty and common sense. After all, why is Reform Judaism undergoing a complete undoing of the Pittsburgh Platform, in which Reform Judaism discarded Torah and Halacha as being "temporary machinery" and subservient to modern secular culture? Why is Reform Judaism stabbing its own founding principles in the back? Does it have anything to do with the high intermarriage rates of Reform Jews and the descendants of Reform Jews being lost to the Jewish people forever? People do tend to move with their feet, you know... Reform Judaism's stance on the Arab-Israeli conflict is just as misguided and intellectually dishonest as its stance on Torah. Territorial concessions have only brought more rockets and terror attacks from the West Bank and Gaza- the disastrous results of irreparably flawed foreign diplomacy. Territorial concessions go against common sense.
8. John Hagee is antisemetic
Yossi   (04.03.08)
Just read this statement were he blmes the jews for their persecution "It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day....
9. #8. read Kings I and II. that's exactly what happened...
aaron ,   ra'anana   (04.03.08)
10. What is the percentage of Jews in Reform "Judaism"?
Miriam ,   Israel   (04.03.08)
Aren't most of them non-Jews or Christians? So let them fight it out between their own brothers. We Jews have no reason to mix in.
11. Bibliacal prophcey is future history....
Psalms 83 ,   Selah   (04.03.08)
It will happen irrespective of what a reformed liberal jew or a conservitive christian might say.....Depend on it ! psalms 83
12. the "rabbi" who couldn't see
ellen ,   Golan Heights   (04.03.08)
Evangelists evangelize, and therefore pose a direct threat to Jewish spiritual and physical continuity. This is not political issue, it is a Jewish/halachic one of the highest order. But an halachic system that builds fences aroud the Torah means nothing to the Reform rabbi . Unfortunately his views cause many Jews who care about the integrity of the Land of Israel to stumble and run blindly into the arms of those who want to convert us -simply because they are on the other side of an ever-changing theopolitical spectrum.
13. Should be called deformed Judaism
3Jay3 ,   Israel   (04.03.08)
14. israel better watch out forthose evangelical suicide bombers
mike ,   israel (formerly usa   (04.03.08)
or was it the evangelical suicide converters? with so many religious extremists it's hard for me to keep them all straight.
15. How to Get Rid of Friends of Israel
guy ,   los angeles   (04.03.08)
Why didn't the Rabbi just go to visit Hagee and discuss his viewpoint instead of creating more problems for Israel?---the Evangelists remain strong supporters of Israel through thick and thin and should not just be dismissed---this was a classic example of "foot in mouth" disease!
16. Reform Jews deserve these talkbacks
Richard Preschel ,   Paris, France   (04.03.08)
Because we are stupid enough to keep on supporting Israel. Oddly enough our money always seems kosher.
17. Reform is radical
Tuvia. MD ,   Betar Ilit   (04.03.08)
Reform Jews have a big problem with hashem. They are practicing something, but it is not Judaism.
18. #8 is as ignorant as this "so called rabbi"
jack bauer   (04.03.08)
And when people like him encourage the concessions of Hashems lands to the terrorists, who can be surprised when bad things happen? with leaders like olmert, barak, tzipi, ramon,peres,etc.....who expects anything other then the total opposition to Hashem and his instructions? This guy is an idiot! Hagee is the one guy in the USA that will never waver in his support of the state of Israel, as a state for the JEWS
19. BTW hagee DOES NOT try and convert JEWS
jack bauer   (04.03.08)
he would not oppose it if one chose to convert, but he wouldnt encourage it. In fact true christians would not try and convert jews away from judaism. There is an awful lot of hostility from jews towards christians though..... and I always hear some crap about crusades and luther, etc nothing in christianity stands against jews! the bible says to bless Israel in order to become blessed, and curse Israel if you wish to be cursed. guess what? those that want to give away jerusalem are cursing Hashem and Israel. They will end being the ones cursed. Hagee has never cursed Israel. He calls things like he sees them. olmert curses Israel, hagee calls him out. then a bunch of upitty jews cry foul and blame hagee for this or that BLAME YOUR FRIGGING GOVT.
20. # 4 rAndras religious freedom
(04.03.08)
Dont you think its a persons right to exercise reilgious freedom. That means not only the right not to belive but alos the right to worship and pray in a way that is meaningfull to them? If you wish to lead the orthadox life style then good for you , but i really dont think that gives you the right to judge and slander others who do not pray the way you do. How about showing us the positive things of your faith instead of attacking people instead? Smething tells me you are a return to religious as you seem to have failed to grasp the truth here?
21. Reform Judaism
Walt ,   U.S.A.   (04.03.08)
It is not really even Judaism, but a waystation for those who can't quite give up the notion of being Jewish. Eventually, the separation is complete.
22. Israel's real Friends and Enemies.
CSB ,   USA   (04.03.08)
Yoffee and Reich are two of the greatest enemies Israel and the Jews have.Listen to Hagee! If only Jews would so unabashedly promote their right to exist and be so PRO-ISRAEL! For your information, every weekend over 99 M listen to just one of the Evangelical ministers! Hagee scares Yoffee, because he is far more powerful and Hagee stands for Freedom, Israel's indisputable right to exist, democracy,and fights for Israel and the Jews in DC and wherever he goes. Yoffee and Reich have managed to worm their way into the State Dept. and to corrupt much of the foreign policy toward Israel. He is sick and will destroy Israel. Stand against him. They have no real portfolio. Knock them over.They have no real power and few followers and loose more by the day. Reform has destroyed itself, in essence. It and they area a disgrace. Tell them to give up their homes, their country's security.(Oh, they don't support Bush, or National Security.)
23. Yoffie calls Christian Extremists
Susan ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (04.03.08)
It's a shame (shanda) that our Christian friends and supporters (Christians visit Israel at a much higher rate than Jews) understand the Bible much better than the likes of Eric Yoffie. It is a mitzvah to settle and live in Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael is and always will be the Jewish Homeland---Mr. Yoffie, please don't give my home & our heritage away.
24. Actually, Miriam (#10) there are lots of Reform Jews
JPS ,   Efrat   (04.03.08)
How many? well over a million in north american, making them a significant percentage of Jews. If there are roughly 13 million Jews in the world, and then 7 million outside of Israel, that makes them a large group. Far from ostracizing them, the rest of Judaism should engage them in dialog. If you don't like what they do or what they stand for, making snarky comments about Reform Jews won't get you closer to getting into olam habah.
25. need to differentiate btween what is good for Israel vs US
Leon   (04.03.08)
Hagee: good for Israel? Yes good for United States? No. As a jew livingin the US I can attest the Christian right wing are harmful to our country. We need to keep the debate simplified.
26. Jewish worls leaders call EVan extreme
I.Kemp ,   Nahariya   (04.03.08)
What Eric Yoffie says is very wrong neither is he correct. The Evangelical Christians are the best friends Israel have and their support is without conditions, no strings attached and that is the way it should be
27. Rabbi Yoffie is right about San Antonio
Johnny Weintraub ,   Sugar Land, Texas US   (04.03.08)
The orthodox Rabbi of Rofei Sholom synagogue is a good friend of Pastor John Hagee. The reform Rabbi of Temple Beth El is very hostile to Pastor Hagee. Nothing new here.
28. Evangalists more Zionist than Yofee
Hilda ,   US   (04.03.08)
Thank G-d not all Reforn rabbis believe as this rabbi (small r) Evangelists I have spoken to are better Zionists than he,. They have read the bible and they know that Judea and Samaria are part of the Jewish Stte.
29. The Leftist Crusader is WRONG
Brod ,   USA   (04.03.08)
The Leftist agenda is an Antithesis to GOD's Restoration Plan of Modern Israel in Ancient Israel. Hence, they are sounding more like those crusading the usurpation of Israel from the Jews by Islamist-Jihadists. It is interesting to note that Yoffe is critical of John Hagee. The fact is Hagee's stand of GOD's Restoration Plan of Modern Israel in Ancient Israel is BIBLICAL. Those who oppose it stands on non-Biblical grounds. It appears that Yoffe is not knowledgeable of the history of Islam and the Papacy. The fact is these two institutions have been crusading against GOD's people since the Dark Ages. During the Dark Ages, they ravaged Europe and the Holy Land. And in WWII they were in cahoots in effecting the Holocaust on the Jews and Judeo-Christians. It took the lives of millions of American Judeo-Christians in WWII to defeat the dark forces and free the world of tyranny and fascism. The Book of Revelation clearly shows who the Dark Forces are. They are the Antichrist!
30. No Palestinian State
American Christian   (04.03.08)
I don`t watch Pastor Hagee on TV but I believe that Israel should not give up any land. It has not worked and it will not work for peace. The Muslims want all the land. Do the Reformed Jews want to give up all the land? If the Palestinians have a state, they will still be no peace.
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