Before I came to Israel for the first time, a year and a half ago, I wondered how the Israelis would respond to me as a Christian. I knew I was going to be living in a Jewish state surrounded by Jewish people, and Jewish-Christian relations throughout history have not always been pleasant. I had also gotten the impression from the media in the United States that Israelis are not a very tolerant group of people. It has been very interesting, therefore, now that I am actually living in Israel, to see how Jewish Israelis respond to my religious orientation. The topic of my religion almost always comes up within the first few minutes when I meet someone new. One of the first questions Israelis usually ask me is, "Are you going to make aliyah?" (To make aliyah is to move to Israel and become an Israeli citizen under the Law of Return which allows Jewish people and their families to become Israeli citizens automatically.) I then explain that I cannot make aliyah, because I am not Jewish, and they say, "Oh, so you are Christian." So, my religion is rarely a secret, and I have lots of opportunities to see how Israelis respond to that.
I have had less contact with religious Israelis, but I have had a fair amount, and my experience there has been positive as well. Their attitude usually seems to be, "As long as you are not trying to convert us or our people, or interfering with our Judaism, you non-Jews can believe whatever you want." They believe that gentiles are expected to follow the seven Noahide laws (the moral commandments that, according to the Talmud, God gave to Noah), and as long as they do that, they will go to heaven. My brother and I went to a Shabbat dinner at the home of a religious family, and they were very kind to us. We told them before we went that we were Christian, and they just requested that there be no proselytizing. We ended up having some very interesting conversations, and and we enjoyed our time there very much.
I have also noticed that Messianic Jews (Jews who believe that Jesus is the messiah) are treated worse than Christians. As long as Christians are not converting anyone, they are not a threat to Judaism, but Messianic Jews are a threat to the very definition of Judaism. Most non-messianic Jewish people would insist that not believing in Jesus is part of the definition of Judaism. If someone believes Jesus is the messiah, he is no longer Jewish. If someone claims to be Jewish and a believer in Jesus, therefore, he is redefining Judaism. It is like saying you can worship Muhammad and still be a Christian. Many Jews in Israel feel like the messianic Jews are pretending to be Jewish and perverting Judaism. The messianic congregation I attend in Jerusalem has continual confrontations with the rabbis and members of neighboring synagogues. Usually the confrontations are relatively peaceful, but they are often unpleasant. I also know several kids who were kicked out of a religious school when the school found out they believed in Jesus. I was talking to a twelve year old girl at my congregation, and she was surprised to hear that my roommates knew I was a believer in Jesus and they did not care. I asked her if her friends at school knew she was a believer and she gave me a wide-eyed look and said, "Oh, no! Only my one very best friend. I don't tell anyone else." The messianic Jewish people in Jerusalem are clearly the outcasts, and it is extremely unfortunate to see the way they are sometimes treated.
Most of my contact with Israelis has been with Jewish people who are secular. My experience with the secular Israelis is very similar to my experience with secular Americans. Most of them seem to think that religion in general is stupid, but as long as I do not impose my religion on them or make any demands on them personally, I can believe whatever stupid ideas I want to believe. The most common response I get when I tell someone I am Christian is, "Oh, cool. We like Christians. We just don't like Muslims. It's not because we are racist. It's just because they try to kills us." A couple of times people have asked me, "Are you Catholic or Protestant?" When I told them I was protestant they said, "Oh, good. So that's why you like Israel." Usually, when I am talking to secular Jews, the topic of religion ends here, however, and we move on to a topic more interesting to them.
I have had less contact with religious Israelis, but I have had a fair amount, and my experience there has been positive as well. Their attitude usually seems to be, "As long as you are not trying to convert us or our people, or interfering with our Judaism, you non-Jews can believe whatever you want." They believe that gentiles are expected to follow the seven Noahide laws (the moral commandments that, according to the Talmud, God gave to Noah), and as long as they do that, they will go to heaven. My brother and I went to a Shabbat dinner at the home of a religious family, and they were very kind to us. We told them before we went that we were Christian, and they just requested that there be no proselytizing. We ended up having some very interesting conversations, and and we enjoyed our time there very much.
Proselytizing, however, is a very, very big deal in Israel. The religious Jews get extremely angry when Christians try to convert their people to Christianity, so any type of ministry work can create huge problems. One of my professors mentioned one time that he can never get the Mormon students in his classes to argue with him about religion, because the Mormon church has an agreement with the state of Israel that their students will not talk about religion while they are here. I do not know the details of that arrangement, but it does not surprise me one bit. Most Christian missionary agencies in Israel actually go to other countries to evangelize Israeli students who are traveling abroad. The missionaries have more freedom in other countries to talk to the young Israelis about things they cannot talk to them about here in Israel.
I have also noticed that Messianic Jews (Jews who believe that Jesus is the messiah) are treated worse than Christians. As long as Christians are not converting anyone, they are not a threat to Judaism, but Messianic Jews are a threat to the very definition of Judaism. Most non-messianic Jewish people would insist that not believing in Jesus is part of the definition of Judaism. If someone believes Jesus is the messiah, he is no longer Jewish. If someone claims to be Jewish and a believer in Jesus, therefore, he is redefining Judaism. It is like saying you can worship Muhammad and still be a Christian. Many Jews in Israel feel like the messianic Jews are pretending to be Jewish and perverting Judaism. The messianic congregation I attend in Jerusalem has continual confrontations with the rabbis and members of neighboring synagogues. Usually the confrontations are relatively peaceful, but they are often unpleasant. I also know several kids who were kicked out of a religious school when the school found out they believed in Jesus. I was talking to a twelve year old girl at my congregation, and she was surprised to hear that my roommates knew I was a believer in Jesus and they did not care. I asked her if her friends at school knew she was a believer and she gave me a wide-eyed look and said, "Oh, no! Only my one very best friend. I don't tell anyone else." The messianic Jewish people in Jerusalem are clearly the outcasts, and it is extremely unfortunate to see the way they are sometimes treated.
As a Christian, however, I have not experienced any of that kind of persecution. I have felt very accepted, and I have been treated well. I feel more left out than anything else. I think this is the first time in my life I have ever been a minority in any way shape or form. Sometimes I feel like Judaism is a big club, and I am not in it. I get tired of telling people I am not Jewish. I know they will still treat me well, but I often detect a slight sense of disappointment when they realize I am not one of them. I understand that I will never be accepted into the center of Israeli society, because I do not really belong there. I am not a part of the historical promise that God made to Abraham's descendants, and I have had to come to accept that. I feel very fortunate, however, to have this amazing opportunity to participate in Israeli culture to the extent that I am participating now. I am learning so much about their language, their history, their religion, and their culture. I am very thankful that the Israelis have welcomed me into their country and allowed me to have this experience, even though I am a Christian.
