WHY WE MUST NOT FOLLOW JEWISH TRADITION

Editor's Note: The following article is a message to Hebrew Israelites

JEWISH - OF OR RELATING TO JEWS, / OF JUDAISM

TRADITION -A CUSTOM, OPINION OR BELIEF HANDED DOWN TO POSTERITY ESP. ORALLY OR BY PRACTICE.

JUDAISM - THE RELIGION OF THE JEWS, / THE JEWS COLLECTIVELY.

THE ABOVE DEFINITIONS ARE FROM THE ILLUSTRATED OXFORD DICTIONARY.
As you should know by now, the people who are known as Ashkenazi Jews are not true descendants of the ancient Israelites. They are descendant from a people known in history as the Khazars. (Be sure to read the Edom and Khazars page). The majority of Jews living in Europe, Russia, Israel and the United States are secular (don't believe in a Elohim). The ones who are religious or have a belief in a god, practice what they call JUDAISM. As you can see from the definitions above, Judaism is the religion of the Jews, it is also a nickname for Jewish culture.

When Yah the Most High gave the laws to Moses (Moshe) on Mt. Sinai, he never once mention anything about Judaism. Judaism is not of Yah, it is the creation of men who are inspired by Satan.

As Israelites our main goal is to return back to Yah our father, with all our soul, mind and heart. The only way Israel can return, is to follow the only true path Yah has laid down for us. If we take any other route then we are still on the path to destruction.

Over the years in my Israelite Journey, often I come across Israelites who are new students to the truth. Many of these brothers and sisters believe that we are to copy everything Jewish, they believe we are suppose to practice Judaism, wear the six pointed star, etc I don't blame them for their ignorance (Not Knowing), but after you have learned the truth, you must do better.

In my walk with Yah, I have learned to stay away and do away with all things that are Jewish, and Christian for that matter. Not because they are Jewish (alone) but because it is not from Yah, and it can cause confusion, which leads to destruction.

Before any hater of the truth reads this and try to make it seem as if I'm a racist. I'm not, this subject is scriptural, all scriptures are from Yah, if you have a problem with this, take it up with the Master.

This page will explain why we as Israelites must not follow Jewish tradition. It's real simple, Jewish tradition is not from Yah the father. I will point out a few of the traditions that Israelites fall into, believing they are doing right.

THE TALMUD VS THE SCRIPTURES AND THE LAW

TALMUD - The Body of Jewish Civil and ceremonial law and legend comprising the Mishnah and the Germra.

The Talmud is one of the "holy" books of Judaism. This book is held higher than scriptures in some forms of Judaism, this is stated in the Talmud.

Erubin 21b (Soncino edition): "My son, be more careful in the observance of the words of the Scribes than in the words of the Torah (Old Testament)."

The Talmud is a collection of rabbinic writings. Jews say these writing are the oral law of Israel, everything Moses didn't write down on Mt. Sinai is said to be in the Talmud. Example: How to properly slaughter animals etc.

That's strange because no where in the 66 books of scripture or the books that were removed (Book of Jasher, Enoch, Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha), do we see any mention of a Talmud or oral law. Oral law is another name the Jews use for Talmud. The Laws Moses got from Yah was written down.

Exodus 24:12 And YAH said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of YAH.

32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

There is no mention of a Oral law being given to Moses. Another Point, If the Talmud represents the oral law that was given to Moses how did it survive this long being that the Israelites had forgotten about the WRITTEN LAW.

2nd Kings 22:8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of YAH. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

2nd Chronicles 34:15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of YAH. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

21 Go, inquire of YAH for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the YAH that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of YAH, to do after all that is written in this book.

24 Thus saith YAH, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:

The Talmud or Oral law, should not be adhered to by Hebrew Israelites, that book is a fraud, it is not of Yah or from Yah. The Talmud was created sometime in the 2nd - 5th century C.E. (common Era). It is not from our ancient forefather, they had no knowledge of a Talmud they only knew of the Torah (laws, instructions) and Scriptures.

Proof being the Ethiopian Hebrews, our brethren from the tribe of Dan had no knowledge of the Talmud when they reentered Israel.

According to the N.Y. Times of Sept. 29, 1992, p.4:

"The problem is that Ethiopian Jewish tradition goes no further than the Bible or Torah; the later Talmud and other commentaries that form the basis of modern traditions never came their way."

Lets look at a few of the wicked passages from the Talmud.

Moed Kattan 17a: If a Jew is tempted to do evil he should go to a city where he is not known and do the evil there.

Penalty for Disobeying Rabbis

Erubin 21b. Whosoever disobeys the rabbis deserves death and will be punished by being boiled in hot excrement in hell.

Hitting a Jew is the same as hitting God

Sanhedrin 58b. If a heathen (gentile) hits a Jew, the gentile must be killed.

O.K. to Cheat Non-Jews

Sanhedrin 57a . A Jew need not pay a gentile ("Cuthean") the wages owed him for work.

Jews Have Superior Legal Status

Baba Kamma 37b. "If an ox of an Israelite gores an ox of a Canaanite there is no liability; but if an ox of a Canaanite gores an ox of an Israelite...the payment is to be in full."

Jews May Steal from Non-Jews

Baba Mezia 24a . If a Jew finds an object lost by a gentile ("heathen") it does not have to be returned. (Affirmed also in Baba Kamma 113b). Sanhedrin 76a. God will not spare a Jew who "marries his daughter to an old man or takes a wife for his infant son or returns a lost article to a Cuthean..."

The Talmud is where the so called racist curse of Ham started. The Talmud says black people are cursed with black skin because Noah cursed his son Kham (Ham) on the Ark. That is none scriptural, the Talmud is a book we must stay far away from.

TANAKH VS TORAH

TANAKH - JEWISH WORD THAT REFERENCE THE OLD TESTAMENT OR HEBREW SCRIPTURES.

TORAH - HEBREW WORD MEANING LAW OR INSTRUCTIONS. REFERENCE TO THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF SCRIPTURE ALSO CALLED THE BOOKS OF MOSES.

Some of you may be surprised that I am including the word Tanakh with Jewish tradition. Many Israelites use this word today instead of Old Testament. All the scriptures from Genesis to Malachi is named the Tanakh by rabbinic scholars.

Tanakh is not the Hebrew word for the old testament, Tanakh is a created word, It stands for TORAH (LAW, INSTRUCTIONS), NEVI'IM (The Prophets) and KETHUVIM (The Writings) TNK insert the vowel points and you have TANAKH. TANAKH just like Judaism and Talmud it's not mention in scriptures, the reason being they all are words created by unlearned Gentiles who call themselves Jews.

I don't like the terms old testament or new testament, the book is the same, it's one continual work. The word Scripture or the word of Yah is a more accurate term in reference to Yah's truth.

We shouldn't use Tanakh, for the simple reason, Yah didn't use it, Yahshuah didn't use it. Yahshuah taught from the word of Yah, when He taught the people did he ever tell them to search the Tanakh? NO he told them to search the scriptures or the word of Yah. (Editor's Comment: Yah didn't use the word "Bible" either, which is the Latin word for "book". However, we use the word "Bible" in our contemporary lexicon. The reasoning here is a bit sketchy, but overall, the article has strong points concerning Biblical truth versus Jewish/Rabbinic tradition.)

Matthew 21:42 Yahshuah saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Yah's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

22:29 Yahshuah answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Luke 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Mark 7:13 Making the word of Yah of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of YAH, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

Luke 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of YAH, and do it.

JUDAISM VS THE LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS

From the definition of Judaism at the beginning of this page, we see it's the religion of the Jews. As I have stated, Judaism is not the laws and commandments that Yah gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Judaism is a religion created by Jewish rabbis for Jewish people and those who convert to the Jewish culture. Yah's laws and commandments are not a religion but a set apart way of Life. Hebrew Israelites don't practice Judaism, we adhere to Yah's Torah (Instruction, laws).

EXODUS 24:12 And YAH said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

He didn't say come and get Judaism, the Tanakh or The Talmud and teach them. No He said come and Get the Laws and commandments.

There are several branches of Judaism

Conservative
Reform
Orthodox
Hassic

All these sects use the Talmud in higher esteem over the scriptures.

KOSHER VS CLEAN MEATS

KOSHER - Of Food or premises in which food is sold, cooked or eaten fulfilling the requirements of JEWISH LAW.

The law of clean and unclean meats can be found in the book of Leviticus 11. Yah gave us meats that are clean or healthy for us to eat, this is what the term clean meats refer to. Jews have created a word that many think is the proper Hebrew term for clean meats. This word as you may know is Kosher. Kosher is not the Hebrew word for clean meats, it doesn't refer to the laws of clean and unclean meats. Kosher refers to the way the animal is slaughtered, and how to drain a majority of it's blood. They have Kosher pigs, in fact the state of Israel has one of the largest pig farms in the world.

Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

Any animal can be Kosher as long as it's slaughtered according to the Jewish law. Kosher comes from the Jewish Talmud, that alone should let us know we shouldn't deal with it. Just because you see Kosher on a food label does not mean that product contains 100% clean meat. All it means it that the animal used for that product was slaughter in a certain way that the rabbi's approved of.

RABBIS

Hebrew Israelites shouldn't refer to ourselves as Rabbi.

Matthew 23: 8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Messiah; and all ye are brethren.

Enough said.

Other Jewish traditions and culture you don't want to get involved with are:

1. THE JEWISH CALENDAR (they began their new year in Sept, when the scriptures say the new year begins with the month of Abib which is around "March" Or "April".

2. THE 6-POINTED STAR OR SHIELD (Which ever name you refer). The 6 pointed Star is pure idolatry. It's an ancient Idol, that can be traced back to the old babylon under Nimrod. Today's witches and warlocks use this star along with the occult secret societies. Yah commanded us not to have idols, this includes the star, which has nothing to do with King David.

3. WEEKLY SHABATH READINGS, (reading the Torah is good, but the Jews have almost made a commandment that you must read certain scripture approved by their rabbi each week.

4. MAKING AND WEARING FRINGES Be Careful that you are not doing this according to how the Jews do theirs, they are following the authority of the rabbis and not Yah.

5.FESTIVAL (FEAST) DAYS OBSERVANCE
Stick to the script, don't look to jews for knowledge on how to keep the feast days, check the scriptures. 9 times out of 10 the Jews are observing the feast according to the Rabbinic law found in the talmud.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST CALLING YOUR SELF A JEW. This is a big NO NO. Hebrew Israelites are not Jews, we are of the house of Israel, Jews are not. Only those true Israelites who convert to Judaism and do exactly as the Jews do, wear that misnomer title JEW. The Next page will explain this in full detail, why we are not Jews.

Brothers and Sisters there is only one path to Yah, following Jewish tradition and customs will not put you on that path. YOU ARE NOT JEWS OR JEWISH, YOU DO NOT FOLLOW JUDAISM.

Stick to the scriptures, leave those other man made devices and doctrines alone. I will have a follow up to this page called 'WHY WE MUST NOT FOLLOW CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS, that too is just as important to know.

Source: http://www.hebrewisraelites.org/jewishtradition.htm

Editor's Disclaimer: I am still growing in a lot of the Israelite truth. As I study, I keep Christ as the center of all my interpretation of Scripture. But this synopsis is excellent and instructive, nonetheless.

*All italicized and bold-faced items are the emphases of the Editor.

A PHYSICAL ISRAEL

The following is extracted from a short play entitled "Spiritualizing Scripture, The Crime" by Martin Zender:

What about this "spiritual Israel" business?

It’s the same thing—figures of speech. What a great deception has been founded by people who have failed to grasp figures of speech. Worse, this unscriptural phrase has shipwrecked the faith of millions who now disbelieve God’s promises to Israel. I dislike this term more than I dislike meatloaf.

People get this idea because Paul uses so many Israelite terms to describe those of the nations who are in the body of Christ.

I know. Galatians 3:7, for example: "Those of faith, these are sons of Abraham." The way most people understand this verse is: anyone who believes—Jew or Greek—becomes a spiritual son of Abraham. And everybody knows that a spiritual son is better than a literal one. Since this is so, then God doesn’t have to fulfill His literal promises to literal Israel, seeing as how He’s now got spiritual sons of Abraham, that is, spiritual Israelites.

That’s the way the thinking goes.

There’s only one slight problem.

It’s a metaphor?

Right. The nations are not spiritual Israel. They’re figurative Israel. They’re metaphoric Israel. They don’t in any way replace Israel. They’re used to picture Israel, to show that they are—in a way—like Israel.

Is there another example of this from the Scriptures?

In Matthew 26:26, Jesus held up a piece of bread in front of His disciples and said, "This is My body." Now, was the bread literally His body? Did the bread go out and get crucified?

No. The bread represented His body. It being broken was a picture of what would happen to Him.

Exactly. Literal bread, literal body, figurative identification. But what a great deception has been built by failing to recognize this metaphor. With this error in mind, think of those who use Paul’s phrase, "Those of faith, these are sons of Abraham" to cancel God’s promises to the literal seed. To be consistent, they should also teach that, after Christ used the bread to represent Himself, He, Himself, was canceled! That would be the case if a metaphor eliminates a reality. But it doesn’t. A metaphor pictures a reality. Does the ocean disappear when you take a picture of it? Not hardly. The bread that pictured Christ did not eliminate Christ. Likewise, those of the nations who picture what God will someday effect for Israel, do not eliminate Israel. Galatians 4:28 confirms this—"Now you, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise." See? The nations are like Isaac. They are as Isaac. But they neither eliminate Isaac, nor do they nix the promises God made to Isaac and his literal descendants.

Besides, to say that the body of Christ is spiritual Israel denies that Israel, itself, is spiritual.

Yes; that’s been my point all along. People try to spiritualize things that God has already made spiritual. It’s pride. If men can spiritualize God’s Word, then people will start looking to the men and not to the Word. And this is just what has happened in the spiritualization camps. The Word is nice, but they don’t really need it. I’ve been to meetings like that. It’s scary. The doctrines they come up with are even scarier. This person had a dream; that person heard a voice; that person had an eerie feeling driving past the graveyard. Pity the poor clod who presents a Scriptural fact. At the meetings where I speak, people are looking down at their Bibles. It’s not very good for the ego.

I think people get a head trip from thinking of themselves as spiritual Israel.

Do they! Tell them that they’re figurative Israel, and the cookie crumbles. "Gee, Mildred. I found out today that I’m only the wrong end of a metaphor." When you get right down to it, humans are dumb and ordinary. It’s God Who dazzles us with His Word and His works. And wait until you see what He’s going to do with Israel. He’s going to stun the world, that’s what. What could be more spiritual than Israel coming into her promised kingdom? Man, don’t let anybody spiritualize away that blessed truth. That truth is spiritual!

***EDITOR'S NOTE: THE REST OF THE SCRIPT DEALS WITH THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE INTERPRETATION OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THE TEMPLE OF GOD, GOD'S THRONE, AND THE LAW...WHICH I ALSO THINK IS A PROFITABLE READ.

Let’s talk about the book of Revelation for a moment. People will make fun of you for thinking that everything written there is literal. Do you really believe that there will be a wild beast with seven heads and ten horns?

People are all the time telling me that Revelation must be read "spiritually." This is the same voo-doo I’ve been talking about. Revelation doesn’t need to be read spiritually, but with a solid grasp of figures of speech. I know this will take all the fun out of it, but we want truth, not fun. Almost the entire book of Revelation is, itself, a figure of speech known as Vision. John is seeing things that do not exist at the time. Did John see a seven-headed beast with ten horns? You bet he did! Why do you think he got shook up so bad?

But then the messenger of the Lord explained to John what this represented.

Right. The messenger said: "The ten horns which you perceived are ten kings."

Literal kings?

They have to be. "Ten horns are ten kings" is a metaphor. In a metaphor, the nouns on either side of the verb "to be" are to be taken literally. The figure lies in the verb "to be"—in this case, "is." And the last noun in the metaphor is the thing being pictured by the others. So don’t look for ten horns, but do look for ten kings. Poor John—he saw the ten horns.

So in the book of Revelation, there are many literal things being described figuratively.

That’s a good way to put it. In Revelation, look for figures within the principle figure, describing literal events.

Too bad you sound so calculating!

This is more spiritual than making the lame walk. But try to put it on Christian television and get people to watch.

"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

A figure of speech called Implication. The similarity between our Lord’s body and the temple is implied.

"Heaven is God’s throne."

Good one! Here are three figures in one. Because heaven is not only said to be like a throne, but to be a throne, "throne" is a metaphor. But "throne" is also a figure called Association; since a throne is so closely associated with rule, it’s put for it. And since "throne" implies that the Deity sits down, it’s also a figure called Condescension, where God is given human attributes He doesn’t actually possess. Too bad this verse isn’t in Revelation. Then all these figures would be included in the principle figure: Vision.

I’d feel better about this if you would jump up and speak in tongues.

I could do that. But we wouldn’t learn as much.

Why has spiritualizing—or I guess I should say, finding allegories in the Word—become so popular?

Because it’s easy. All you need is a gut feeling. You may be right, you may be wrong. In my opinion, Marvel is nuts. Melvin and Mayhem may be onto something, but which one is right? They both said different things. When someone begins an exposition on allegorical grounds, a red flag should pop up. Proceed with caution, is all I have to say. Test it against the literal Word. If it rings true, then enjoy it. If it’s Marvel, tell her to go home and blow-dry her road atlas.

People have told me that I spend too much time in the Word. They say that I need to "flow with the spirit."

Have you noticed something about that? "Flowing with the spirit" apparently includes watching television, going to the mall and reading romance novels. Just don’t spend too much time with them Bible words! I’d like to have a dollar for every time someone has said to me, "The letter killeth."

I’ll settle for a nickel.

Even a brief glance at the context of Second Corinthians 3:3-7 will show that the letter that kills is the Mosaic law chiseled in stone, not the Word of God. Jesus said in John 6:63 that His words were spirit and life, but that some were simply not believing those words. Where are His words recorded? In the Scriptures. Would we know them apart from the Scriptures? Sorry, but no.

When people spiritualize the Word—can I use that term?—they don’t have to understand it or correctly cut it.

Spiritualizing God’s Word is, many times, a smoke screen for Scriptural carelessness.

I think so, too.

Second Timothy 2:15 says, "Endeavor to present yourself to God qualified, an unashamed worker, correctly cutting the word of truth." This is work! In Second Timothy 1:13, Paul exhorts Timothy to have a pattern of sound words. Words, man! Many of God’s people have taken to spiritualizing Scripture because, by doing so, anyone can become an instant "expert." You don’t need a knowledge of grammar, or of figures of speech, or of Greek or Hebrew. A spiritualizer automatically pirouettes to the head of the class. He’s beyond instruction. Nobody can teach him because practical instruction has become, to him, unspiritual. He has a mysterious insight into God’s Word that nobody else can attain. This is a whole lot easier than becoming an unashamed worker. If you spiritualize Scripture, you don’t have to be a worker. You don’t have to be precise. You don’t have to be a student. You don’t need words. You don’t need facts. When someone approaches with a fact, you can simply write him off by saying, "facts are unspiritual." Then you can twist verses like "the letter killeth" to justify your ignorance.

EDITOR'S NOTE: THE READER IS ENCOURAGED TO READ THIS SHORT PLAY IN ITS ENTIRETY AT: http://martinzender.com/Zenderature/spiritualizing_scripture.htm

Photo: Judean Captives of the Assyrians taken from Lachish, circa 701 BC.

The Black Jewish or Hebrew Israelite Community

The Black Jewish or Hebrew Israelite Community
By Rabbi Sholomo Ben Levy
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This essay, and indeed this homepage, attempts to bear witness to true diversity that exists within the Jewish world. Though the focus is necessarily on those communities that I am most family with, I attempt to give a broader insight and offer some analysis of the unique dynamics that are at work. It is also important to remember that not all of these groups accept the terms used to describe them. Some, in fact, reject the term "Jew" precisely because it connotes, in the minds of most people, a white ethnic group. Therefore, the use of this appellation could be misinterpreted as a desire to be white or a denial of African heritage. In either case, its application could be regarded as an affront by some. The groups who feel this way prefer the term Hebrew or Israelite because they believe it avoids a connection with "whiteness," or conversely, implies a connection with "blackness." It is with these two caveats concerning "race" that I use the term Jew as a de-racialized description of people who are neither Christian nor Muslim but who profess to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. No offense is intended by my choice of terms and I hope that none will be taken. I offer a fuller exploration of the "racial question" in Judaism elsewhere on this homepage. The information that follows comes from my dissertation research at Columbia University and from my personal knowledge as a rabbi in one of the oldest and largest communities of Black Jews in America.

Estimates for the total number of Black Jews in America range from 40,000, reported by the Encyclopedia of Black America, to 500,000 as stated in a feature story about Black Jews in Ascent magazine. Unfortunately, none of the sources reveal how they arrived at their figures.

The problem of determining a reliable estimate of the number of Black Jews in America is made more complicated by the difficulty of determining who is a "Black Jew." For instance, Arthur Huff Fauset in his pioneering study, Black Gods of the Metropolis, used a Philadelphia-based group called the "Church of God" as the basis for a chapter about "Black Jews." If one simply took an affinity with the Old Testament and the observance of a few customs as a definition of being Jewish, as do Fauset and others, then one's figures could be quite high; though very inaccurate because they would count as Black Jews segments of what is usually considered the Black Church.

On the other hand, if one used Orthodox Jewish Law, called "Halackah," as the basis for defining who is a Jew, one would have to know the religion of the mother of each person; because, by this law, one cannot decide to be a Jew unless one's mother is a Jew. If the person or group claimed to have converted to Judaism, then one would have to know if they underwent certain rituals that involve the taking of special baths, (mikvot) and in the case of a man, the symbolic pricking of his penis.

Halakhic Law offers a very precise definition of who is a Jew. However, since fewer than ten percent of the 5.3 million white Jews in America observe Orthodox Jewish Law, this standard cannot be applied to Black Jews, nor could I verify baths or pricked penises if I wanted to. In addition, I am aware of a number of African American individuals and one New Jersey congregation that have undergone formal conversion only to find that the "legitimacy" of their conversion was not universally accepted.

Since the particular Halakhic ceremony described above is not found in the Torah, nor is it referred to in any of the biblical instances where people joined the Hebrew faith, (Ruth for example), we do not believe that it has the weight of law. Also, we feel that it denies the concept of divine intervention and selection referred to in Isaiah 11:11-12 and Jeremiah 3:14. In these passages the Hebrew prophets state that God will be responsible for the gathering of His people which He shall choose from the "four corners of the earth" and the from "islands of the sea." This process is described as a selection of individuals rather than of groups, "I will take you one from a city, and two from a family, I will bring you to Zion." The fact that Orthodox rabbis hold that they are the sole arbiters of deciding who is a Jew negates the existence or exercise of a divine will that is not channeled through them first. In contrast, the ceremony we use serves as a public acknowledgment of a spiritual transformation that has already taken place within the individual.

Beyond this type of problem, however, there are a number of political reservations that we hold regarding the way that people are "accepted" into Judaism. The Halakhic procedures require recognition of and acquiescence to Orthodox authority. Further, the Halakhic standard conflates membership in a religion (a belief system or way of life accepted on faith) with acceptance or approval of a particular religious body. An appropriate analogy, that comes very close to describing our situation, is that the Pope or Catholic Church can decide who is a Catholic but, he can not decide who is a Christian. [The fact that some have tried notwithstanding.] Similarly, various boards or councils may decide who is an "Orthodox Jew" for instance but, they can not presume to act as God in judging the content of a person's heart or the sincerity of one's faith.

Judaism, as many of us understand and practice it, is not a race. If it were, then no one could join it or leave it without being genetically altered. Judaism is a creed; a living culture with an ancient history. Those who practice it belong to communities that often have unique traditions. Though it may not appear as such, most Jews belong to definable communities which have traditions that come out of their own histories. Sadly, some of the more influential communities attempt to exercise a hegemony over the others. Black Jews generally reject the presumptive authority of such groups--though they accept many of their traditions and interpretations on other matters. Because of this, Black Jews exist on the margins of Jewish society though well within the pale of principled disagreement.

Rather than inventing an arbitrary definition or imposing a contested definition of Judaism onto the Black Jewish community, I have chosen instead to discuss those groups that describe themselves as either Black Jews, Hebrews, or Israelites. This approach will allow the reader to understand how they, the subjects of this study, define Judaism and practice it. In this regard, I have found that a variety of very interesting, complex, and still evolving notions of Judaism exist. It is my goal to analyze the major theological, cultural, and political views that circulate within these congregations in order to understand how they are informed by issues of race, religion, and historical circumstances.

Rabbi W.A. Matthew -- The Black Jews of Harlem

My background and most of my data come from working with those congregations that derive from the late Chief Rabbi Wentworth Arthur Matthew (1892-1973). Rabbi Matthew founded the Commandment Keepers Congregation in Harlem, New York in 1919. He trained and ordained many of the rabbis who later founded synagogues in various places of the United States and the Caribbean. Rabbi Matthew, it turns out, was a close associate of Rabbi Arnold J. Ford who was the musical director of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) which was organized by Marcus Garvey in 1911.

The emergence of Judaism among people of African descent in the first half of this century was made possible by a combination of the following factors: (1) A strong religious tradition in the background of the person who became Jewish that embodied Jewish practices from an early but unclear source. When interviewed, many of the older members of this community recall memories of their parents observing certain dietary laws, such as abstaining from pork or salting their meat. Others recall traditions related to observing the Sabbath or festivals such as Passover and Sukkot. In most cases these practices were fragmentary and observed by people who simultaneously practiced Christianity.

The possible origins of these Hebraic traditions could be traced to West Africa were a number of tribes have customs so similar to Judaism that an ancient connection or maybe even descent from one of the "ten lost tribes" is believed. Other possibilities for these well-documented practices are through association with Jewish slave owners and merchants in the Caribbean and North America. In this case, the number of Jewish slave owners is known to have been small and proselytizing by Jews was not common. Yet, these Jews can not be excluded as one possible source either through isolated conversions, intermarriage, or providing an opportunity for observation.

Many African Americans who practice Judaism today maintain that they have always had a close affinity with the Hebrews of the Old Testament. This is true whether or not they recall particular rites that remind them of the Jewish traditions they now follow. Scholars such as Albert Raboteau have described in books such as Slave Religion that the biblical struggles of the Hebrew people--particularly their slavery and exodus from Egypt--bore a strong similarity to the conditions of African slaves and was therefore of special importance to them. This close identification with the biblical Hebrews is clearly seen in the lyrics of gospel songs such as "Go Down Moses" and remains a favorite theme in the sermons of black clergy today.

What all this proves is that there was a foundation, be it psychological, spiritual, or historical, that made some black people receptive to the direct appeal to Judaism that Rabbi Matthew and others made to them in this century. If black people were fertile ground for the harbingers of Judaism, then the philosophy of Marcus Garvey was the seed that helped to bring it to fruition. Put most simply, Garvey's message was one of Black Nationalism and Pan Africanism. His goal was to instill pride in a people who were being humiliated through institutionalized racism and cultural bigotry. Garvey and Matthew attempted to challenge old stereotypes that either minimized a black presence in history or the bible, or, that completely excised black people from these texts. They argued that such distortions and omissions were harmful to the self-image that many black people had of themselves. They debunked these myths by extolling the contributions that black people made to the development of human civilization. To some extent this meant focusing on the achievements of African societies such as Egypt and Ethiopia in highly rhetorical and romantic way. It also meant attacking the false image that all the people in the bible looked like Europeans. They pointed out that by normative standards the dark hues of the ancient Hebrews would cause them to be classified as black in today's world. This was a revelation to thousands of black people who had previously accepted the all white depictions without question.

Rabbi Ford and Rabbi Matthew took Garvey's philosophy one step further. They reasoned that if many of the ancient Hebrews were black, then Judaism was as much a part of their cultural and religious heritage as is Christianity. In their hearts and minds they were not converting to Judaism, they were reclaiming part of their legacy. This fit very neatly with the biblical prophecies that spoke of the Israelites being scattered all over the world, being carried in slave ships to distant lands, and of being forced to worship alien Gods. (Deut 28)

Rabbi Matthew found himself in the peculiar position of having to both justify his small following of black Jews in Harlem, and also to explain the presence of so many white Jews. His position on this subject went through various stages. He always maintained that the "original Jews" were black people-or at least not European; however, he did not deny the existence or legitimacy of white Jews. In fact, as his services, synagogues, and attire show, he deferred to orthodox conventions on many matters. For example, he maintained separate setting for men and women, he used a standard siddur (prayer book) to conduct his services, worshippers wore tallitzim and kippot (prayer shawls and yarmulkes), they affixed mezuzot, wore tefillin, used standard texts in their Hebrew and rabbinic schools and read from a Sefer Torah.

Rabbi Matthew believed that although the "original Jews" were black people, white Jews had kept and preserved Judaism over the centuries. Since we, black Jews, were just "returning" to Judaism it was necessary for us to look to white Jews on certain matters--particularly on post-biblical and rabbinic holidays such as Hanukkah which could not be found in the Torah. However, it is important to note that Rabbi Matthew felt free to disagree on matters where he had a strong objection. He also recognized that since many customs, songs, and foods were of European origin, that he had the right to introduce some African, Caribbean, and American traditions into his community. Of course, his right to do this was often challenged, sometimes by Jews who were "Americanizing" Judaism themselves. Rabbi Matthew was constantly aware of apparent double standards within Judaism. After decades of trying to find common ground with white Jews by speaking at white synagogues around the county and at B'nai Brith lodges internationally, and after repeated attempts to join the New York Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Matthew concluded that black Jews would never be fully accepted by white Jews and certainly not if they insisted on maintaining a black identity and independent congregations. Since his death in 1973, there has been virtually no dialog between white and black Jews in America.

Brief Description of Other Communities

Other Israelite sects that exist within the United States but are not affiliated with the community founded by Rabbi Matthew are: The Church of God, founded by Prophet Cherry in Philadelphia; the Church of God, founded by Elder William S. Crowdy in Kansas in 1896; the Nation of Yahweh, a black nationalist group founded by Yahweh Ben Yahweh in Florida; the Kingdom of God, founded by Ben Ammi Carter in Chicago in the 1960s (this group is now in Israel); Rastafarians, who originated in Jamaica in 1935 (today this group is most known for creating Reggae music, but their religious beliefs have caused some to associate them with Judaism; the Nubian Islamic Hebrews, formerly located in Brooklyn, New York who have a blend of Islamic, Judaic, and black nationalist beliefs; and the Israeli School of Universal Practical Knowledge, also known as the Twelve Tribes, a paramilitary group located in Harlem [Ed: The Church 12 Tribes of Israel is not associated with the ICPUK in any way]. These groups differ widely on issues of religious practice, cultural dress, and political views. There is no umbrella organization that unites them, but most consider themselves to be Black Jews, Hebrews, or Israelites.

A detailed description of these communities and an exhaustive bibliography is available on Etz Chaim, our BBS.


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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. NO PART OF THIS ESSAY MAY BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ITS AUTHOR.
Rabbi Sholomo Ben Levy
Beth Elohim Hebrew Congregation
189-31 Linden Boulevard
Saint Albans, New York 11412-3344

Email:
Rabbi Levy@AOL.Com
Etz Chaim, BBS (910) 822-9567 Office Phone: (718) 712-4874

Photo: Rabbi Shlomo Ben Levi, courtesy of http://www.blackjews.org/
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Source: http://www.blackjews.org/

If We Are The Real Children of Israel Part 1 (A Response to Min. Louis Farrakhan)

Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam recently stated that the real children of Israel are the so called African Americans of the U.S. While this true, we need to ask ourselves one question. If we are the real children of Israel should we be followers of Islam, or the false Christianity that is perpetuated today, or should we be following what was given to Israel? In this lesson the case is made. We should be doing what was given by God to Israel to do. We must keep the laws statutes and commandments and have faith in Jesus Christ. It's just that simple.
Editor's Note: My intention for posting this video series after the Farrakahan article is not to stir dissension or conflict but to encourage responsible debate and dialogue. None of us have the corner on truth, we are all learning, including myself. Shalom to all.

Farrakhan: Blacks are True Children of Israel

FinalCall.com News

National News
Farrakhan: Blacks are True Children of Israel
By Richard B. Muhammad and Ashahed M. Muhammad -Final Call Staff-
Updated Jun 28, 2010 - 9:05:48 PM

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan lays out Black America's prophetic destiny; exposes truth of Black-Jewish relations yesterday and today

ATLANTA (FinalCall.com) - Religious scholars, historians, and seekers have differed in their opinions regarding the true identity of the Children of Israel.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan June 26 delved deeply into the subject, using the words of his teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, biblical prophecy and an analysis of historical data to solve the mystery and declare: The prophetic children of Israel are not living in the modern Jewish state in the Middle East but are, in fact, the Black man and woman of America.

The Minister's words answered a question posed in the title of his lecture, “Who are the Real Children of Israel?” The message was delivered before a standing room only crowd of 5,000 people crammed into the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center—where every seat was sold in the main auditorium and where seats in an overflow room, or simply a place to stand in the building, were prized commodities.

The Nation of Islam minister explained how scriptural references were used to frame and create social and political reality as Zionist thinkers and leaders justified and carved out the modern Jewish state. He uncovered the long history of Black-Jewish relations and Jewish connections with control of Blacks and their impact on Black progress—and the lack of Black progress from slavery and the days of King Cotton centuries ago to control of entertainers and athletes today.

Besides the thousands inside the civic center, literally millions of potential listeners tuned in for live radio broadcasts in Georgia, Mississippi and other points South, with an additional live audience listening via national and international webcast.

‘We are the choice of God'

“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that Almighty God Allah revealed to him that the Black people of America are the real children of Israel and we are the choice of God and that unto us, He will deliver His Promise,” said Min. Farrakhan. “This question says that somebody has usurped our position. This question says that somebody has taken the promise of God to the children of Israel and claimed it for themselves.”

Blacks in America are God's people, not those who inhabit land in Palestine, the Minister said. “These are the people that if you bless us, then God will take off of America some of the plagues that are now coming on America that will get worse after I deliver this message tonight!” said the Minister with hands outstretched toward the audience.

He challenged Biblical and Qur'anic scholars to disprove what he said, offering to pay with his very life, if proven false. He also delivered guidance—and a warning.

“To all of those who feel that the children of Israel are over in that place they call Israel, you are mistaken. To the Christian right who feel that if you bless that Israel you will be blessed, but for over 60 years, that nation has not been blessed,” he said.

“It is time now that a proper dialogue be set up to answer the question that I've raised and answered. It is time for the scholars to sit down and listen to and look at scripture and prophecy to find out who is that last one that would usher in the kingdom and bring about the end of this present world!”

A cross section of Atlanta's religious and political leaders were seated on the dais and attentive throughout his entire message.

“I pray that tonight will be the beginning of an earthshaking movement of Christians, Muslims and Hebrews working together not only for the liberation of our people in America, but working for the liberation of all humanity from the blinding touch of Satan who has deceived the entire world,” said Min. Farrakhan.

“The wickedly wise have known the truth and because they know the truth and they know the time they are working night and day to trick you out of the promise of God and take you down to hell with them because the time of their end has come.”

While the Jewish people have claimed the Biblical prophecy of Abraham's children being lost and afflicted in a strange land, and many misguided Christians have repeated that claim, there is no historical record of Jews in bondage in Egypt for four centuries, said Min. Farrakhan.

The prophecy fits the Black people of America, who have been strangers in the United States and deprived of freedom, justice and equality for over 400 years, he said.

The afflictions suffered by Blacks who have experienced slavery, lynching, Jim Crow laws, segregation, oppression and exploitation are unmatched.

“Could it be that we are the people of promise? Could it be that we are the people that should be expecting the visitation of God? Could it be that relief is in sight? The masquerade is over!” he declared to a thunderous standing ovation.

Citing the Book of Exodus, in the Bible, which promises Abraham that his descendents will number as many as the stars in heaven or grains of sand on the earth, and inherit a land forever, Min. Farrakhan observed: This cannot be a reference to the White race, because demographers and scientists are finding the number of Whites on the planet decreasing. This prophecy refers to the Original man and woman, but wickedly wise scientists have targeted Black communities with birth control campaigns and sterility programs and abortion clinics, in an effort to slow population growth, the Minister said.

Biblical prophecy says a man like Moses will be raised in the last days which also bears witness to the Black condition in America, he added. That man was the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, who taught separation from the slave master, not integration, just as the children of Israel had to separate from Pharaoh, he continued.

Any leader, past or present, advocating integration is not the “man like Moses” and he is not the one prophesied to lead Black people to liberation, Min. Farrakhan said.

Jewish control of the Black economy

Atlanta was chosen for delivery of this message because Blacks in the South have suffered the most, and Atlanta is the capitol city of the South, Min. Farrakhan said. It is important for Black people to know the price that was paid by their ancestors to generate wealth for America, Europe and the Western world, he continued.

“That's why Jesus said ‘you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.' What truth shall you know?” the Minister asked, “If you are not free then you do not yet know the truth that Jesus was talking about that would free you from your open enemy! That would awaken you, cleanse you and reconnect you to the God who has come for your and my salvation.”

“Today, the architecture of White Supremacy is to be exposed and destroyed,” said Min. Farrakhan. “We are prepared to defend what we say and we are ready to spread this truth throughout the world.”

Minister Farrakhan shared information from two new books, Volume Two of “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews” and “Jews Selling Blacks.” Both books were available for the very first time and published by the Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam.

The books detail how Jewish people were involved in the slave trade, the slave-driven global cotton trade and associated industry, controlled Black human trafficking in Brazil, connected with one another to do business in banking, maritime commerce, and the investment industry from the South and North, and internationally.

These immigrant Jews also found common ground with Southern Whites who hated Blacks, helped force Blacks onto former slave plantations when America became fed up with Reconstruction and locked Blacks out of building trades and unions, fostering dependence on former slave masters and virtual slavery through sharecropping, the Minister said.

In rural areas in Mississippi, Blacks still live in abject poverty and in slave-like conditions, he thundered.

These connections and a “relationship” have continued through the years, from Jewish merchants and business owners in the ghettos to managers and advisors of successful and influential Blacks today, the Minister said.

“Cotton was then what oil is now,” said Min. Farrakhan, describing the industry and its connections to the labor and abuse of Blacks under slavery and in post-Reconstruction sharecropping. He showed a diagram that detailed Jewish banking ownership throughout the South, as well as an extensive map detailing the international shipping exploits of the Jewish cotton plantation owners and their prominence in the southern Banking industry. They followed Blacks and made money off Blacks, he said.

Financial shackles on today's Black talent?

This economic reality and disunity have left Black communities impoverished and without businesses to serve needs, improve financial health, create more wealth and promote a future, he said.

Blacks have produced an “angry and defiant” generation of youth because of this lack of productivity of the elders, said Min. Farrakhan. “That's why the children are angry and bitter, because they came into a world and we prepared nothing for them.”

“If you look at all of the people of the Earth, the ones who are the most busy, showing that they have the most life and are the members of the Jewish people. Why are they this way? Because they have had the prophets and they have learned well,” said Min. Farrakhan.

Referring to the late Michael Jackson, who was asset rich but cash poor, the Minister said when times became hard for Michael, he was forced to go to a Jewish man who loaned him money, but, the “King of Pop” would have to meet demands based on debt.

While no longer in chattel slavery, some prominent Black entertainers are still victimized by a new strategy: Yesterday's strategy was to suck the wealth out of Blacks and their communities but today's strategy is to make a few Blacks rich, but keep them under control, the Minister said.

Even though athletes and entertainers possess wealth, or the trappings of wealth, they are not independent, he said. They are kept tied to financial masters who make money off of their skill and talent, the Minister said.

Cotton was yesterday's resource but entertainment and culture, and Black culture in particular, are America's leading world export. Giants in the sports and entertainment industry, such as Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z, P-Diddy, Russell Simmons, and LeBron James, have Jewish advisers and financiers who have grown rich by facilitating the rise of Black talent, he said.

The Jewish people understand the importance of trade and commerce, Min. Farrakhan said. Despite the increased number of Black millionaires, Black people still have not learned the importance of doing business and connecting with one another across the country and the world, he said. A living people engage in business and chart their own course, he said.

“You are not alive! You have flat lined on business,” said Min. Farrakhan.

He also urged Blacks, Whites and Jews to read the books, which are compiled from works and research done by Jewish thinkers and scholars, and then talk to him. Don't bother calling me about an interview until you read the book, he said.

Min. Farrakhan noted that his strong representation of the truth would mean attacks from enemies, but voiced faith in the power of God to protect and defeat his opponents. I will be the winner in the end, he said.

“There is so much mess that is going on all over this country, this country is filled with divisiveness and hate and it's time that we come together to be able to move forward in a mighty powerful way to take back our possessions and be able to use our God given talents to lift up our community in growth and development,” said Rev. Dr. Richard Cobble, president of the Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta.

“Minister Louis Farrakhan's message was well received and the Concerned Black Clergy are going to be supportive in buying these books that the Islamic scholars have researched and were able to reveal to us the real truth,” said Rev. Dr. Cobble.

“It was eye-opening,” began State Representative Roberta Abdul Salaam. “The Minister did an excellent job of giving us an education. I grew up in Georgia, I picked cotton. We understand those relationships. My grandparents sharecropped and we are still in that same situation today. And the thing about not producing for ourselves…we ought to be producing something and for me to be serving in the legislature on economic development and tourism and for the last several years working with international trade trying to maneuver that minefield, for me it was very eye-opening.”

Dr. Barbara King noted that “the message was powerful. It's what the people need and only the Minister can deliver it in that fashion. Because he gave us the historical information and brought it home to us for everyday living, I believe we are here to lead the world. Ministers have got to do more from the pulpit; we can't just hoop-n-holler. You got to really bring a message to the people and this is the kind of message we have to bring to our people,” she said.

Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad, student minister of host Muhammad Mosque No. 15 in Atlanta, said the Muslims planned to push harder with the Nation's program as the hour grows more and serious. Bro. Sharrieff Muhammad went throughout the region building support for the overwhelming event in Atlanta.

(Brian Muhammad and Eric Ture Muhammad contributed to this report.)

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Source: http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_7089.shtml