Israel's High Court Plays Grinch for Messianic Jewish Couple

By the Reverend L. Humphrey Walz

Seasonally for 35 years, the sales of Dr. Seuss's classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, have soared in children's book departments. For the last 35 months, however, a comparable adult-level tale, so far without a happy ending, has remained almost unknown outside of Israel. It is the story of how that country's High Court grinched Dec. 25, 1989 for Shirley and Gary Beresford and dimmed the cheer of subsequent Christmases for countless of their co-religionists.

The Beresfords are South African Jews who, three years after their 1982 wedding, began studying the life and teachings of Jesus and His relationship with their ancestral faith. Out of this grew their belief in Him as the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace foretold by Isaiah as God's "Anointed" (Hebrew "Messiah," Greek "Christos") who would express—and evoke—the spirit of justice, compassion and integrity that could, if fully responded to, bring reconciliation among all people, including "natural" enemies.

They saw such convictions as amplifying, not departing from, their ancestral religion. Hence, they concluded that Israel's "Law of Return" was applicable to them and to their prospects for life among fellow Jews amidst the scenes of Christ's ministry. "Every Jew," that 1950 law proclaims, "has a right to come to this country as an oleh"—an immigrant with automatic "national" (first-class) citizen status.

When, however, they applied for oleh visas, the Israeli consulate declared them ineligible. A Jewish Agency emissary, it seems, had "discovered" that, although they had neither been baptized nor joined a church, they were "Christians theologically" who associated with other "Messianic Jews" and attended Jews for Jesus meetings. This was deemed enough to reject them under the clause in Israel's 1952 Nationality Law that "the rights of a Jew under any other law [do not hold for] a Jew who willingly professes another faith."

Shirley and Gary decided to travel to Jerusalem on visitors' visas and hire Israeli attorney Yosef Ben Menashe to present to the High Court their case that, ever since the dawn of Christianity, there had been "Messianic Jews" who, while following Jesus, retained their Jewish identity. Through the centuries, such were considered part of a "recognized strain in Judaism [that] was [and still is] legitimate." They declared that their Jewish identity additionally was clear in that they observed the Saturday Sabbath and the Jewish holidays, followed kosher dietary laws, wanted to become Israeli citizens and were ready to serve in its armed forces.

They cited the case of David Dorflinger, a Jewish youth who had been saved from the Nazis at heavy personal risk by a Catholic family whose faith he at first admired and then wholeheartedly embraced. He joined a monastic order and wanted to serve in Israel as a fellow-citizen with Jews there. He applied to immigrate and his application initially was accepted on the halachic basis that both his parents were Jews, he was born Jewish and "once a Jew, always a Jew."

Israeli authorities subsequently concluded, however, that a Catholic priest, as the Israelis considered Dorflinger, could not be accepted as Jewish and, the Beresfords were reminded, the Law of Return had been amended in 1970 to prevent any more such applications.

The two justices assigned to the case filled 90 pages, telling how, though following contrasting legal concepts, both had reached the same conclusion. Justice Menachem Elon went the "religion" route that a willing convert to another faith forfeited the legal and social rights of a "member of the Jewish people." Justice Aharon Barak took the "secular" approach that the "majority consensus of the Jewish population today" (unlike Jews of earlier times) would not accept the Beresfords as fellow Jews. They chose Christmas as the day to announce their decision.

It took the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (P.O. Box 417, Wynnewood, PA 19096) and the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues four months to winnow the data and raise the funds for a full-page reply in the international edition of the Jerusalem Post of May 5, 1990. Claiming to speak for over 100,000 Messianic Jews in 15 countries including Israel, their ad challenged Judge Elon's statement that in "the last 2,000 years of history . . . the Jewish people has decided that Messianic Jews do not belong to the Jewish nation . . . and have no right to force themselves on it."

"When was such a decision made, and by whom?" the ad asks rhetorically. It reminds Judge Barak that a 1988 Dahaf poll found 78 percent of Israelis favored granting oleh status to Messianics on the same basis as to other Jews. It then proceeds to crowd 21 paragraphs with pertinent Biblical and post-Biblical history and doctrine in support of the Beresfords' case. Among its points are: Most Jews in Israel have abandoned their historic faith and become hiloni (unaffiliated, largely agnostic and atheist), yet continue to hold "Jewish nationality" status. Also an untold proportion of those whom the Nazis doomed as "Jews" were of mixed ethnic origins (some with as little as 1/8 Jewish blood) and were of widely varying religious affiliations; yet they are statistically included among the "Jewish martyrs of the Holocaust."

The ad is headed "An Open Letter to the Supreme Court of Israel." The word "Supreme" is misleading for American readers, as the High Court can be overruled by elements in the Israeli administration or legislature. Israel has neither an American style constitution nor a bill of rights upon which that court can base its decisions. Nonetheless, it was to be Shirley and Gary Bereford's court of last appeal to get out from under the shadow of the Grinch then or on any later Christmas. Perhaps the experience will make them and their friends more vividly aware of the helplessness felt by Christian and Muslim Palestinians in the face of continuous withholding of their territorial and civil rights by Israeli courts.

One organization that sought in vain to help the Beresfords is headquartered in California (Jews for Jesus, 60 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94102). Its tracts and newsletters are free. Its lively traveling "Liberated Wailing Wall" troupe performs in churches in return for a free-will offering. These vocalists and instrumentalists intersperse their short, dramatic Biblical sketches and inspirational monologues with a musical blend of Jewish minor-key melodies and a strong "Gospel" beat. The troupers derive their title from the Western wall in Jerusalem where Jews have long worshipped, coupled with a reminder of the Messiah as Liberator.

They call their performance "An Experience of Messianic Joy," which is also what Christmas generally is supposed to be, and so far have been Grinch proof.

Church of Cyprus Seeks End to 18-Year Occupation

One of Christendom's oldest communities, organized in Apostolic times (See Acts 4, 11, 13, 15, 21, 27), the Church of Cyprus has, throughout the centuries, offered an island haven for Christians throughout the Middle East. Even now, until Beirut settles back into its traditional interfaith normalcy, it provides emergency headquarters for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

Historically it also has had to contend with its own problems of alien conquest and occupation. Those, too, have their modern counterpart: 1992 marks the 19th year of Turkish military domination of the northern 38 percent of the country.

Geography grants the Church of Cyprus membership in the Conference of European Churches (CEC) as well as in the MECC. It was to an 11-day assembly of the former in Prague in September (with a follow-up Synod memorandum to the secretary-general of the U.N.) that Archbishop Chrysostomos presented the following charges against the Turkish military occupiers:

They have uprooted 30 percent of the population (82 percent of the uprooted are Christian), confiscated their properties, introduced Turkish immigrant-settlers to take their places, destroyed monasteries, desecrated such centers of pilgrimage as the tomb of the Apostle Barnabas, converted churches into mosques, harassed the civilian public and violated human rights on a wide scale.

He implored the CEC members to mobilize public opinion and rouse local and national church and secular social-concerns groups to press their governments to get Turkey to allow the refugees to return to their homes with all civil rights fully restored.

Balkan Religious Leaders Plead for Multilateral Peacemaking Efforts

Croats, Muslims and Serbs in fragmented Yugoslavia not only should, but can reduce—even eliminate—the tragic bloodletting that continues so relentlessly among them. That, at least, is the conviction of Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle of Belgrade, Croatian Roman Catholic Cardinal Franjo Kuhari and Rais ul Ulama Jakub Salimoski, leader of the Balkan Muslim community. Given solid encouragement and cooperation, they believe their peoples are capable of overcoming what Pavle calls "the antagonisms of history—most immediately those of the Nazi era and the ensuing Communist period— and acting in unity."

The clerics do not minimize the obstacles to be overcome—nor the innovations requisite—on many levels: Militarily, they're appealing for a permanent, comprehensive, unconditional cease-fire and an end to the practice of "ethnic cleansing." Politically, they believe, more representative elections must be developed and more appropriate forms of government— notably the Swiss cantonal system—need to be explored. Economically, they acknowledge that outside help "will be essential to the survival of many children, refugees and others through the coming winter." Psychologically and spiritually, the warring parties and their supporters must stop trying to place blame and start recognizing, in Pavle's words, that "all are equally victims; war benefits only our common enemy, the devil."

Unable to meet safely in each other's countries, Pavle and Kuhari arranged to bring their consultative delegations to Switzerland for deliberations, at the Bossey Ecumenical Center, on basic principles and practical next steps. Salimoski wanted to join them with a supportive Muslim delegation, but could not negotiate travel out of Sarajevo.

A CEC/World Council of Churches team, however, has been able to visit parishes in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, hold intimate conversations and make firsthand observations. It reports grassroots appreciation for the humanitarian services of the International Red Cross, especially in prison camps, along with a deep yearning for the day when such will not be necessary and when neighborly relations and cooperation will be normal. It also deplores the widespread violation of human rights and urges the cessation of any form of blessing of weapons.

Meanwhile WCC and CEC General Secretaries Castro and Fischer are urgently appealing to member churches to press their governments each to receive a share of the 10,000 political "detainees'' now languishing precariously in Bosnian prison camps. The International Red Cross, racing against death and desolation, is negotiating for their release, but this will be meaningless without guaranteed places for them to take refuge.

Many countries have promised to be supportive should such emergencies arise. When it has come down to specific cases, however, only a few countries have been willing to receive any of the first 5,000 whose release was sought by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees.

A common excuse for refusal of sanctuary is that the refugees should be settled nearer home. Yet the adjacent countries of Croatia and Serbia already are swamped with the 700,000 and 500,000 refugees, respectively, they are trying to accommodate. Castro and Fischer are, in this predicament, backing other U.N. agencies and the Red Cross in a desperate hope that grassroots individuals and groups may become concerned enough to urge their governments to offer some fraction of the needed hospitality.

Multifaith Calendar

For the seventh consecutive year the Canadian Ecumenical Action has produced a 32-page 10 1/2 x 13 1/2-inch Multifaith Calendar marking and interpreting the holy days and religious festivals of Islam, Judaism, Eastern and Western Christianity and eight other world faiths whose emblems form a rainbow on its cover. Interspersed with 12 full-page color reproductions of art depicting interfaith understanding and cooperation, it may now be ordered in the U.S. at $9.50 from Multifaith Resources, P.O. Box 128, Wofford Heights, CA 93285. Headed by Rev. Dr. Charles R. White, the organization provides materials and guidance for intercultural and interfaith participation and collaboration with special concern for pluralistic community-building and human rights.

Interreligious Committee for Mideast Peace

The U.S. Interreligious Committee for Middle East Peace, with Rev. Ronald Young still at its helm, has a new office at 1920 Holme Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19136. Added to its busy 1992 schedule were its State Department-initiated conferences of American Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders with Arab and Israeli delegations to the Middle East peace talks. Its 1993 plans for mobilizing public support for peacemaking opportunities will include national and regional convocations on "The Role of Religious Values in the Search for Peace," and a trip by prominent Americans to meet with religious leaders in Egypt, Israel, Israeli-occupied territories, Jordan and Syria.

The Rev. L. Humphrey Walz, D.D., retired associate executive of the Presbyterian Synod of the Northeast, is active in denominational and ecumenical peacemaking activities.