Jewish people across the globe are calling foul on a new law enacted by Poland in February, which many link to anti-Semitic Holocaust denial.
Passed in January by Poland’s conservative ruling party, the legislation criminalizes the use of such phrases as “Polish death camps,” referring to the brutal facilities in Poland where the Nazis exterminated millions of Jewish people as well as non-Jewish Poles during Germany’s World War II occupation, from 1939 until 1945. The law stipulates stiff fines and prison terms of up to three years for anyone in the world who claims the Polish government or people contributed to those Nazi war crimes.
One key paragraph of the bill is receiving the most media attention. It states, “Whoever claims, publicly and contrary to the facts, that the Polish Nation or the Republic of Poland is responsible or co-responsible for Nazi crimes committed by the Third Reich … or for other felonies that constitute crimes against peace, crimes against humanity or war crimes, or whoever otherwise grossly diminishes the responsibility of the true perpetrators of said crimes – shall be liable to a fine or imprisonment for up to three years.”
The new law launched criticism from Israeli officials, Jewish groups in the United States, Polish historians, Germany’s foreign minister and the U.S. State Department.
Opponents believe the bill will stifle free speech not only in Poland but worldwide and is an attempt by Poland to rewrite history. Within days of passage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting that Israel has zero tolerance for “distorting the truth, rewriting history or denying the Holocaust.”
“Israel views with utmost gravity any attempt to challenge historical truth,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said of the bill. “No law will change the facts.”
Holocaust survivors staged a February protest in front of the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv, holding signs and sharing their own stories of being in the camps that the Nazis built in Poland. Several survivors said their Polish neighbors either harmed them or refused to help them, and that Poles worked in the camps that abused them. The law’s critics say that even truthful statements like those from Holocaust survivors are now illegal in Poland.
The Polish government promised not to enforce the law until it is reviewed by Poland's constitutional court. However, the day after the legislation went into effect, the Polish League Against Defamation filed the first lawsuit. The suit alleges that an Argentinian newspaper harmed Poland’s reputation by publishing a photo of a 1941 massacre of Jews by their Polish neighbors. It also alleges that the newspaper manipulated its readers into believing Poland is anti-Semitic.
The controversial law comes amid what several groups dedicated to measuring and fighting anti-Semitism are calling a global rise in hate crimes against Jewish people.
While it’s hard to argue with quantitative research showing that anti-Semitism is on the rise – and Poland’s new law may be a result that of that increase – there are things you can do now:
As a token of our appreciation for your gift of $15 or more today, we’ll send you a copy of the moving book, Life in the Shadow of the Swastika. This book will bring to life the horrors of the Holocaust and help us understand that it must never happen again. It will also remind you of your faithful support of Jewish Voice, Israel, and Holocaust survivors in particular, and your prayers that God will protect His people, especially those who have suffered greatly and are most vulnerable.
He is my lovingkindness, my fortress, my strong tower, and my deliverer.
– Psalm 144:2 TLV
In ancient days, God prepared the way to rescue the Jewish people from annihilation when He elevated Esther, a young Jewish maiden living under foreign rule, to royal status “for such a time as this.”
Wishing you great joy at Purim
As we celebrate God’s faithfulness to deliver His people at Purim, we also Thank Him for His grace and power to redeem us eternally through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). We are grateful for the many ways He has met us personally with deliverance, favor and blessing.
Rejoice in the Lord always – again I will say, rejoice!
– Philippians 4:4 TLV
Want to know more about Purim? Read the whole story, learn fun ways to celebrate and download our free Purim infographic at jvmi.org/purim.
Thanks to your faithful prayers, we experienced a beautiful example of that when a young blind man, Meseret, received spiritual revelation and accepted Yeshua as Savior. In this region of spiritual darkness, each one who receives the Lord is adding to the light God is shedding across the whole area. Will you pray with us for this Outreach? Please join us in praying for many more people to be drawn out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of Light as we return to Debre Birhan for our first 2018 Medical Outreach, March 15 through 25.
Debre Birhan, which has the third largest population of Ethiopian Orthodox. Pray for an openness on the part of leaders and adherents to the Good News we bring
God’s grace to enable us to have every permission, document and logistic in place well ahead of time, with great favor on the spiritual nature of our purpose in coming
A special anointing on each of our staff team members, some of whom are filling specific roles for the first time on this Outreach
Good health and every aspect of travel preparations to come together with ease for our Outreach Partners
Strength and energy that lasts all week in every area: spiritual, physical and emotional
Protection over our partners' families, jobs, and all that pertains to them while they are away from home ministering; and the same protection for our staff team members and their families
Smooth travel connections and all luggage and contents to arrive in perfect condition at the same time and place as their owners
The Lord to continue to speak vision and purpose to each participant, reminding them that He has called them for such a time as this
The renewing power of celebrating Shabbat together as well as a good night's sleep to enable everyone to start the Outreach well rested
Effective orientation so that everyone is well equipped and ready to participate
Conducive Clinic location (on the outskirts of the city) and weather (pray for no rain) making it easy for many to come and receive care
The Clinic to be fully prepared and stocked for welcoming the first patients
Continued unity among every participant and spiritual readiness to graciously face cultural contrasts, different living conditions and various spiritual dynamics
Discernment in acquiring a full team of local workers who will give their all with great attitudes and hard work
The Lord to prepare every heart in the region with openness to receive the Good News, without opposition
Strong and lasting favor from key leaders and people of influence. May this favor open doors and may they come to Yeshua themselves!
Worship and intercession to flow each day during the team’s morning prayer and worship times , creating a canopy of praise that pushes back darkness
Persistence in prayer to vanquish opposition in the spiritual realms, resulting in captives set free
Strongholds to be broken in individuals, families and the region as we again cry, "Light of Messiah, come to Debre Birhan!"
That new Believers are encouraged and equipped to grow in Yeshua as they receive discipleship materials
Healing through medical as well as miraculous means for the many, many patients we will see
Deliverance from oppression of all kinds, leading to salvation and freedom
The presence of the Lord to be very real during the special evening of worship and prayer tonight for our whole team
That the Holy Spirit, the Ruach HaKodesh, would minister to each one who is so faithfully ministering to others all week
Healing of both spiritual blindness and physical eye issues, which are extremely common in the area
The local congregation to receive powerful ministry from the Lord while we are there, especially today
That the Beta Abraham Jewish people would come to Yeshua and walk in the fullness of their identity as Believers in the Messiah
That leaders in the local congregations will be encouraged and prepared to receive new members as the result of the Outreach
A wonderful and shalom-filled last day as the Clinic ends, and may the Lord do miracles for any we are unable to treat
Protection of people, equipment and supplies as we take down and pack up
That the celebration of Shabbat together brings new revelation of gratitude and rest in what the Lord has done
For a renewing day of transition as Partners share testimonies and the Lord is glorified
Safe travels for each team member as their time in Ethiopia concludes and flights home begin
Shalom upon “re-entry” into everyday life for each team member and Outreach Partner
For a strong presence of the Lord to remain and reign in this region and in the Believers in Yeshua
Protection from persecution and opposition for all who believe in Him
That local congregations will be built up as they begin integrating and discipling the new Believers
Let’s pray:
LORD, we know there is a lot of spiritual and physical blindness in this region of Ethiopia. Your love, expressed through medical care, miracles and the Good News of Yeshua is the only antidote for darkness. Will You do through us what we cannot do ourselves, as we come to Debre Birhan to love in Your name? As we watch Your love illuminate this people and region, open our own eyes and hearts for Your glory. In Yeshua’s name, AMEN
DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP ON OUR OUTREACH PRAYER CALENDER!
Help cover Debre Birhan in prayer so God’s light will shine!
Last Wednesday’s Florida school massacre touched the Jewish community when a mentally unstable former student stepped onto the campus at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and killed 17 students and faculty, including five Jewish victims – four students and the teacher/coach who threw himself into the line of fire to save others.
America's national grief soon devolved into finger pointing.
Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
Israel – more than any other nation – knows how to counter terrorism, given that the country is surrounded by enemies who are intent on wiping her out.
In 1974, Palestinian terrorists took 115 people hostage in an Israeli elementary school. Twenty-five people were killed, 22 of them children. Another 68 were injured.
Today, Israeli schools with 100 or more students must post armed guards who check anyone who enters the school. These guards engage any threats. The civilian police force handles school security, from kindergarten through college. The Ministry of Education funds shelters and fences, reinforces school buses and hires and trains guards.
In 2015, a flurry of stabbings prompted Israel to ease the process for citizens to obtain weapons. The number of armed civilians on the streets further increased after a shooting attack in Jerusalem.
"Civilians well trained in the use of weapons provide reinforcement in the struggle against terrorism," explained then-Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan.
Indeed, an armed passerby stopped terrorists in a 2016 market attack, and a tour guide with a pistol ended a 2017 ramming attack that left four soldiers dead. Terrorists have told the internal security service that they often target Haredi Jews because they are more likely to be unarmed.
Israel does have experience it could export to the U.S.:
As we look for solutions to the issue of terrorism, let’s remember to be prayerful and solution oriented rather than point fingers and argue about a singular approach to ending school shootings or any other kind of terrorism. Let’s follow Israel’s example of background checks that keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable. We would also do well to adopt Israel’s enforcement of gun laws, fostering a disciplined citizenry trained in self-defense while fortifying our schools and other institutions.
Never again should a mentally unstable person known to have behavior issues be allowed to buy a lethal weapon. Never again should law enforcement ignore the red flags brought to them. Our children are too precious!
As in Israel, it will take an America pulling together for the good of the country rather than fighting for who gets the political upper hand.
As a Messianic Jew, Jonathan Bernis is passionate about fulfilling the call of sharing the Gospel with his Jewish brothers and sisters. He remembers several people sharing the Gospel with him before he placed his faith in Jesus. What stands out to him about those instances is that each time he explained to the well-meaning Christians that he is Jewish, they apologized – as if the Gospel is not for Jewish people.
When, as a college student, Jonathan came to believe in Yeshua, he dug into the Scriptures and was surprised to learn that Jesus was Jewish. Not only that, He had come to the house of Israel first. Romans 1:16 explains that the Gospel is far from a salvation message meant only for Gentiles, as Jonathan’s early encounters indicate many people assume. The Good News is not only for Jewish people as well, but it is “for the Jew first.
Bernis saw that Scripture reveals there is salvation in no one else, and there is no other name under Heaven than the name of Jesus by which all men – Jew or Gentile – are saved (Acts 4:12). From that time forward, Jonathan Bernis has had a burning desire for his Jewish brothers and sisters to come to know their promised Messiah, and also to educate the Church about its responsibility to share with Jewish people the only means of salvation.
Jonathan is founding Rabbi of Congregation Shema Yisrael in Rochester, New York, where he served as Senior Messianic Rabbi from 1984 to 1993. In 1990, he led a small outreach team to Russia. The spiritual hunger of the people in Moscow and St. Petersburg was overwhelming. By the end of their six-day trip, the team had given out 300 Bibles and 400 pieces of Messianic literature. In 1993, Jonathan Bernis returned to the former Soviet Union to rent a large auditorium and produce a Jewish heritage festival at which he shared the Gospel message. He saw thousands respond in faith. That same year, he moved to Russia to found and pastor the Messianic Center of St. Petersburg where he lived and ministered from 1993 to 1996.
During those years, Jonathan Bernis frequently appeared as a guest on the television program of another Messianic ministry, Jewish Voice Broadcasts, founded by Louis Kaplan. The two ministries were so like-minded in their mission that in 1998, after Kaplan had suffered a debilitating stroke the
previous year, Jonathan was called upon to take up the mantle of leadership of Jewish Voice Broadcasts. After Louis passed away in 1999, the ministry merged with Bernis’ Hear O’ Israel Ministries to become Jewish Voice Ministries International (JVMI).
Jewish Voice Ministries exists to transform lives and see all Israel saved. Their mission is to proclaim the Gospel, grow the Messianic Jewish community, and engage the Church concerning Israel and the Jewish people. In addition to the Phoenix headquarters, Jewish Voice has offices in five nations, including Israel, where JVMI staff works with more than 60 ministry partners.
Jonathan hosts JVMI’s syndicated television program, “Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis,” which airs on Christian networks and by satellite throughout the world. It is also available via live streaming on the internet.
Jewish Voice also conducts humanitarian/Medical Outreaches to some of the most impoverished Jewish communities on Earth, including regular Outreaches in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and other points of need around the world. Through these Outreaches, JVMI has provided medical, dental and eye care that has restored eyesight and saved lives.
In the course of caring for hundreds of thousands of Jewish people and their neighbors, JVMI has been given the opportunity to share the Gospel message of the Messiah. As a result, dozens of Messianic congregations have formed. Through its Congregation and Leadership Development team, Jewish Voice comes alongside new Believers and emerging leaders with discipleship, training and support.
JVMI continues to present the large-scale international Festivals of Jewish Music & Dance that Jonathan Bernis founded. Throughout Eastern Europe, India, Africa, and South America, hundreds of thousands have attended. Millions more have participated through television broadcasts. Thousands have responded to the Gospel message, and more than a dozen new Messianic Jewish congregations arose in the former Soviet Union as a result of these Outreaches.
Jonathan is the author of numerous books including Unlocking the Prophetic Mysteries of Israel, and several titles in his best-selling Rabbi series (A Rabbi Looks at the Afterlife, A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days, A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth, and more). His Confessing the Hebrew Scriptures series offers biblical inspiration centered on names of God describing Him as our healer, provider, shepherd and more. The series helps Believers stand firm on the solid ground of God’s Word and also includes audio recitations in the beautiful Hebrew language enabling listeners to proclaim the Scriptures in Hebrew as well.
Jonathan Bernis is motivated by his deep love for God and the passionate desire for his Jewish brothers and sisters to come to recognize and embrace their Messiah. The calling on his life is shared by the
Jewish Voice Ministries family whose work emerges from the burning vision to transform lives and see all of Israel saved.
