Petition against Nehemia Gordon from the Karaites

[Lulav]

Have any of you heard about this? The Karaites are in an uproar over his latest affiliations.

[FONT=Helvetica,Arial][SIZE=+2]Karaites Advising Nehemia Gordon[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE=+1]To: Nehemia Gordon

[/SIZE]We, the undersigned practitioners of Karaite Judaism, are very concerned about Nehemia Gordon's work involving Messianic Christianity.

We are also concerned about the ever growing reaction on part of Christians who, due to the activities of Messianic teachers like Michael Rood, various Hebrew-roots preachers and our own Karaite Jew Nehemia Gordon, develop misunderstandings regarding the Israelite God, religion and people in the form of a new religion called, Messianic Karaism.

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I remember back this past winter watching a broadcast from GLC where he and a Pastor named Keith Johnson, they were speaking about a book he had written and how they had become friends. Also about a trip they made together to Africa and the things that happened there. Keith met Nehemiah in Israel and insisted he teach him Hebrew, it went from there.

Anyway it seems he is being vilified along with Johnson on this site as well, saying these two are trying to convert believers away from Yeshua.

Exposing the ungodly behavior of the Karaite Nehemia Gordon and his Christian colleague, Pastor Keith Johnson

But she doesn't have a problem with calling a Karaite a pagan after pointing out what he said was wrong.




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[ChavaK]

I didn't read through the whole thing, but I have heard of him.
This is all just my opinion, but to me it seems he was a small fish in a big
pond and decided to reverse that by dealing with Gentile messianics.
I really doubt his "scholarship" or that of Andrew Gabriel Roth would hold
up amongst true scholars.
Nehemia Gordon does seem to hang out with gentile Messianics and doesn't seem
to be attached to the Jewish community.
Interesting that he is being accused of trying to lure people away from Jesus, I
was under the impression that it was the opposite or that he was trying to get
Jews to accept Jesus. "Baruch ben Daniel" isn't a Jew, so why would gentiles
claim he wants to dissuade people from believing in Jesus? It doesn't make sense.

I think as a whole Jews are going to view someone like him
with deep distrust.
But his actions don't affect me or other Jews so what he does is really of no significance.

 

[Lulav]

So you don't consider him a Jew?

 

[ChavaK]

So you don't consider him a Jew?

My understanding is that he is Jewish (ie, his mother was Jewish).
He just doesn't seem to be attached to the Jewish community at all,
he seems to align himself with Messianics, even though he is not one.

I find that interesting because you would think both sides would be suspicious of him-Messianics because he doesn't accept Jesus, and Jews because he
hangs out with Messianics.

It's Baruch ben Daniel that is not Jewish, despite the fancy adopted name

 

[Lulav]

Yeah, you can always tell with those kinds of names. AFA Nehemia, from his bio He was born into an Orthodox Jewish family from a long line of Rabbis.

It's funny what you said first reminded me of what another Jew long ago said:

But actions don't affect me or other Jews so what he does is really of no significance.

And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.)

 

[yedida]

I've never paid too much attention to him. He always seemed like he was trying to play both sides of the fence. It's hard to trust someone who does that.

 

[INTJ-F]

I've never paid too much attention to him. He always seemed like he was trying to play both sides of the fence. It's hard to trust someone who does that.

Neither hot nor cold?

Know what happens to those?

 

[ContraMundum]

Hmmm..


a) I didn't know there were any Karaites anymore.

b) This just looks like a couple of bums making a new religion. They need a real job. Reject and discard.

c) What a mess. Who's in charge out there?

 

[ChavaK]

Hmmm..


a) I didn't know there were any Karaites anymore.

very few. Most of the ones I've seen online are gentile Messianics
who call themselves Karaites.

Reject and discard.

Yep.

 

[ContraMundum]

very few. Most of the ones I've seen online are gentile Messianics
who call themselves Karaites.

I agree...but my question is - has anybody ever seen a real Karaite in this day and age?

 

[ChavaK]

I agree...but my question is - has anybody ever seen a real Karaite in this day and age?

I haven't; never met one or known anyone who has.

Here's a group that claims to be American Karaites:

http://www.karaites.org/

Ironic thing is, the photo on their main page is of a bunch of tallit gadols. So much for not following rabbinical law.....

 

[ContraMundum]

I haven't; never met one or known anyone who has.

I don't think it is possible to follow the Torah without Oral Law- I even think the Torah makes that clear. So, to me, Karaites could never be popular.

 

[ContraMundum]

Here's a group that claims to be American Karaites:

Kararite Jews of America - Home

Ironic thing is, the photo on their main page is of a bunch of tallit gadols. So much for not following rabbinical law.....

Yes, ironic. But, perhaps they mean something different when they say they reject rabbinic law? I have no idea. I will now proceed to read the website with (limited) interest.

 

[ananda]

Here's a group that claims to be American Karaites:
Kararite Jews of America - Home Ironic thing is, the photo on their main page is of a bunch of tallit gadols. So much for not following rabbinical law.....

I believe the Karaites use tallit not in obedience to rabbinical law but as a way to obey Torah to wear tzitzith, and the fact that its use does not contradict the Tanach in any way.

 

[ChavaK]

It looks like the Karaites in the USA are Sephardim as well

Yes, I noticed that too. I wonder why the Sephardim are drawn to it?

 

[ContraMundum]

Interesting. It looks like the Karaites in the USA are Sephardim as well - lots of references to living in Egypt.

If they are actual Jews, they don't seem as bad as I thought. Their website seems reasonable in a quaint kind of way, and I would equate them with Protestants in Christianity in their position on the Talmud- not an outright rejection, but a relegation or subordination, like Protestants are with Church Councils etc.

 

[ChavaK]

I believe the Karaites use tallit not in obedience to rabbinical law but as a way to obey Torah to wear tzitzith, and the fact that its use does not contradict the Tanach in any way.

Karaites wear tzitzit ( don't know if they wear it on a tallis katan, or what they do- not familiar with the details but I know they wear them).
Therefore there is no need to wear a tallis gadol, which is a rabbinical
enactment. Doesn't matter if it doesn't contradict the Tanach, just seems
weird they decry the Oral Law, yet turn around and wear a tallis gadol.
It doesn't make sense.

 

[simchat_torah]

Karaites have been quite popular among Messianics. A lot of messianics despise Rabbinic Judaism because Orthodoxy refuses to accept Jesus as messiah. In the attempt to distance themselves from Rabbinic Judaism, Messianics have found themselves close to Karaites as they throw insults towards Rabbinic Judaism.

Contra, you'll find that Karaites have been around for some time and have recently found a growing movement. But since they outright reject any sort of halacha, you'll find that their historical relevance is hard to verify.

 

[ananda]

Doesn't matter if it doesn't contradict the Tanach, just seems weird they decry the Oral Law, yet turn around and wear a tallis gadol. It doesn't make sense.

Correct ... Karaites do not accept the Oral Law as binding like Torah is, however, Jewish customs which do not contradict Tanach may be acceptable.

 

[simchat_torah]

I haven't; never met one or known anyone who has.

There's a whole group of them in Israel. Nehemia Gordon has been the spearhead of the movement for about a decade or longer now.