Moishe Rosen A “Jew for Jesus” is Born, Part 2

After his conversion, Moishe Rosen—then known as Martin—began witnessing to everyone in sight, with predictable consequences. His family essentially disowned him. Bosses and co-workers were hostile. And at the Baptist church he and his wife attended in Denver, various elements of the culture were, to say the least, unfamiliar. Jewish practices and 1950s-era Protestantism had few points of intersection.

Rosen felt a need to change things. He studied at a New Jersey Bible college, and then spent close to 20 years with the American Board of Missions to the Jews, the oldest such evangelistic group in the U.S., now known as Chosen People Ministries.

But long-established missionary groups, however laudable, can become hidebound by tradition. So Rosen struck out on his own, determined to bring the message of Jesus to a generation of young adult seekers—called “hippies” by many—who wouldn’t warm to a suit-and-tie presentation.

Rosen and his new missionaries struck out in jeans and t-shirts, the latter emblazoned with phrases such as “Jesus Made Me Kosher.” Instead of staid tracts bearing platitudes about heaven, Rosen created “broadsides,” informal pamphlets with Jewish jargon and a sense of humor. Finding Jesus wasn’t betrayal; it was logical and the search for truth could be fun!

Much of the attention Rosen’s followers attracted came from these unconventional steps. Even the name Jews for Jesus was meant to startle. When the opposition got rough, Rosen’s troops often received lots of media coverage, which in turn generated questions from those who would be called “seekers.”

The public nature of Jews for Jesus’ evangelism took hold, particularly when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a county ordinance prohibiting witnessing at Los Angeles International Airport was unconstitutional. The ruling put Rosen’s movement in the history books.

Unlike some whose leadership of religious groups generate notoriety and public attention, Moishe Rosen didn’t attain great wealth. Jews for Jesus has been open and accountable about its finances, and when the time came for Rosen to step out of leadership, an orderly process was in place to find a successor.

Moishe Rosen led a career of preaching the message of Jesus that made an impact on his generation and far beyond.

Reflect: What ministries do you know that are reaching the world in a unique manner? What can you do to reach the world around your home?

Key Bible Texts

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3 KJV)