What am I?

[TankGirl]

This is the first time I've ventured into this room, and I would ask that you bear with me, as I'm not sure how to phrase what I want to say.

I have some, um, I guess you might say "issues", regarding my heritage, and consequently my identity. I have a pretty ropy family history (maternal side), that I struggle to reconcile.

My mother's mother's mother's mother (I think that's the right number of generations), was the only daughter of a wealthy Jewish family. Having eloped with the Irish Catholic under-gardener (19th century soap opera, or what?!!), she was completely disowned by her family, and it became a massive taboo to talk about her Jewish heritage. My mother's father was also the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish Jew, who was then adopted, and so had his own issues.

I keep finding myself drawn to my Jewish heritage, but I feel kind of lost because I didn't grow up with any knowledge of Jewish culture, and really know precious little about it. On the one hand I feel Jewish, but don't feel as though I have a right to, and on the other I don't feel Jewish but feel I should! Confused or what?!!

I guess I would just like to know whether I AM actually Jewish, or have any right to feel as though I am. And if I am, how do I go about reconciling all my cofused feelings? This feels even more important to me now I have a daughter of my own.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings!

 

[NOTso angry-amy]

in judaism, heritage is traced through the mother. which would mean that your great grandmother would have been jewish, as would your grandmother, as would your mother, then you.

you have a right to feel any feelings that you ever have. it is your right.... always. as for feeling drawn to your jewish heritage, do you know why you are drawn to it? how much do you know about judaism? maybe that would be the first place to start reconciling the feelings that you were talking about. enroll in a hebrew school or judaica class (kinda like bible study/history). maybe there is a messianic group in your area that offers either of these.

[SonWorshipper]

Hi Tank and welcome! I believe that those feelings that you are having are from the Spirit urging you to find your roots. What I mean by that is to investigate your heritage. I myself am a Gentile that as far as I know doesn’t have any Jewish Blood, (but never quite heard a full family history either from both sides) :) I know that after being brought up in church ( and I do mean twice on Sunday, and during the week too, my mother was the church organist ) that after leaving home, getting married and moving , trying to find a church I felt comfortable with was a lifetime goal. Every church I went to felt Ok for awhile but then there would be some teaching that I knew didn’t jive with the Book.

I have always felt a love in my heart for the Jewish people and also heartache for the way they were and continue to be treated. I feel that the Lord has put that there, and I guess I was searching for a place where that would be welcome. Also I believe that the church purposely removed much of the Jewish history and teachings by God in what developed into Christianity. I feel drawn to those that wish to put it back.



As a believer I feel that a Messianic congregation is the best place for you to explore your roots, both of being Jewish and a believer. I see you live in England. Here is a small listing of congregations there. I don't know anything specific about them; some have web addresses so I would suggest looking for a website for one that may be close to you.

BRITAIN / U.K.
BRISTOL - BRISTOL MESSIANIC FAMILY, Meeting monthly.

CARDIFF - CARDIFF MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Phone: 01222 757510 or 02920 757510

COULSDON SURREY - BEIT HALLEL MESSIANIC CONGREGATION, Leader: Zakon Brian Sabey, 108 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 3BA, Phone: +44 (020) 8668 4453 (office) or +44 7762 284597 (Zakon's Mobile), E-mail: brian.sabey@btinternet.com, Website: www.beithallel.com

EASTBOURNE - MAYIM CHAYIM MESSIANIC CONGREGATION, Phone: 01323 724065 or 01323 727302, E-mail: malc@ecmod.freeserve.co.uk

ESSEX - MOUNT CARMEL MESSIANIC CONGREGATION, Westcliff-on-Sea, Phone: 01702 330287

EXETER - EXETER MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Phone: 01404 823677

GATESHEAD - BEIT YESHUA-NORTH EAST MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Leader: Laurence Levine, Meets last Saturday of each month (except December), 7.15 pm at South Street School, Cramer Street, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, Phone Laurence Levine at 0191 422 8045 or Peter and Shelagh Bladon at 0191 422 8045, E-mail: spbladon@lineone.net, Website: www.beityeshua.org.uk

GRIMSBY - ADOT ADONAI, Congregational leader: Stafford Simmonds, Grimsby Messianic Community, 309 Wellington Street, Grimsby, DN32 7JU, Phone: +44 (0)1472 596418, E-mail: staffordsimmonds@ntlworld.com

KENT - BEIT ANYA MESSIANIC CONGREGATION, Leader: Gerry Cohen, Meeting address: 44 Addington Rd, Margate, Kent CT9 1NH, U.K., usually 1st Friday in the month, Phone: (UK CODE) + (0)7949 343 140 or + 1843 226788, E-mail: beitanya.bmja@btopenworld.com or beitanya@hotmail.com, Website: http://members.lycos.co.uk/beitanya

LEICESTER - T'SHUVAH MESSIANIC CONGREGATION, Zakon Dr. Julian Scott, Phone: 0116 2128968, E-mail: tshuvah@ntlworld.com, Website: www.tshuvah.org.uk

LONDON - BEIT NITZACHON, Lionel Zouka, Phone: 020 8985 0913

LONDON - LONDON MESSIANIC CONGREGATION, Rabbi, Dr. Ruth Fleischer, Meets at: St Luke's Hall, Finchley Central Area, Office address: 36 Clydesdale Close, Borehamwood, Herts. WD6 2SD, Phone/Fax: 0208 236 0995, E-mail: DrRF1997@aol.com, Website: www.yeshuaministries.bizland.com

LONDON - RICHMOND MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Meeting fortnightly. Phone: 020 8336 1039

LONDON - TREE OF LIFE MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Meeting at Clayhall Baptist Church, Clayhall, Gants Hill, Phone: 020 8550 1170 (sorry, it will only be an answerphone but we will get back to you).

LUTON - LUTON MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Luton, Beds, Gerald Walters, Phone: 01462 626728

MANCHESTER - ASEFAT HAMASHIACH, Meeting bimonthly. Phone: 01270 623030

MANCHESTER - KEHILAT HATIKVAH, Adrian Glasspole, CMJ National Evangelist, Mailing address: Beth Sar Shalom Messianic Jewish Fellowship, c/o Adrian Glasspole; 21 Harrow Street; Manchester; M8 5RZ, Phone: 0161 720 9569, E-mail: Glasspoles@aol.com

NORTH EAST - BEIT YESHUA MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Meeting monthly. Phone: 0191 5343786, E-mail: Spbladon@lineone.net

NORWICH - BEIT SHALOM MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE, Zakon Andrew Sheldrake, 34, Eastern Crescent, Norwich, NR7 OUF, Phone: 01603 436703, E-mail: beitshalom@aol.com or congleader.asheldrake@iamcs.org, Website: www.beitshalom.org.ukf

RICHMOND - RICHMOND MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, The Vineyard Congregational Church, The Vineyard, Richmond, Surrey, Phone: 081-940-9666

SHEFFIELD - SHEFFIELD MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Phone: 0114 2451599

SWANSEA - HADERECH MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Phone: 01792 205179, E-mail: Haderech@tesco.net

WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA - MOUNT CARMEL MESSIANIC CONGREGATION, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, Gary Shapiro, Phone: 0702-330287

WEST YORKSHIRE - LEEDS MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Contact Richard Gibson at: 07887 922030 or E-mail: richardritagibson@lineone.net, Website: www.moriel.u-net.com/lmf

WHITEFIELD - SULAM YA'AQOV MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP, Whitefield, Manchester





I do think that you will find going to one of these congregations that you will know right away. I must tell you that there are differences in congregations just like different Christian denominations, the one I attend we celebrate the 7 biblical festivals, read from the Torah once a month, have remembrance at the Lord's table preceding the Torah Shabbat, and also have Hebrew classes. Some don't go this far, some more. If you are in an area were there is more than one close enough do try them all. You will know. I travel over an hour to get to mine but it is worth every minute. :)



I hope I made sense, I am just waking up!:sleep:

[Pray4Isrel]

I nominate Sonworshipper as our very own Messianic Synagogue finder! ;)

[dignitized]

Tank,

According to Jewish law, your heritage is passed through the mother, tribe through the father. So when you are some one like me, I am a Jew because my mother was a Jew, but I have no tribe because my father is gentile albeit with Levitical hertiage through his father. :) You feel called to your heritage because God is preparing to deal with the Jewish people and call them into slavation. :)

[dignitized]

Originally posted by sonworshipper
Ok, I did that on the quick reply and it posted everything, but what if I want to add some Font's or Bold something, it seems I can't paste into the post reply because it will add the MS Word coding, so what do I do?

 

Oh that's easy!! Ditch the Microsoft CRUD called WORD and get a good word processing program like WordPerfect :D Besides being superior to Word in almost every way, it also has the benefit of not being produced by the antichrist Bill Gates ;)

[TankGirl]

Wow! Thank you all so much for your encouraging replies, especially you sonworshipper - I really appreciate you going to so much trouble for me!!!

It's good to have it confirmed that I really AM Jewish (although tribeless!!), and has cleared up some of my confusion (I had always thought that inheritance came  through the mother, but couldn't work out why lineage in the Bible is through the father - now I know!!)

I am very involved in, and happy at, an Anglican church, but would like to check out a Messianic congregation. I only live about 40 minutes from Bristol, so will try & track them down and go along.

Are there any good Messianic sites that have a kind of "Idiot's Guide" that would lay things out simply for a klutz like me?!!

Thank you all again - this is a pretty special room, eh?

 :pink:

[dignitized]

well its not an idiots guide but . .. :)

http://www.jewfaq.org/toc.htm

[Pray4Isrel]

Shalom and welcome, TankGirl! This is definitetly the most special of forums, in my opinion! ;)

God Bless you and we all look forward to discussing the Messianic Jewish faith with you!

[TankGirl]

Thank you, Br Max, for the link - it looks excellent, I will peruse it at my leisure!

And thank you all for your warm welcome. I have very much enjoyed reading through the threads here, and have learned a great deal already.

Looking forward to getting to know you all, my brothers & sisters!

 :pink:

[dignitized]

Pax et bonum tankgirl :)