I could use some advice..

[Bernergirl]

I have a friend at school who is a Reformed Jew and her birthday is coming up. I would like to get her a copy of the Tanakh. I asked another teacher here (who is also a Reformed Jew) whether the Reformed sect holds to ritual cleanliness before and after touching holy Scriptures (you know, so I wouldn't give her something that made her want to run and wash her hands after she opened it..) and she said no.

I feel like I ought to do something that might her that, hey, there are Messianic Scriptures, too, but I don't want to be so upfront as to upset her. I mean, if someone gets upset at being witnessed to, they get upset, I suppose, but, I mean, I want to approach the subject diplomatically and not be up in her face without regard for how she feels on her birthday. At one point I thought about a sticker in one of the covers that would have a link to a Messianic website or something to the like, but... I guess I just don't know what would be appropriate.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

God bless,

Lissa

[Sephania]

Hi Bernergirl!

That is so nice of you to think about your friend like that.
That is quite an expensive gift, I would suggest though that maybe you can find out if she doesn't already have one? You might work into the conversation something like, I read the ( insert your version of the bible here) , what kind of bible do you read? and when she answers ask if she has her own copy.

Most girls when bat mitzvah 'd recieve from a relative a copy if they don't already have one.

You might want instead to give her a chai necklace. She may have one but I am sure you can find one a little different. Chai means 'life' and it is spelt out on a necklace with the hebrew letters Chet and yod. Hebrew letters also serve as numbers and the number for yod is ten and the number for Chet is 8 so they equal 18. Thus as Jews we think of the number of Life as eighteen and at a bar or bat mitzvah monetary gifts are given in divisables of 18. :)

So for her birthday, I think this would be a nice gift. When she opens it, if in private you may want to share something with her like, ' I know that means life, and it makes me think that when Yeshua came he told his peers I am the way, the Truth the life, and no one comes to the Father but thru me.' :)

Yeshua is a great interpretation of life!

That is why we say L'Chaim - to life!
:)


Here are some chai necklaces (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=chai%20necklace&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi)for you to look at , there's a cute on there from amazon

[Bernergirl]

Hey, thanks for the idea! My Ma is into making jewelry, so she is having me print out the chai symbol on a piece of paper to make it into a microscope slide necklace.

Thank you and God's blessings,

Lissa

[Mela'h]

My husband offers a jewlery making unit in shop classes at his school and he is making me a chai necklace! I can hardly wait:)

[Shimshon]

Most Jews are very opposed to 'evangelical' Christians/Messianics. Unless you have a very strong relationship with the person I would not suggest trying to 'lead' them to Messiah. Most I've encountered become very stand offish and defensive at the very mention that 'you are Messianic/Christian' in the context of "religion".

You really have to reach them where they are, not offending them. And it's quite a sad history between the Jews and Christians. A very brutal history.

A Jew won't care if your a believer in Messiah unless you want to discuss it. Then they will ask you to leave, and that would be the nice response.

Zayit's suggestion is a good one. A good neutral 'Hebraic' gift.

I'm not suggesting 'staying quite' about Messiah. Only that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. This would more than likely precipitate a 'kick' from the horse, no? ;) The heart must be willing and plyable, soft, not hard to Messsiah.

[Eben Abram]

Shalom Alecheim

A gift is great and you may find just being you and not stifling your freedom to make mistakes and learn from them by asking the person themself is your greatest asset.

Did you know G-d already designed you ready for this? Yes he did, so just be you.

I presuppose you are caring and loving so the reality of who you are and if you are close to G-d will always say more than you can.

Don't stop being open honest and real. A Genuine REAL Christian is more of an enigma to a Jew than a Well Trained fully coherent Jews for Jesus Missionary or a Messianic Jew trying to convince someone.

Your tender heart and real love for this person will win her over to consider what you know more than your misconceptions will cause her to pull away.

Friends are friends forever Michael W. Smith wrote in a Song and if Christians live that song....no Jew can resist a genuine friend.

That is what messiah is all about.

Friendship.

Be well in your endeavor and more so,
enjoy your new friend for who she is,
and she will you.

Eben

[Sephania]

Hey, thanks for the idea! My Ma is into making jewelry, so she is having me print out the chai symbol on a piece of paper to make it into a microscope slide necklace.

Thank you and God's blessings,

Lissa

Hey that sounds cool. I have seen some really beautiful things done with slides. Does she use inks or clay or paper? When she finnishes it, could you take a picture or scan and share with us? I am an artist myself, I made the pin in my avatar picture, that is my name in Ancient Hebrew. :)

I really think that your friend will find this very special, and loving, and love breaks down any wall.

Shalom!:)