Close to 50 members of Amish Christian communities in the U.S.and Switzerland visited Israel last week for one reason: To apologize to the Jewish People.
The Ministry of Tourism announced that Bishop Ben Girod, of the Amish community in Idaho, led the delegation in submitting an official apology for having rejected Israel and the Jews.
In addition to touring various sites in Israel, the visitors met with Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Naomi Tzur, Yad Vashem’s Shaya Ben-Yehuda, and Holocaust survivor Eliezer Ayalon. Many of the Amish looked almost hareidi, with their white shirts, black vests, and beards – though no mustaches.
The Amish are famous for shunning modern technology, yet they waived this restriction by boarding cars and an airplane in order to arrive in Israel for their apology. Both in the U.S. and Europe, the Amish have had a history of anti-Semitism, believing that Jews have been “replaced” by Christians and even that Hitler was G-d’s agent in punishing the Jews for their rejection of Jesus.
“We are here to say we are sorry,” Girod told Israel’s Channel 2 News during the group's visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. “We no longer want to reject you or look at you as not being G-d’s people. You were G-d’s people long before we were.” Another Amish member said, “Our people have had some bad attitudes toward the Jewish people and have rejected the Jewish people to a certain extent, and we have come to restore that and apologize.”
A declaration of apology and commitment, beautifully printed on parchment, was presented to Rabbi Rabinovitch on behalf of the entire Amish community. In the declaration, the Amish ask Israel’s forgiveness “for our collective sin of pride and selfishness by ignoring the plight of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.”
The document states that the Amish will, from now on, speak out strongly in support of the Jews and the Jewish state.
This was not the first time Amish and Jews have made group contact. In April ‘09, a Chabad-Lubavitch community in New York City took a delegation of Amish from Pennsylvania on a walking tour of their neighborhood.
(Source- INN)
The Ministry of Tourism announced that Bishop Ben Girod, of the Amish community in Idaho, led the delegation in submitting an official apology for having rejected Israel and the Jews.
In addition to touring various sites in Israel, the visitors met with Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Naomi Tzur, Yad Vashem’s Shaya Ben-Yehuda, and Holocaust survivor Eliezer Ayalon. Many of the Amish looked almost hareidi, with their white shirts, black vests, and beards – though no mustaches.
The Amish are famous for shunning modern technology, yet they waived this restriction by boarding cars and an airplane in order to arrive in Israel for their apology. Both in the U.S. and Europe, the Amish have had a history of anti-Semitism, believing that Jews have been “replaced” by Christians and even that Hitler was G-d’s agent in punishing the Jews for their rejection of Jesus.
“We are here to say we are sorry,” Girod told Israel’s Channel 2 News during the group's visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. “We no longer want to reject you or look at you as not being G-d’s people. You were G-d’s people long before we were.” Another Amish member said, “Our people have had some bad attitudes toward the Jewish people and have rejected the Jewish people to a certain extent, and we have come to restore that and apologize.”
A declaration of apology and commitment, beautifully printed on parchment, was presented to Rabbi Rabinovitch on behalf of the entire Amish community. In the declaration, the Amish ask Israel’s forgiveness “for our collective sin of pride and selfishness by ignoring the plight of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.”
The document states that the Amish will, from now on, speak out strongly in support of the Jews and the Jewish state.
This was not the first time Amish and Jews have made group contact. In April ‘09, a Chabad-Lubavitch community in New York City took a delegation of Amish from Pennsylvania on a walking tour of their neighborhood.
(Source- INN)
I thought this was a joke, but then the punch line never came.
ReplyDeleteSo the Amish have decided not to be Christian any longer.
Interesting
No, 10:50-- they've decided to accept and acknowledge that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross-- nobody is better than anybody else in God's eyes.
ReplyDeleteAll He sees is: a) a sinner, or b) the blood of Christ covering and redeeming a sinner.
I'm glad He sees (b) when he looks at me.. :-)
10:50 How do you figure the Amish have decided not to be Christian any longer? Christian's and anyone who reads the bible knows that the Jewish are God's chosen people.
ReplyDeleteChristians read the New Testament.
ReplyDeleteThe Israelites of the Old Testament turned towards wickedness and Egyptian Idolatry worship like Molech and the Baalim
Jesus Christ came to offer a spiritual salvation and bodily resurrection to the Jews of his day. But the Religious Zealots of his day chose instead to murder him.
Jesus Christ said His Father is no respector of persons. The Jews and the Greek have become equal in the Father's eyes. Jews do not believe that idea. They still await their political and military leader to lead them to their Utopia in which "all the Nations of the earth will be blessed".
Jesus Christ said the Saducees were "liars, like their father satan"
Ahh religion...don't you love it. The stench of the mound of rotting corpses that religions build their cults upon continues to be ignored.
ReplyDelete