Sunday, January 23, 2005

Destroyed marriages, families, and JFJ

Recently I watched a movie about a big family. The parents took jobs that took them away from their children and eachother and although there was more money in the bank, their family life was no longer happy. At the end of the story, the father gave up his dream job in order to give his children all the attention they needed.

I've seen the same thing happen as a result of JFJ's control over its employees.

A father can be made to be so busy, that his wife and children never see him except in relation to ministry work.

Yes, long hours are required in many careers and ministers do sometimes put in long hours, but something seems wrong here. Why have so many marriages among those who have worked for JFJ fallen apart?


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I was with Jews for Jesus I watched David Brickner, Executive Director, Susan Perlman (his second in command), do real harm to a few people.

One of them was a man who had been with Jews for Jesus for more than a decade, more likely close to two decades. The man and his wife were from another country. This man was sent to his home country to deal with some kind of problem with the only missionary Jews for Jesus had on staff in that country. Bricker and Perlman believed that the leader of another Jewish Mission organization was systematically working to take over that one branch office of Jews for Jesus and "steal" that missionary--I personally think the truth is more likely that the particular missionary got tired of the control and minipulation of Jews for Jesus.

Well, the long-time missionary from that country who had lived in the USA for nearly two decades was sent back to "deal with the situation" and ended up on jail when he tried to break into what was consired the Jews for Jesus branch office in that country. Basically, lots of things didn't happen that Brickner commanded the man to do.

When the man came back to San Francisco after his "failure" to carry out orders, he was told he was a failure and didn't follow orders (jews for jesus considers itself the "marines of evangelism and stylizes itself at least in words and some structure, in a military mindset). He was berrated. Shortly after that, one of the man's parents died and he wanted to fly back to his come country to take care of the family estate. Brickner refused to let him go home!!

The man went home anyway. He was then fired for "disobeying orders" and "breaking the Jews for Jesus Worker's Covenant."

No one bothered to thank the man for his nearly two decades of faithful service. No one of his 'friends' bothered to say goodby. He was escorted by a senior leader of the organization to his Jews for Jesus owned apartment and that senior leader stood by while waiting for the man and his wife to pack their bags (to make sure they didn't steal anything or bad-mouth jews for jesus to any of the new jews for jesus staff in training who were also staying in the same house).

No one took them to the airport. They had to call their own taxi, and the senior leader made sure they got in the taxi and left. That senior leader didn't even say goodby.

Anonymous said...

When I was with Jews for Jesus I watched David Brickner, Executive Director, Susan Perlman (his second in command), do real harm to a few people.

One of them was a man who had been with Jews for Jesus for more than a decade, more likely close to two decades. The man and his wife were from another country. This man was sent to his home country to deal with some kind of problem with the only missionary Jews for Jesus had on staff in that country. Bricker and Perlman believed that the leader of another Jewish Mission organization was systematically working to take over that one branch office of Jews for Jesus and "steal" that missionary--I personally think the truth is more likely that the particular missionary got tired of the control and minipulation of Jews for Jesus.

Well, the long-time missionary from that country who had lived in the USA for nearly two decades was sent back to "deal with the situation" and ended up on jail when he tried to break into what was consired the Jews for Jesus branch office in that country. Basically, lots of things didn't happen that Brickner commanded the man to do.

When the man came back to San Francisco after his "failure" to carry out orders, he was told he was a failure and didn't follow orders (jews for jesus considers itself the "marines of evangelism and stylizes itself at least in words and some structure, in a military mindset). He was berrated. Shortly after that, one of the man's parents died and he wanted to fly back to his come country to take care of the family estate. Brickner refused to let him go home!!

The man went home anyway. He was then fired for "disobeying orders" and "breaking the Jews for Jesus Worker's Covenant."

No one bothered to thank the man for his nearly two decades of faithful service. No one of his 'friends' bothered to say goodby. He was escorted by a senior leader of the organization to his Jews for Jesus owned apartment and that senior leader stood by while waiting for the man and his wife to pack their bags (to make sure they didn't steal anything or bad-mouth jews for jesus to any of the new jews for jesus staff in training who were also staying in the same house).

No one took them to the airport. They had to call their own taxi, and the senior leader made sure they got in the taxi and left. That senior leader didn't even say goodby.

When they broke up, one of the main reasons given by the wife was the stress caused by Jews for Jesus.

Anonymous said...

This story breaks my heart. It is just so, so sad. How can David Brickner allow such awfulness to happen and just look away?

Anonymous said...

Jews For Jesus did not break up my marriage. They tried to. We split ways and I married the women that they tried have me break up with. no resaon was given, not Biblical, ethical, professional, moral, pastoral, or rational reason except she was not the wife Moishe Rosen wanted for me.