Is it possible to forget Jews for Jesus?

Many people spend years trying to forget Jews for Jesus.

Most former Jews for Jesus staff are embarrassed that they ever worked for the organization. Just mentioning JFJ can start unhappy memories flowing.

A person can suddenly be transported back in time (even thirty years back!) and relive a horrible moment. One can remember being forced to drive in hazzardous blizzard conditions to speak at a church in a far away place or being ordered to do evangelism just after leaving the hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia. One can remember being humiliated publicly. Scenes of things being thrown at them by a JFJ executive enter ones mind. Once the memories come back, more and more memories can return. Sometimes the only escape is to try to forget Jews for Jesus completely.

It's like there are two worlds out there: the real, here and now world and the JFJ world that once took over one's being. You see, in JFJ, the world of Jews for Jesus was/is the center of the universe and it seemed like everything revolved around that JFJ reality.

To leave the JFJ parallel world/reality takes time. When it comes down to it, the JFJ world might never completely be forgotten, but if it is possible to forget, those of us who can't forget may envy those who are able to completely forget their experience with Jews for Jesus......and that is because so many of us wish "it" never happened!


http://exjewsforjesus.org/

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com/

Verbal attacking former Jews for Jesus staff

Isn't it amusing that an Ex Jews for Jesus blog article posting documentation of Jews for Jesus cult leadership training ends up being responded to by attacks on former staff, rather than a discussion about the article and the document?

The first attack attacked the length of the post. The 2nd attacked the commenter that stood up for the writer of the long post!

Here's an example of what is in the comments section at the bottom of that article:

"For a group of people who are quick to accuse of abuse, you show a high level of paranoia and hostility yourselves. maybe jews for jesus did you all a favor by hiring you and are now paying for taking such a risk. no doubt there were things done that were not perfect, but the door you walked in to get hired opened up the other way if you wanted to leave. maybe you should go back to the psychologist and work through your issues before hiding behind a public blog site."

This comment is SO TYPICAL of JFJ! Always the abusers continue to attack the abused and say that something is wrong with the over 300 people that experience and continue to experience abuse through JFJ. Always the abusers attack the people that speak out.

Jews for Jesus and its leaders and lovers continue to evaluate personality after personality and look for weaknesses in each person who left JFJ.

So, readers of this blog, when you read comments attacking those who have left Jews for Jesus and those who have been brave enough to speak out about what Jews for Jesus did and continues to do, know that the attacks are just another example of the abuse that we experienced while working for Jews for Jesus!


http://exjewsforjesus.org/

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com/

Long hours in Jews for Jesus

There have been some commenters on this blog who argue that long hours are part of many jobs like General Motors and Ex Jews for Jesus people should stop whinning about the 80 to 100 hour work weeks that we worked in Jews for Jesus.

Before going on JFJ staff, I had a job where I was on salary and worked long hours too. It was common for me to arrive at work at 6:00 AM and leave at 9:30 at night!

One difference between that experience and the experience I had with JFJ with long hours was that my days off were mine. No one from my company called me and asked personal questions on my days off or even while I was working, no one regulated who I spent my days and evenings with, or required me to do more work for the company in my off hours.

No one called me on my day off and asked me to read the bible with them or do some errands for them. No one controlled how I dressed or how I lived. No one told me who I could marry or when I could start a family. No one forced me to seek counseling when I couldn't handle the long hours. No one punished me.

When I left that company, I gave two weeks notice. None of the past employees of that company have banded together on the internet and written websites and books about the long hours they worked; they just found companies that paid them better wages and gave them more freedom and went on with their lives.

There are no similarities between the long hours that JFJ required (which was ABUSE) and the long hours required in many organizations. Comparing JFJ to any other business (except another abusive cult) is like comparing apples and oranges.


http://exjewsforjesus.org/

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com/

Jews for Jesus stretched/changed its people

One thing Jews for Jesus did was stretch us; that is, we were forced to do things we didn't think were possible. These things seemed as if they were good things at the time and those of us who did serve with Jews for Jesus do look back at how JFJ molded us with some amazement at times.

Not always did we want to change; however, JFJ felt that making us "new creatures in Christ" had to be done in order for us to be "more like Moishe Rosen and other JFJ leaders." (Not more like Jesus.)

Some of us had never done public speaking, and amazed family and friends when they saw us doing Christ in the Passover presentations in churches filled with hundreds of people.

Some of us had only worn casual clothes or owned garage sale furniture. Jews for Jesus got us to do makeovers on ourselves and our surroundings. We were given black or grey ministry suits and told to change hairstyles.

Most of us would have never believed that we'd stand on street corners and on college campuses passing out religious literature, but there we were, not only doing that, but doing multiple "sorties" a day. When we went on Jews for Jesus Summer Witnessing Campaign our limits were stretched to the maximum just like an Olympic athlete. The t-shirts we were forced to wear also helped us make the statement that we meant business and were now really the "new creatures" that JFJ created.

Thanks to Jews for Jesus, many of us mastered computer and writing skills. Those who didn't like talkng on the phone, soon became masters at it. Those who weren't good at details, became detail oriented. Shy people no longer were able to be shy.

Yes, JFJ did change us. Yes, JFJ stretched us. Yes, JFJ took some of our individuality away too.

Most former Jews for Jesus employees remember that JFJ ruined a good piece of clay that only God should have molded and directed.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com/

True or False?

A Campaigner fell asleep while Moishe Rosen was speaking and was punished by being forced to do the work of a Campaign Steward (cleaning and cooking in the background) and also do full-time broadsiding (4 sorties a day).

He or she was not allowed to take the afternoon nap and also was not allowed to eat meals with the Campaigners for the remaining duration of the Campaign.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com/

The world of HARRY POTTER and the world of Jews For Jesus

In the HARRY POTTER book series, the author has created a whole secret world that only wizards understand, and there are are some similarities for those of us who have been in JFJ: there is a whole world unknown to ordinary people that we endured and know about.

JFJ has the internal workings--which we needed to keep secret from the "muggles" (those outside our world), and the image that we presented to the outside world. Just like in Harry Potter, the "muggles" wouldn't understand "the way we do things."

The persons who supervised us were like dementors.

Here's a definition of a dementor:

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself....soulless and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life."

Once we leave JFJ, it takes awhile to feel like we are truly free of the control of the "dementors" that once controlled us.

JFJ taught us to "face our fears." However, those who leave JFJ seem to need to remain safely in the "Muggle world," but are always aware that the "Wizard world" is out there.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com/

A Jews for Jesus Fairytale

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a beautiful Jewish princess. One day this beautiful princess was told that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and became a believer in Yeshua.

The beautiful princess loved Jesus and loved God. One day, she met a handsome Jewish prince, who also believed in Jesus.

Soon the two were married and it seemed that they would live happily ever after. They spent most of their time sharing their love for Jesus with everyone they met. Joy filled their lives and was passed to everyone around them.

One day, they were told that there were others who were Jewish who believed in Jesus. They met a group of traveling minstrels who sang Messianic Jewish music. There was something about the group that attracted them and soon the Jewish princess and her prince went to the knight who led the music team and asked how they too could share Yeshua.

The brave knight told them that their music did come from God, but was really centered around the wishes of a powerful king who was head of a kingdom called Jews for Jesus.

The ruler of that kingdom was all powerful and all subjects living in his dominion were in awe and in fear of him. Some noble young men had tried to divide the kingdom at times, but had not been successful.

Soon the prince and princess traveled to the Jews for Jesus kingdom and became part of the Jews for Jesus empire.

Life changed for them after that. First, they were told that their deep love for one another was wrong. They were separated as much as possible. As time passed, sharing about Jesus became tedious.

One day, the beautiful princess was banned from the Jews for Jesus kingdom and locked in a tower. She pleaded with her handsome prince to rescue her, but he'd been taken over by an evil spell that one of the powerful ruler's men had put on him.

Several years passed. One day, the beautiful Jewish princess escaped from the tower and broke the spell that had taken over her prince. The two fled from the Jews for Jesus kingdom together and began a new life.

Did our princess and prince live happily ever after?

The answer to that question is YES and NO.

Yes, our heroine and hero escaped from the control of the bad Jews for Jesus ruler. Life free from that control could have been a ticket to happily ever after; however, the two never forgot the years of their lives that were given and lost to the powerful king of Jews for Jesus.


http://exjewsforjesus.org/

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com/

It's Christ in the Passover Tour Time

It's almost Easter time, which means it is Jews for Jesus Christ in the Passover Tour Time.

JFJ will send out missionaries to places all over the country to do speaking tours. Each will recite a standard rehearsed script and share the work of JFJ with churches every day for a period of approximately three weeks.

In the middle of the presentation, a Ministry Talk will be given and an offering will be taken for the work of Jews for Jesus. There will be the "Tradition of Tearing the Involvement Card" followed by a short talk on how every believer can be involved with the work of JFJ.

Missionaries going on such tours will be traveling great distances and be traveling alone. Some of the driving they will be doing will be in dangerous weather. Nothing will get in the way of the missionary being at the churches hosting the presentations though.

Some of these JFJ workers actually enjoy the chance to travel and meet new people on these tours. It is nice to get a break from the routine of the regular missionary work too.

Married couples don't usually travel on these tours together though. It is considered better use of the JFJ ministry's funds and time to send married couples out individually in order to gain more contacts and supporters for JFJ.

As one commenter states, if JFJ had to depend on the offerings they got at these CIP's, JFJ would have been long, long gone. So why does JFJ continue to send missionaries out on these tours?

http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

What ever happened to...the hundreds of former staff who served with Jews for Jesus?

What ever happened to...the hundreds of former staff who served with Jews for Jesus?



http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

Pain Training

The following is on a public JFJ discussion board:

"In a biographical book about the founder of Jews for Jesus, I read a section which refers to this 'pain training'. I am not a staff member with Jews for Jesus but I was actually very interested. The truth is, as a Jewish believer, when I first accepted the Lord, simply saying to my fellow Jews that I believed Jesus is the prophesied Messiah caused some in their anger to spit on me or some to even hit me. This is very unusual but there are a few who do react with this level of anger. As people, our automatic reaction to pain (being hit), psychology is 'fight or flight'. As a believer in Jesus, neither is a satisfactory reaction. I want to be able to share about Jesus without worrying about reacting with either a fight or flight should someone get angry and hit me. So, my understanding is Jews for Jesus as part of the training used to have one time where they slapped their missionaries. The missionaries were then told to think about how that hurt, index the pain level between 1-10, and then if someone on the street hit them, they should compare that pain to the pain they felt from the slap. This took the fight of flight reaction to the other side of the brain to one of analysis. While, Jews for Jesus according to the book, no longer uses the slap, they do explain the process of comparison. This 'pain training' and learning about it has been a great blessing to me. I understand that this is a technique used by others who wish to reach out to those who may react violently. It was a technique used by such peaceful people as Gandhi so that he might face pain. Again, we are talking about very few people who would react violently but the NT says that no one will be neutral about Jesus. As a believer in Jesus, I want to thank Jews for Jesus for teaching me this technique so I can share the gospel peacefully, with my own people. "

http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

Let's read the bible together

All new missionary trainees in JFJ had to read the bible outloud every morning at 7:00 AM on the phone for a period of one year.

This actually sounds nice! It is a great idea to have morning devotions and read the bible!

BUT.........

.... there were problems with this idea when done under JFJ's rules.

Even on your day off (after working a 70 to 80 hour week), you were required to set your alarm for 7:00 AM and have the bible and phone next to your bed and get woken up to read the bible outloud with your supervisor reading every other verse outloud with you for at least a half hour.

Doesn't it seem like a punishment to have to wake up at 7:00 AM to read the bible even on your day off? What would have been wrong with sleeping in and reading the bible by yourself on that day? Or what would be wrong with getting a day off from any contact with JFJ and just being on your honor and reading the bible by yourself and maybe even taking the time to think about what you read?

Soon, reading the bible became tedious since you are not allowed to comment on anything that may have put joy into reading the bible.

If you did interject with any thoughts, you are reprimanded and told to get back to reading outloud like a child in an elementary school classroom.

So reading the bible became torture for some thanks to Jews for Jesus.

http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

Trickery in Jews for Jesus

In Jews for Jesus we were taught to use trickery. We were not instructed to lie; instead, we were instructed to somehow be "up front," but not always give quite the whole truth. By doing this, we helped to make Jews for Jesus look more powerful.

Here's an example:

During Summer Witnessing Campaign in New York City, there were about twenty to twenty-five Campaigners. We were told by the Campaign Director that we needed to fool New York City into thinking there were many more than just our little group; that is, Jews for Jesus needed to give the appearance that there were hundreds of us spreading JFJ literature throughout the city.

In order to do that, we changed the color of the t-shirts we wore every other day. (I imagine there was a punishment for showing up wearing the wrong colored shirt, but I don't remember what it was. In fact, the shirts we wore were called "Colors.")

If someone asked how many of us there were, we were not supposed to give out that information. We were supposed to answer with, "Oh, yes, there is also a blue team," or with something similar. We were supposed to be vague.

Also, we were not supposed to give out our real names to people we met on the streets.

As a Christian, I found being taught to use tricks as I shared about Jesus very uncomfortable. Jesus taught about honesty and in order for me to do things the way Jews for Jesus wanted me to do them, I had to be deceptive. This just did not seem right, but I followed JFJ's guidelines.

In San Francisco, I observed discussions among the JFJ executives where discussions on ways to use trickery on an individual could be used for JFJ's advantage. Individuals could be "set-up" to be taught a lesson too. Once I was "set up" and being the scapegoat of one of JFJ's leadership's lessons was not a good experience.

Also, JFJ leadership did not always tell the whole truth and sometimes was not always consistent in the things told to me and others. The pattern of not being totally honest makes everyone who has ever worked with JFJ very suspicious of what trick JFJ may pull next.

http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

Everything has its place in JFJ

In JFJ everything had its place. Here's an interesting parallel:


One of my favorite Masterpiece Theater series is a series called UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS.

It is about the life of a household in England during the early part of the 20th Century.

The life of the servants and how they relate to their betters is the focus of the series. The head servant is Hudson, the butler. Hudson reminded me of a JFJ Branch leader. Servants had to get his permission to do about anything and everything and were expected to do so without question. Even permission to leave the household to take a short walk or run an errand had to go through Hudson.

The servants worked hard and long hours and received one half day off per week. Even what they did on their partial day off was sometimes questioned. All meals were eaten together and the servants became very close. Everyone knew anything and everything about each of the servant's private lives.

Senior servants directed lower servants. For example, the Head-Parlourmaid would train and direct the Under-Parlourmaid. The Cook supervised the Kitchen Maid and the Scullery Maid. Hudson reported to Lady Bellamy whose job was to run the household. Lord Bellamy only stepped in when manners with the servants needed special attention. Anything related to the servants was really Lady Bellamy's department.

Many, many times the item of "knowing one's place" was discussed in the series. The servants enjoyed knowing their place and who to report to. Children of the wealthy classes sometimes mixed with the servants when they were young, but were expected to take their place in society when they came of age. A very moving scene is when Rose, the Head-Parlourmaid and also sometimes Lady's Maid to Georgina, the niece of Lord Bellamy, explains to the young girl how important it is that everyone know their place so that order continues to exist in the household and also in British society.

In JFJ, everything and everyone also had a place. There were even ranks within the organization. Everyone knew who they had to report to. Everyone knew who their "betters" were.

Branch leaders and other people directing departments or teams dealt directly with the Executive Director. Missionaries reported directly to their Branch leader. Administrative staff reported to their department heads. Co-Laborers reported to the Co-Laborer Coordinator. Trainees reported to a trainer. Campaigners reported to a team leader. Volunteers usually were the contacts of a certain missionary and received direction on how to volunteer through that misssionary.

Fascinating that JFJ and the society of UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS is so similar!


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

JFJ and their former staff

When someone has completed their term of United States military service honorably, they are given a discharge certificate that says "honorable". They are know as "Veterans" and are treated with respect. Former JFJ staff deserve nothing less than to be treated with respect and not as traitors.
People who are on staff still should not "shun" ex staff, which is a cult-like activity. The universal excuse is now JFJ staff is "too busy", but it is obvious what is happening.
Worse yet, former JFJ staff members have been persecuted by vindictive JFJ leaders who tried to get them fired from new jobs, ruin their reputations and interfere with their marriages. Even though people gave three months notice to the organization that they were quitting, it is still difficult to leave without some sort of scene being made and being labeled as having left "not on good terms". This behavior has made having the name "Jews for Jesus" on your resume a detriment rather than the asset it should be.
The Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard all can release people from service with dignity, so why can't JFJ?


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

In JFJ we were not always nice

One reason I was interested in Christianity when I first was introduced to Jesus was because there was this wonderful joy about the Christians I met.

There really seemed to be love coming out of many of the people I met that were Christians. As a young Jewish person, I wondered how so much love and joy could come out of these people who told me that Jesus had transformed them into truly new creatures and I wanted to be like them.

Another thing I noticed was the words and actions that I oberved from Christians was kind.

Yes, sometimes the Christians I knew made mistakes, but generally, I saw great love from these people.

When I became a believer, I strove to do good and to think happy thoughts. I tried to see good in everyone and everything, even in food in restaurants!

Then I joined JFJ and found that in JFJ it was okay to be mean. It was okay to laugh behind someone's back and it was okay to make fun of people and to put people down.

It was even okay to play tricks on people!

I have never quite recovered from JFJ teaching me to be pushy, rude, and mean. I have to check myself when I think about playing tricks on people and I know those in JFJ do still play tricks. I wish I could be the loving person I once was before JFJ, but it is not easy. The mentality of the JFJ organization was one where those who caused hurt were admired.

JFJ taught us that because we were Jewish that we needed to not be too nice. On Campaign Training, we were even given instruction on how to snap back. Those of us who were too nice were told we'd never make it in the organization or in life.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

JFJ: An Abusive Organization

In 1992, Ron Enroth wrote a landmark book called Churches that Abuse. In this book he showed how many evangelical Christian organizations (both churches and parachurch groups) were abusive to their members or employees, in the following ways:

• The leader has absolute control.



• Individuals are manipulated.



• A rigid, legalistic lifestyle is required.



• Any criticism is viewed as persecution.



• Leaving the group is painful, and shunning often occurs when someone leaves.

Sound familar?

Enroth's book can be ordered through Amazon.com or any bookstore. It's an eye-opener.

Also try a Google search for "abusive churches."


http://exjewsforjesus.org

http://exjewsforjesus.blogspot.com

Good comments

This post is designed as a place where commenters can leave positive comments about anything related to this blog.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

Silence of the Turkeys

I have been told that exposing this organization's abuse of employees is going to tarnish the work of evangelism. But this idea seems to contrary to the honesty and openess I associate with God. Surely God can spread the Good News without abusing the spreaders! But this organization has consistently tried to silence abused staff. Such a silence is NOT golden.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

DO NOT SHIFT BLAME

JFJ had a guideline that I recall went like this:

DO NOT SHIFT BLAME.

Doesn't it seem like JFJ did nothing BUT shift blame?

When something did not go right, it seemed like the only way to get out of being blamed was to blame someone else, or to find a scapegoat. Once someone was blamed, the person who shifted the blame could feel free and clear; the person that was to blame had to live forever in shame and never was forgiven.

JFJ did and keeps doing some very horrible things. Instead of looking at themselves, the blame for these wrongs has to be shifted to those who have been hurt. JFJ is never sorry really because JFJ just continues to shift the blame for the wrongs they've committed to the people who JFJ has hurt.

JFJ hurt so, so many people. JFJ has somehow been able to get many of the people who have been hurt to be silent. Those who speak out are evaluated and blamed for causing the wrongs that JFJ committed.

And the mindset most of us experienced with JFJ has not changed. It is easy to blame ourselves instead of our abusers. It is easy to criticize one another rather than support one another.

Yes, JFJ does shift blame. On this blog, we need to not be afraid to blame JFJ.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/

Caseloads or These Contacts Are MINE, MINE, MINE

Before joining JFJ staff, I actually believed that the phone calls I received and the visits I received from JFJ staff were sincere.

How nice that someone wanted to take the time to come by my house and talk about Jesus and act like they were interested in me and give me the impression that they thought of me as a friend.

It was puzzling that the missionary acted like he was always in a hurry and limited our time together to about 45 minutes to an hour, but, it didn't matter, I liked seeing the JFJ missionary anyway.

Then, I joined JFJ missionary staff, and I found out that I was just part of a CASELOAD. Now I had to make sure I visited at least 10--12 people a week, and at least 10 of them needed to be (excuse the JFJ lingo) UJs!

Well, as time passed, I built up my CASELOAD and I could get on the phone on Monday nights and call these people that really thought that I cared about them and try to narrow down a time to visit them during the week.

Most of the time, finding 10 unsaved Jewish people (UJs) to visit was very, very hard. The JBs (Jewish believers) were more than anxious to see me, but under JFJ rules, I could only see two of them a week and I really wasn't supposed to see the same believers weekly; every two weeks was the limit.

To make things even more difficult the "Contacts" we made were ours like a pair of shoes (actually more like a pair of pajamas). We didn't share contacts. If you got a good contact, that person was like a piece of property.

As I reflect now, I do not quite understand the logic of not sharing people to share the gospel with. Would it really have mattered if more than one JFJ missionary or even a JFJ volunteer, had taken the time to share Jesus with an individual?

What is even more disturbing is how deceptive we were. The people I visited really believed we were friends. They had no idea that I just needed to add their name to my Caseload so that I could fill up 48 plus hours a week of pretending I was doing work for God.

JFJ took any real desire to want to do the work of God away. All JFJ staff eventually became robots only interested in developing caseloads and reaching goals.


http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/