I admire men like Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin as religious Jews who are thoughtful conservatives and argue for reason and sensibility in a world that has gone mad . And although I strongly disagree with their assessment of how our faith was formed and propagated , they do end this paper on a positive theme by noting how 20th century Christianity has become an ally and even a partner with the Jewish people in modern times .
Why do I write these things here , and why do I think it important ? I see the potential for immeasurable good to be done right now for the advancement of the Kingdom and good relations between the ecclesia ( church ) and Israel . The greatest accusation made against the Church during the years leading up to World War II and the Holocaust was its deafening silence . I have heard it said that although the Church did not instigate or support the Nazi Holocaust , that it would not have been possible without the silence of the Church . A sad but very probable indictment .
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Let me share with you here why the accusations of church history strike me so deeply . Way back in 1980 , I was a relatively new believer with very little knowledge of church history or the anti-Semitism of major voices within church leadership . Very soon after meeting Sid Roth , I moved my young family halfway across the U . S . to join Beth Messiah Congregation alongside Dan Juster , Eitan Shishkoff , Asher Intrater and Jerry and Jo Miller .