Jewish, Polish in Israel

Introduction / History

Polish Jews in Israel are upset and disappointed because personal property taken by the Nazis in World War II is not being returned to them. In 1939, over three million Jews lived in Poland. Most died in combat, in extermination camps or from starvation in ghettos. Several hundred synagogues were destroyed during that time, sometimes with the Jews being forced to set their own places of worship on fire. The remaining synagogues became factories, prisons, or places of entertainment. Millions of non-Jewish Poles also lost their property to the Nazis, and later to the Communists, so they don't think that the Jews should receive special treatment.

Today, the majority of Polish-speaking Jews live in Israel. Few of them lived through the ordeal of the Communist takeover of Poland after WWII, but the struggle and pain of earlier losses is still felt.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Language is one of the distinguishing features among Jews of this region. While Hebrew and Aramaic are the common languages of prayer, sacred, and legal matters, the Jews are quite at home with local languages and dialects. This includes Polish, the heart language of many Polish Jews who live in Israel. As time passes, the younger generations make Hebrew their heart language.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Though they are diverse in their adherence to Jewish doctrine, the Israeli Jewish people are committed to the rebuilding of the Temple. Many attend local synagogues for prayer, worship and to study the word of God. But nothing can replace the Temple in their hearts and minds. They go so far as to believe that any generation that is not committed to rebuilding the Temple is guilty of its destruction. Even secularized Jewish people yearn for the Temple to be rebuilt, though their motivation is for secular reasons rather than religious ones.

Judaism is roughly divided into three streams.

Almost half are Hilonim, secularized Jews. Their identity is in the nation-state of Israel, not in the Jewish religious system. They participate in Jewish rituals such as the Passover Seder and lighting Hanukkah candles because these reinforce their identity as being Israeli and culturally Jewish. They usually oppose shutting down businesses and public transportation on the Sabbath.

The Datiim are religiously devout Jewish people who believe in the God of the Bible and usually attend Jewish religious services. Unlike the most fundamental Jewish people, they want to travel the world, produce productive businesses, and get involved with politics and the military. They will not ride public transportation on the Sabbath or open their businesses for religious reasons.

The Haredim are the most religiously devout of any Israeli Jewish group. Their close friends are all within the Haredim community, and they will not marry outside their group. They are noted for being secluded from the rest of society. They dress far more conservatively than other Jewish groups. Haredim men usually attend religious institutions. There is an ongoing controversy about their exemption from military service. They have their doubts about the legitimacy of Israel as a nation-state because they believe the Messiah has not yet come to establish Israel.

What Are Their Needs?

Jewish people are in Israel largely because they need their own nation for protection. For hundreds of years, they dealt with severe persecution in Poland, Russia, Germany, Spain, and, to a lesser extent, other parts of Europe and Latin America. Their persecutors often used Christianity as an excuse to mistreat them. For this reason, most Jewish people want nothing to do with Christianity or Christ s followers. This is a major impediment to spreading the gospel.

Prayer Points

Pray the 21st century will be a harvest time for Polish Jewish people.
Pray for Israelis to rise above traditions and seek Yeshua as the Messiah for all Jewish people.
Pray that good fruit will come from efforts by Christ s followers to reach out to them.

Text Source:   Joshua Project