What Is Messianic Judaism?
Messianic Judaism is a movement of Jewish congregations and groups committed to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition, and renewed and applied in the context of the New Covenant.
Do I have to be Jewish to attend?
Kehilat Tsion is open to all to attend. Our passion is for Israel, the Jewish people, and Israel’s Messiah, and we have many Gentile members who love all three as we celebrate Messiah Yeshua within the Jewish world.
What is your purpose?
Our purpose is to be a Messianic Jewish community whose members, both Jews and Gentiles, are mutually committed to each other as we share the message of Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel, with the wider Jewish community.
Do I need to know Hebrew?
Our services are primarily in English but have certain elements in Hebrew such as prayers, music and liturgy. Hebrew prayers are always accompanied with the English.
How should I dress?
Dress codes at various synagogues vary but our community typically ranges from smart-casual dress to formal. Shabbat services are a face-to face meeting with God and we try to dress accordingly.
Jewish men traditionally wear a tallit or prayer shawl. Because the braided fringes at the four corners of the tallit remind its wearer to observe the commandments of Judaism, wearing a tallit is a symbol of Jewish identity and is thus reserved for Jews. Tallit are available in the sanctuary, but you may decline to wear it if you wish.
Kippot (yarmulkes) are available for men at the literature table. Whether you are Jewish or not, wearing one is a sign of respect for a Jewish place of worship.
What do you believe?
Our beliefs are laid out in our bylaws, and reproduced here: What We Believe – Kehilat Tsion – קהלת ציון
Do you observe Torah?
Our statement as to what we believe addresses our convictions regarding the ongoing role of Torah. It is worth noting that the Torah is God’s covenant specifically with Jews, the people of Israel, and so is not incumbent upon others in any way. It is also worth noting that nobody, Jewish or not, gains merit before God by anything other than the atoning sacrifice, death and resurrection of Yeshua. Personal convictions regarding the ongoing observance of the statutes of the Torah vary from member to member.
Who Is a Jew?
Am I Jewish if only one parent is Jewish? Following the consensus of Jewish tradition as helpfully summarized by the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council, we recognize as a Jew anyone who is born of a Jewish mother or who is a convert to Judaism. We also recognize as a Jew anyone who is born of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother if that person has undertaken public and formal acts of identification with the Jewish faith and people.