A Jew and a Gentile Discuss

Ezra’s on top of his game with his quick wit in this holiday episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss as he interjects funny… ...

It’s “the most wonderful time of year,” and both Christians and Jewish people enjoy the winter holiday season. This episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss is informative, personal and oh-so relevant. And we can almost guarantee that you’ll be surprised at some of the things you’ll learn. Carly and Ezra ask each other about their holiday impressions, understandings and traditions growing up and how things changed after coming to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Then, Carly digs deeper to understand the Jewish holiday of Chanukah and how Jewish people view Christmas, including: Jewish thought about when Jesus was born If Chanukah is in the Bible Why some Messianic Jews don’t celebrate Christmas now If Christians should celebrate Chanukah What about Christmas caroling at a Jewish person’s home? Along the Way In the course of the discussion, you’ll also hear what Chanukah is all about and how Christmas and Chanukah “have everything to do with each other.” You’ll learn some famous Christmas songs written by Jewish people. (You read that right.) Ezra reveals some perspectives, perhaps commonly but secretly held by Jewish people, about this “most wonderful time of year” and their quasi-inclusion in it. You’ll hear how, while sensitivity is essential, apologizing for sharing the Gospel with Jewish people reaffirms a critical misunderstanding among them. Ezra and Carly also cover some questions Christians might have about the season and engaging across the divide between Jewish people and Christians, including: What’s the best way to engage with my Jewish neighbor during Chanukah? Would inviting a Jewish person to a Christmas play be offensive? Do Jewish people invite non-Jews over for Chanukah celebrations? Words You Might Learn in This Episode Chanukiah, Maccabees, the town of Modiin, shlep/shlepped, latkes, Ashkenazi, Sephardic, sufganiyot, moedim/moed Scriptures Referenced ...

They seem like simple questions. Who is Jewish? Who is Israeli? How many Jewish people are there in the world? Pretty easy to answer, right? Welllll…   As Ezra points out the old Jewish saying, “Where you have two Jewish people, you’ll have three opinions,” you see that some answers aren’t as simple as you’d expect. (And that’s what makes this podcast so awesome; we take the time to explain all that stuff in a way you can grasp it!)  This episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss is the third of a three-part series unpacking the depths of meaning behind the little word “Israel.” If you haven’t listened to Parts 1 and 2, you’ll want to hear those too. Part 1 provides an excellent, introductory overview of the series, and Part 2 dives into the subjects of the Land of Israel and the State of Israel.  In Part 3, along with the “not-as-simple-as-you-think questions” mentioned above, Carly challenges Ezra with additional inquiries, such as:  Define some of the different subs-communities of Jewish people  Is the term “Jew” offensive to Jewish people?  Where are Jewish people primarily living in the world, including some places we may have never heard of?  Can you become Jewish?  How does believing Jesus is Lord change a Jewish person’s Jewishness?  Why do some Jewish people want to disown family members who believe in Jesus?  How does the history of Jewish persecution play into Jewish perspectives on Jesus?  Do you think we’ll ever see an environment where it’s ...

It’s complicated, that’s for sure. But, in Part 2 of their series on Israel – that little word loaded with meaning – Carly and Ezra simplify and make a lot of things clearer as they dive deeper into Israel as both land and state. They tackle some of the controversies, land disputes and obstacles to resolving certain conflicts with the Palestinians in the region.  In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly asks Ezra to explain:  The difference between the phrases “Land of Israel” and “State of Israel”  What the West Bank is and the conflict over it  Why there’s a wall around certain Palestinian areas of Israel  The one-state and two-state solutions  The meaning of the phrase “Land Promise”  If the modern State of Israel is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy  Israel’s form of government   If any Jewish person can become a citizen of Israel  Along the way, they also discuss:  Three differing boundaries of Israel, covering past, present and future  The Land for Peace Deal that created the Gaza Strip,  What the term “West Bank” implies and why Hebrew–speaking Israelis don’t use it  Why the idea of a divided Jerusalem is unacceptable to the Jewish State  A hot topic that Ezra encourages listeners to look up on their own and check at least two different sources (“Don’t outsource your discernment!”)  The Golan Heights controversy  Why Israel doesn’t have a constitution  The only group ...

Hold on a minute. Isn’t Israel a country? What do you mean by “land” and “people”? In this first of a three-part series of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra discuss what the word “Israel” encompasses.   Coming from their two different backgrounds, each has their own questions for the other. Ezra asks Carly to explain what “Israel” and “standing with Israel” meant to her as a Gentile Christian before working in Jewish ministry. He also asks what stood in her way of learning more about Israel and what she’s done in recent years to stay informed.  Carly asks Ezra:  Why should Israel be on my radar as a Christian?  Is caring about Israel in the same category as caring about the other things God tells us to care about?  What does it really mean to care about Israel?  Who or what is Israel? What’s the difference between the land and the people?  What’s the West Bank, and what’s the dispute about it?  Where did the conflict in the Middle East start?  Describe the population of Israel.  Can I, as a Christian, stand with Israel without understanding all that’s going on there?  What would you recommend to Christian listeners who want to become or stay ...

Wait, what? Isn’t Thanksgiving about Pilgrims and discovering America? In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra chat about Thanksgiving’s historical and national origins and bring out surprising information tying the holiday to Jewish roots. You’ll also hear each of their favorite Thanksgiving traditions and some age-old Yiddish wisdom of Ezra’s grandma. Plus, you’ll learn:  Possible passengers on Christopher Columbus’ fleet of ships  Pilgrim and Puritan ties to Judaism  How the Feast of Sukkot parallels with Thanksgiving  Why President Washington declared a national day of Thanksgiving and later, why President Lincoln reiterated it with new meaning  How a funny play on words in the modern Hebrew language ties turkey to giving thanks  How giving thanks is foundational in both Jewish and Christian thought  An enlightening take on understanding the will of God for our lives  Encouragement to return to being people of thanksgiving and fundamental reasons we have to be thankful regardless of what may be going on around us  Making thanksgiving the posture of our hearts every day  Words you might learn in this episode  Cristobol Colon, Maimonides, Mishnah, Sukkot, chicken of India, Hodu la-donai ki-tov ki le’olam chasdo (Give thanks to the Lord for His mercy endures forever), kvetching  Scriptures referenced in this episode  Psalm 118:1, Psalm 100:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18  Check out other exciting conversations between “a Jew and a Gentile” wherever you listen to podcasts or go to www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org for more information.   We’d love to hear from you! L ...