My wife Jane was brought up in a Jewish Communist household, and, blissfully naive, I married into it (no regrets Jane - honest)

Jane had in their view 'converted' to Christianity and was therefore suspect (the communism was acceptable and preferable).

We found that we had very different attitudes to food, and I was amazed at the abundance of food at family occasions, my mother (RC, who had lived through the war years as a hungry child would have been disgusted...)

Many in Jane's wider families are 'religious' to varying degrees, but all are suspicious of christianity and are well aware of the continuing antisemitism in mainstream churchianity, especially the current anti Israel stance which they tend to see as veiled anti semitism (apart from those who actually belive the Palestinian propaganda.

The importance of being identified as Jewish is what drives many of the religious relatives. In a socialist humanist setting, individuals loose identity unless they 'create' one for themselves, (This is why humanism causes fragmentation of society). The religious Jews of my aquaintance cling to rabbinical Judaism because it provides a strong, outwardly (and inwardly) distinctive, identity. Most have never ever voluntarily opened a tanach (old covenant) and are totally dependant upon mishna and talmud as interpreted by their particular brand of rabbi (yes there are sects within Judaism too).

When young Jewish boys 'learn' Hebrew, it is more important to learn the tenour of the way the words are chanted (in the synagogue) than to understand them, so the important verses are learnt by heart without any real understanding. This is of course slightly different for those who speak or understand modern Hebrew (Ivrit), but even here there is little scholarship as to the 'nuances' of tanach hebrew.

A friend (Messianic) who lives in Israel took one look at YY 'beginnings' and started picking the Hebrew to pieces, not understanding that Ivrit is a product of 'man'. (I have checked much of Yada's Hebrew in various sources and cannot fault it - thanks Yada!!!!)

The Messianics tend on the whole to have changed 'religions' rather than become 'completed' (never use the word 'converted') but there are a great many exceptions to this. On the whole, if you can get any Jew to start reading the scriptures, then they will suddenly realise that they are not reading about rabbinical Judaism as the Kyrite sect of Judaism has found. Unfortunately, the masoretic tanach is almost universal, and the resulting mish-mash renders them almost as confused.

As in Christian circles, unless one seeks TRUTH, one will not find it, and motivation is everything! My feel is that we must let YHWH's light shine in us to the extent that it becomes 'visible' to those who are seeking. Then to be ready with the answers when the questions are asked. Do not expect instant responses - they are still a very hardheaded people!

Perfectly as I see it I would say :)

Thanks for sharing your experiences - its great how we are all from completely different places, but have in some way shared a similar experience of revelation