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Friday August 9, 1996

Jerusalem gospel concert turns into proselytizing affair

MICHELE CHABIN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

While Jewish members of the audience said they were well aware that gospel music is Christian in content, many appeared shocked when Max Lucado, the event's master of ceremonies, repeatedly urged the crowd to give prayerful thanks to "the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior."

Nor were they prepared to hear two Israeli performers, Barry and Batya Segal, sing gospel songs in Hebrew.

The Segals, who perform at many Christian gatherings held in Israel, are Messianic Jews.

For many, the last straw was receiving Hebrew-language leaflets distributed by Christian missionaries inviting audience members to accept the love of Jesus.

Although Israelis regularly attend music festivals held in churches nationwide, these concerts tend to be nonsectarian in nature. Events intended solely for a particular audience -- such as concerts for Orthodox Jewish women -- are usually advertised accordingly.

Many who attended the gospel concert complained that it was falsely advertised.

"It was advertised as a gospel concert. I expected to hear gospel music centered around Christian themes, but instead the music was presented in a proselytizing manner," said Eddie Harwitz, a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

"It was essentially a prayer meeting."

Harwitz, who left the event before it was over, said he felt "terribly uncomfortable" when Lucado gave "what amounted to two sermons," then asked the audience to stand and pray to Jesus.

"Both sermons addressed the issue of nonbelievers, and the evening wasn't a celebration of music or culture, but of Jesus Christ," Harwitz said. "Last month, an American Christian group declared that its mission is to convert Jews, and the concert seemed to express this desire."

Debra Litwack, a teacher at a Toronto Hebrew day school, said "the purpose of the concert was misrepresented.

"Encouraging people who were obviously not of their faith to pray to Jesus as their Messiah showed great insensitivity."

Others disagreed.

A Christian student who identified herself only as Lena said, "When you come to a gospel concert you can expect to be witnessed to. Still, I'm sorry that some people were made to feel uncomfortable."

Eduardo Hubscher, the producer of Jerusalem 3000, said his office received about 20 complaint calls about the concert.

He stressed that the event, which was part of a weeklong gospel festival, was sponsored and organized by the American Gospel Association.

"It is a pity that people were offended, and perhaps parts of the evening were distasteful," Hubscher said. "What you have to understand is that [prayer] is a part of [the Christians'] way of living.

"The message of Jerusalem 3000 is universality. Jerusalem is loved not only by Jews. In their unique way, the concert expressed" the Christians' love for Jerusalem.

Jim Groen, chairman of the gospel festival, admits that the concert offended many in the audience.

"Please realize that we authorized no distribution of [missionary] material and no selling of merchandise...The emcee of the evening was not authorized to sermonize...Frankly, we were all shocked. It put a damper on the whole evening."

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