Beit Ya'acov Messianic Synagogue

In my business and personal life, I have been blessed to be able to visit and worship in several Messianic Congregations in the USA and Israel and had a strong desire to see such a congregation locally. In December 1995, David W. and I co-founded Baruch Hashem Fellowship. We attended the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) Conference the following summer. Baruch Hashem Fellowship applied for and was granted Fellowship member status. Initially, we alternated conducting the Shabbat Services, but following the Conference, David decided to become an extremely dominant leader. Not long after, I vacated my leadership position and left the congregation. According to feedback from several members, David's style eventually became unacceptable to many members. UMJC was contacted for intervention. When nothing changed after the intervention meeting, two Gentile members formed an alternative congregation, calling it Beth Messiah Yeshua. Baruch Hashem Fellowship eventually dissolved. Beth Messiah Yeshua also eventually dissolved and the founders with their wives subsequently converted to Judaism. Simultaneous with the founding of Baruch Hashem Fellowship, a group of Jewish believers in Yeshua began a Monthly Family Shabbat gathering, alternating in each other's homes. This group has rarely missed a Monthly Shabbat or Torah Festival gathering since then. Members of this group all belong to and are active in a variety of Christian churches having no desire to support a Messianic Congregation here. Early in 1999, Gene G., a retired Presbyterian minister with a Jewish heritage moved to Madison. Upon discovering there was no Messianic congregation here, he contacted the UMJC to learn if there was ever any possibility of there being a Messianic Congregation locally and was put in touch with me. He and I became friends, and on the first Shabbat, January 8th, of the year 2000 we held our first worship service under the name of Beit Ya'acov Fellowship. In August of that year, he resigned for personal family reasons, leaving Madison shortly thereafter. The congregation asked me to continue as leader, I accepted and continue to the present. Gene and I have remained friends, although he has since moved to Missouri. In 2003, Beit Ya'acov Fellowship applied for to I.R.S., and became Beit Ya'acov Messianic Synagogue, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. We have had fluctuating membership numbers, from a high of about 35, to a present of about 20. Most of our attendees/members are not Jewish, but I believe there is a large potential in Madison to reach the Jewish population here. There is a small Lubavitcher (so-called ultra-orthodox) Chabad House; and one each: Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist synagogue here in Madison. Because of this liberal university community, I believe there is also a significant proportion of Jews in Madison which are secular / humanist / atheistic / Buddhist, etc. who can be reached. Traditional objection to Messianic Judaism comes from My training continues to come from University of Wisconsin âÀ" Madison courses in the Jewish, Hebrew and Religious Studies Departments; as well as worldwide website self-study on line from a variety of Messianic and traditional Jewish Websites and post-graduate level courses through the Messianic Jewish Training Institute. These courses consist of 21 sessions in 4 parts. A description of the courses and future offerings can be found at www.mjti.org/. Most recently, I attended an intensive weeklong training with the Messianic Jewish Training Institute (MJTI), entitled "Growing Your Messianic Jewish Congregation". I attend the annual UMJC Conferences when funds are available and missed only two since 2002. This brief synopsis of my Madison involvement in our movement can be added to if you wish further contact. In the Name of our resurrected Messiah - - Rav ><)))'> Dovid ben Israel Hartov ><)))'> Shalom v'Khesed b'ShemAdonai ><)))'> (Peace, grace & mercy in the L-rd) ><)))'> "Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The Torah will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Isaiah 2:3 BEIT YAâÀ™ACOV MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE, INC. 121 Nob Hill Road, Madison, WI 53713 (608) 663-2790 OR: (800) 478-9916 www.madison.com/communities/beityaacov