Jews for Jesus is a religious group that claims members of Jewish lineage who believe in the Trinity – God as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – and that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. They do not adhere to traditional Jewish literature when it is in conflict with the Old or New Testament. Its members are evangelical, spreading their Christian beliefs in cities worldwide with large Jewish populations (though not all converts are originally Jewish). The group, founded in 1973 by Moishe Rosen (a Jew who became a Baptist), draws criticism for its proselytizing style and misleading potential converts about its beliefs.

Tyra Damm

SOURCES: Jews for Jesus; The New York Times; The Jewish Advocate; The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin