Less than one week ago, as part of a large contingent of Jewish leaders and supporters across the country, I was blessed to attend the annual summit in Washington D.C. of the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States. If you’re thinking it was JNF, AIPAC, or another major Jewish organization, think again. It was Christians United for Israel (CUFI). How did I, a Jew, a rabbi, end up at CUFI? If I go back to the beginning, it all started at Temple Emanuel in 2004. Noted author and radio host Dennis Prager, a man who I had never heard of until then, was the scholar in residence for that Yom Kippur when Hurricane Jeanne led to an evacuation of the synagogue. Sixty congregants led by Cantor Shifman and Dennis Prager ended up at my parents’ home for the entirety of Yom Kippur. It was the first time I had ever heard a Jew speak about Judeo-Christian values and about how those values shaped our nation’s history. I began reading his articles, listening to his radio show, and through Dennis, a religious Jew, came to learn about John Hagee, the pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Pastor Hagee founded CUFI in 2006, an organization dedicated exclusively to supporting the State of Israel through philanthropy and advocacy that now boasts more than 10 million members. How extraordinary that the largest pro-Israel organization in our country is a Christian organization.

And so, this past Sunday I walked into a ballroom of lovers of Zion made up of thousands of Christians. Interspersed in the crowd, I instantly spotted the many Kippot. There were Orthodox rabbis, rabbis of other denominations, and Jews of all ages and backgrounds attending the conference to specifically express our gratitude to our Christian brothers and sisters, our allies in this war against antisemitism.  We were treated like family. Kosher meals were provided throughout the conference, and one of CUFI’s founding principles was consistently honored: there was no attempt to convert or proselytize Jews. The absolute and unreserved love of Israel and the Jewish people enveloped me in wonder. Why did we Jews spend so much time explaining ourselves to those who hate us, trying to catalogue the ever-expanding technological accomplishments of Israel as if it will somehow convince anyone of the justice of our........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)