What is a Messianic Synagogue?
Messianic synagogues and congregations are made up of both Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles (non-Jewish believers who have “pitched their tents” in the camp of Israel), much like the “mixed-multitudes” who came out of Egypt with our people during the Exodus. Most Messianic synagogues have one or more Torah Scrolls (the five books of Moses), and adhere to the teachings of the Bible (Genesis through Revelation), written by Jewish men anointed by God. Messianic Jews that worship in a Messianic synagogue maintain their Jewish roots, heritage and culture, as did Yeshua and His talmidim (disciples).
A messianic synagogue is one which affirms the messiahship of Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth). At Shuvah Yisrael, we gather for Torah (instruction), avodah (worship), and gemilut hasadim (deeds of lovingkindness). In this way, we are very much like congregations you would find in any Jewish community. And like any synagogue, we are a Bet Knesset, a place where the congregation assembles and addresses community needs, a Bet Tefillah, a place where we pray together, and a Bet Midrash, where we study our heritage and transmit it to the next generation. Those who have visited or participated in the wider Jewish community find much that is familiar at Shuvah Yisrael our liturgy, our wearing of traditional talleisim (prayer shawls) and kippot (skull caps), and our festival observances. Shuvah Yisrael feels like a synagogue because that is what it is! As a Messianic Synagogue, we affirm our confidence that Yeshua of Nazareth is the Messiah promised in the Tenakh (commonly called the Old Testament)
