Jerusalem, June 10, 2021 — Rabbi Tuly (Naphtali) Weisz, a pioneering thought leader in Christian Zionism and founder of the Israel365 website, today (Thursday) at the 2021 Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast held in the Friends of Zion Heritage Museum, shocked the 70 invited guests and the hundreds of evangelical Christians attending online from around the world. “I am an Orthodox Jewish rabbi who was asked to open a Christian breakfast in Jerusalem with a prayer. However, I will be honest, I cannot pray with you today. In fact, I cannot even wear my kipah here today.”
In an unexpected move, Weisz removed his kipah, “the most visible symbol of my Jewish identity out of solidarity with Jews around the world who are afraid to display their Judaism for fear of getting beaten.”
Just days after Friends of Zion Museum founder and evangelical leader Mike Evans threatened to eradicate Christian support because of Israeli elections and oppose the State of Israel, Weisz questioned his own participation in the prayer gathering. “Many friends told me to run away. If I must run away from the Friends of Zion Museum in the heart of Jerusalem, then I ask you, to where should I run?”
Putting his kipah back on his head, Weisz then handed kippot to the guests, inviting them to “wear a kipah today if you are a true friend of Zion who will never oppose Israel, but will eternally stand with Israel and against anti-Semitism.”
For Weisz, a former U.S. pulpit rabbi who now lives in Israel and dedicates his life’s work to building bridges between the Jewish and Christian Zionist world, the time has come for deeds, not words and for actions, not prayers.
“I offer a radically new approach to Jewish-Christian relations. I invite evangelical leaders to contact me to develop a global faith-based network of pro-Israel pastors and rabbis. I will introduce you to local, pro-Israel, religious Zionist Jews in all of your cities and countries so that we can start decentralizing Zionism building upon the most solid of all foundations—our mutual belief in the Bible and our unconditional love for the God of Israel, the Land of Israel and the People of Israel.”
Ending his speech with a dash of Israeli chutzpah, Weisz suggested that the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast for Christian leaders be rechristened the Jerusalem Prayer and Action Breakfast for Christians and Jews, “so that we can fight anti-Semitism together, support Israel together and pray for the peace of Jerusalem together!”
Photo attached: Credit: Donna Jollay, Israel365
More pics available on request
Rabbi Tuly Weisz is available for further comment/interview.
Please contact Lydia Weitzman, 0523584395, to arrange.
About Rabbi Tuly Weisz
Rabbi Tuly (Naphtali) Weisz is an innovative Jewish educator, passionate about the Land of Israel and a pioneering thought leader in Christian Zionism. Through his popular websites, Israel365, Israel365 News and The Israel Bible, Rabbi Weisz is dedicated to educating Christian Zionists about the importance of Israel and connecting them to the Land and People of Israel.
A pulpit rabbi from Ohio who made Aliyah with his family in 2011, Weisz traded in his congregation of several hundred Orthodox families for several hundred thousand pro-Israel Evangelical Christians whom he teaches daily, online. Israel365 News is one of the largest Israel-based news websites for Christian Zionists with more than a million monthly pageviews, and Israel365 daily email newsletters go out to 400,000-plus subscribers.
