PatColo
20th May 2019, 02:05 AM
with that stunt, shouldn't the Christian couple consider converting the other way, right? :D
Christian Couple Posed As Orthodox Jews To Convert Neighbors (https://forward.com/fast-forward/424516/chicago-orthodox-christianity-fraud/)
https://images.forwardcdn.com/image/300x225/center/images/cropped/screen-shot-2019-05-17-at-111354-am-1558106070.png
Christian missionaries posed as Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn and Chicago to convert their neighbors.
May 17, 2019
By Alyssa Fisher (https://forward.com/author/alyssa-fisher/)
A couple that had moved to a heavily-Jewish neighborhood in Chicago (https://forward.com/culture/308944/what-it-means-to-grow-up-jewish-in-chicago/) were actually Christian missionaries who had been trying to pass as Jewish in order to promote their religion, the Jewish news website COLlive (https://collive.com/frum-looking-couple-teaches-christianity/#.XN6_7NNKg1h) reported.
The proselytizers, who went by David and Rivkah Costello, were exposed by a visitor from Brooklyn (https://forward.com/fast-forward/423509/brooklyn-new-york-orthodox-measles/), New York — because they had been caught lying to Jewish community in the Williamsburg (https://forward.com/fast-forward/423828/man-assaulted-called-fing-jew-in-latest-brooklyn-anti-semitic-attack/) neighborhood last year and forced to leave. Rabbi Levi Notik, a rabbi in West Rogers Park, Chicago, informed the community of the scheme.
The Costello moved to West Rogers Park a few months ago, Notik told COLlive, and had completely assimilated to the Jewish community: they prayed in local synagogues and wore traditional Orthodox (https://forward.com/news/national/418626/anti-semitic-attack-brooklyn-hasidic-chabad/) clothing (David Costello has long peyot, or sidelocks). Rivkah worked as a babysitter for Jewish families.
But Notik said that when he confronted David Costello, he didn’t deny their belief in Jesus - and in fact did not regret their quest.
A newsletter published by a Texas church in 2016 said that the couple hoped to continue their mission “until every Hasidic person has a chance to hear the Gospel.” They have gone by a series of aliases, COLLive reported.
A document from 2016 obtained by JTA (https://www.jta.org/2019/05/17/united-states/a-chicago-couple-live-like-orthodox-jews-and-they-cant-wait-to-tell-you-about-jesus) said that David Costello worked for Global Gates, an international Christian group whose mission is to reach “the world’s most unevangelized people groups.” Global Gates said in a statement that the Costellos were employed by their organization for less than a year, ending in July 2017. They said they would have no further comment.
https://forward.com/fast-forward/424516/chicago-orthodox-christianity-fraud/
Christian Couple Posed As Orthodox Jews To Convert Neighbors (https://forward.com/fast-forward/424516/chicago-orthodox-christianity-fraud/)
https://images.forwardcdn.com/image/300x225/center/images/cropped/screen-shot-2019-05-17-at-111354-am-1558106070.png
Christian missionaries posed as Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn and Chicago to convert their neighbors.
May 17, 2019
By Alyssa Fisher (https://forward.com/author/alyssa-fisher/)
A couple that had moved to a heavily-Jewish neighborhood in Chicago (https://forward.com/culture/308944/what-it-means-to-grow-up-jewish-in-chicago/) were actually Christian missionaries who had been trying to pass as Jewish in order to promote their religion, the Jewish news website COLlive (https://collive.com/frum-looking-couple-teaches-christianity/#.XN6_7NNKg1h) reported.
The proselytizers, who went by David and Rivkah Costello, were exposed by a visitor from Brooklyn (https://forward.com/fast-forward/423509/brooklyn-new-york-orthodox-measles/), New York — because they had been caught lying to Jewish community in the Williamsburg (https://forward.com/fast-forward/423828/man-assaulted-called-fing-jew-in-latest-brooklyn-anti-semitic-attack/) neighborhood last year and forced to leave. Rabbi Levi Notik, a rabbi in West Rogers Park, Chicago, informed the community of the scheme.
The Costello moved to West Rogers Park a few months ago, Notik told COLlive, and had completely assimilated to the Jewish community: they prayed in local synagogues and wore traditional Orthodox (https://forward.com/news/national/418626/anti-semitic-attack-brooklyn-hasidic-chabad/) clothing (David Costello has long peyot, or sidelocks). Rivkah worked as a babysitter for Jewish families.
But Notik said that when he confronted David Costello, he didn’t deny their belief in Jesus - and in fact did not regret their quest.
A newsletter published by a Texas church in 2016 said that the couple hoped to continue their mission “until every Hasidic person has a chance to hear the Gospel.” They have gone by a series of aliases, COLLive reported.
A document from 2016 obtained by JTA (https://www.jta.org/2019/05/17/united-states/a-chicago-couple-live-like-orthodox-jews-and-they-cant-wait-to-tell-you-about-jesus) said that David Costello worked for Global Gates, an international Christian group whose mission is to reach “the world’s most unevangelized people groups.” Global Gates said in a statement that the Costellos were employed by their organization for less than a year, ending in July 2017. They said they would have no further comment.
https://forward.com/fast-forward/424516/chicago-orthodox-christianity-fraud/