Believers in Israel - A history

Additional Information

The total number of Messianic Jews in Israel has grown from a mere handful in the early 1970’s, to some 30,000 believers today. Maoz has been an integral part of the Messianic Jewish movement in Israel since 1976.

In 1948, there were approximately ten million Jewish people around the world who had survived the Holocaust, and about 600,000 were living in Israel. Of those, only 23 of them believed in Yeshua as their Messiah. There were some churches led by denominations and missionaries in Israel, but there were no Messianic congregations at all.

In 1989 Israel’s Jewish population had grown to 3.5 million, and by this point, the estimated number of believers had reached 1,200. There were now 30 congregations.
By 1999 there were 4.8 million Jews living in Israel, 81 Messianic congregations, and an estimated 5,000 believers.

In 2017, 300 congregations were counted. It has become increasingly difficult to accurately identify the number of Jewish believers in Israel, but a conservative estimate is now 30,000.

Source: Israel College of the Bible

Three waves

first wave 1970’s. From the US mainly out of the Jesus movement - small in number made Aliyah but became the pioneers.

Second wave 1990's. Russian immigration brought Jewish believers in Jesus and many who came to faith after arrival.

Third wave 2000’s. Jewish people in Israel are opening their hearts to their Messiah.

The Messianic Movement is growing

In the late 1960's there were very few Jewish believers in Jesus in Israel. Now things are different - although there is still much to do.

Although we sometimes face opposition, the body of Messiah in Israel is growing and is seeing Jewish people from different walks of society come to recognise Yeshua as Messiah.