Mandatory Disclaimer
There are two great challenges facing us in helping people to make a proper and complete “return” as Bnei Anousim to the faith and traditions of our Sephardic Jewish ancestors.
1) There have been a few who are attempting to “return” under a disguise (a hiding) of their prevalent and continued Roman, Catholic, Judeo-Christian and or Messianic beliefs and practices. It means they are not being truthful – This would cause them great difficulty in their “return” to the faith and traditions of their Sephardi Jewish ancestors.
2) There are people who do not understand that we are not trying to proselytize any of the Bnei Anousim in order to change them and remove them from their current beliefs … if they are committed Christians. Our desire is only to help/assist them in their journey of “return”, should they seek out our organization of their own free will and personal desire to come out of hiding (and out from fear of the persecutions). Our position on this matter is no different from the normative position that Judaism holds to having zero tolerance for (and/or participation in) proselytizing of any people of other faith or practices. Every human being has a right to freedom of religion – without undue attempts to change them.
Ezra L’Anousim and its affiliates understand that this attempt at “infiltration” of the Jewish world by dishonest people (still holding onto beliefs foreign to Judaism) has been a troubling problem. It’s also understood that due to the fact that the ancestors of the Sephardi Bnei Anousim had been under forced conversions, during the inquisitions, that some of these doctrinal beliefs have continuously followed and hounded our people during their current journey as well. Against the concept of freedom of religion as a basic human right (which came out of the Roman period).
HOWEVER, this refusal to let go of beliefs that are foreign to Judaism is the case only for a very few with a desire to “return”. It MUST BE UNDERSTOOD that maintaining those beliefs is fine under freedom of religion – but are in fact a major prohibition for anyone of the Bnei Anousim wanting to making a full return to Torah Judaism – since those beliefs are incompatible with Torah Judaism.
As such Ezra L’Anousim, and its affiliates, will only help a candidate to return, so long as they have signed our affidavit.
The main objections, with the Roman doctrinal beliefs, are as follows:
1. The Roman (and daughter Churches) belief in a “man as god” in human form, because it is totally outside of the realm of Jewish thought and of all forms of Judaism.
2. The Roman (and daughter Churches) belief in a failed Jewish Messiah as a requirement for one’s salvation (which is nowhere stated anywhere in the Hebrew Bible)
3. The Roman (and daughter Churches) 2nd century doctrine of “replacement theology” … i.e., that Christians have replaced the Jews in GOD’s plans and purposes, instead of the clear concept of the Olive Tree – where non-Jews are grafted into the Olive Tree (to share in salvation) for those who have come to believe in the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
4. The Roman (and daughter Churches) 2nd century perspective that Church doctrine (from the anti-Semitic early Church Fathers) is more valid than the clear statements of the Jewish roots of Christianity within the writings of the 1st century – which was a Noachide Movement in its day to bring people out of the paganism of the Roman Empire & Asia Minor and into an understanding of the ONE GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Please see a copy of our official AFFIDAVIT that has the Ben/Bat Anousim renouncing all or any former faith & practices that are foreign to Judaism. And all potential candidates for “return” will be required to sign that legal document at some point in their process.
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Maniditory Affidavit
STATEMENT OF FAITH/RENUNCIATION OF PREVIOUS BELIEFS
As a potential convert/returnee from the Bnei Anousim through the auspices of Ezra L’Anousim, or any affiliate of said organization, please read each of the following numbered statements and initial on the appropriate line as proof that you have read and agree with each of these statements and renunciations:
1. I believe with perfect faith in the existence of the Creator, who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists. He is the cause of all existence, and everything exists only because of Him. And if all things would cease to exist, His existence would not cease. Oneness and kingship is His alone. The existence of the angels, the celestial bodies and all that is in them and that which is below them, all need Him for their existence. IT is attested to by the verse, “I am Hashem your G-d”. I categorically renounce, reject and deny any belief which claims that G-d ever took on human form and was incarnated into a human being. Initial____________
2. I believe with perfect faith in THE absolute and unparalleled unity of G-D. G-d is one and there is no other oneness like His. This is the second principle as it says in the Shema, “Hear Israel, Hashem is Our G-d, Hashem is One.” additionally, G-d is not only infinite, but He transcends time, space and matter. G-d has no beginning and no end, as it states: “I am the first and I am the last and besides Me there is no other.” (Isaiah 44:6) I acknowledge that it is incorrect to attribute a compound unity to G-D, since physical objects that exist within the context of time and space cannot be used to describe G-d. The Hebrew term unique (Yachid), correctly describes G-d’s existence prior to Creation {since} as it indicates the absence of any plurality. I categorically renounce, reject and deny any belief that understands the Creator to be a “trinity”, {or} “tri–unity” of three persons, entities or personalities or a compound unity of any kind. – Initial___________
3. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is non–corporeal. he has no form and he cannot be affected by any physical occurrences. I completely deny any physicality as it relates to G-d. The Sages, of blessed memory, said with regards to heaven, that there is no sitting, nor standing, no awakeness, nor tiredness. G-D does not partake in any physical actions or qualities. If He HAD a body, then He would be like any other body and would not be G-d. while the holy books speak of G-d in anthropomorphic terminology, our great Rabbis, of blessed memory, say that “the Torah speaks in man’s language” – using human terms to offer us understanding. This is attested to
by the verse, “For you saw no image” or any form when you stood at Mt. Sinai I categorically renounce, reject and deny any belief which claims that G-d ever took on human form and was incarnated AS a human being. – Initial___________
4. I believe with perfect faith in Gd’s eternity. G-d existed prior to everything, and exists after everything. Initial__________
5. I believe with perfect faith in the imperative to worship G-d alone without the addition of partners. This includes foreign or false gods, the angels, the stars or the planets for they are all creations of G-d. G-d has no intermediaries, and it is improper to create any for him. Only to G-d should you incline your thoughts, PRAYERS and your actions. Initial ________
6. I categorically renounce, reject and deny any belief in Jesus, Yeshua, Yahshua, Yahoshuah or any other name by which the Christian, Hebrew Christian, Messianic Movements or Nazarene/Netzarim messiah is called. I declare this entity to have been a false messiah and reject and deny that he intercedes on the behalf of those who put their faith in him, instead of G-d the Eternal One, and that any fidelity to him is contrary to true Jewish faith. Initial__________
7. I categorically renounce, reject and deny that any so-called “New Testament” (or New Covenant, Renewed Covenant, Brit HaChadasha, or any other name by which Christians, Hebrew-Christians, Messianic movements or Nazarene/Netzarim movements) , “Book of Mormon”, “Koran” or any additional scripture recognized by other than the Jewish community or any part of them, is the word of G–d (Divinely revealed) and is to be considered part of or a completion or addendum to the Jewish scriptures. Nor any followers of a claimed prophet or messiah, or writers of these texts be considered prophets or in any way inspired by G-d. Initial__________
7. I believe with perfect faith in the primacy of the prophecy of Moshe (Moses) our teacher. Moshe (Moses), was the father of all prophets that were before him and that will be after him. He was on a qualitatively different level than any other, and he is chosen from all other people before and after him that have any knowledge of G-d; for his was the greatest of prophecies. G-D spoke with all other prophets through intermediaries, but not with Moshe (Moses). G-d spoke with him “face to face”. With all other prophets, prophecy came to them at night while they were asleep and in a dream, or during the day, but only after a deep sleeplike state came over them, and all their senses except their thoughts were shut off. However Moshe (Moses) would receive prophecy at any time.
Initial__________
8. I believe with perfect faith in the divine origin of the Torah (written and oral), received by Moshe (Moses) our teacher entirely from the mouth of G-d. It is perfect, pure, holy, and true. Initial_________
9. I believe with perfect faith in the immutability of the Torah. The completeness of the Torah (Written and Oral), is from G-d and is not lacking in anything. You may not add to it or take away from it; neither from the written Torah or from the oral Torah. Initial__________
10. I believe with perfect faith in Gd’s omniscience and providence. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator knows all the deeds of human beings and all their thoughts Initial_________
11. I believe with perfect faith in divine reward and retribution. the greatest reward is life in the world to come and the greatest punishment is having one’s soul cut off or separated from G-d in the world to come. Initial_________
12. I believe with perfect faith in the arrival of the true Messiah and the messianic era as outlined in the Jewish scriptures, even though he delays in coming AND there is no king of Israel except from the house of David and from the seed of Solomon.
Initial__________
13. I believe with perfect faith in the resurrection of the dead. will occur in the messianic age, when the true Jewish Messiah comes to initiate the perfect world of peace and prosperity indeed the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come i categorically renounce, reject and deny any belief which claims that personal salvation or atonement from sin requires the death of a special individual, or that it can only be obtained through the death and shed blood of such an individual through whatever method. Initial_________
14. I categorically renounce, reject and deny any belief that I, as a non-Jew (or as a Ben/Bat Anousim) am an Ephraimite, Israelite, or part of the Two House, Restoration of Israel, or Two Covenant Israel movement, or any of its other names or titles. In addition, I have no reason to believe that I am one of the members of the “lost ten tribes of Israel” who were dispersed from the northern kingdom of Israel. – Initial__________
I ___________________________________ acknowledge that I have read, initialed and signed this document (consisting of ____ pages) of my own free will. I have not been coerced in any way or have I received or been promised any inducements, now or in the future, to initial or sign this document. I have read each principle and maintain that I accept and believe
all these statements to be clear and true.
Should I have misrepresented my beliefs, or have in any way been untruthful in these declarations as it relates to one, all, or any part of the statements above, the results will be the immediate renunciation of my conversion/return by Ezra L’Anousim, or any of its affiliates.
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INDIVIDUAL Signature Date
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Witness Signature Date
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Witness Signature Date