"Bush's plans to address Messianic Jewish group irks former aides," Carson Wright, 5th Period

President George W. Bush spoke recently at a Dallas fundraiser for the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute (MJBI). Messianic Jews are people of Jewish heritage who believe that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah awaited by the Jewish people. Tevi Troy, a former aide of the Bush administration to the Jewish community, has expressed his disappointment with the decision of the former president to speak for the MJBI. This discontent comes from the fact that the MJBI is an organization built on converting Jews to Christianity. Troy says that "'there's good historical reason for the Jewish discomfort,'" as the people of Jewish faith and heritage have all too often known hardships such as anti-Semitism and forced conversion throughout history. Troy and many other Jews take offense at the contention of the MJBI that Jews need to be "saved." However, Troy has said that Bush was "'a very good president to the Jewish people,'" as he fought against terrorism, was "a friend to Israel," and was an "outspoken opponent of anti-Semitism."
Still, Troy contends that this effort to convert Jews "'dates back to a time when forced conversion was a serious issue, when the church was imbued with the power of the state.'" Thus, it is seen as offensive, as it undermines the Jewish heritage and suggests that Jewish people are somehow incomplete. And "while Messianic Jews believe it's possible to be Jewish while believing Jesus is the Messiah, others say this makes as much sense as a vegetarian who believes in scarfing down steak."
Through this controversy over the MJBI and George W. Bush, Troy is not worried by Messianic converting organizations, as he knows such is not an issue today. Rather, he is concerned with the number of Jews in America that "don't identify with any faith, let alone their own." Troy contends that "'Judaism...has other and bigger problems.'"

With all of the culture and identity found in the Jewish heritage, it's not hard to see why many people of the Jewish faith would be put off by organizations such as the MJBI. After all, if one is faced with a proselytizing company built on altering one's unique socioreligious way of life, one may be rather taken aback by the implications of such.
Furthermore, despite his commendable efforts to fight modern anti-Semitism, isn't very surprising that George W. Bush, as a conservative Christian, chose to speak at the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute. But, as Tevi Troy said, groups like the MJBI aren't the root of the problems for American Jews. Judaism has always been small compared to other major world religions such as Hinduism and Christianity. And while I have some skeptical views towards organized religion, I do very much hope that Judaism maintains its faith and the rich cultural heritage that it brings to society's table.

Article: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/13/bushs-plans-irk-jewish-aides/?hpt=us_bn3