French Jewish in Belgium


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Before WWII an estimated 75,000 Jews lived in Belgium. Approximately 24,000 were murdered in the Holocaust. Some were hidden by Christians and some were able to flee to Britain. As anti-Semitism increases in Europe, some French speaking Jews are moving to Israel or North America. The French Jews of Belgium speak multiple European languages including English.


Where Are they Located?

Most Jews in Belgium live in large cities such as Brussel, Antwerp and Ghent.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Jewish parents strongly encourage their children to pursue graduate educations. Jews often find their employment in medicine, law, higher education, science, and finance. Jewish scientists win the Nobel Prize many times above their percentage of the general population. One of the issues today for Judaism is that many Jews marry outside the faith resulting in children of mixed heritage. Conservative rabbis will only marry a mixed couple if the non-Jewish person is willing to convert to Judaism. Accordingly, to be considered a Jew in most Jewish circles, one must present evidence that he or she was born of a Jewish mother. At the age of 13, the Bar Mitzvah ceremony for a boy (or Bat Mitzvah for a girl) is an important rite of passage, which marks him or her as an adult member of the community. While these ceremonies were more spiritually focused in the past, they have become equally important as social events. Judaism is a non-evangelistic religion. The Jews do not seek converts. A non-Jew or Gentile can become a Jew only through a time of prolonged study and commitment.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Traditional Jews see Abraham as the father of their faith and Moses as the great lawgiver. The Law or Torah, the Prophets and the Writings make up the Jewish holy Scriptures. Judaism is a moral, fiercely monotheistic religion. One obtains favor with God by obeying the laws found in the Scriptures. The writings of the Rabbis, the Talmud, are seen as an essential guide to knowing and following the commands of God. The two main holy days of the Jews are the Passover which celebrates the Jews leaving Egypt under the leadership of Moses and the Day of Atonement in which Jews fast, pray and confess their sins. The Jewish Shabbat runs from Friday at sunset until sunset on Saturday. Religious Jews use the time to attend synagogue and to spend time with their families. Jews are known their philanthropic work and helping the less fortunate. The Jews living in the Belgium are diverse population and can classified into at least four major groups. The strictest branch of Judaism is the Orthodox. They believe the Law and Prophets, what Christians call the Old Testament, is the literal, inspired Word of God and still completely binding on their lives today. The liberal or progressive branch of Judaism is called Reformed. They do not believe in the miracles of the Torah and that Judaism must be fully integrated into modern scientific world. The Conservative Jews try to find a moderate, middle path between Orthodoxy and Reformed Judaism. One final part of the Jewish population are non-religious or secular Jews. These Jews do not attend synagogue and may go to work on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These secular Jews may be atheists, agnostics or deists. All four groups of Jews are represented in Belgium. A small but growing group of Jews in Belgium call themselves Messianic Jews. These Jews have accepted Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah. Orthodox and many Conservative Jews deem them as no longer Jews.


What Are Their Needs?

The Jews of Belgium need to see that their good works can never get them right with God. The only way that God forgives sins is through death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. The Jews who accept their Jesus as Messiah are frequently led into the kingdom of God by Christians who model the love of Christ to them.


Prayer Points

Ask the Lord to send French speaking believers to build friendships with Jews of Belgium and demonstrate God's love to them. Pray that God raises up a Messianic disciple making movement among the Jews of Belgium. Pray that more and more Jews would be willing to investigate the claims of Jesus Christ. Pray that God would open the spiritual eyes of the Jews as they read and study the Old Testament.


Scripture Prayers for the Jewish, French in Belgium.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Jewish, French-speaking
People Name in Country Jewish, French
Natural Name French Jewish
Pronunciation french joo
Alternate Names French; French Jew; French Jews
Population this Country 29,000
Population all Countries 513,000
Total Countries 5
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 11764
ROP3 Code 103063
ROP25 Code 303368
ROP25 Name Jewish
Country Belgium
Region Europe, Western
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Hainaut, Liège, Namur, and Walloon Brabant provinces; Luxembourg province: Lorraine; southern hills, and bilingual part of Brussels.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Belgium
Region Europe, Western
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Hainaut, Liège, Namur, and Walloon Brabant provinces; Luxembourg province: Lorraine; southern hills, and bilingual part of Brussels..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Jewish, French in Belgium
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Religion Subdivision: Judaism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.10 %)
1.00 %
Ethnic Religions
85.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
14.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language French (29,000 speakers)
Language Code fra   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language French (29,000 speakers)
Language Code fra   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking French

Primary Language:  French

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1483-1989)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1474-1990)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1478-2020)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings DAVAR Partners recording, complete Bible DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus film: view in French Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video Walking with Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group location: World Jewish Congress, Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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