Introduction / History

The presence of Serbian Jews can be traced back thousands of years to Roman times. Serbian Jews have been recognized throughout their history in Serbia for their participation in various wars in this region. Their lives remained stable in times between wars, but during the Holocaust they were put into prison camps where they were used as forced labor.

There is a Jewish presence in Serbia, mainly in Novi Sad and Belgrade.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Today, some are involved in political and national affairs. Serbian speaking Jewish people are struggling to survive as a community as many are moving out of the country. The remaining Serbian speaking Jewish people are having trouble gathering enough people to celebrate the Shabbat and other events as a community. They somehow maintain a Jewish choir, dance corps and a book club.

What Are Their Beliefs?

For religious Jews, God is the Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe, and the ultimate Judge of human affairs. Beyond this, the religious beliefs of the Jewish communities vary greatly. European Jews are extremely diverse in religious practice. The Ashkenazic Jews are the most prevalent, representing the Orthodox, ultra-Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform movements. The unusual and adamantly traditional Hasidic movement was born in Poland and has gained a strong following in the United States and Israel. The Sephardic denomination is like the Orthodox Ashkenazic but is more permissive on dietary rules and some religious practices. Each Jewish denomination maintains synagogues and celebrates the traditional Jewish holiday calendar. While most European Jews are religiously affiliated, there is a significant minority which is not religious.

What Are Their Needs?

Jewish people often don’t give Jesus a chance because of abuse by Christians. They need loving ambassadors of Christ to go to them. Audio and visual gospel literature and a complete Bible are available in the Serbian language. There is potential for outreach among Jewish Serbians, perhaps through occupational or relational connections.

Prayer Items

Pray for a movement to Jesus Christ among Serbian Jews in Serbia.
Pray that Jewish hearts would respond to the love of Christ through Jesus followers as they engage in everyday life together.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to give Serbian-speaking Jews hearts that are soft toward their messiah.

Scripture Prayers for the Jewish, Serbian-speaking in Serbia.

References

https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/about/communities/RS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Serbia
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-barely-surviving-the-holocaust-one-serbian-jewish-community-faces-extinction/