BEWARE: VIDEO & PHOTOS: Missionaries are again attempting to distribute their material in Lakewood. Several Missionaries were seen walking around the area of Park and Princeton Avenues today throwing down envelopes containing DVDs at doorsteps. The men, who say they aren’t Missionaries, say the Township said it was okay for them to distribute their material.
“We were told to give them out here”, they said, despite being told that most families in the area are mostly Orthodox Jewish families and that they’re wasting their time and money. At least two residents were seen returning the envelopes to the men.
LCSW tells TLS they have received multiple calls regarding these individuals.
The Missionary DVD in the white envelope from Tom Cantor, contains a photo of the Har Habayis on the front and contains the message “A message of hope and gladness for Jewish people”.
According to Jews For Judaism, Cantor is a multi-millionaire Jewish businessman who converted to and became part of the 70-million-strong evangelical Christian movement. He produced the DVD about his conversion to Christianity and hired 200 young Christians to spread the Gospel in Jewish neighborhoods.
Last month, a similar group was distributing Missionary material in the Raintree area.
According to the Rabbonim, one is to immediately discard such material. TLS-G.E.R/TLS-CCP/TLS-50.
in other new, Jews are passing out jewish material on the internet….
the christian civilian safety watch(CCSW) is closely monitoring & video taping the non-criminals.
SERIOUSLY WHY DOES A STORY LIKE THIS NEED VIDEO STALKERS, AND A MULTI-PARAGRAPH STORY?
LAKEWOOD IS MORE THAN “MOSTLY” JEWISH. ITS A MULTI-CULTURAL TOWN.
SERIOUSLY! someone should go after them and remove the DVD’s from where they were littered before it is mistakenly opened CHV”S.
How sad for this guy, Cantor. Hashem blessed him with so much wealth that he could be supporting so many Torah institutions with and gaining countless merit. Instead he is squandering his money on worthless things and harming his neshomo to boot.
But we are not to throw scripture away and there is scripture in these dvd’s
Take a lighter to it in front of the guys face.
If your yiddishkiet and hashkafos are so shaky that u are afraid of a dvd, then u have alot more problems in life ,my friend
i live in westgate and last week we had cds or dvds (i’m not sure what they were) put by out doors. the one put by my door said women of valor… my neighbot got a different one. i told my neighbor not to take it in. she said she did already not realizing it might be a problem. now that you brought it up in other areas i just want to alert westgate residents not to take in the cds left by our doors last week.
Giving it them back to them [as quoted in the artical] only gives them a chance to give it someone else. Throw it in the garbage without opening it.
How do they expect the chosuve residents of lakewood to watch the DVDs? maybe they should give computers and dvd players along with there dvds, the guys a millionaire he most definitely can afford it.
I accidentially brought the enevlope into my house last week. I immediately threw it out, but I’ve been having trouble with my A/C ever since. I think it might be the aftereffect of bringing the fires of gehenom into my house
Why is this even News?, many religions pass out written material to the public just as they have a right to do it you have a right torefuse to recieve it by just saying no thank you . to those who complain just get over it This is still America and everyone is entitled to their beliefs
There was a breslover handing out those cute little pamphlets the other day in Shop Rite Plaza. Where is the video? Where is the outrage?
Because this material purports to be “Jewish”, and targets Jews for conversion. Children are approached in other Jewish neighborhoods and the people try to convince them and debate with them. You’re right, everyone is entitled to their belief… but keep it yourself. It’s one thing if someone’s standing on a corner, and completely different if someone’d throwing it onto your property. Either way, it’s wrong no matter what if the actual purpose is cloaked in a “Jewish” manner, with a “Jewish” title and language. They claim they are the true expression of Judaism, etc. Keep that garbage to yourselves, and away from our families, who we try so hard to imbue with the tenets of our faith.
This has been going on forever. all over the country Just throw it away and relax. How many people do you know that would be influenced by something like this? Even, R”L, kids at risk, are not becoming Christians exactly.
I don’t know if this will be published or not but I will say what I have to say anyway. As a Christian, after reading some of these comments almost sound medieval to me with some of the feeling people on this site have had to say. I have friends from all different circles, walks of life and religion. Some of my closest friends are Jewish. But some of these comments make me feel as if the Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood, almost hate Christians. I would never burn someone’s Torah in their face as someone suggested in posted comments. Some people are acting as if they will turn into pillars of salt if they even look at it. sounds to me as if some people need a lesson on tolerance.
Yes! it can be very annoying or aggravating to have people show up on your door step. But be polite and respectfully decline the information. That’s all. Lakewood is a culturally and religiously diverse community and we should embrace that.
A member of my family died in WWII while he was fighting to liberate Europe and the Jewish people from complete devastation and destruction and it concerns me greatly how some people on this site, are showing the same, prejudicial attitudes that were shown to their ancestors during reign of the ugly, Nazi, hate machine. I mean what’s next? Are we going to complain that you have to hear the church bells from St. Mary’s of the lake church and demand them to stop ringing?
To Lakewood Scoop: I’ve only read 1 comment on this article and it was from “Mr. Conservative”…
I started getting dizzy from the CAPITOL LETTERS he always types with. Please stop posting his comments as it gives me and i’m sure others headaches. Whenever I see one of his posts I always leave the web page without reading any further. It’s not so much the garbage that he writes (that’s a different problem)… it’s the capitol letters he keeps using…
You say “I would never burn someone’s Torah in their face…” – That would never be an issue because Jews value their Torah too much to leave it on someones door step.
#11- this is America and someone has the right to espouse his belief and I have the right to refuse to take that person’s material
#15- “Some of my closest friends are Jewish.”
Typical line, I can act totally improper to a certain group and then explain as “some of my closest friends are…”
There is also a significant difference between chiming church bells on the church’s property and going to people’s houses and sticking things in their faces. I do not hang up mezuzas on my non-Jewish neighbors’ doors and they do not hang crosses on mine. We have mutual respect for each other.
To #15. Some of your points are very valid. There is no excuse for anyone to talk down another’s religion. However these individuals have no right persuading people to conform to their beliefs.it is out right disrespect to our religion which you know we take very seriously. It is a tempting world out there and keeping our children shelteed takes effort. I am personally very offended by their approach. This does not in anyway mean that I look down upon Christians. These particular individuals need to live and let live. You say that your opinion about jews in general has changed due to some of the comments on this site. My opinion about christians has not changed because of these derelicts. I understand that one bad apple does not spoil the bunch.
How insensitive and downright sickening!!
I can’t think of something more disrespectful to another person’s religion than sending him unsolicited materials with the devious intention of proselytizing his family!
By the way, this infamous tom cantor came from a broken home. According to his own biography, his father was married and divorced five times and his mother three. His childhood memories are filled with being a rotten kid, being involved in dirty sins, and always getting in trouble. He was so bad that he was even thrown out of Swiss boarding school and military Boot Camp! Attempts to help him with deal with his issues failed. Sadly, his childhood was devoid of the enormous love that a child needs to get. Eventually he cut all ties with his family. He is now trying to take revenge for his unfortunate and deprived childhood through home delivering missionary DVDs and hiring christian college students from California as telemarketers to call people’s homes. (they get the names from a large database that has over 2 million Jewish sounding names)
This apostate Jew has built an ugly reputation as an ardent missionizer preying upon the Jewish community. He has funded several campaigns aimed at luring Jews away from their faith. His most recent operation was against the Jewish community of Dallas. He is now targeting his crusade against our community. (This is his SECOND attempt – following the first from back in May – against the community’s religious beliefs!)
Tom. We will never close the door on you. There is still room to love you. No one ever knows when their last day is. You can still repent and come back home!!
You obviously didn’t understand the analogy. Let me explain. I know you wouldn’t burn your Torah. Nor would I burn my bible, which I consider a holy book as you do to your Torah. So, therefore, I would never disrespect your religious scripts or text, because no matter what religion, I try to respect others and their beliefs and disposing of something as such, I would at least try to find the proper way to get rid of it. If I came across something that I thought had Torah on it ,I wouldn’t throw it away, I would try to give it to a friend so they could burry it.
You obviously missed the point too. I did say that it is wrong for people to enter onto your property. Did I not. Simply call the police and have these people told they cannot enter a person’s property without permission. And yes, I do have many friends that are Jewish. Actually, my sister married and converted into a Jewish religious family and we are very happy for her, but I guess that’s just the typical line too. Or you will probably tell me that she’s not a true Jew either and that’s find. One has a hard time living up to your standards indeed.
You are a very wise person indeed and I agree with you 100%. The world today is nothing how it was when I was growing up or my parents. And I firmly believe that if other people lived to such high moral standards, this world would be a much better place for you, me and our children. There are not too many cultures or religions that value family, modesty, etc these days.
Very sad indeed if a lousy dvd or cd will bring your yiddishkiet to a halt. Maybe go learn some chovas halvavos aand some hilchos derech erets to bring your haskafos up to par. Just curious, why are your hashkafos so shaky if you went through the yeshiva system all your life. Im sure u went to kollel to so please explain your weakness of some dumb cd. As far as im concerened more harm to your hashkafos can be gotten from shopping on clifton av and at walmart. Yet noone screams about all the traif hashkafos found in these places.
People need to realize that Lakewood hasn’t become a complete jewish town,there are still christians living in town. Maybe people should learn to live together. Try taking to your neighbors you might find out they are nice and won’t hurt you.
We have had missionaries come to our door to talk about their religion. It didn’t shake our faith, but it did educate us on another’s beliefs. At no time were we tempted to abandon our faith or beliefs to have the material in our home. Our home did not explode, our children did not leave their faith. What are you so worried about? You brought up your children in your beliefs. If you feel your faith is so weak, your beliefs so frail, you need to be more learned in it and not worry about a dvd or missionary destroying your children. I’m concerned for you as a religious people. I’ll pray for you. And frankly, I’m surprised to learn you have so much fear. “Be still and know that I am Gd” Allow Hashem to shield you from fear and worry. You as a people are better then that.
To Wow and Jar- great posts!!
I think the purpose of this story was to warn people that the innocuous looking dvd wasn’t what it appeared to be.
I resent these people coming univited to my door to try and convince me that my religion is wrong and theirs is right. It’s offensive and disrespectful in the extreme. If you want me to respect you, please respect me. I don’t try to convert you, so don’t try to convert me. The only way to ensure peace on earth is for everyone to accept and respect each other irrespective of race, color, creed, nationality or religion.
Please don’t rush to judge our community on the basis of a few dumb remarks made by a few immature people who, thank G-d, are not representative of the majority of the community.
You are a bunch of hypocrites. You say “keep your views to yourself” yet I’m sure you have no objection to kiruv programs promoting Jewish outreach to lesser informed Jews. What’s your answer? “Oh, you can’t possibly compare that to kiruv! They are wrong, but kiruv is a mitzvah!” And you think these missionaries consider themselves cruel, evil people?! They are trying to do good, we simply believe that they are misguided. The proper thing to do would be to say thank you but I’m not interested, and move on in life.
Hey, ‘Proud Jew’, How can you compare an outreach program for your coreligionists, to proselytizing people of another religion??????
# 15 (wow) thanks for throwing in some salt & pepper into the conversation. I usually don’t post anything but I happened to like this debate.
Everybody is entitled to their religion and their culture. However, when you aggressively try to pass off proselytising dvd’s to families that you know will find what you are distributing as very offensive, that goes beyond the pale. A Catholic Church would not appreciate a Baptist Minister standing on their doorstep and decrying the Catholic traditions, and distributing literature, about the new and upgraded Catholic faith to their Catholic children. I personally feel like i have the strength to just put it aside and ignore it, but there are children who could be drawn to the literature, and frankly, it would taint them. That being said, this is America, there are laws about everybody’s rights, and if they violate your rights, you can certainly explain to them, that they are not allowed to violate your rights, and that they should please refrain from trespassing on your property.
I am a Christian, and we do get other Christians at our door trying to convert us. I would prefer that they did not come because it is a waste of my time. I am firm in my beliefs, but I never had hostile feelings. As Proud Jew points out, they are doing what they feel G-d wants them to do.
Yeah but Brian, the crusaders and the inquisition also thought that they where fullfiling Gd’s will. Doesn’t make em’ right.
The nutty pastor from Kansas is also within his legal boundaries. Doesn’t make him right.
Common sense should prevail.
Just saw them giving their stuff put at 8th Street and Madison AVe.
I have 3 signs posted on my door, private property/ no trespassing, beware of dogs & no solitors, enough said.
hi, do not delete. just received package ,14th street area by willow court.
it went straight into our garbage. if they dont have enough people in your religion – trying to get more, don’t you realize your religion is one big lie, and no one from any other religion is interested in it?
PrettyBoyFloyd- Because at the end of the day, not all of them want you coming to their door and they don’t believe in what you do. Listen, I’m not saying not to try to do “outreach,” because that’s what you believe is the right thing to do. But you can’t blame others for having the same idea. All you can do is say thank you but I have my beliefs and you are wasting your time with me, as Brian says. I just think that this attitude that they are out to get us is wrong and unfair.
PrettyBoyFloyd, wake up! Plenty of non-religious Jews say the same thing about you! And comparing this to the inquisition is just ludicrous, as you utilize the same freedoms that these people do! There is no law, nor should there be, against sticking your religion in someones face. As Holmes said, “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” That is the essence of democracy, and if you don’t like it, move.
The video’s were distributed all over Lakewood, not only to the Jewish homes, one must realize that lakewood is diverse, and there are many other religions in Lakewood just as their are in other towns,
don’t be naive. they are dstributing this in lakewood and boro park (i saw one outside my relatives house there) bec. they want to take religious jews away from judaism. rabbi goldwasser once said on a tape that they don’t ever give up so the best is not to engage them in conversation.
Proud Jew, like I wrote before I’ll write it again, you can be legally right, but still wrong.
Don’t engage these peolple in converstaion !
Number 15……. That was a well written response. Congrats
So what, someone puts something on your front stoop– you don’t want it, throw it out. Enough said!!
The Latter Day Saint , the Jehovahs and others have been on my front stoop and the brochures they have left have been glanced at and placed in the trash. At no point did I ever feel the need to chase them down the street to convert to what that are preaching. I am firm in my belifs and have no plans to change!
Oh and PS- if you take the info into your home nothing bad will happen becasue of it- your A/C will still work, unless of corse it was its time to act up and your children will suddenly change thier behavoirs as well- that’s just silly!!
number 46…..That last part was hysterical