A Match Made in Heaven: American Jews, Christian Zionists, and One Man's Exploration of the Weird and Wonderful Judeo-Evangelical Alliance

by Ze'ev Chafets

In a time of jihad "against Jews and Crusaders," the Jews of America and Israel find themselves with a powerful albeit unlikely tens of millions of American evangelicals. As the conflict in the Middle East roils and divisions harden, Israel, a nation at war, welcomes this Christian support, whereas the American Jewish establishment—liberal, secular, and Democratic—remains wary. This tension, along with the question of whether the Jews will embrace the evangelicals' offer of partnership before it is too late, is at the heart of Zev Chafets's incisive and compelling new book. Over the course of a year, Chafets, a former New York Daily News columnist and onetime director of the Israeli government press office, travels the world, tracing the improbable confluence of Jews and evangelicals. Along the way, Chafets meets Jerry Falwell and his national championship debate squad, visits Jewish cadets at West Point, heads to Virginia to tour Pat Robertson's university, meets the Pentecostal priest of Wall Street, attends the world's biggest Christian retail show, accompanies the rabbi with the biggest gentile following since Jesus on a road trip, travels the Holy Land with a band of repentant Christian pilgrims, and breaks bread with George W. Bush (and five hundred fellow Jewish Republicans). Although Chafets spins a penetrating, engaging, and often hilarious narrative, A Match Made in Heaven has at its core some very serious How is the relationship between Jews and Christians changing? Why do evangelicals support Israel so strongly? Is their philo-Semitism just a front for their true purpose to convert Jews? Do the evangelicals, as their opponents charge, really want to use the Jews as cannon fodder at the battle of Armageddon? Or are they simply responding to the biblical commandment to love Israel? Finally, is the American Jews' fear of fundamentalist Christianity based on constitutional principle—or social and cultural snobbery and political partisanship? Equal parts history, comedy, travelogue, and political tract, A Match Made in Heaven is a smart and adventurous trip along a rapidly changing religious and political border.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly smug, and more than a little sad. About evangelicals' support for Israel, which needs to rebuild the Second Temple so Jesus can come back and defeat Satan. It's a typically pugnacious Israeli book (I keep getting the sense of him sitting back and feeling self-satisfied with how many stereotypes he's punctured), but also a desperate one: when the best you can do for allies is a group whose members keep "accidentally" spitting out messages about how Jews really need to accept Jesus and don't do so only out of stubbornness, that's a pretty sad sign.

[Kathy Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book about the alliances between evangelical Christians and Jews regarding Israel. My problem with it is that I felt the author believes we should be unquestioning in our support of Israel, and I can't, and won't be unquestioning in my support of anyone.

[Kari McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating read! I believe the purpose of the book is to encourage American Jews to accept the friendship and political partnership of evangelical Christians as they mutually support Israel. I was surprised to hear of the historical alienation of evangelicals and Jews in America, I suppose because I have so frequently heard of “Judeo-Christian values.” I think the author is fair to both groups and crafted a creative and interesting argument.

[JoséMaría BlancoWhite · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to give an opinion on this entertaining little book. Why? Well, the subject is one everyone gets touchy on, and practically anything the author says is going to be misinterpreted or ignored. Almost anything one says to build bridges will not prosper. This author tries it, though. And if I give his book 4 stars it's because, whatever the results may be, and even if I myself don't agree with some things, I have to admit that the book is fun.

Bottom-line is: Jews and Christian Evangelicals should get along. Issues separating us are trivial in comparison to the gains we can make if we stay together in the grand issues that both concern us. Just quit fuming about the Inquisition. That was in Europe, not America, by the way. Quit blaming Christian America for every evil: the Holocaust took place in Europe too. Christian America is Your friend, not Your enemy. Give us a break.

A multitude of Christians are stretching out their hands to Israel. So why not take it? It seems so simple.

Well obviously it ain't that simple when a lot of high class East Coast American Jewry still feel very prejudiced towards the average American of middle class. That they are disconnected with real America -not the America of their cocktail parties- doesn't seem to register with them. And if I say that they shouldn't be afraid of a Christian America because it's always been Christian from its inception and they got along pretty well, I won't be contributing much to mellowing the situation. But that's true. Judeo-Christian values made America possible. Maybe it ain't anymore so, but it sure was in the past. So what else do these Christian-hating Jews want? Christians are willing to stay with Israel and honest Jews through whatever it takes, but are not willing to deny their own Christ -the best Jew that ever was.

I guess well-intentioned books like this one are doomed to fail mainly because there's too much resentment, pride, hate, etc that corrupts any efforts done.

What I didn't like much was the common denominator used to explain the reasoning why this alliance should go on. Convenience and utilitarianism do not appeal to people who are spiritually minded and really believe in God. But I let it fly. On the other hand the book is a wealth of information: The who is who of the Evangelical and Jewish worlds.

Divide and conquer has always been the devil's favorite sport.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s politics are terrible but his reporting on the new Evangelical love for “the Jews” and the State of Israel is an ironic introduction to the major trends and players. He makes some sharp observations on the class/status issues around Jewish aversions to their new BFFs: “Jews may not have landed at Plymouth Rock, but in recent decades they have made it to Martha’s Vineyard, and they are sometimes not very sensitive to the feelings of the inhabitants of Gilligan’s Island.” The alliance is like “having friends with terrible taste in music.” And Armageddon? Liberals too have their “endtime utopia”: “a day when evangelical Bible-thumpers scrape the Confederate decals off their trucks and the mayonnaise off their sandwiches, beat their hunting rifles into sixteen-speed bicycles….” Clever. Chafets’ politics are unprincipled self-interest and he is uncharitable to Israel’s critics—academics, mainline Prots, pro-Pals—so he loves the Christian Zionist “match,” most liberals will not.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

insightful and witty. the author's style is of the type i aspire to:

"But liberals in academia, the entertainment business, and the media need to be a little less self-righteous about this. They, too, promote an end-times utopia, a day when evangelical Bible-thumpers scrape the Confederate decals off their trucks and the mayonnaise off their sandwiches, beat their hunting rifles into sixteen-speed bicycles, replace Genesis with Darwin, and embrace Seinfeld values" (p. 195).

brilliant.

[Roy Carlisle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this book highly because of its "informational" value. The content of Zev's reporting is not generally known by the evangelical crowd that I associate with and should be. The question that lingers is whether new and younger evangelical leaders will follow in the footsteps of Falwell and Robertson in terms of their relationship to Israel? But we need another book by Zev to answer that question.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm, one of the few non-religious ppl that is politically conservative that I found both credible and interesting. I was surprised :-) He seemed to be pretty objective about both religious jews and religious right wing evangelicals...all from the outside..a pretty easy and quick read, as well. I enjoyed this book

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

really well written and not what youd expect, a nice easy read