In the late 1950s, the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church recognized an important opportunity: outreach to Jewish communities. To pursue this, they established the Committee on Jewish Broadcasting which focused on using radio broadcasts and religious literature to share the Adventist message in a way that would resonate with Jewish listeners.
Early discussions focused on the practical aspects of this outreach, weighing the best options for reaching Jewish audiences. The committee explored advertising rates for popular New York-area radio stations, carefully considering whether these stations were owned by Jewish individuals or Gentiles. They also looked at available time slots with Friday evenings and Sunday mornings standing out as prime opportunities. Additionally, they evaluated competing programs airing during these times and the costs of advertising in newspapers.
In later sessions, the committee reviewed seven manuscripts meant for outreach, including The Heritage of Israel, Do Science and the Bible Agree?, The Health Laws of Moses, The Ten Commandments – Moral or Spiritual Issue, The Seventh-Day Sabbath, Bible Health and Moral Science, and Peace of Mind. They also discussed distributing Patriarchs and Prophets, a key work that could speak directly to Jewish readers, with some sections adapted to better reflect Jewish cultural contexts.
The committee was also forward-thinking in requesting that Jewish radio tapes produced by Dr. Jay Hoffman be duplicated for use in future sermons, commercials, and music programs. They also emphasized that future programming should heavily feature Patriarchs and Prophets with appropriate cultural adaptations to make it more relatable to Jewish audiences.
As time passed, General Conference meetings continued to refine their approach. One key decision was selecting a single name for the Bible correspondence course offered by the Times Square Center. To avoid confusion from multiple competing names, the committee voted to use the Hebrew Scripture Institute, assigning one box number for all correspondence. They also approved the production of 13 tapes in partnership with Faith for Today, specifically aimed at New York’s Jewish community, and appointed key contacts to support the effort.
The General Conference recognized that spreading the everlasting gospel to Jewish communities required not only strategic planning but also cultural understanding. By tailoring their outreach to align with Jewish values and traditions, they ensured that the message of salvation could be received clearly, bringing the hope of the gospel to those who needed it most.
