10 May 1942: Lev Gillet advises the International Messianic Jewish Alliance #otdimjh

Posted on May 10, 2025 by richardsh

10 May 1942—Amid the darkest days of World War II and before the full horror of the Holocaust was known, the International Hebrew Christian Alliance (today’s International Messianic Jewish Alliance) wrestled with a practical and theological question: Could Jewish disciples of Yeshua who worshipped in the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches join their ranks on equal footing?

Desperate to help Jewish Christians escape Nazi‑occupied Europe—relocating families to the UK, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the land of Israel—the Alliance wanted its constitution to extend membership, logistical aid, and financial support to all Jewish disciples of Jesus, non‑Aryan Christians, and others. Yet their Protestant legal and charity status left them uncertain whether Roman Catholic and Orthodox believers could be fully included.

To clarify, they turned to two outside authorities:

  • Father C. Lattey, S.J., a Roman Catholic Scripture scholar at Heythrop College, Oxford
  • Father Lev Gillet, “a Monk of the Eastern Church,” whose visionary 1942 work  Communion in the Messiah  and his collaboration with Paul Levertoff prefigured modern-day Messianic Judaism.

Lev Gillet was deeply concerned for the plight of Jewish people and especially Jewish Christians in Europe, marching alongside Levertoff to plead their cause and gain the attention of the UK public.

A historic photo of Dr. Paul Levertoff and Father Lev Gillet at a rally in Holborn, advocating for Austrian refugees. Daily
Herald, April 22, 1938
Paul Levertoff, Anglican clergyman from Hasidic background

On 17 April 1942, Harcourt Samuel (Organizing Secretary of the IHCA) wrote to Fr  Gillet asking whether “instructed members of the Orthodox Church would be free to join us on the doctrinal basis” in the Alliance Constitution.

The basis for membership of the IMJA was (and still is, with slight modifications):

XIII. Membership

1. Any Jew who professes the Christian Faith and loves the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, shall be eligible for membership, and entitled to all rights and privileges attached to such membership; as defined by the resolutions; and on joining a National Alliance shall be ipso facto a member of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance.

2. Applicants for membership must: –
    (a) have made public confession of their faith,
    (b) have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour
    (c) believe in the Atonement which He wrought on the Cross of Calvary
    (d) believe in His Deity and Resurrection
    (e) declare their adherence to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the supreme rule of faith and life.

3. The families of Members professing the same Faith shall also be eligible for Membership with full rights.

4. Christians not of Hebrew birth shall be eligible as Associate Members.

Lev Gillet’s response (10 May 1942) – was wise and positive.

Woodbrooke, Selly Oak, Birmingham
10 May 1942

Dear Sir,
Excuse me for answering so late your letter of April 17. But I have been away from here most of the time.

You ask me if, in my opinion, “instructed members of the Orthodox Church would be free to join” the Hebrew Christian Alliance “on the doctrinal basis contained in paragraph 8, section 2, of the Constitution.”


I give you my opinion—which, of course, is strictly personal and cannot claim to express the views of the Orthodox Church as such. I think that “instructed members of the Orthodox Church” would have no difficulty in giving their full adherence to the items (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g) of the paragraph 8, section 2, – providing that these items are not implied to exclude other items which the Orthodox may consider as essential.


As regards (f), I think that many Orthodox would feel that this item calls for some elucidations. – Roughly speaking four main attitudes may be found among Orthodox on this question:


(i) There are Orthodox who would simply and without qualifications declare that they admit the Scriptures “as the supreme rule of faith and life.” Several Russian theologians of the 19th and 20th centuries have held that view.
(ii) There are Orthodox – mainly Greek and Rumanian – who would say that the Church is the supreme rule of faith and life and stands above the Scriptures.
(iii) There are Orthodox – many modern Russians, I suppose – who would avoid saying that the Church is above the Scriptures or that the Scriptures are above the Church, but who would insist on the three following points:


a. – As the Canon of the Scriptures has been fixed by the Church and the Scriptures transmitted or delivered by the Church to the faithful, the Scriptures are in some manner part of the tradition of the Church;
b. – The Church, when inspired by the Holy Ghost, is the genuine and authoritative interpreter of the Scriptures;
c. – The Church, insofar as it is inspired and infallible (leaving aside the question when it may be considered as such), is not inferior to the Scriptures.


(iv) There are Orthodox – chiefly among the present Paris theological group – who would take the same point of view as the Society of Friends and say that the living Word of God, the Spirit speaking either in the Church or within the souls, the inner light, is the supreme rule of faith and life and stands above all written Word or Scriptures. I gather that these four attitudes fairly represent the Orthodox stand.


But these four groups of people would certainly be unanimous in proclaiming:
a. – That the Scriptures are inspired and infallible;
b. – That they are a God given rule of faith and life for all Christians;
c. – That they can never be in contradiction with the Revelation given by God either through the Church or within the individual souls;
d. – That any belief or action which evidently contradicts the Scriptural standards is ipso facto wrong.


I think this is all I can say on the subject.
I wish all success to your effort.
Yours sincerely,
L. Gillet

Reflection

  1. Unity in Crisis
    In 1942, as genocide raged and nations trembled, Messianic Jews refused to fracture along denominational lines. They recognized that the olive tree’s root—God’s covenant with Israel—holds both synagogue and church branches. Gillet’s generous reading reminds us: doctrinal diversity need not hinder our shared identity and calling in the Messiah, especially to care for the vulnerable.
  2. Authority of Scripture and Tradition
    Gillet mapped the nuanced Orthodox landscape around “Scripture and Church.” Today, Messianic Jews draw on both the Tanakh and the New Covenant writings, enriched by both Jewish and Christian community traditions. We, too, balance God’s Word and Spirit as we recognise Yeshua, the Incarnate Word—letting the Scriptures guide us while respecting the living voice of the Body.
  3. A Model for Pan-Ecclesial Compassion
    Working with Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish agencies, the Alliance saved countless lives. Their open‑hearted collaboration under wartime duress offers a template for our own partnerships: mutual listening, practical solidarity, and theological generosity.

Prayer

O Root of Israel and Shepherd of all your sheep
You have rooted us—Israel and the nations—into one living tree.
In times of crisis, grant us the wisdom to welcome every branch,
the humility to honour differing traditions,
and the courage to serve those in need together.
May our unity reflect your reconciling love,
and our deeds bear witness to your covenant faithfulness.
Amen.

עֵ֣ץ שָׁ֭רָשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּרֹעֵ֥ה כָל־צֹאנֶ֑ךָ
שֹׁ֝רֶשׁ־אַתָּ֗ה וְגּוֹיִ֥ם רֹעִֽינוּ־בְאֶחָֽד׃
בְּעִתֵּ֤י צָרָה֙ ׀ נְתַן־לָ֔נוּ חָכְמָ֖ה לְקַבֵּל־כָּל־עָנָ֑ף
עֲנָוָ֖ה לְכַבֵּ֥ד מָסֻרִֽים שׁוֹנִֽים׃
וְאֹמֶ֤ץ לְעֲבוֹדָה֙ לְהַשְׁקִ֣יפַת צְרִיכֵ֔י יַחַ֖ד
יְהֵא אַחְדֵּתֵ֥נוּ מַשְׁקֵ֖ף אֶת־אַהֲבַתְךָ֣ הַמְשִׁיבָ֑ה
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֖ינוּ יַעִידוּ בֶּעָלְתֶּ֥ךָ בְּרִיתִֽךָ׃
— אָמֵֽן׃

Transliteration
Ētz sharash Yisrael u-ro‘eh kol‑tso­’anecha;
Sho­resh attah ve-goyim ro‘i­nu be-echad.
Be-‘ittei tzarah, netan-lanu chokhmah l’kabel kol‑anaf;
Anavah l’kabeid masurim shonim.
Ve-’ometz l’avodah l’hashkif tse­rikhêi yaḥad;
Ye­hē’ achdētenu mashkef et-’ahavat’cha ha­m’shivah;
u-ma‘aseinu ya‘idu be-‘o­l­techa b’rit’cha.

Sources & Further Reading

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About richardsh

Messianic Jewish teacher in UK
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