| The Makuya movement was born In May of | | | | already been on pilgrimages to Israel, with |
| 1948, the same month and year in which Israel | | | | thousands more planning to come. |
| declared her independence. But the Makuya don't | | | | Just now over a dozen students live at the |
| believe in coincidence. In fact, they consider the | | | | Jerusalem Makuya Center. Each has a Hebrew |
| establishment of the modern State of Israel and | | | | name, taken, or given to him or her upon arrival |
| the reunification of Jerusalem 19 years later to be | | | | in Israel. They chat easily about their faith, which |
| the fulfillment of biblical prophecies, miraculous | | | | is based heavily on the Old Testament and |
| works of God. | | | | doesn't contain even a hint of proselytism. But |
| Often called New Zionism, the Makuya movement | | | | none of the Makuya will discuss politics. They will |
| was founded by a successful Japanese | | | | talk with feeling, however, about their position on |
| businessman: the late Professor Abraham Ikuro | | | | Israel. Every Makuya, they say proudly, identifies |
| Teshima. Professor Teshima was a deeply | | | | with - and wholeheartedly supports - the State of |
| religious Christian who had early on become | | | | Israel. |
| disenchanted with the established Church and its | | | | Outward manifestations of support began in 1967, |
| western trappings. But he hadn't yet heard the | | | | before the onset of the Six Day War, when |
| Divine voice. That would come later, a few years | | | | Teshima set up the "Israel Emergency Relief |
| after World War II. | | | | Committee of Japan." He flew to Israel with relief |
| Following the Japanese defeat, Teshima tried to | | | | goods as soon as the war broke out, and not |
| help his starving countrymen by producing bread | | | | long afterwards he entered reunited Jerusalem to |
| out of seaweed. But it tasted awful, and the | | | | pray at the Western Wall. |
| factories closed down. Then an American army | | | | Six years later, Israel was attacked by the |
| camp near his home decided to expand. Teshima | | | | combined forces of Egypt and Syria. A |
| heard the news from his son, who reported with | | | | threatened oil boycott had caused Japan to |
| sorrow that the Americans were planning to close | | | | reverse its normally neutral position and adopt a |
| his elementary school and take over the property | | | | blatantly pro-Arab stand. |
| on which it stood. | | | | "Israel cannot, indeed must not, be forsaken in |
| Teshima immediately organized a large protest | | | | her time of need," declared Teshima. Although |
| that greatly angered the Americans. When a | | | | gravely ill, he organized a large pro-Israel |
| friend warned Teshima of his imminent arrest, he | | | | demonstration in downtown Tokyo. It extended |
| went into hiding in the wilderness. It was while he | | | | over two kilometers and more than 3,000 men, |
| was in the volcanic Aso Mountains that he had a | | | | women and children sang joyful Hebrew songs as |
| personal encounter with God, and heard a phrase | | | | they danced in the streets. Teshima, who had put |
| from the book of Amos: "I will send a famine in | | | | his heart and soul into the demonstration, insisted |
| the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for | | | | on participating despite the bitter winter cold. He |
| water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." | | | | died three weeks later, at the age of 63. |
| Now he understood that the Japanese famine | | | | No leader has taken Teshima's place, but the |
| was not physical, but spiritual. He realized that the | | | | Makuya follow in his path. They planted several |
| Japanese had to return to the basics, to the | | | | forests in Teshima's honor, and donated heavily |
| source - to God. When he was able to safely | | | | to a Jewish National Fund project for increasing |
| return home, he closed his business and began | | | | water resources in the Negev. When the Jewish |
| teaching the Bible. He had only a handful of | | | | Agency ran out of funds for the ulpan at Kibbutz |
| students in the beginning. But it was a start, and | | | | Hephziba, the Makuya began financing its |
| soon afterwards he founded the Makuya. | | | | operation. And every few years, Makuya |
| Teshima maintained that in order to grasp the | | | | members come to Israel in large numbers to |
| spirit of the Bible, it was essential to reach a | | | | celebrate Independence Day. |
| deeper understanding of the Jewish faith, its | | | | Ulpans in several large Japanese cities have |
| people, language and history. Unfortunately, his | | | | already taught Hebrew to over 1,000 Japanese - |
| burning desire to visit Israel was delayed for | | | | and not all of them were Makuya. Many Japanese |
| many years, until Japan and Israel established | | | | are interested in learning the language of Israel, |
| diplomatic relations in 1961. | | | | due, no doubt, to the fact that the Makuya who |
| As luck would have it, however, in 1954 Teshima | | | | visit and study here provide a concrete bridge |
| met his first Israeli - while riding on a Japanese | | | | between the two countries. |
| train! He thought the people next to him might be | | | | Makuya, in Hebrew, translates as "tent of |
| speaking Hebrew and when he inquired, in English, | | | | meeting" - the Hebrew "ohel moed" or the place |
| he learned that they were from Israel. One of | | | | where man encounters God. Teshima taught that |
| them was Professor Israel Slomnitzki, on a | | | | you can find God anywhere, and that it is not |
| mission from the Israeli Agriculture Ministry. The | | | | necessary to pray in a church. Therefore Makuya |
| two struck up an immediate friendship, | | | | worship in houses where they also read the Bible, |
| corresponded for years, and in 1961 Slomnitzki | | | | and study its lessons. |
| invited Teshima to visit his homeland. | | | | Like Teshima himself, a Makuya minister is called a |
| Once in Israel, Teshima was unhappy that so | | | | teacher, and he is well versed in the Bible and |
| many of Israel's holy sites were covered up with | | | | other sources. Often he has a regular job and |
| churches. But he was delighted to meet pioneers, | | | | leads his congregation only on the weekends. The |
| thrilled at their effort to create a viable state, and | | | | Makuya object to institutionalized Christianity and |
| convinced that the soul of Judaism was alive and | | | | there is no central Makuya religious authority, |
| well. So taken was Teshima with the Jewish State | | | | although a committee of district representatives |
| that he returned a number of times, bringing | | | | meets every few months to discuss the |
| some of his disciples along. | | | | movement. Baptism is spiritual - a coming of age |
| Soon Makuya members had begun studying | | | | ceremony when boys and girls reach the age of |
| Hebrew at a special school called an ulpan in | | | | 13 and accept adult responsibilities. It takes place |
| Kibbutz Hephziba. Many ulpan graduates have | | | | on Mount Aso, where Teshima had his encounter |
| gone on to schools of higher learning in Israel: to | | | | with the Lord. |
| date more than 880 students have attended | | | | Sometimes visitors to Jerusalem are entertained |
| classes or graduated from the Bar Ilan and the | | | | in the Center's lovely Japanese garden, or are |
| Hebrew university, the Technion, and the | | | | taken through the third floor library with its |
| universities in Haifa and Beer Sheba. They learn | | | | Menorah, certificates of appreciation to the |
| archeology, Bible, and Jewish thought as well as | | | | Makuya and to its founder, and a special pair of |
| music and other subjects, and their mastery of | | | | binoculars that Teshima brought here as a gift and |
| Hebrew is amazing. | | | | which proved extremely helpful during the 1973 |
| Begun with only a sprinkling of Bible students, the | | | | war. |
| Makuya movement is growing fast. The Makuya | | | | Members of the Makuya movement in Israel |
| prefer not to give an exact number, citing David's | | | | emphasize that the Israelis they meet take them |
| sinful census of his fighting men (2 Shmuel: 24:2). | | | | into their hearts. "We feel like Israelis, like we are |
| But over 300,000 Japanese subscribe to the | | | | at home". |
| Makuya newsletter. Thousands of Makuya have | | | | |