English-speaking Jewish in New Zealand


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Unlike their Australian neighbors, where Jewish people first came as inmates, the first Jews in New Zealand came as traders in the early 1800s. Soon after, there was a charitable organization that subsidized immigration from London to New Zealand hoping to build a religious Jewish community. Other Jewish people came to New Zealand hoping to find gold, but they left after the gold rush. During the last decades of the 1800s and the early 1900s, there were more efforts to curtail immigration, so the number of new Jewish people diminished. Jewish people also assimilated with the greater New Zealand society, and some became Christians.
Through the decades, Jewish people have come to New Zealand to escape persecution in Germany and Eastern Europe. There have been sporadic incidents of anti-Semitism in New Zealand, but this behavior is not tolerated either by the government or the general public.
Today most of the few Jewish people in New Zealand live in Wellington with smaller numbers in Christchurch and Auckland.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Jewish people in New Zealand have always been involved in the areas of business, medicine and politics. There have even been Jewish prime ministers in New Zealand.
They have had difficulty in maintaining their cultural distinctions. They have established synagogues, but they have trouble maintaining attendees. Unlike their neighbors in Australia, Jewish people in New Zealand often can't find enough children to attend Jewish schools. The trend is towards assimilation with the general population.


What Are Their Beliefs?

For religious Jews, God is the Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe, and the ultimate judge of human affairs. Beyond this, the religious beliefs of the Jewish communities vary greatly. Orthodox Jews generally follow the traditional religious beliefs and practices found in the Jewish literature that interprets Scripture regarding ethical, religious, civil and criminal matters.
Reform Jews do not believe that the Jewish Law is divinely revealed. They are not restricted to kosher foods. They neither wear the skullcap (yarmulke) when praying nor use Hebrew in prayer. All religious Jews believe in the coming of a Messianic Age, but only the Orthodox Jews look for a personal Messiah.
In New Zealand and beyond, there are many people who are Jewish culturally, but not religiously. Judaism is part of who they are, but they do not adhere to the spiritual teachings of the Torah. They might celebrate Jewish festivals, but in spiritual matters they are either secularized or New Age.


What Are Their Needs?

Jewish people in New Zealand need spiritual hunger. They need to desire a relationship with God the Father and be willing to forsake ridicule to find spiritual truth.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to give the Jewish people in New Zealand hearts that will want to please him. May they look to the Lord for guidance and truth, and not be satisfied with cultural traditions.
Pray for Jewish people in New Zealand to begin a movement to Jesus Christ, finding ways to exalt him while honoring their culture.
Pray for the Lord to move among Jewish leaders in New Zealand to open the doors to Christ's ambassadors.


Scripture Prayers for the Jewish, English-speaking in New Zealand.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Jewish, English-speaking
People Name in Country Jewish, English-speaking
Natural Name English-speaking Jewish
Pronunciation joo
Alternate Names Azx; Bene Israel; Bukharic Jew; Central Asian Jew; Hasidim; Jew, Persian; Jewish; Jews; Judeo-German; Judeo-Persian; Shanvar Teli; Spanish Jew; Yahudan; Yahudi; Yudan
Population this Country 7,600
Population all Countries 5,401,000
Total Countries 13
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 12347
ROP3 Code 117322
ROP25 Code 303368
ROP25 Name Jewish
Country New Zealand
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Oceania
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Country New Zealand
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Oceania
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked

No people group map currently available. Use the above button to submit a map.



Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Religion Subdivision: Judaism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.20 %)
0.50 %
Ethnic Religions
80.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
19.50 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language English (7,600 speakers)
Language Code eng   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language English (7,600 speakers)
Language Code eng   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking English

Primary Language:  English

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1530-1995)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1380-2011)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1382-2020)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in English Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video Walking with Jesus video Jesus Film Project
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  blvdone - Shutterstock  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



Joshua Project logo    Joshua Project    Copyright © 2024