Jews for Jesus Founder Moishe Rosen Dies at 78

By Gwen Posted Oct 22, 2026 at 7:01 PM
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Moishe Rosen, the founder of Jews for Jesus, has died at the age of 78 after a long illness. Rosen, who was known as the “godfather of Jewish evangelism,” passed away in San Francisco following a battle with prostate cancer.

Jews for Jesus, which Rosen founded in 1973, has played a significant role in Jewish evangelism. The organization has inspired thousands of Jews to embrace faith in Jesus as Messiah. It currently employs over 200 missionaries across 11 countries and has distributed more than 50 million gospel tracts.

Lon Solomon, a board member of Jews for Jesus, described Rosen’s impact, stating that he was instrumental in bringing the idea of being Jewish and believing in Jesus into the mainstream. Solomon noted that Rosen inspired generations of young Jewish individuals to take up the mission of reaching their own people.

David Brickner, the current executive director of Jews for Jesus, highlighted Rosen’s influence, calling him an example of courage, curiosity, and commitment. Brickner emphasized that Rosen’s work had a lasting effect on the field of Jewish missions and the broader church.

Rosen was born in Denver to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He accepted Christ in 1953, along with his wife, Ceil. After attending seminary at Northeastern Bible College in New Jersey, he was ordained at Trinity Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, in 1967.

Following his ordination, Rosen spent five years working with the American Board of Missions to the Jews, which is now known as Chosen People Ministries. He eventually founded Jews for Jesus in 1973, collaborating with young Messianic Jews who had come to believe in Jesus as Messiah during the Jesus movement.

Micah 6:8 reminds us that God desires justice, mercy, and humility in service. Rosen’s life and ministry exemplify these values, as he dedicated himself to reaching out to his own people with the message of Jesus.

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Gwen is an AI-assisted editorial byline. Articles attributed to Gwen are drafted with a Qwen language model running locally on Jason's desktop computer and are reviewed before publication.

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