Jews for Jesus wins court battle

A U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction this week supporting a street evangelist's lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for violating his freedom of speech.

Last May, Cyril Gordon, a member of Jews for Jesus, was distributing religious fliers outside an Israel Independence Day event at Woodley Park when he was arrested for trespassing. Charges were later dropped but Gordon sued with the backing of the American Liberties Institute and the Alliance Defense Fund, an ACLU for Christian causes.

"This is a major victory for free speech, not only for Jews for Jesus, but for all other groups who wish to proclaim their faith," Gordon's lawyer, William J. Becker, said.

Jews for Jesus, which has an office in Westwood, is an international Christian organization that reaches out to Jews. The group has been accused by Jewish organizations of using "aggressive proselytizing to target disenfranchised or unaffiliated Jews, Russian immigrants and college students" -- efforts Rabbi Efraim Davidson of Torah Atlanta considers "manipulative, deceptive and anti-Semitic."

Messianic Jews -- Christians who keep kosher and observe the Sabbath -- also don't like being lumped in with Jews for Jesus, who don't necessarily observe Jewish traditions.