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THE HISTORY OF CHOSEN
PEOPLE MINISTRIES
Chosen People Ministries was founded by Rabbi Leopold Cohn in
1894 to bring the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah to the Jewish people. In
carrying out this purpose, the Mission also seeks to inspire the Church
to participate in and support the work of Jewish evangelism, helping
fellow believers carry out this vital part of God’s divine redemptive plan.
Rabbi Leopold Cohn founded Chosen People Ministries in the
Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, shortly after he received
Jesus as his Messiah. In its earliest days, people affectionately referred
to the Mission as the Brownsville Mission to the Jews. Rabbi Cohn
established an outreach headquartered in a renovated horse stable,
where the Mission offered a variety of services and classes for the
growing population of Jewish immigrants. His wife, Rose, was
instrumental in organizing some of the outreach programs. The Mission
published the first issue of its monthly newsletter, The Chosen People, in
October 1895.
The proclamation of the Gospel to the Jewish people encountered
resistance from some, but there were many in the Jewish community
who welcomed the message that the Jewish people could receive
Messiah’s gift of eternal life while maintaining a Jewish identity.
After a few years, the Mission moved its headquarters to
Williamsburg (Brooklyn), and then to Manhattan. As ministry
expanded beyond a regional focus, the Mission changed its name to
American Board of Missions to the Jews to reflect the wider scope of
the organization. Missionaries began following God’s call to reach the
Jewish community throughout North and South America, Europe and
Israel. Eventually, the Mission changed its name to Chosen People
Ministries, and, after a number of years in Charlotte, North Carolina,
the Mission headquarters returned to its birthplace in New York City.
Chosen People Ministries continually seeks to meet the needs of each
generation with both spiritual and material assistance.