LOS ANGELES — When Randy Brown visited Hispanic Pentecostal congregations in Southern California, he was stunned by displays of Star of David flags, fervent prayers for peace in Israel and Hebrew words in their church names.

Brown, an executive of the American Jewish Committee, saw an opportunity to build Jewish-Latino relations among the immigrants, who generally have little exposure to Jews in their predominantly Roman Catholic native countries.

"I was amazed at the affinity these congregations have for Israel," recalled Brown, director of interreligious affairs for the Los Angeles chapter of the Jewish advocacy group. "I wanted to take this to the next level."

The Los Angeles office has since worked to forge bonds: It recently took a group of Pentecostal Hispanic pastors to Israel, offered a course called "The Essence of Judaism" at a Southern California Pentecostal seminary, and invited Hispanic pastors and their families to Passover seders and Sukkot harvest celebrations.

"We have many things in common," said pastor Ramiro Lopez of the Iglesia Vida Abundante in San Bernardino. "Now I can understand Israel from more than a biblical perspective and I have more of a commitment to Israel."

While Latino immigrants in the U.S. are mostly Catholic, evangelicals are a notable 15 percent of the population, according to the Pew Hispanic Project and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Many are Pentecostal, one of the fastest-growing streams of world Christianity, known for spirit-filled worship and speaking in tongues.

A 2007 survey by the Anti-Defamation League found a higher rate of anti-Semitic views among foreign-born Latinos than among U.S.-born Hispanics. Twenty-nine percent of Latinos born elsewhere harbor some anti-Jewish views, while the rate among Hispanics born in this country — and for the U.S. population in general — is 15 percent, the study found.

The 2007 numbers are slightly lower than those in a 2005 survey, but Jewish leaders are worried all the same, especially as Latin Americans are expected to become 29 percent of the national population by 2050.

"Clearly, it was disturbing," said Michael Salberg, director of international affairs for the New York-based Jewish civil rights group.

Latin American countries are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic and steeped in a 500-year-old tradition of an influential church that. Jewish communities in Latin America, with the exception of Argentina, are generally tiny and tend to keep a low profile.

By contrast, several Catholic colleges in the United States have centers for Jewish-Catholic understanding, and U.S. bishops heavily emphasize the Second Vatican Council teaching that Jews are not collectively responsible for the crucifixion. That outlook influences not just Catholics, but also other Christians in the U.S.

Pastor Tony Solorzano, who heads the Iglesia Llamada Final, a 5,000-member congregation in Downey and Inglewood, said some Latinos simply need more familiarity with Judaism to dispel stereotypes. Some consider Jews "Christ-killers."

"Not many think that way, but some have heard this," Lopez said. "We tell them there's a plan according to God's will. We have to be grateful to the Jewish people, because Jesus was Jewish."

Pentecostals, who interpret the Bible literally, believe God promised the Jewish people the historical land of Israel. Many consider the modern state of Israel a fulfillment of biblical prophecy — and a precondition of the second coming of Jesus.

They often cite a passage from Genesis in which God makes a covenant with Abraham that those who bless Abraham's people will be blessed, and those who curse his people will be cursed.

"I really believe that promise," Lopez said. "Every day we pray for Jerusalem with our hands to the east."

Jewish leaders are building on Pentecostal pro-Israel sentiment to dispel stereotypes in both groups. Many Jewish groups in recent years have accepted such support without questioning the theology behind it, which says that all people, including Jews, will ultimately accept Christ.

"It's a new and emerging connection that didn't exist with the Catholic Church," said Salberg of the Anti-Defamation League.

Pentecostal congregations, often housed in storefronts filled with rows of folding chairs, have become fixtures in Latino neighborhoods across the United States, as well as in Latin America. Pastors tend to be influential opinion-makers within their congregations and some, like Lopez, have radio programs or stations expanding their reach.

At the Latin University of Theology in Torrance, which trains Pentecostal pastors, many of the students in Brown's Spanish-language "The Essence of Judaism" course hail from Latin American countries. He hopes they'll return home with greater understanding of Jews and Judaism.

Nationally, the American Jewish Committee has formed a Latino and Latin American Institute, and in 2001 convened its first Latino-Jewish Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., to discuss common policy concerns such as immigration. Along with the nonprofit's Los Angeles office, several local chapters are reaching out to Latinos, according to spokesman Ken Bandler.

Pastor Richard Escobedo holds two sessions weekly to pray for Israel at his 500-member Centro Palabra de Fe church in Compton, where he has an Israeli flag on display, has held Passover seders and preaches that "love thy neighbor" includes Jews and others. Many Pentecostals wear Star of David pendants and other accessories, he said.

Engaging with Jews, he said, "is opening our eyes to how Jesus himself was taught."