Excerpts from a Baltimore Sun article:
On a typical summer Sunday, the doors of Temple Oheb Shalom are locked tight. With observances of the Jewish Sabbath taking place on Friday night and Saturday and religious school out until fall, the Park Heights Avenue building sits empty.
Not yesterday. Hundreds of congregants of a different faith poured into the sanctuary, bringing along their love of God, their upbeat music and their fervent prayer to the otherwise quiet house of worship. A fire July 1 damaged the historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Upton and left its flock with no place to come together. But an offer from the synagogue’s leaders gave them temporary refuge as their landmark building is repaired.
“The church may have been hit by lightning,” the Rev. Frank M. Reid III told church members, “but the work of the church continues in Jesus’ name.”
Later in his sermon, Reid continued: “We discover how our faith helps us face the fires.”
If not for the symbols of Judaism – the Holy Ark storing the Torahs, the Hebrew letters on the wall – it would have been hard to tell the Bethel congregants were anywhere but home.
“It solidifies what I’ve always believed,” said Joshua Lawton, 23, of Towson, a relatively new member of the church. “It doesn’t matter what religion you are – it’s all about God. Period. End of story. Everything else is just about details.”
He said he is grateful to Oheb Shalom for welcoming his congregation to their temple. “It puts an example on how the world should be, that people should help those who are in need,” Lawton said.
The two congregations are not strangers. They hold joint services annually in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., maintain a community garden and engage in the Black and Jewish Forum of Baltimore.
Kenneth Davidson, the temple’s executive director, said when he and his colleagues heard about the fire on the news, they knew they had to offer whatever assistance they could.
“It’s what we’re supposed to do,” he said. “We’re supposed to be welcoming to the stranger and in this case they’re not really the stranger. This is an extension of our family.”
Besides, he said, “we have the space.”
The Rev. Dollie Truesdale, who is on the church’s ministerial staff, said she has felt welcomed by the temple: “They said, ‘Look, we’re here. Whatever you need us to do, we’ll help.’ And they have.”
The church has been offered the sanctuary until after Labor Day, when religious school resumes. Reid said he hopes the church will be repaired by then.
The sanctuary was packed yesterday, the singing filling the room. “Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand,” they sang. “Build your hope on things eternal. Hold to God’s unchanging hand.”
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22 Responses
This is a real Jews for J congregation!!!
First comment on this site:
This is a drop old, and has been going on for quite a while (and yes they are obviously reform).
While “Temple Oheb Shalom” was established as a synagogue in the mid-19th century (shortly after Jews were admitted to Maryland, though some had been living in the state illegally), within a generation it went “off the derekh” and it is arguable if it can still be called Jewish. Unless one holds that “Reform” conversions are valid, it is questionable if even a majority of its members are Jews, and their religious beliefs on such matters as abortion, giloi ariyos of various flavors, Shabbos, kashrus, and even the existence of a Creator, make it dubious if they can really be called Jews ideologically. A better description might be persons of Jewish ancestry who follow some Jewish customs, occasionally.
The goyim who are using the building actually believe in a Creator even if they are confused on the details, and generally hold by the Sheva Mitsvos Bnei Noach – so one might say their use of the facility is an upgrade.
Wonderfull. When are the muslims gonna start showing up on fridays?
I do live in Baltimore, and to confirm any questions, it is a
Reform Temple. By the way #2, you have a good point, but it is very arguable.But it is a good question, is Reform or Christianity is on a higher religious level?
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I’ll ask around and post the results in a later comment:
One church supporting another church.
Do we really need this on a site called Yeshiva World News? C’mon now.
This story belongs on Apikoros Wold News.
Just a thought, which is worse, a Jew who is “Reformed” and doesn’t beleive like he should but still calls himself a Jew or a Jew who no longer identifies as a Jew? Of course I think that Reformed Jews are practicing “Judaims Lite” and just pick and choose what they like and need to be tought with love the correct way but this is something that niggles at me.
The biggest glitch that threatened to unravel the whole arrangement is that one of the groups (do not recall which one) follows a Litvishe minhag, and the other is a bunch of Galancianas – but from what I’ve heard, they managed to work it out.
It is only a matter of time before this “shul” turns into a church like the rest of them.
Do any of the above commentators know if these “reform” Jews have the necessary knowledge to determine how (in)appropriate their actions are?
How one can compare Apikorsus by presumed Tinokos Shenishbu to intentional Avodah Zarah, is beyond me.
#12 – 1. Reform isn’t quite so ignorant. When they discuss halacha, that is obvious. They are apikoresim.
2. Be Dan le-Kaf Zechus: They are goyim.
3. To be a tinok she nishbu they need a mother who is Jewish according to halacha, and during the last 150 years (typically 6-8 generations, that hasn’t been the case).
I agree with #7. Is this really news worthy? What use is it to us the knowledge that a Reform congregation (which has the Halachic status on Shabbos of a Beis Avoda Zora) is hosting a foreign religion’s services in their facility? This is never shocking, nor praiseworthy.
I think more discretion is necessary in choosing articles to display.
To #12:
It’s fair to assume that a Temple’s “rabbi” is not a Tinok Shenishba – s/he must have done a fair amount of studying.
Well isn’t beautiful?
Congrads readers, comments like these could undo 30 years of kiruv efforts.
Not to mention that those congregants who are Jewish v’halacha are still our brothers and sisters. Anyone here ever hear of achdus? And does anyone here really want Moshiach, or is it just lip service in your davening?
The 2nd day of Rosh Hashana falls out on Sunday this year. Who gets priority?
Someone commented that this has been going on for a while. That is only partially true. The “shul” across the street from Oheb Shalom, Baltimore Hebrew, has been letting a different church, in a similar situation, use its “sanctuary” for quite a while. The partnership in this article is new.
A few things: I am from baltimore, and have coworkers whom are part of the church that go there.
1. They are not Jews for J.
2. To say make a blanket statement that Reform Jews aren’t really Jewish is ridiculous. (with the assumption that the mother’s Jewish) We are all brothers and need to care for each other (Iyun Tana Dvie Eliyahu, “Es me Ani Tzaruch le’ahaiv yoser Torah oh Yisroel” (do not remeber the pereck number off hand))
#6. lol. Point well made.
A church having their services in a Jewish house of worship is a Chillul Hashem. Posting it on the website unforetunately magnifies it more. In my opinion this piece of news should not have been posted.