a progressive Reform Jewish congregation |
2600 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa California 95404(707) 578-5519 fax: (707) 578-3967 email: [email protected] |
For 32 years, something remarkable has occurred on the corner of Yulupa and Hoen avenues in Santa Rosa. It has been a successful partnership in a world of increasing divisiveness, intolerance and fundamentalism, particularly among religious perspectives.
Christ Church United Methodist and Congregation Shomrei Torah have shared sacred space since 1975, when the Reform Jewish congregation began renting space in the United Methodist facility.
At that time, the congregation comprised a small Jewish group that was looking for a place to worship. The group hired a part-time student rabbi who flew into Santa Rosa every other weekend to lead sabbath services.
When the congregation employed Rabbi Michael Robinson, who had moved to Sebastopol after retiring from a large synagogue in New York, the congregation began to grow. Rabbi Robinson became a social justice advocate for the wider community and a strong proponent of interfaith partnerships. Robinson's death last August was a sad time for both the Jews and the Methodists, as well as the wider community.
In 1996, the synagogue took a leap of faith in hiring a full-time rabbi, George Gittleman. Under Rabbi Gittleman's dynamic leadership and faithful witness, Shomrei Torah has grown leaps and bounds, and the United Methodist Church no longer had enough space for its many services, Hebrew school programs and numerous activities.
With much prayer and deliberation, they made the decision to build a new synagogue on the hill above Bennett Valley Road.
Their new synagogue is now ready to become their new home. Today, Christ Church United Methodist and Congregation Shomrei Torah will worship together in the morning and have an opportunity to share the blessings of their partnership for these many years.
In the afternoon, the Methodists will support the members and friends of Congregation Shomrei Torah as they remove the torah from the place it has lived for 32 years, and follow the procession to its new sacred space. The torah, which survived the fire that demolished the sanctuary in 1984, has been an important symbol for both the Jewish and Christian congregation.
On Sunday mornings, the Methodists hang a wooden cross in front of the ark that houses the torah. The ark for Christians represents their Hebrew roots, and with the cross in front of the ark, it reminds the worshipers of their Judeo-Christian heritage.
The absence of the ark will leave an empty space in the United Methodist sanctuary. It will remain empty for a time, as the Methodists need time to mourn the loss of their shared space and identity.
I have been blessed to serve a United Methodist Church that has embraced a Reform Jewish congregation. When I walk into our sanctuary on Sunday mornings, I feel the sacredness of the space because I know it has been blessed with the lighting of candles and chanting of prayers for a Sabbath service, or the joy of a bar or bat mitzvah ceremony the day before.
We have shared space, yes. But we have shared more than space. We have shared similar values of justice, inclusiveness and progressive theology.
Together we have been a witness to the world, that in spite of the hateful rhetoric that seeks to make one religion better than another, or despite voices that encourage Christians to convert Jews, or arguments that Jews should stay as far away from Christians as possible, we have ``held hands'' and formed a circle.
We have been blessed and enriched because of that circle of friendship which has been formed and fashioned over 32 years.
At the conclusion of the United Methodist worship service this morning, members of both congregations will form a circle and sing, ``Circle round for freedom, circle round for peace, ... for the children of our children, keep the circle whole.''
Our circle will not be broken.