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October 21, 2008 | 10:45 am

A Christian at High Holy Day services

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Creator’s Note: I never republish entire stories but ... two weeks ago I took the plunge and attended Yom Kippur services. What follows is the first-person piece I wrote for the Journal about my experience.

My first mistake was arriving when the Yom Kippur morning service at Valley Beth Shalom was scheduled to begin. The flier said 7:45 a.m. and, this being my virgin voyage, I didn’t want to be late.

Naive? Certainly. I didn’t realize Jews attend High Holy Days services like Dodgers fans frequent Chavez Ravine: arriving in the third inning and leaving in the seventh.

The first hint of my folly came when, after poking my head into a nearly empty Niznick Sanctuary, I returned to my car, parked a half-mile away, and bumped into one of the temple’s main rabbis.

The morning rush, it turned out, was about two hours away.

It may be surprising that a reporter at The Jewish Journal named Greenberg wouldn’t know the standard practices of synagogue attendance on the holiest day of the Jewish year, but this ignorance hints at a more complex story of guilt, confusion and married identities.

I wasn’t raised Jewish. Both my grandmothers were, and so too was my paternal grandfather. But my mother was raised Catholic down south and my father as a non-religious Jew here in Los Angeles. (You may know a few like him.)

When I was young—6 or 7—my parents both began attending a non-denominational Protestant church. Soon they were baptized, and, as a teenager, so was I.

My sister and I identified as Jewish in name only, or, more aptly, by our name: When it comes to anti-Semitism, it’s not about whether you consider yourself Jewish but whether others do—and others did.

I still go to church most Sundays, but though I’m not with Jews for Jesus or a Messianic—that’s worth emphasizing—I’ve become increasingly interested in my Jewish cultural history. Yom Kippur, it seemed, was something I should experience.

So I selected three synagogues where I thought I would feel comfortable and find something meaningful to take home: IKAR, where Rabbi Sharon Brous has been recognized for her alternative, spiritually engaging community; Valley Beth Shalom (VBS), to hear Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis, one of the leading voices of Jewish conscience from the last half century; and Temple Israel of Hollywood because, well, I have a screenplay to sell.

I didn’t anticipate a problem blending in.

“The High Holy Days,“ a friend had remarked before Rosh Hashanah, “is the time of the year when secular Jews pretend to believe in God and religious Jews pretend to believe them.“

The High Holy Days draw the biggest crowds of the year, and, just like Christmas and Easter services, you can hear the outreach from the bimah.

“To the privatized Jew, hell is other people,“ Schulweis said during his morning sermon, paraphrasing the philosopher Sartre.

Yes, he said, huddling close causes pricks and pain, but so does remaining alone outside of a community.

“This is the porcupine’s dilemma. This is the human condition,“ Schulweis said, soon adding, “Judaism depends on Jews being Jewish…. In Judaism, believing means belonging. For we are a family.“

At that moment, I felt a part of this family, the Tribe. I was praying and singing in Hebrew, wearing tallit and a kippah, and at 5:30 p.m. on erev Yom Kippur I had begun my fast, which I might have completed had I not driven past Pita Kitchen en route from VBS to Temple Israel of Hollywood. (They make a ridiculous lamb shawarma.)

Guilty? Maybe a little. But the day before I read on Ynet that only 63 percent of Israeli Jews planned to fast. And, besides, I’d already achieved a greater level of observance than at any point in my life.

Temple Israel hammered home what Schulweis had spoken of. I had been bored at VBS; tired from little sleep, with falling blood sugar, and, most importantly, no one to chat with in the surprisingly social hallways. But at Temple Israel I recognized people from the moment I walked into an afternoon breakout session on the presidential election—friends, sources, current and former colleagues.

As the time, spent in community and talking about shared concerns, passed quickly by, I several times reflected on my experience the night before, when I celebrated Kol Nidre at IKAR.

I felt strikingly comfortable in a packed gym at the Westside JCC. It might have been a shvitz because of a broken air conditioner, but when I looked around I saw a packed, spiritually moved house of Jews, many who looked a lot like me: Chuck Taylor sneakers, thick plastic glasses, the curly hair that always has reminded me of my family’s story.

When we prayed, I told myself the room was praying to my God, that I was praying to my God. The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. The God of the Exodus. The God of all creation.

Of course, there was no mention of Jesus, but the sermon was one I have heard in one form or another in churches all my life:

  God is good. People are not. But we can do good, we can fulfill God’s will on Earth by stepping outside ourselves, by feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless and helping the helpless—by, in two words, tikkun olam.

Faith is not bad, Rabbi Brous said, specifically taking aim at anti-god avenger Bill Maher, whose new movie “Religulous” ridicules godly observance. Yes, man has used God for his own selfish gain, Brous said, but we can change the course.

“It’s nice to see you here,“ a friend said to me as I digested Brous’ sermon. “You should come for Shabbat.“

I wondered: Could I? Could I be part of a religious Jewish community without practicing Judaism, with—and there’s no other way to put this—believing in something that was a heretical outgrowth of Judaism?

Probably not.

Maybe I could just come around on the High Holy Days. I hear people do that.

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg in Who is a Jew? | Favorites | 17 Comments — Leave your comment

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“God is good. People are not. But we can do good, we can fulfill God’s will on Earth by stepping outside ourselves, by feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless and helping the helpless—by, in two words, tikkun olam. “

Brad, you know that this isn’t what Christianity preaches.  It sounds like a nice social gospel, but not evangelical Christianity.  Beyond Jesus, this would be a big difference.

Comment by ethan on 10/21/08 at 2:38 pm

E, I know what you’re saying and I agree, in part. Obviously, people are fallen. And it is outside the nature of fallen beings to do good things. But I do believe we can do good things. And ministers do preach this.

There is a difference, though, between doing good things and being good. As Christians we know that man cannot be good (he can “do” but not “be”) without Jesus. This is, I think, the greater distinction you’re speaking of.

Am I Right?

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 10/21/08 at 3:17 pm

Brad, you have a great way of writting, let alone a tremendous story. I enjoyed reading it throughly. In a way, I can relate. Look forward to more.

Comment by Jerry M. Lee on 10/21/08 at 4:00 pm

Brad, it to chutzpah to identify yourself as a Jew who believes in Jesus and progressive of the Jewish Journal to reprint a story from someone the Jewish community would otherwise deem “a heretic”.  in the end you felt Christianity is the “heretical” outgrowth—as you put it.  You know… if Yeshua (Jesus) really was our Messiah, then i guess the God of Israel wouldn’t term your obedience to Him on yom Kippur as “heretical”.
Stan—a “Jew” for Jesus.

Comment by Stan Meyer on 10/21/08 at 9:11 pm

Brad, as you are aware, it is the same G-D that both the Jews & Christians worship. The sad thing, as you know, is that the majority of both, are not cognizant of this fact. They are missing the key link to life. But your well written article is as timely as it is informative. What a tremendous testimony you have, plus the vehicle to expound upon. G-D willing they will have ears to hear & eyes to see this truth. G-D Bless you and yours.

Comment by Jerry on 10/21/08 at 9:50 pm

As a Jew by Choice, I found this article particularly troubling.  My experiences could not be further from the report by Mr. Greenberg.  I don’t recognize the “arriving in the third inning and leaving in the seventh” description of how Jews attend High Holiday services.  I see lines at the doors when they are opened 30 – 45 minutes before services and I rarely see anyone leaving early even when I usher at the rear door. 

I can’t relate to the “Jewish by name.”  I have had the opposite experience with a rabbi whom I had requested to perform our marriage telling me that “Ingrum didn’t sound very Jewish.”  At the temples that I attend in Ventura and Northridge, we don’t all look “a lot like me.”  I don’t know of Chuck Taylor sneakers, we don’t all have thick plastic glasses or curly hair.  We do have Jews of different races, different ages and different sexual orientation.  And we have a lot of Jews with names that don’t sound very Jewish. 

My biggest issue is “the sermon was one I have heard in one form or another in Churches all my life; God is good.  People are not.”  In my 15 years as a Jew by Choice and in the 5-10 years leading up to my conversion, I have NEVER heard that sermon in a synagogue.  I have never heard a rabbi state, imply or even hint that God is good,  people are not. 

This goes against everything I believe about Judaism.  Man is made in God’s image.  How can that be bad?  It is man’s responsibility to finish the work of creation and repair the world.  How can that not be good?  I don’t lay any claim to a strong Jewish education, but God is good, people are not, is nothing that I have learned in Judaism.  I think that Mr. Greenberg’s interpretation of the sermon (which I did not hear) was enhanced by his Christian view of God and man rather than having a Jewish understanding of the topic.  Unfortunately we too easily accept the “Judeo-Christian” label and think that we view things in the same light.

Comment by Bob Ingrum on 10/21/08 at 11:03 pm

Bob, I appreciate your personal insight and feedback. Though my 25 hours may have been very different than what you have known for 15 years, I assure you that those were my experiences.

I’m curious now to follow up with Rabbi Brous regarding my interpretation of “God is good, people are not.“ Those weren’t her exact words, but what I heard in light of her discussion of the insanity shown in Bill Maher’s “Religulous.“

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 10/21/08 at 11:29 pm

I admit that my experience, even though starting to add up in years, is still very limited.  I primarily attend two synagogues and I only attend Reform services.  I appreciate that you reported it “as you saw it.“  I just hope what you saw or how you interpreted it is an anomaly.

Comment by Bob Ingrum on 10/22/08 at 7:37 am

brad,
i should be clearer about what i meant by social gospel.  first off, i agree with you in your assessment that while man is fallen and cannot be truly good without God; men can do good things.  i think we need a better definition for good.  what i mean when i refer to spiritual good is that something brings one closer in line with the way God intended life to be…the abundant life.  call it God’s will, it is when we start doing things the way God intends.

the reason i didn’t care for the sermon is because it places the attention on the action, not on the heart.  i have felt that in evangelical christianity it is the heart first, and the action becomes a natural outpouring of that changed ‘good’ heart.

the other thing that bothered me is the idea best stated by bob ingrum.  he said that “It is man’s responsibility to finish the work of creation and repair the world.“  well full respect, i think my reading of the new testament tells us quite a different story.  there will be no man created heaven on earth as the social gospel once preached.  the world will not be getting better, but rather much worse unfortunately.

i felt like your comments about the rabbi’s sermon came with a tone of approval from you and i just disagreed as a christian.

Comment by ethan on 10/22/08 at 9:11 am

“the reason i didn’t care for the sermon is because it places the attention on the action, not on the heart.  i have felt that in evangelical christianity it is the heart first, and the action becomes a natural 0utpouring of that changed ‘good’ heart.“ 

Ethan,

This is a perfect example of what I see as a major difference between Christianity and Judaism.  Although we often say we believe in the same God, our views are quite different.  I heard one of my rabbis describe Christianity as “faith-based” and Judaism as “action-based.“  I spent many years trying to be a Christian,  but I always had issues with the “faith” and exactly what I was to believe.  Judaism tells me to DO.  I can argue about the faith, but not the action.  It is imperative that I spend my time trying to improve the world. 

Just as you feel a good heart will naturally lead to good works, I feel that only good works will lead to a good heart.

Comment by Bob Ingrum on 10/22/08 at 11:08 am

well said Bob.  that is why i disagreed with brad’s assessment of the rabbi’s sermon.  while he may have heard simiilar things said to a Christian congregation; it does not represent evangelical Christianity accurately.

What is fun to note, is how each of our views stem from our scriptures.  A Jew should be a doer in accordance with the teachings of the Torah.  A Christian should be more heart based, as is seen so clearly through Jesus teaching in the Gospels.  It is Jesus who changes the focus from Doing to Being…which would clearly show the break between Judaism and Christianity.

I appreciate the respectful disagreement.

Comment by ethan on 10/22/08 at 12:07 pm

Ethan, Bob, I agree with both of you and appreciate your insightful comments.

To be clear, I was not saying that the meaning of the words I heard were the same at IKAR as they are at churches I have attended. I simply meant that the instruction was the same even if the motivation (theology) was different.

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 10/22/08 at 6:36 pm

As an Orthodox Jew, I would be as much a stranger in those places and that message as you.

Re VBS, I am just going to guess the place looked like this.

Re Temple Israel, perhaps more like this.

(The artist for these is Julian Ciss, a latecomer to meaningful Jewish observance who knows whereof he draws. And now, without further commercial interruption…)

In general Judaism is not so much all-or-nothing, or one thing and not the other. There is obviously a lot of Judaism in Christianity, and a surprising amount of what people consider Christianity in Judaism, as well as some irreconcilable differences. Being without doing is not valued, while the reverse is better than nothing. As far as one’s relationship to God is concerned, sincerity and intention are all, but it is better to do the right thing for the wrong reason than the wrong thing for the right reason, if that makes sense. Thus ideally one feeds the hungry and clothes the naked etc. in recognition of God within the afflicted, but it is not hypocritical to do it even if one is spiritually obtuse, or at worst if bribed by honor and flattery or threatened with exclusion from the commnity. On the other hand, don’t waste your time with insincere prayer or sacrifice or other ritual observance. These are of course bigger discussions.

I will say that it is not always stated that Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and the Succot (Tabernacles) sequence are in a sense not actually Jewish holidays, but universal ones conducted or administered by the Jewish people. The Jewish New Year more accurately being on the other side of the calendar at Passover. Rosh Hashana commemorates the origination of Adam, Yom Kippur atones for all the world, and the Succot Temple service included seventy sacrifices on behalf of the prototypical seventy nations of the world, and prophetically required for the gift of rain upon those nations. The nations were to attend the services and the biggest tourist event in Israel is the under-reported annual march and ancillary festivities sponsored by the International Christian Embassy, this year 7000-8000 pilgrims.

Comment by Ben Plonie on 10/25/08 at 11:52 pm

Brad, I told you I liked your story & you are a great writer. I have a story that you might be interested in writing about. It’s regarding the rebirth of Israel as a nation, undoubtedly the single greatest miracle & proof that the G-D of the Jewish people is alive. My neighbor Mr. Lou Lenart, retired a Captain from the U.S Marines, went to Israel & led the first attack along with the four original Israeli Air Force pilots to help to win the War of Liberation. You can read more & see videos at the web site, Noble Heart Media.com.
http://nobleheartmedia.com/index.html Let me know what you think. Jerry

Comment by Jerry M. Lee on 10/28/08 at 3:49 pm

Bob,
“I heard one of my rabbis describe Christianity as “faith-based” and Judaism as “action-based.” I spent many years trying to be a Christian, but I always had issues with the “faith” and exactly what I was to believe.  Judaism tells me to DO.  I can argue about the faith, but not the action.  It is imperative that I spend my time trying to improve the world.“

I agree with you that Christians tend to put more emphasis on the faith part, but we [christians] are told not to do that… Faith and Actions are both important.

“James 2:20-28 [Book from the New Testament]

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,“ and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.“

I honestly think we believe in the same G-d. Christians just believe that Messiah has already come, and through Jesus everyone is able to gained access to G-d; both Jews and Gentiles. I know that is a big difference… but I still believe Jews are the chosen of G-d. They are still blessed by G-d.

G-d blessed the world through the Jewish people by sending his Son. (Jesus was Jewish of course.) True Christians are supporters of Israel and the Jewish people because they are the chosen people.

Comment by James on 10/30/08 at 11:00 pm

The “Binding” is one of the most difficult stories for many Reform Jews.  There is no question that we would consider Abraham’s “faith” as evil if he had followed through on the sacrifice.  We would demand that a true believer question the “command” and refuse to perform the evil deed. 

Yes, I certainly believe that the act is more important than the faith.  I think religious observance frequently helps us learn to do the right things and faith frequently helps point us in the right direction, but I would prefer deeds without faith before faith without deeds.

Comment by Bob Ingrum on 11/01/08 at 7:16 am

On another thread, a reference is made to the law in Deuteronomy mandating capital punishment for a ‘defiant and wayward son’. Bearing in mind that ‘law’ in general is the act of drawing lines (or establishing principles), and bearing in mind that the Talmud states that this particular law was never ever invoked by a parent to be carried out, I do believe that the imprinting of the story of the Binding of Isaac played a central role in that history. We will leave aside for now the more mystical idea that Isaac exists before God permanently as a ‘virtual’ or conceptual if not physical sacrifice on the basis of the pure intention of Abraham.

But of whatever rate of child abuse and death by parents exists in the world, none of them is an invocation of a Jewish law. We can contrast that specifically with the steady rate of ‘honor’ killings conducted by traditional Muslim parents and brothers.

Comment by Ben Plonie on 11/02/08 at 9:10 pm

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