Rabbi’s Talk at Easter Service Praised

The unprecedented sermon by a rabbi at this year’s Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise Service was greeted with “enormous” favor and future services may have clergy of other non-Christian religions speak if Easter again coincides with another major religious holiday, the event’s director said.

“Mail was incredibly positive” over the appearance of Rabbi Leonard Beerman at the dawn rites on April 3, Norma Foster said.

Moreover, 3 of 10 Christian laymen who signed a letter objecting to the rabbi’s role in the service withdrew their objections after the event, Foster said. The letter presented to Foster on April 1 said, among other things, that “it was unfair and inappropriate to invite the participation of non-Christian leaders who do not believe in Christ or his Resurrection.”

But Foster said that one signer wrote that his fears about the rabbi’s appearance “were totally unfounded,” and two signers left telephone messages retracting their objections.

Speaking for the 13-member sunrise service board, Foster said, “We were thrilled that we stood firm and did what we could for the community.” She reiterated that the reason Beerman was asked to share the sermon time with a Korean Christian pastor was because the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover nearly coincided with Easter.

Revenue Down Only 10%

She said that the board, without saying in advance how it would act, was open to considering any program committee request to include other non-Christian clergy at future services.

Despite the start of daylight saving time on Easter morning, attendance and contributions at the 68th Bowl service this year were down only about 10% from the year before, Foster said.

“We are very encouraged about meeting our budget,” she said. Money contributed at the service, souvenir program purchases and sales of lilies after the service covered nearly half of the $53,000 budget, she said. The board has other fund-raising programs during the year.