Jews, Christians Grow Together

In my second year of seminary, years ago, I became convinced that if I tried to understand Jesus without taking into consideration the Jewish culture and society of which he was part, I was probably going to come up with some very real distortions of his message and his life.

When I took my first class on the Talmud, writings contemporary with Jesus’ time, I was struck by the similarities of some of Jesus’ recorded lessons and the themes and styles of other Jewish teachings of the era. After taking another class on the Midrash tradition of ancient Judaism, I gained a new insight and perspective on the stories in Christian Scriptures.

And so, 10 years ago, when a small group of Reconstructionist Jews came to my office and asked if our congregation might be interested in sharing space with their newly formed synagogue, I felt as if it were an answer to a prayer.

After a couple of meetings between the respective leaders of our two fledging congregations, the attraction and warmth were evident. But I think the leadership of the synagogue was surprised when we explained that we would like to have more than a tenant-landlord relationship. We wanted to share in fellowship, in our social concerns for a more just world and to share educational programs that would enhance an understanding of our respective faiths. After some enthusiastic discussion, a very special relationship was born and, though matured, is still a special one today.

Of course, like all relationships, this one has had its interesting challenges. Our 14,000-square-foot facility is typically being used 12 hours a day, seven days a week. People young and old, Jews and Christians, move through halls and classrooms usually on a finely tuned schedule. Overall, I believe, what we receive and achieve is beyond anything we expected.

On occasion, our congregation has heard some things about our Christian history that are not easy to hear. Some members of our congregation took a class on the centuries of Christian persecution of Jews and were shocked to discover the extent of these tragedies. We have prayed together: “Never again.”

Each Thanksgiving we join together with our friends from both congregations for a wonderful celebration. We laugh, we cry, we sing and we give thanks for our abundance. We celebrate our acknowledged interdependence. We share food and drink. And this year we will be giving thanks for 10 years of growth together--growth in our numbers, growth in our understanding, growth in our relationships and growth in our hearts.

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Rabbi Arnold Rachlis

University Synagogue and Irvine United Church of Christ are truly blessed in that we share a home and a hope, a liberal religious philosophy and an inclusiveness to all those who feel disenfranchised from our respective religious traditions.

How many churches have a Ner Tamid (eternal light) and a mezuza? How many have a minister who, even before he visited Israel, spoke time and again about the importance of Christians acknowledging and studying the Jewish roots of Christianity? My friend and colleague, the Rev. Fred Plumer, is a true disciple of his beloved Jesus, for he always strives to be a prince of peace and justice.

Irvine United Church of Christ and University Synagogue have had a relationship that has grown and blossomed over 10 years. Each year, our teens have gathered for a few evenings to study our faiths together. As adults, we have shared an annual adult education series that has ranged, from our shared humanistic approach, to everything from the Bible to aging. In addition to Thanksgiving, we have joined in observance of International AIDS Day and in Orange County’s HungerWalk.

A few years ago, a beautiful wall hanging depicting the Garden of Eden was woven by members of both the synagogue and the church, replacing an earlier church banner that depicted Madonna and child. The church, devoid of permanent symbols, has always encouraged our synagogue to keep our ark visible, and it not only has welcomed our mezuza on its door, but it has dedicated it with us as well.

When a new sanctuary was built two years ago, the church and the synagogue dedicated it jointly, utilizing a Havdalah candle. This Jewish decorative candle is actually composed of intertwined candles and wicks and was used to symbolize the hope that our two distinct religious communities can always work together in mutual respect and deep affection.

Our synagogue could never have grown from 11 households to more than 425 without the support of this church. One day, within the next five years, we will move to a building of our own. Throughout the years together, we have felt respected and appreciated by Irvine United. Hopefully, they know how deeply we respect and appreciate them.

In Reconstructionist Judaism, God is experienced not in supernaturalist terms, but as the power in the universe and within men and women that leads us toward goodness, empathy and fulfillment. Through our relationship, University Synagogue and Irvine United Church of Christ have learned to see the face of the Divine in each other.

What began as living side by side has emerged into living together. Under one roof, standing on common ground, we have learned to engage and embrace each other and the world together. For that, we feel profound gratitude.

On Faith is a forum for Orange County clergy and others to offer their views on religious topics of general interest. Submissions, which will be published at the discretion of The Times and are subject to editing, should be delivered to Orange County religion page editor Jack Robinson at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Submissions also may be faxed to (714) 966-7711 or e-mailed to jack.robinson@latimes.com.