DOCSLIB.ORG

Becoming a Jew Brochure 2005 8/11/05 11:01 AM Page 5

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Becoming a Jew Brochure 2005 8/11/05 11:01 AM Page 5 Becoming a Jew brochure 2005 8/11/05 11:01 AM Page 5 9 . If I become a Jew, will I be expected Book of Isaiah 56:7, “For My house shall be B I B L I O G R A P H Y to separate from my family of origin? called a house of prayer for all peoples,” Questions almost all Jewish religious services are open Choosing Judaism. Lydia Kukoff. NY: URJ Press, 2005 (Revised edition). By no means. Most Jews-by-choice maintain to the public, so you and your family would About warm relationships with their family of Every Person’s Guide to Judaism. Rabbi Stephen J. Einstein and be welcome to attend. Sabbath services are Lydia Kukoff. NY: URJ Press, 1989 origin. Conversion to a new religion does held on Friday evening and Saturday morn- Conversion not suddenly make you over into something What Is a Jew? Rabbi Morris N. Kertzer, revised by Rabbi ings. Call the specific congregation during Lawrence A. Hoffman. NY: Collier Books, Macmillan altogether new; nor does it cut you off from the week to find out the times. Publishing Co., Inc., 1997. old family ties or memories. However, some converts to Judaism find REGIONAL UNION FOR 1 2 . If I’m not yet ready to convert to that, especially initially, their family may be REFORM JUDAISM OFFICES BECOMING hurt or confused by their choice. Such Judaism or if I decide not to, what feelings often result from misunderstandings options do my Jewish partner and I Great Lakes Council/ or a lack of knowledge about Judaism and Chicago Federation 847.509.0990 have for our wedding ceremony? Contact Julie Webb [email protected] are, therefore, perfectly understandable. If A JEW it happens with your family, what will help This is a very sensitive issue, on which there Mid-Atlantic Council 202.232.4242 immensely is your patience, as well as a is a broad range of opinions. We encourage Contact Ruth Goldberger [email protected] Each year in North America, willingness to discuss your choice and to you to seek out a rabbi with whom you feel Northeast Council 781.449.0404 show your family that you’ve not abandoned comfortable and have a thorough discussion Contact Dr. Paula Brody [email protected] thousands of people convert to them. about the options. Northeast Lakes Council 847.509.0990 Judaism. While each person’s No matter what kind of wedding ceremony Contact Julie Webb [email protected] path into Jewish life is unique, you have, Reform Judaism considers itself Pacific Central West Council 415.392.7080 1 0 . If I decide not to become a Jew a portal to Jewish life for intermarried Contact Karen Kushner [email protected] there are many shared questions. but I have a partner who is, can families. T h r ough organized Ou t re a c h Pacific Northwest Council 818.907.8740 our children be raised as Jews? programming and a general atmosphere of Contact Arlene Chernow [email protected] This pamphlet answers some openness, an interfaith couple will find a Pacific Southwest Council 818.907.8740 Yes. Many interfaith couples have decided to welcome at Reform congregations. of these basic questions and raise their children as Jews. In many families Contact Arlene Chernow [email protected] today, non-Jewish parents play a key role Pennsylvania Council 202.232.4242 suggests additional resources. Contact Ruth Goldberger [email protected] in providing for their childre n’s Jew i s h 1 3 . Where can I get more information education, as well as creating a supportive O U T R E A CH & SYNAGOGUE COMMUNITY Jewish home environment. The more you about Judaism and the process of N ATIONAL OFFICE becoming a Jew? Strengthening Outreach and Membership in Reform Congregations learn about Judaism, the easier this will be Kathryn Kahn, Director 212.650.4230 for you. Many Jews see such parents as the For the names of Reform rabbis in your area Naomi Gewirtz, Assistant Director givers of a precious gift and as a blessing to and for more information on Re f o r m Rabbi Michelle Pearlman, Program Coordinator the Jewish people. Judaism, contact the Outreach director in the area closest to you. The directors’ names, addresses, and telephone numbers are listed 1 1 . If I decide not to become a Jew, would on the back. For more general information I be welcome to worship in a syna- about Judaism, the following books offer easily accessible explanations and answers to gogue with my Jewish family? 633 T h i rd Avenue, New Yo rk, NY 1 0 0 1 7 - 6 7 7 8 more of your questions. P : 212.650.4230 F: 212.650.4229 Most Reform and Reconstructionist and o u t [email protected] www. u r j . o r g / o u t re a c h some Conservative and Orthodox congrega- Printed on recycled paper tions warmly welcome interfaith families to Copyright © 2005 by the Union for Reform Judaism participate in various ways in synagogue life. In following the famous verse from the O U T R E A CH & SYNAGOGUE COMMUNITY Strengthening Outreach and Membership in Reform Congregations Becoming a Jew brochure 2005 8/11/05 11:01 AM Page 1 1. Why do people consider aspects of Judaism that most appeal to People considering conversion are expected 7. If I become a Jew, what would be the converting to Judaism? you. Seek out Jewish friends, Jewish family to study Jewish theology, rituals, history, attitude of other Jews toward me? members, or a synagogue community for culture, and customs and to begin incorpo- There are many reasons. Often an interreli- support. As you study and try out Jewish rating Jewish practice into their live s . Judaism has always welcomed those who gious marriage sparks an interest in the practice and customs at your own pace, you The scope of the course of study will vary voluntarily become Jews and considers non-Jewish partner that can lead to a desire will become comfortable with them and from rabbi to rabbi and community to them full-fledged members of the Jewish to share the religion of his or her spouse. prepare for further steps. community. Most now require a course community. The Hebrew Bible, as well as Similarly, when an interfaith couple decides in basic Judaism and individual study with later Jewish texts, includes examples of such An excellent way to get a sense of the to raise children, the non-Jew may initially a rabbi, as well as attendance at services individuals. The most famous and honored traditions and practice of Judaism is to decide to explore Judaism in order to seek a and participation in home practice and example appears in the biblical Book of take an Introduction to Judaism course. religious common ground for the family. synagogue life. Ruth, where Ruth joins the Jewish people Other men and women seeking religious The Reform movement sponsors these and eventually becomes the gre a t - g re a t - meaning in their lives, with or without any courses throughout No r th America. Yo u Keep in mind that you are free to choose the grandmother of King David, from whose connection to a Jewish mate, find that may call a Reform congregation or the Un i o n rabbi with whom you will work. Talk to descendants, according to Jewish tradition, Judaism offers them the best medium of regional office nearest you for more informa- more than one rabbi and find one with the Messiah will come. religious expression. tion (see the list on the back of this pamphlet). whom you are comfortable. This rabbi will then become your guide every step of In our day, most Jews welcome wholeheart- the way through your conversion. One way edly those who have chosen to become Jews. Nonetheless, some Jew s - by-c hoice re p o rt 2. Do Jews seek converts? 4. If I take an Introduction to Judaism to find a rabbi is to call the Re f o r m class, will I be expected to convert? Ou t reach and Synagogue Community occasional offensive comments dire c t e d Centuries ago, Jews did engage in prosely- director in your area. toward them. Although the reasons for such tizing, particularly during the Gr a e c o - No. These courses are offered to anyone attitudes are complicated, they are based on Roman period of Jewish history, when who wants to learn more about Judaism. ignorance and prejudice and are by no thousands of non-Jews living in Asia Minor They are most often attended by individuals 6. If I become a Jew, would people refer means sanctioned by Judaism. As more and embraced Judaism. The destruction of the considering conversion, by interfaith cou- to me as a “convert”? Is there some m o r e Jew s - b y-choice enter the Jew i s h Roman Empire and mortal threats against ples learning together about Judaism and c o m m u n i t y, as Reform Jewish Ou t re a c h Jews who sought converts marked the end of making decisions about whether to have a other, more proper term to use? promotes education about Jewish views of such efforts to gain converts. Jewish home, as well as by born Jew s In Judaism, people who become Jews have c o n v ersion and sensitivity to Jew s - b y - who want to learn more about their own no less than full Jewish status in every choice, and as public discussion of such a Judaism respects the religious beliefs of heritage.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Hebrew-Jewish Disconnection
    Bridgewater State University Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University Master’s Theses and Projects College of Graduate Studies 5-2016 The eH brew-Jewish Disconnection Jacey Peers Follow this and additional works at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/theses Part of the Reading and Language Commons Recommended Citation Peers, Jacey. (2016). The eH brew-Jewish Disconnection. In BSU Master’s Theses and Projects. Item 32. Available at http://vc.bridgew.edu/theses/32 Copyright © 2016 Jacey Peers This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. THE HEBREW-JEWISH DISCONNECTION Submitted by Jacey Peers Department of Graduate Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Bridgewater State University Spring 2016 Content and Style Approved By: ___________________________________________ _______________ Dr. Joyce Rain Anderson, Chair of Thesis Committee Date ___________________________________________ _______________ Dr. Anne Doyle, Committee Member Date ___________________________________________ _______________ Dr. Julia (Yulia) Stakhnevich, Committee Member Date 1 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my mom for her support throughout all of my academic endeavors; even when she was only half listening, she was always there for me. I truly could not have done any of this without you. To my dad, who converted to Judaism at 56, thank you for showing me that being Jewish is more than having a certain blood that runs through your veins, and that there is hope for me to feel like I belong in the community I was born into, but have always felt next to.
    [Show full text]
  • Antisemitism 2.0”—The Spreading of Jew-Hatredonthe World Wide Web
    MonikaSchwarz-Friesel “Antisemitism 2.0”—The Spreading of Jew-hatredonthe World Wide Web This article focuses on the rising problem of internet antisemitism and online ha- tred against Israel. Antisemitism 2.0isfound on all webplatforms, not justin right-wing social media but alsoonthe online commentary sections of quality media and on everydayweb pages. The internet shows Jew‐hatred in all its var- ious contemporary forms, from overt death threats to more subtle manifestations articulated as indirect speech acts. The spreading of antisemitic texts and pic- tures on all accessibleaswell as seemingly non-radical platforms, their rapid and multiple distribution on the World Wide Web, adiscourse domain less con- trolled than other media, is by now acommon phenomenon within the spaceof public online communication. As aresult,the increasingimportance of Web2.0 communication makes antisemitism generallymore acceptable in mainstream discourse and leadstoanormalization of anti-Jewishutterances. Empirical results from alongitudinalcorpus studyare presented and dis- cussed in this article. They show how centuries old anti-Jewish stereotypes are persistentlyreproducedacross different social strata. The data confirm that hate speech against Jews on online platforms follows the pattern of classical an- tisemitism. Although manyofthem are camouflaged as “criticism of Israel,” they are rooted in the ancient and medieval stereotypes and mental models of Jew hostility.Thus, the “Israelization of antisemitism,”¹ the most dominant manifes- tation of Judeophobia today, proves to be merelyanew garb for the age-old Jew hatred. However,the easy accessibility and the omnipresenceofantisemitism on the web 2.0enhancesand intensifies the spreadingofJew-hatred, and its prop- agation on social media leads to anormalization of antisemitic communication, thinking,and feeling.
    [Show full text]
  • Antisemitism
    Antisemitism Hatred of Jews as a people or of "the Jew" as a concept. The term “antisemitism” was first coined in the late 1870s, subsequently it is used with reference to all types of Jew-hatred - both historical and contemporary. The word itself comes from the idea that Hebrew belongs to the Semitic language family, and thus Jews must be "Semites." Many other languages also belong to the Semitic language family, such as Arabic and Amharic, and therefore other cultures could also be called "Semites." However, there is no such thing as "Semitism" and no other groups have ever been included in the hatred and prejudice denoted by antisemitism. The word itself is a good example of how, during the late nineteenth century, Jew-haters pretended that their hatred had its basis in scholarly and scientific ideas. Jew-hatred is not a modern phenomenon—it may be traced back to ancient times. Traditional antisemitism is based on religious discrimination against Jews by Christians. Christian doctrine was ingrained with the idea that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus, and thus deserved to be punished (this is known as the Deicide, or Killing of God, Myth). Another concept that provoked hatred of Jews amongst Christians was the Supercession Myth, claiming that Christianity had replaced Judaism, due to the Jewish People’s failure in their role as the Chosen People of God—and thus deserving punishment, specifically by the Christian world. Over the centuries various stereotypes about Jews developed. Individual Jews were not judged based on their personal achievements or merits, but rather were seen on the whole as greedy, devilish, standoffish, lazy, money-grubbing, and over-sexed.
    [Show full text]
  • What Sugyot Should an Educated Jew Know?
    What Sugyot Should An Educated Jew Know? Jon A. Levisohn Updated: May, 2009 What are the Talmudic sugyot (topics or discussions) that every educated Jew ought to know, the most famous or significant Talmudic discussions? Beginning in the fall of 2008, about 25 responses to this question were collected: some formal Top Ten lists, many informal nominations, and some recommendations for further reading. Setting aside the recommendations for further reading, 82 sugyot were mentioned, with (only!) 16 of them duplicates, leaving 66 distinct nominated sugyot. This is hardly a Top Ten list; while twelve sugyot received multiple nominations, the methodology does not generate any confidence in a differentiation between these and the others. And the criteria clearly range widely, with the result that the nominees include both aggadic and halakhic sugyot, and sugyot chosen for their theological and ideological significance, their contemporary practical significance, or their centrality in discussions among commentators. Or in some cases, perhaps simply their idiosyncrasy. Presumably because of the way the question was framed, they are all sugyot in the Babylonian Talmud (although one response did point to texts in Sefer ha-Aggadah). Furthermore, the framing of the question tended to generate sugyot in the sense of specific texts, rather than sugyot in the sense of centrally important rabbinic concepts; in cases of the latter, the cited text is sometimes the locus classicus but sometimes just one of many. Consider, for example, mitzvot aseh she-ha-zeman gerama (time-bound positive mitzvoth, no. 38). The resulting list is quite obviously the product of a committee, via a process of addition without subtraction or prioritization.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Reading Nevi'im and Ketuvim" Serves a Dual Purpose: (1) It Gives You an Overall Picture, a Sort of Textual Snapshot, of the Book You Are Reading
    A Guide to Reading Nevi’im and Ketuvim By Seth (Avi) Kadish Contents (All materials are in Hebrew only unless otherwise noted.) Midrash Introduction (English) How to Use the Guide Sheets (English) Month 1: Yehoshua & Shofetim (1 page each) Month 2: Shemuel Month 3: Melakhim Month 4: Yeshayahu Month 5: Yirmiyahu (2 pages) Month 6: Yehezkel Month 7: Trei Asar (2 pages) Month 8: Iyyov Month 9: Mishlei & Kohelet Month 10: Megillot (except Kohelet) & Daniel Months 11-12: Divrei HaYamim & Ezra-Nehemiah (3 pages) Chart for Reading Sefer Tehillim (six-month cycle) Chart for Reading Sefer Tehillim (leap year) Guide to Reading the Five Megillot in the Synagogue Sources and Notes (English) A Guide to Reading Nevi’im and Ketuvim Introduction What purpose did the divisions serve? They let Moses pause to reflect between sections and between topics. The matter may be inferred: If a person who heard the Torah directly from the Holy One, Blessed be He, who spoke with the Holy Spirit, must pause to reflect between sections and between topics, then this is true all the more so for an ordinary person who hears it from another ordinary person. (On the parashiyot petuhot and setumot. From Dibbura de-Nedava at the beginning of Sifra.) A Basic Problem with Reading Tanakh Knowing where to stop to pause and reflect is not a trivial detail when it comes to reading Tanakh. In my own study, simply not knowing where to start reading and where to stop kept me, for many years, from picking up a Tanakh and reading the books I was unfamiliar with.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sephardim of the United States: an Exploratory Study
    The Sephardim of the United States: An Exploratory Study by MARC D. ANGEL WESTERN AND LEVANTINE SEPHARDIM • EARLY AMERICAN SETTLEMENT • DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN COMMUNITY • IMMIGRATION FROM LEVANT • JUDEO-SPANISH COMMUNITY • JUDEO-GREEK COMMUNITY • JUDEO-ARABIC COMMUNITY • SURVEY OF AMERICAN SEPHARDIM • BIRTHRATE • ECO- NOMIC STATUS • SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION • HISPANIC CHARACTER • SEPHARDI-ASHKENAZI INTERMARRIAGE • COMPARISON OF FOUR COMMUNITIES INTRODUCTION IN ITS MOST LITERAL SENSE the term Sephardi refers to Jews of Iberian origin. Sepharad is the Hebrew word for Spain. However, the term has generally come to include almost any Jew who is not Ashkenazi, who does not have a German- or Yiddish-language background.1 Although there are wide cultural divergences within the Note: It was necessary to consult many unpublished sources for this pioneering study. I am especially grateful to the Trustees of Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York City, for permitting me to use minutes of meetings, letters, and other unpublished materials. I am also indebted to the Synagogue's Sisterhood for making available its minutes. I wish to express my profound appreciation to Professor Nathan Goldberg of Yeshiva University for his guidance throughout every phase of this study. My special thanks go also to Messrs. Edgar J. Nathan 3rd, Joseph Papo, and Victor Tarry for reading the historical part of this essay and offering valuable suggestions and corrections, and to my wife for her excellent cooperation and assistance. Cecil Roth, "On Sephardi Jewry," Kol Sepharad, September-October 1966, pp. 2-6; Solomon Sassoon, "The Spiritual Heritage of the Sephardim," in Richard Barnett, ed., The Sephardi Heritage (New York, 1971), pp.
    [Show full text]
  • Aliyah and the Ingathering of Exiles: Jewish Immigration to Israel
    Aliyah and the Ingathering of Exiles: Jewish Immigration to Israel Corinne Cath Thesis Bachelor Cultural Anthropology 2011 Aliyah and the Ingathering of Exiles: Jewish immigration to Israel Aliyah and the Ingathering of Exiles: Jewish Immigration to Israel Thesis Bachelor Cultural Anthropology 2011 Corinne Cath 3337316 C,[email protected] Supervisor: F. Jara-Gomez Aliyah and the Ingathering of Exiles: Jewish immigration to Israel This thesis is dedicated to my grandfather Kees Cath and my grandmother Corinne De Beaufort, whose resilience and wits are an inspiration always. Aliyah and the Ingathering of Exiles: Jewish immigration to Israel Table of Contents Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 4 General Introduction ............................................................................................. 5 1.Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 8 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 8 1.1 Anthropology and the Nation-State ........................................................................ 10 The Nation ........................................................................................................ 10 States and Nation-States ................................................................................... 11 Nationalism ......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Do American Jews Speak a ''Jewish Language''? a Model of Jewish
    T HE J EWISH Q UARTERLY R EVIEW, Vol. 99, No. 2 (Spring 2009) 230–269 Do American Jews Speak a ‘‘Jewish Language’’? A Model of Jewish Linguistic Distinctiveness SARAH BUNIN BENOR EXCERPT FROM an online discussion group:1 Posted by: [Satal] Apr 10 2005, 07:01 AM We didn’t have a shalom zochor. The baby is temeni [sic] like his father and will have a Brit Yitzchak the night before the bris in Yerushalayim. Posted by: [lebnir] Apr 11 2005, 07:24 PM what is a brit yitzchak? Posted by: [Satal] Apr 12 2005, 04:28 PM Its also called Zohar. The men sit up reading Zohar to protect the child the night before the bris from mezikin. BTW the bris was today and his name is [Natan]. Posted by: [Mira] Apr 12 2005, 04:31 PM We call it a vach nacht. [Natan] is a beautiful name—lots of nachas. סprinter&fסPrint&clientסϽhttp://www.hashkafah.com/index.php?act .1 9028Ͼ. ‘‘Hashkafah.com is a great way to meet people from around theסt&14 world and discuss divrei Torah, exchange ideas and viewpoints, or simply have a nice chat.’’ Translations: shalom zochor (Friday-night celebration for baby boy), temani (Yemenite), Brit Yitzchak (covenant of Isaac), bris (circumcision cere- mony), Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), Zohar (kabbalistic text), mezikin (harm), vach nacht (‘‘watch night’’ from the German Jewish tradition), nachas (pride/ joy). The Jewish Quarterly Review (Spring 2009) Copyright ᭧ 2009 Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. All rights reserved. A ‘‘JEWISH LANGUAGE’’?—BENOR 231 Throughout history Jews have tended to speak and write distinctly from their non-Jewish neighbors.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Aliyah on the American Jewish Community
    '.,~ £' ..• ,,,(''1' .. I c, '1.\ "'­ ., . l,'". ,/ . ,?')?.' -1-'./, 6: I/f ,.,; .-",'" .~~ ~t, ,d~" /' ":J ! f .O} j. )J/, , I , '( ..,( -<~, ,.". " ( {f L K';L.L) The Impact of Aliyah on the American Jewish Community CHAIM 1. WAXMAN DURING THE LAST dozen years, only once did the annual number of American Jews who migrated to Israel-"made aliyah"-rise above 3,000. In all the other years, fewer than 3,000-and since 1985 fewer than 2,000-American Jews went on aliyah. Indeed, in the forty years since the founding of the State of Israel, there was only one year, 1971, during which slightly more than one-tenth of 1 percent of the American Jewish population, 7,364 American Jews, went on aliyah. 1 There seems no reason to doubt that the major determinants of the size of American Jewish migration to Israel are to be found in both the United States and Israel. Put simply, American Jews, individually and collectively, are rather comfortable in the United States materially, physically, and in terms of being able to express their Jewishness, and they do not feel impelled to sacrifice their comfort by migrating to Israel, where material conditions are much more restricted. American Jews are undoubtedly quite aware ofboth the significant numbers of American Jews who have gone on aliyah only to return to America and the large numbers of Israelis who have emigrated from Israel, many of whom have settled in the United States. Nevertheless, it seems reasonable to assume that there would be an increase in American aliyah if there were some fundamental changes in the ways organized aliyah efforts function, both institutionally and interpersonally.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Russian and the Field of Ethnolect Study ANNA VERSCHIK Tallinn University/University of Helsinki Narva Mnt 25 10120 Tallinn, Estonia [email protected]
    Language in Society 36, 213–232. Printed in the United States of America DOI: 10.10170S004740450707011X Jewish Russian and the field of ethnolect study ANNA VERSCHIK Tallinn University/University of Helsinki Narva mnt 25 10120 Tallinn, Estonia [email protected] ABSTRACT This article demonstrates how the field of Jewish interlinguistics and a case study of Jewish Russian (JR) can contribute to the general understanding of ethnolects. JR is a cluster of post-Yiddish varieties of Russian used as a special in-group register by Ashkenazic Jews in Russia. Differences be- tween varieties of JR may be explained in terms of differing degrees of copying from Yiddish. The case of JR allows the general conclusions that (i) the diffusion of ethnolectal features into mainstream use is facilitated not only by a dense social network but also by a relatively sufficient num- ber of speakers with a variety of occupations; and (ii) in addition to matrix language turnover and lexical and prosodic features, an ethnolect may be characterized by new combinability rules under which stems and deriva- tional suffixes belong to the target language (here Russian) but their com- bination patterns do not. (Ethnolects, Jewish languages, Jewish Russian, language contact.) INTRODUCTION The aim of the present article is to demonstrate the relevance of Jewish Russian (JR) for a general understanding of ethnolects.1 In what follows, the term “Jew- ish Russian” refers to a range of post-Yiddish varieties rather than to one partic- ular variety (cf. Gold 1985:280 on varieties under the heading of Jewish English). It is most likely that JR emerged in the second part of the 19th century as a result of a language shift from a variety of Yiddish to Russian.
    [Show full text]
  • Educating Christians About Judaism
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Senior Thesis Projects, 1993-2002 College Scholars 2000 Educating Christians About Judaism Margaret cock Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_interstp2 Recommended Citation cock, Margaret, "Educating Christians About Judaism" (2000). Senior Thesis Projects, 1993-2002. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_interstp2/53 This Project is brought to you for free and open access by the College Scholars at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Thesis Projects, 1993-2002 by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Educating Christians About Judaism Margaret E. Pattison University of Tennessee Committee: Dr. Gilya G. Schmidt Dr. Karen Levy Dr. Vejas Liulevicius Table of Contents Abstract Introduction 4 Literature Review 5 Experiment 23 Results/Conclusions 25 Education Part One 36 Education Part Two 36 F inaI ThoughtslRecommendations 43 Reference List 45 Appendixes Abstract Many Christians are unaware of their religion~s connection to Judaism. Because of centuries of false doctrine and anti-Semitism on the part of the church leaders, much of the Christian community has little or no understanding of the parental role of the Jewish faith. They forget that Jesus, the central figure in Christianity, was a practicing member of the Jewish church. This project's goals are to teach a smalI popu1ation of Christians some minor details of Judaism, but more importantly, to instill a deep appreciation in Christians' hearts for the Jewish faith and tradition. To determine the relative knowledge of Christians, different age groups of members of Central Baptist Church of Bearden were surveyed.
    [Show full text]
  • Connecting to Israel As a Reform Jew” Yom Kippur Morning Sermon Rabbi Jordan M
    “Connecting to Israel as a Reform Jew” Yom Kippur Morning Sermon Rabbi Jordan M. Ottenstein, RJE Congregation Dor Tamid, Johns Creek, Georgia September 30, 2017/10 Tishrei 5778 A few weeks ago, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta hosted a breakfast meeting with local rabbis and a number of members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, at the Temple downtown. It was a great opportunity for my colleagues and me to hear from representatives of the Israeli government and the opposition parties as they expressed their hopes and aspirations for mutual cooperation and understanding between Israel and the American Jewish community. This meeting was also an opportunity for these high-ranking Israeli official to hear our concerns, our issues, and our anxieties about the current state of affairs in the Jewish state. We all went into the meeting with a sense of encouragement, eager to listen to each other, share with each other, and build a relationship based on a mutual desire to strengthen our bonds to each other. And yet, it was not surprising to me that I walked out of the meeting upset and with a feeling that I, along with my other colleagues, had not be heard. As many of you know, there are currently a number of issues in Israel that are affecting the relationship between the State of Israel, specifically its government, and the non-Orthodox Jewish community in the diaspora. First and foremost of these issues centers around the kotel, the Western Wall. While not always the case, the kotel is currently administered by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, led by Rabbi Schmuel Rabinowitz.
    [Show full text]