Friends going to a Jewish service

[hamburglar]

I have some Catholic friends, and they invited me to go with them to a Jewish synagogue, attend a “traditional service” and listen to a speaker talk about the different aspects of the Jewish faith. I politely declined. (By the way, I am a Roman Catholic)

Anyway, is this acceptable that they are going to the Jewish synagogue to celebrate their “service” with them? I don’t know what it’s called, that’s why I called it a “service”

 

[PhilotheaZ]

If your friends are very solid in their Catholic faith, I don’t see any harm in attending once to learn something about another faith community. (Jesus attended Jewish services regularly!)

But if they are shaky with Catholicism, or if they are “shopping around” for another faith community, then it is not OK.

And of course, it does not change their obligation to attend Mass at a Catholic church this weekend.

 

[drafdog]

The service at the temple would be on Sabbath, probably the Friday evening service, and would in no way keep them from attending Sunday Eucharist.
It is valuable for us as Christians to understand the underpinnings of the Christian faith which is Jewish in origin. To pray with Jesus’s cousins might be a very good idea. The early Jewish Christians prayed both in the synagogue and the church. Read Acts.

Matthew

 

[1ke]

I have some Catholic friends, and they invited me to go with them to a Jewish synagogue, attend a “traditional service” and listen to a speaker talk about the different aspects of the Jewish faith. I politely declined. (By the way, I am a Roman Catholic)

Anyway, is this acceptable that they are going to the Jewish synagogue to celebrate their “service” with them? I don’t know what it’s called, that’s why I called it a “service”

No, there is nothing wrong with going to a synagogue to learn about the Jewish faith and observe one of their services.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I’ve been to Jewish shabbat services a number of times and have found them quite beautiful. I don’t see anything wrong with attending their services – they are, after all, our ancestors in faith.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I had several Jewish bosses in my career. My wife and I attended a few funerals, weddings, bar Mitzvahs etc. We never saw a problem.

 

[Sarabande]

I agree with the others. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with attending a Jewish service to learn about the faith or if you are attending a wedding, funeral, etc. My former voice teacher was Jewish and I would go with her for her services once in a while as she was a cantor when I lived with her and her husband for a month. They lead all the chants and songs in Hebrew, and when properly trained, it is beautiful. (For those aren’t familiar, it’s not like RC cantoring at all.) I always attended mass, BTW, and love my faith. But I just wanted to learn about the Jewish faith and I knew that much of our own chants came from the Jewish traditions, which I found very interesting.

 

[brotherhrolf]

One of my wife’s colleagues is Jewish and we were invited to the “bris” ceremony (as in circumcision of Our Lord). We found it an excellent way to catechize our sons about rites of initiation.

Beyond that, I have been a Gentile attending a Seder Supper - and isn’t that what Holy Thursday was all about?

 

[puzzleannie]

I have some Catholic friends, and they invited me to go with them to a Jewish synagogue, attend a “traditional service” and listen to a speaker talk about the different aspects of the Jewish faith. I politely declined. (By the way, I am a Roman Catholic)

Anyway, is this acceptable that they are going to the Jewish synagogue to celebrate their “service” with them? I don’t know what it’s called, that’s why I called it a “service”

it would certainly have been permissible to attend. you would not be necessarily participating in worship you would be attending, listening, observing and hearing the speaker. I think it would be great if every Catholic could witness traditional Jewish services (by invitationonly) for an understanding of how deeply rooted our own liturgy is in Jewish tradition.

DD and granddaughter just went to a bar mitzvah for a friend, rather common in their area, same family attended her own first communion party. led to great discussion of similarities and differences, esp. she was struck by role of the psalms, and could even recognize when a psalm was being prayed.