L.I. Church Holds Rosh Hashanah Services After Flood At Jewish Center

[hannajomar]

“The nipple of the pipe had burst, completely flooding about two-thirds of the way back through the building,” said Steve Gappelberg, a member of the center. “It was unusable.”
“I haven’t been in the building because it would break my heart,” added Lisa Arian of the Congregation Beth Shalom.
Organizers turned to their neighbors at the Sacred Heart Church a block away to help them start off the new year right.
However, the church wasn’t quite ready to receive company. The Parish Hall remained in disarray a week after celebrating the Feast of San Gennaro.
“We spent the entire day moving 250 chairs, bringing over our torah scrolls, portable arc, and we turned this auditorium into a synagogue,” Jewish Center of Island Park co-president Steve Diamond told CBS 2′s Weijia Jiang.
Firefighters and volunteers quickly pitched in and scrambled to get the Parish Hall in shape for the Rosh Hashanah services.
“We do work very closely together and there’s a wonderful respect,” Father John Tutone said. “This is just reflective of what always is here in our community.”
All involved agreed that this meeting of two faiths showed how people can work together and respect each other even if they have different beliefs.
“New year, new start, new beginning and we’re all here to be together,” Rabbi Mark Getman added.

Read the whole thing here:
newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/09/17/l-i-church-holds-rosh-hashanah-services-after-pipe-breaks-at-jewish-center/

 

[504Katrin]

“We spent the entire day moving 250 chairs, bringing over our torah scrolls, portable arc, and we turned this auditorium into a synagogue,”

Hahaha this is great! It’s just so good to hear that both communities didn’t hesitate to neither offer nor to accept help, and that the Jewish community moved everything, just about everything as it should be over to the church.

I’m loving it! This might be one of the most wonderful news I’ve ever heard. “Thy kingdom come” certainly happened on that day This thread makes me very happy.

I’m afraid you didn’t get more responses, but know that you made me happy and will continue to make me happy with these news

How I wish the entire world would act like family all the time

 

[thedavidwilson]

I wonder when they will celebrate Ramadan in the parish hall? They should invite the LGBT community over for a gay pride orgy so we can be one happy “community”.

Being CATHOLIC means something despite what some liberals think.

 

[thedavidwilson]

Perhaps you parish should rent its hall, for a nominal fee of course, to some heroin addicts so they can have some place to shoot up.

newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm

I am assuming by “small African ecclestical community” you are referring to a faith community that does not adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

 

[thedavidwilson]

[No message]

 

[thedavidwilson]

I was assuming that if one is “liberal” in the modern sense of the word that they are not Catholic; esp the catholic liberal.

I don’t have to reduce this to absurdity because it is already absurd. Jews and protestants are in error. By facilitating their faith communities and especially their errant religious practices your are committing the sin of being complicit in that error and encouraging it.

Here is something else you should study up on:

newadvent.org/cathen/07759a.htm

 

[Farsight001]

(name removed by moderator);9806291:

You missed the point of my comparison. THE Church is open to all men, but they must join the Church to enter it.

False. The church is open to all men, period. All men and women are welcome in church regardless of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, or anything else. All are welcome. That’s how we gain converts.

And by the way, yes, being Catholic means something - it means love, charity, giving, and helping those in need.

 

[Lucky7]

Jews and protestants are in error. By facilitating their faith communities and especially their errant religious practices your are committing the sin of being complicit in that error and encouraging it.

I think you make a valid point and it is one I struggle with very much.

 

[Lucky7]

thedavidwilson;9807023:

False. The church is open to all men, period. All men and women are welcome in church regardless of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, or anything else. All are welcome. That’s how we gain converts.

And by the way, yes, being Catholic means something - it means love, charity, giving, and helping those in need.

But I guess is it truly charitable to encourage someone down the wrong path?

 

[Lucky7]

I agree with this. This comparison was not necessary.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

This is a wonderful gesture to this Jewsish community. Jews are our older brothers in the faith. The Pope has expressed great hope for better relations between the Church and the Jewish people.

In laying the foundations for a renewed relationship between the Jewish People and the Church, Nostra Aetate stressed the need to overcome past prejudices, misunderstandings, indifference, and the language of contempt and hostility. The Declaration has been the occasion of greater mutual understanding and respect, cooperation and, often, friendship between Catholics and Jews. It has also challenged them to recognize their shared spiritual roots and to appreciate their rich heritage of faith in the One God, maker of heaven and earth, who established his covenant with the Chosen People, revealed his commandments and taught hope in those messianic promises which give confidence and comfort in the struggles of life.

In this town also, the people of the synagogue are neighbors and friends of the Catholics - remember the buildings are only a block apart. In helping their neighbors like this, the Catholics are living out the words of Christ in telling us that even the Samaritan is our neighbor.

I would think that a Catholic parish could rent or loan their hall for religious ceremonies for Christian, Jewish or Muslim organizations. The protestants are our separated brethern and the Jews and Muslims worship the same God we do (albeit imperfectly).

I would also hope that a Catholic church would rent their hall for an organization that was helping drug-addicts recover, or that was helping gay people live a chaste life. We would not encourage them in their sin, but would welcome them if they needed help.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Yes, I understand that he was out-of-line. I was trying to bring the conversation up a level. I would hope that no matter the context, no one would wilfully equate Jews with drug addicts or permiscuous homosexuals.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

Farsight001;9807091:

But I guess is it truly charitable to encourage someone down the wrong path?

The wrong path to you, but not to them. All beliefs are matters of faith, not of rationality, and our beliefs are no less wrong to others unless they are accepted and internalized in faith.

A Jew needs not accept Christianity as the Truth as a Catholic does, nor does a Catholic have to accept Lutheranism as he does his own Catholicism. What is due all of us and what we owe others is respect for our faiths.

 

[johnnykins]

I wonder when they will celebrate Ramadan in the parish hall? They should invite the LGBT community over for a gay pride orgy so we can be one happy “community”.

Being CATHOLIC means something despite what some liberals think.

Wonder if you’ve ever read the Parable of the Good Samaritan? Any idea at all what it’s about?

 

[Lucky7]

The wrong path to you, but not to them.

I thought it was wrong to the Church. Catholicism is the fullness of the Truth; therefore all other religions fall short of the Truth.

I get that we should be respectful, but I still struggle with having a non-Catholic worship service in a Catholic parish hall. Although it gives the impression that it is the nice thing to do, I think it also sends the message that it’s okay to be Jewish…no need to be Catholic.

I wonder…were Catholic paintings, crucifixes, etc also taken down?

 

[Farsight001]

I thought it was wrong to the Church. Catholicism is the fullness of the Truth; therefore all other religions fall short of the Truth.

I get that we should be respectful, but I still struggle with having a non-Catholic worship service in a Catholic parish hall. Although it gives the impression that it is the nice thing to do, I think it also sends the message that it’s okay to be Jewish…no need to be Catholic.

Gestures of kindness like this typically are more likely to inspire people to convert, not convince them they don’t need to. Recent history is littered with people, especially the Jewish, who were so thankful for some kindness shown them by Catholics when times were tough that they converted.

I wonder…were Catholic paintings, crucifixes, etc also taken down?

Likely covered, if anything, as is done during lent. But the parish halls I’m used to don’t really have anything more than a single crucifix.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

I thought it was wrong to the Church. Catholicism is the fullness of the Truth; therefore all other religions fall short of the Truth

Yes, that’s what Catholics believe in Faith. No one except Catholics need believe that…

I think it also sends the message that it’s okay to be Jewish…no need to be Catholic.

Yes, you are correct. It’s quite okay to be Jewish, and conversion is not necessary.

I

 

[hannajomar]

I’m thinking, “Do unto others as you would have them to unto you.”
If it was Christmas or Easter and my parish was flooded, I would be grateful if a rabbi offered for us to use their synagogue to celebrate Mass. I would be even more grateful if the rabbi didn’t require me to convert to Judaism in order to do that.

 

[The_Scott]

I’m thinking, “Do unto others as you would have them to unto you.”
If it was Christmas or Easter and my parish was flooded, I would be grateful if a rabbi offered for us to use their synagogue to celebrate Mass. I would be even more grateful if the rabbi didn’t require me to convert to Judaism in order to do that.

I was thinking this exact same thing.

 

[YKohen]

I’m thinking, “Do unto others as you would have them to unto you.”
If it was Christmas or Easter and my parish was flooded, I would be grateful if a rabbi offered for us to use their synagogue to celebrate Mass. I would be even more grateful if the rabbi didn’t require me to convert to Judaism in order to do that.

Just one quick point: The traditional Jewish concept isn’t that everyone needs to be Jewish. As per the Bible, we are a nation- not a religion. We don’t believe that one must be from the nation of Israel in order to be a good, holy, saintly person- with a share in the world-to-come. Conversely, we believe that one can be Jewish and be evil.

Our concept is that like an orchestra, not everyone is a violinist, a trumpet player, etc. Were that the case, then the music would sound flat. Each has his or her role to play, and if each plays it properly; separately but in tune with his/her neighbor, then the result is beautiful music; for G-d’s glory.