Or Jewish Catholics. I am having a hard time understanding why converted Jews want to retain and celebrate distinctly Jewish traditions in the Church. I am only concerned with those activities which have a theological basis which can overshadow the Church tradition. In reading Roy Schoeman’s book Salvation Is From the Jews I get the impression he claims a special place in the Church by virtue of being a Jew. If this sounds disjointed, it is because I am puzzled.
Without examples of the “distinctly Jewish traditions” that are causing you concern, I’m unable to specifically comment on them. I can only say that many Hebrew Catholics choose to celebrate Jewish holidays and maintain some of their Jewish prayer practices because they continue to identify with their heritage as Jews and want to pass on that identity to their children.
One of the great fears of modern Jews – and a fear that is grounded in reality – is assimilation. They fear that the identity of the Jews as a distinct people will be lost by marriage to non-Jews; or, even more unthinkably for committed Jews, through conversion, especially to Christianity. Modern Hebrew Catholics often feel a special obligation to avoid losing their identity as members of the Jewish people by virtue of their baptism as Christians. One of the ways they avoid doing so is by continuing to maintain their Jewish heritage.
I have read Mr. Schoeman’s book and do not find that he claims for himself a special place in the Church by virtue of his Jewish roots. As I understand it, his thesis is that the Jews as a people hold a special place in salvation history by virtue of being chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the world, both through his First Coming and also his Second Coming
(cf. Romans 9-11).
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