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Jews, Assyrians Share Worship Space
#1
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/glenview/new...s1.article

December 11, 2008
By LYNNE STIEFEL <!-- e --><a href="mailto:lstiefel@pioneerlocal.com">lstiefel@pioneerlocal.com</a><!-- e -->

Congregants of B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim are sharing their former Glenview synagogue building of more than 30 years with its new owner, the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East.

The marriage of convenience -- the Jewish congregation's new Deerfield home won't be ready to occupy for a year -- has so far been easier and more rewarding than leaders of the two denominations had thought.

"They were scared. We were scared. How were we going to do it together? It's working," said the Rev. George Toma, pastor of the Assyrian church.

Agreed BJBE executive director Marc Swatez, "It's working out better I think than either one of us ever imagined."

The church owns the building at 901 Milwaukee Ave. but is leasing it in its entirety to the synagogue. A shared-use agreement spells out when the church is allowed to use portions of the facility.

But "the reality is we like each other very much and there's enough room in the building for both of us," Swatez said.

"Actually," Toma said, "I can say we put the contract aside and there's a contract of love and respect."

Logistics

BJBE Rabbi Karyn Kedar had expected the sharing arrangement to be bittersweet, especially because the church's symbols and faith objects were put into an altar that replaced the ark where the torah scrolls had been housed. The scrolls are now kept in storage, and placed under a makeshift tabernacle during religious services.

A tabernacle was used as a sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by Jews wandering in the desert after fleeing Egyptian bondage, Kedar said.

"It shows how both difficult and sacred the temporariness is," she said.

The analogy wasn't lost on Toma, who told Kedar his parishioners had also been wandering with a tabernacle until they found their home.

Formed in 2000, the St. Andrew parish moved its Bible study classes from basements to rented rooms in community centers in Mount Prospect and Des Plaines, and, for awhile, space at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines.

Plans in 2004 to build a church at Shermer and Old Willow roads in Northbrook were abandoned because of the high cost, Toma said.

But the parish had raised enough money through walks, rallies, parties and breakfasts for the down payment on BJBE's 30,772-square-foot building, he said.

"It's a beautiful place. It has everything we need: a fellowship hall, classrooms, a big parking lot," Toma said.

What's in future

Toma said St. Andrew parish, the fifth for Assyrians in the Chicago area, is expected to draw from the more than 2,000 Assyrian families in communities surrounding Glenview.

The foundation walls for BJBE's new synagogue, meanwhile, have started to rise at Lake-Cook Road and Pine Street in Deerfield. The new building will include a 613-seat main sanctuary, which will overlook an interior courtyard, a social hall that seats 1,110 and eventually a 27,000-square-foot school wing.

The church can't make major changes to the former BJBE facility until the synagogue moves out in October or November of 2009, Toma said.

Until then, the synagogue worship services take place Friday nights and Saturday mornings and the church holds services Sundays.

"What's interesting is I believe more than 50 percent of what they read on Fridays, we read on Sundays," Toma said. "We also use the Old Testament, the prophets and the Books of Moses. It's amazing: two different ethnic groups worshipping God in one place in a period of 24 hours."

The church is now starting a Bible study class on Friday night, while the synagogue conducts Sabbath services.

Both religious entities have joined forces on programs that feed the homeless and teach English to adults and children.

"This began as a financial arrangement, and we have now found friends and allies in our work together," Kedar said.

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+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
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#2
Beautiful! But I can't say I am surprised. I have after all seen both...
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
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#3
Andrew Gabriel Roth Wrote:Beautiful! But I can't say I am surprised. I have after all seen both...

Do you remember the Qasha in the 1st picture? He's seen both, too. <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->

I also find it interesting that the name of the Synagogue is B'nai Jehoshua.....
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
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#4
That's really great to hear. With all the strife in the world, this story gives hope.

But I must say, if they're really so close, why not have a joint one off service one day where they read from the torah/tehillim first in hebrew, then onkelos's aramaic, plus the peshitta's aramaic.

That way they could learn more about each other's language, if they wanted to. Jews could ask more about the Assyrian's Aramaic tradition and understandings and the Christians could ask about the original Hebrew bible and language.

Or is that going too far for Jewish Christian relations?

...In a perfect world.
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#5
Shlama Akhi,

This is great. Thanks for sharing +Shamasha.

I love that sign on the wall "Know before whom you stand" from Pirkey Avoth. In the farthest East corner in my family's living room we have a copy of Peshitta Tanakh & NT with a menorah on a shelf with a plaque with these words on it.

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Ya'aqub Younan-Levine
Aramaica.org
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#6
Shlama Akhi Paul,

Oh yes, most definitely I remember the Qasha. He looks great and it does my heart well to see that.

I am one to simply rejoice in just seeing the cooperation and friendship. It is not a perfect world, but I tell you the truth Akhi Khabiba, whatever the world's imperfections it is a better place for what is happening in this small house of worship. The name, and the time of year, speak for itself. It makes me proud of both sides of my spiritual heritage.

May YHWH bless all connected with this, especially Qasha Klutz, who has my eternal respect and appreciation. These people definitely know before Whom they stand. Hallel-u-YAH!
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
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