Faith to Faith: Christian-Jewish Relations
Restoring a Temple Library
This article is based on an e-mail eye-witness report by Alan N. Canton

Following the recent firebombing of three synagogues in Sacramento, California, the Jewish people of that city were understandably shocked and in a state of wonderment. "Is this the beginning of another reign of terror on us?" they asked. "Is this another Kristalnacht?" Since the sites of the bombings were sealed as crime scenes, the congregants could not get near their synagogues; therefore, they could only wonder and phone one another about how bad it really was.

"How could this happen in America?" they wondered. "What have we done? Why do they hate us so much?" Wanting only to live in peace, brotherhood, and safety within the dominant Christian community, they could not understand how B’nai Israel, the oldest congregation west of the Mississippi, could be so targeted.

Then, they heard that the coming Sabbath service would be conducted in the 2,000-seat community theatre. Even though it was announced that everyone (Jew and non-Jew) was invited, most Jewish people expected only a couple hundred people at most. When they arrived, however, eighteen hundred people from all over the community, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Hare Krishnas, and members of every sect of the Protestant community was present. There were blacks, Asian, atheists, agnostics, New Agers. There were bishops, ministers, civic leaders, police, FBI, legislators, all joining to demonstrate their support for the Jewish community of Sacramento.

A group of United Methodists were conducting a large convention in Sacramento. When they heard of the bombings, they decided to pray with the Jewish people. So, hundreds of them all wearing their convention badges circulated through the crowd.

A Jewish Sabbath service is normally not solemn and dignified but a celebration where workday thoughts are put aside and hearts are turned toward family. But, who could be happy when the house of worship had been torched and 5,000 books were burned? The congregation struggled, however, for some sense of normality. The speakers were inspirational. The people laughed, sang, applauded, and said ancient prayers.

Then, an attractive blond woman on the stage whom no one seemed to recognize was introduced by the rabbi as the Rev. Faith Whitmore. She was the head of the United Methodist Church group that was conducting the convention in our city. Rev. Whitmore spoke of how appalled she and her brethren were about the tragedy in the Jewish community. Of course, the Jewish people have heard this before, from the Pope on down: "We’re sorry for the Holocaust, but there was nothing we could have done about it."

Then Rev. Whitmore reached into her suit coat and took out a piece of paper, saying, "I want you to know that this afternoon we took a special offering from our members to help you rebuild your temple, and we want you to have this check for $6,000."

For two seconds there was absolute quiet. Then, thunderous applause broke out, continuing for two minutes. Then people broke into tears. Jewish senior citizens were astounded. "Who ever heard of Gentiles caring about Jews?" they mused. The gratitude of the Jewish people to these Methodists who were not even a part of their community was profound.

When the final hymn closed the evening, everyone, both Jew and Gentile, went home feeling a little better. While Gentiles (and Christians) in history had put Jews through inquisitions and pogroms and had burned them at the stake and in their synagogues, expelled them from their countries, locked them away in ghettos, and eagerly turned them in to the Nazis, these Gentiles and Christians chose to bless the Jewish community with their presence and with their resources.

The great tragedy for B’nai Israel was that its entire library was burned, with not one page remaining. Knowing the attachment spiritually, emotionally, and practically to study that permeates the Jewish community, the loss of a library is particularly painful. A library used by hundreds of teenagers and children, a library of books and videos, a library that was a focal point of community socialization, all lost in a criminal act of violence.

Anyone who would like to help replace these resources can make a donation to Congregation B’nai Israel by sending it to B’nai Israel c/o Alan N. Canton, Vice President, Adams-Blake Publishing, 8041 Sierra Street, Fair Oaks, CA 95628.

Canton speaks as a member of this congregation: "I have to heal as much as everyone else. Now I have a lot of work to do this summer, not only in my business, but to help rebuild our temple and community. They have not beaten us. As our Torah teaches us, ‘And this too shall pass.’ "

Guestbook | Table of Contents | Restore! Magazine | Restoration Foundation Home