Community Views

Editor's Notebook

To Study And To Share,
ToLearn From Each Other

Five Stupid Things
That Get On My Nerves

THE REV. JAMES R. LYONS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The first century
of the Common
Era was one of
tremendous up-
heavals. I do not
know of another
century where the
religious fervor, ar-
gumentation, di-
versity and growth
were so pronounced.
One of the sad things about the
lack of real dialogue between
Christians and Jews is that the
argumentation and debate about
Jesus in terms of who
Christians think he
was has developed
into polemic, making
it difficult for Chris-
tians and Jews to
study what is in
essence a compilation
of Jewish writings,
that is the Christian
part of the Bible.
It must be remem-
bered that with some
possible exceptions,
all of the writers were
Jewish. Indeed, as
my late professor
Abraham Spiro used
to say, "When I read
the Gospels, I read a
very Jewish series of
books."
For the last year, I
have been reading
materials of Jesus
within the Judaisms
of his time. What has
become apparent is
that when the polemic
(") is removed, the writ-
ings of the Christian
portion of the Scrip-
tures provide inter-
esting insights into
the development of
Judaism.
In the turmoil of the
first century, both Jews and Chris-
tians find their roots and while the
divergence today makes us seem
to be far apart, a great deal of mu-
tuality is to be found in reading the
Gospels and other writings of the
Christian Scriptures together.
Let me give a couple examples.
On the Ecumenical Institute's
recent church-synagogue tour,
we were privileged to visit Con-
gregation Beth Achim where,
when we entered the sanctuary,
a sign informed us that married
women should have their heads
covered. In conversation with this
widely diverse group of people
visiting churches and syna-
gogues, I made the comment that
Paul in Corinthians argues that
a woman ought not to pray to
God with her head uncovered.
One of the Jewish women said,
"Is that in your Bible, too?"

James R. Lyons is the director of

the Ecumenical Institute for
Jewish-Christian Studies.

David Flusser, who taught ear-
ly Christian studies at the He-
brew University in Jerusalem,
has argued that the Christian
writings are a source which con-
tributes "greatly to our knowl-
edge of the Jewish Midrash
(biblical exegesis) of those days
and of the prevalent methods of
study of the Bible." He goes on to
argue that the Christian writings
reflect an oral tradition which in
many cases is considerably ear-
lier than the Jewish reflections.
For example, the naming of a

Cana. The question, of course, is
what does "after three days"
mean? As one of my guides in Is-
rael, Joseph Gilboa, remarked,
after three days refers to three
days after the closing of the Sab-
bath, which is Tuesday. Tuesday
is a special day of blessing and
even today many weddings take
place on that day. Here we have
an early attestation of Jewish
practice.
I could go on, including com-
mentary that helps Christians to
understand their Scriptures,

Let's be honest:

ourselves, so we ought to know
sometimes, it's better than to be prejudiced.
really refreshing That has nothing to do with it.
to be cranky. It's
The issue for me is Jewish
like eating cook- law. Halachah teaches that
ies and M&Ms, one must think carefully be-
nothing more, fore he opens his mouth, and
for breakfast. Or that no one should speak in a
watching a derogatory manner about his
Danielle Steele fellow human beings.
miniseries on TV. Or reading
"Slander," the Talmud
the National Enquirer (which, teaches, "is in the same cate-
of course, I myself have never gory with murder."
done).
Shvartze is about as pleas-
It may be unhealthy, it cer- ant a term to me as "kike," yet
tainly isn't politically correct, it is not an uncommon word
and it isn't going to change the among many in the Jewish
world for the better. The prob- community. For shame.
lem is it just feels so right. So
Number four: People who
very, very right.
refer to other Jews as "they."
So instead of trying to be
"You know how they are," I
profound, I've decided, just for have heard said of Reform,
fun, (and in no particular or- Conservative and Orthodox
der) to talk about things that Jews as a group. (Invariably,
really irritate me. Let me start it's accompanied by a smirk:
with "great Jews."
"Reform Jews — you know
About once a year, some what they're like; they don't
bonehead writes a book about know anything" or "You know
"great Jews." It usually in- Orthodox Jews, you know how
cludes a brief biography — inflexible they are." )
nothing too intellectually chal-
lenging — on some Jews
whose names virtually every-
body will recognize.
The criteria, apparently, is
simply that the subject was
born Jewish. So what if Ac-
tress X is living with a gentile
and raising her children with-
out any religion and the most
No, I do not know how
Jewish thing she did in her en-
tire life was eat a bagel. She's "they" are.
I have seen the "they." It is
Jewish and she's well-known,
so she must be a great Jew, us.
Number five: Jewish efforts
right?
to whitewash anti-Semitism.
O000h. Ghastly.
I don't understand why cer-
Number two: Families who
say they will raise their chil- tain members of this commu-
dren with both Judaism and nity simply refuse to
Christianity and "let them de- acknowledge that there are vi-
cide what they want to be cious anti-Semites out there.
"Jews are dumb, stupid,
when they grow up."
Give me a break. I don't evil," some so-called leader
know about you, but I'm not might say.
Invariably, there will be
interested in giving my chil-
dren a choice about whether members of the Jewish com-
they want to eat their food munity who jump to explain,
with a fork or with their "But he didn't mean it that
hands, or whether they want way. What he meant to say
to go to bed at 9 p.m. or 2 a.m., was that there are a few Jews
or whether they would like to who are dumb, which of course
go to school, or how they want we all acknowledge, and that
to drive — with or without a there's stupidity when we are
prejudiced against others, and
seat belt.
A parent's role in life is to that it's true evil to be so hate-
guide a child. Part of that re- filled."
Why are we apologists for
sponsibility entails teaching a
child about his religion and anti-Semites? If hatred from
the critical role it will play in the Jewish community is in-
his life. For a parent to detach excusable, which of course it
himself from such a vital as- is, the same must be true from
pect of his child's development others.
Aah, that feels better. Noth-
is not an option, it is an of-
ing like a good bit of com-
fense.
Number three: Jews who plaining to ease a reporter's
say shvartze. Fm not going into challenging life. Of course, you
that whole, overused lecture know how they are... 0
about how Jews have suffered

Of course,
you know
how they are,
they say.

baby at the time of a circumci-
sion, which is common Jewish
practice today and is not known
in talmudic literature, is report-
ed in the Gospels. The custom of
passing around a glass of wine
during the Kiddush is reflected

A need to
study both
to understand
either.

in what has become known as the
Last Supper, where Jesus passed
the cup among the disciples. The
use of the term "rabbi" for Jesus
may reflect one of the first record-
ed uses of the term that became
more regular at a later time.
In the Gospel of John, it is re-
ported that after 'three days" Je-
sus went to a wedding feast in

drawing the commentary from
Jewish sources.
What I am trying to convey is
that if we are to understand who
and what we are as either Jews
or Christians and want to build
a better relationship while ac-
cepting our differences and ap-
preciating our mutualities, we
need to get serious about study-
ing together.
We need to look at our com-
mon heritage and recognize that
in the first century argumenta-
tion and debate took place, but it
was all within the framework of
the Judaisms of the time. Jews
who study this period with Chris-
tians will find much to enrich and
understand; and Christians who
study this period with Jews will
find the teachings of Jesus begin
to sparkle in a way they have
never seen before. As a friend, a
Roman Catholic nun, said, "I nev-
er understood Jesus until I began
to understand Judaism." ❑