Mon 3 Sep 2007
And I Thought My Marriage Was Challenging
Posted by Head Yenta under Life, Death and Guilt In Between[12] Comments
Ynetnews brings us a most interesting love story: In Paris, Rabbi Jonathan Levy was more than happy to help Protestant minister Catherine Schtorkel explore her recently discovered Jewish heritage. They fell in love, and because the bride is halachically Jewish, the pair were wed in Jerusalem six weeks ago.
However, Schtorkel is keeping her day job. "I'm still a Protestant minister and I still believe in Jesus."
Hmm. Levy's congregation was so outraged by their leader marrying outside the faith that they fired him. "I wish my movement was as tolerant as it preaches others to be," said the rabbi.
The couple is planning to move to Israel within the next two years, where they will presumably a more sympathetic community.
*Cartoon by Jordan B. Gorfinkel borrowed from JewishWorldReview.com.
Yo! ... even HUC isn’t ready for intermarried rabbinical candidates, or so I am told. Although, I’d recommend to R. Levy that he might want to connect with the Humanistic Judaism or Reb Schachter-Shalomi’s Renewal movement … I think minds might be somewhat more open in thise circles. IMHO, we should be happy for every Rev Schortkel we find, there’s literally millions of people like her in this world.
“IMHO, we should be happy for every Rev Schortkel we find, theres literally millions of people like her in this world.”
Really, Dan? Elucidate, please.
I mean people of Jewish heritage who have lost their connection. In the US, for ex., there’s what? 5 million of us? but how many more Americans have a Jewish grandparent or two but aren’t counted in that number? I’ve heard guesses ranging as high as 20 million, but who knows for sure? ... not a semester goes by it seems that someone in one of my classes doesnt’ come to me after class to talk about “my Jewish grandmother/grandfather” ... these all being Xmas celebrating who want to know a little bit more about their own heritage … have I elucidated enough?
list line of that last post should read
“these all being Xmas celebrating young peopel who want to know a little bit more about their own Jewish heritage” ... I can be such a sloppy typist, selichah
Dan:
You’ve introduced a good point. Just how many Christians in America can claim Jewish descent? Not so long ago I read an article in Moment Magazine that speculated that perhaps 30 million ‘crypto-Jews’ are to be counted among the populace of Mexico. We have family friends here in the US who fall into this category, descended from Turkish Sephardim
and removed from Judaism by only 1 generation, but one would never guess.
Schvach—There’s a Presbyterian church across the street from my oldest son’s high school. I noticed last spring that they had posted an upcoming event; a baptism;the baby’s last name was Rothschild. A few weeks ago I was at a wedding at a Unitarian church, the officiating minister’s name was Kahn-Schreiber & the bride’s mother’s last name was Altman (Jewish father, I know the family). I could go on, but I really don’t think I’m Jew-lucinating here, am I?
Head Y—by the way … I luv the cartoon.
Thanks, D-Man, although I did get a bit of reprimand from the WJD folks for swiping their bandwidth. But since it’s Elul, the guy said I could keep it. Cool.
You bring up such great examples here – I personally have an inexplicable hunch that almost EVERYONE is Jewish somewhere back in their genes. But how is it possible, us being a practically infintessimal (did I spell that right?) percentage of the population? Maybe it’s a mass Jewlucination?
To swipe (and slightly alter) a line from Black Uhuru … “& the whole world forelocks …”
D-man? I like that
& L’Shana Tovah, G-d willing, the tribe of Dan&Cathy will catch up with all y’all at Ye Olde Temple during the coming Days of Awe.
I can’t blame the congregation for firing him. In his position there are some things you cannot do.
Jack—Are you saying he wasn’t supposed to marry another Jew!?
NO, Dan, He was saying that it’s forbidden to marry an apikorus. Which it is.