Shabbat service to teach about Judaism

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This article was published 21/10/2019 (2521 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Roman Catholics and other Christians who want to learn more about Judaism are invited to attend a Shabbat service on Friday at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue.

The service, which includes a question-and-answer time afterwards, starts at 5:30 p.m.

It is part of the annual meeting of the Roman Catholic Western Diocesan and Eparchial Coordinators of Ecumenism (WDECE) meeting, being held this year in Winnipeg.

The event, which is sponsored by the archdioceses of St. Boniface and Winnipeg, and the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg, will explore ways Catholics and Jews can work together to learn more about each other and respond to increased anti-Semitism and hate in Canada.

One way to do that is by encouraging Winnipeg Roman Catholics and other Christians to attend a worship service at a synagogue, said Greg Barrett, co-ordinator of Interchurch and Interfaith Learning for the Saint Boniface archdiocese and an organizer of the WDECE event.

“It’s a way to become more educated about Judaism and stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters,” he said.

Belle Jarniewski, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, agrees.

She hopes many Christians will attend the Shabbat service because “we can learn so much by visiting each other’s places of worship.”

It’s especially important today, she said, when anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred are on the rise.

As for the WDECE annual meeting, which will be held at the Holocaust Education Centre at the Asper Jewish Community Campus, Barrett said the goal of the event is to find ways to promote better relations between Roman Catholics and the Jewish community.

This includes reminding Catholics that Jesus was Jewish and helping churches eliminate talk about Jews being “Christ killers,” Barrett said.

It also means being careful about using hymns, readings, sermons and scripture that suggest Jews were responsible for Christ’s death, since that could “be enabling” for those who may want to harm Jews.

Other things Christians should be mindful of is the language they use, he added, such as the term “Pharisee” to describe someone who they consider a hypocrite.

“Jews themselves had many levels for Pharisees,” he said, noting some were hypocrites. But using that as a blanket term “can be hurtful.”

Participants in the meeting will also talk about the issue of supersessionism, also called replacement theology, a doctrine that asserts Christianity has replaced Judaism. This includes use of the terms “Old Testament” and “New Testament,” when referring to the Bible.

Jarniewski, who will be addressing the gathering, said, “we all have a responsibility to fight all forms of racism.” She is especially pleased the WDECE meeting is being held “in our space.”

Shaarey Zedek Synagogue is located at 561 Wellington Cres. For more information about the Shabbat service, call 204-269-6363.

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