The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
The front of the program read, "Thanksgiving Service" "November 24, 2011," and "27 Cheshvan 5772."
Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg delivered the Thursday morning invocation at Ohef Sholom Temple. The Rev. Steve Jolly later took her place on the bimah and handled the sermon.
When the congregation of more than 150 Christians and Jews sang words of thanks, the hymns were in English and Hebrew.
Members of Ohef Sholom and Freemason Street Baptist Church have been worshipping together on Thanksgiving morning for more than 80 years, in a tradition that is now as welcomed as roasted turkey.
Margaret Perdue has been attending Freemason since she was a toddler and she will soon be 90. She said she's missed only a handful of services over the decades but has attended them because she appreciates the two faiths coming together, symbolizing that they have more similarities than differences.
"I think it's the fellowship as much as anything," she said.
The tradition began in 1927, when anti-Semitism was interwoven into American culture.
That, however, did not make a difference to Emily LeBlanc Faber, who worked as an organist for the temple and the church. The temple and the church both asked her to perform at their individual Thanksgiving morning services and Faber wasn't about to choose between the two. She asked the rabbi and minister to give thanks together. The men, who happened to be good friends, agreed.
There are a couple of years in the late 1920s when the groups might not have met, but it's fairly certain that the church and temple have met each year since 1930, through the Great Depression, Holocaust and wars. They alternate sites each year, with the visiting clergy delivering the sermon, while the other opens the service.
Both Mandelberg and Jolly say it's a treasured service each year.
During Thursday's service, Mandelberg read Scripture from Psalms and Deuteronomy and Jolly spoke of how Thanksgiving is often thought of as an American creation.
However, he said, the Jewish festival of Sukkot, a time of rejoicing, "is a far more original Thanksgiving holiday than anything the Pilgrims put together."
Toward the end of the program, all congregants stood and sang together, "Hi-nei ma-tov u-ma-na-im, sheh-vet a-chim gam ya-chad," which means,"How good it is, and how pleasant, when we dwell together in unity."
Denise Watson Batts, (757) 446-2504, denise.batts@pilotonline.com
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Freemason
Baptist was my Grandmother's church (way back in the 1930's) and also my mother's and Aunts when they lived in old Ghent (they were all baptized there). They are a wonderful asset to the community. My Grandfather was of a different race and it made no matter to the Southern Baptists. The welcomed them and accepted them. Just a great church.
This article should have been the only one printed today! Big
and BOLD. Finally someone gets it right. This is what Thanksgiving is about period. Members of the community, family, friends getting together sharing all the blessings we have been given and indeed being thankful for them. Too bad we can think like this every single day. Let us try!!
"the hymns were in English
"the hymns were in English and Hebrew"
I'm old enough, and also an ex altar boy, to remember citing prayers in Latin.
I was sorry to see the Catholic church drop that. Good times, good memories. I find my"self" still reciting those prayers (abbreviated) from memory 45+ years later.