THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 15, 1995 TAG: 9512140160
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Over Easy
SOURCE: Jo-Ann Clegg
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Last Sunday afternoon, Bill and I got all dressed up and went over to the dedication of the new Beth Chaverim synagogue on Rosemont Road.
That's the Reform Jewish Congregation of Virginia Beach, organized little more than a decade ago when a handful of families decided to undertake something that many said couldn't be done.
Sid and Faye Bass were among that small early group, so were Bob and Margie Brotman and Jerry and Paula Levy. All are still with the congregation, all were there Sunday afternoon.
So were a few other people, 500 or so in all. Among them were local and national Jewish leaders, the mayor, a city councilman or two, Congressman Owen Pickett and a bunch of clergy of all faiths, including Fathers Bill Dale and James Parke of Ascension Roman Catholic Church and their boss, Bishop Walter Sullivan.
If a synagogue seems an unlikely place to find a gathering of Catholic clerics on a Sunday afternoon in Advent, it's probably because a lot of things in Beth Chaverim's history have been just a bit unlikely.
The congregation's name means ``House of Friends'' and heaven only knows Beth Chaverim has had a few houses and a whole lot of friends during its formative stages.
Its early services were held at what was then Wesleyan Acres (now Heritage) United Methodist Church, its first Sunday school classes met at Virginia Wesleyan College.
When the congregation outgrew its Methodist home, members packed up their Torah and moved a few miles away to Ascension, where Dale and the members welcomed them warmly.
The two religious groups shared meeting space, supported each other's special projects and attended each others services. Dale and Beth Chaverim's founding rabbi, Israel Zoberman, became close friends. Routinely they shared, as only busy clergy can, the joys and sorrow, dreams and memories, triumphs and frustrations of ministering to ever-increasing, always busy congregations.
Before Dale moved on to SaintPius X church in Norfolk, Zoberman made him an honorary member of Beth Chaverim. When Parke arrived at Ascension, he carried on his predecessor's tradition of cooperation with the burgeoning Jewish group.
Through it all, the joint tenants enjoyed the support both of their landlord, Bishop Sullivan, and caring people throughout the world who saw the interfaith venture as a symbol of religious peace and cooperation to come.
The bishop was giving the opening prayer when Bill and I, having been lost for nearly half an hour trying to find the new location, arrived. We stood in the back of the packed sanctuary until he finished, then followed an usher who assured us that he had two seats near the front.
Dr. Bill Feldman, the congregation's president, was welcoming guests as we made our way farther and farther forward. Finally, the usher stopped and pointed to two chairs in the very front row.
Normally, I hate making grand entrances, especially late grand entrances. But this time I had no complaints. Nothing could have been nicer than having a front row seat at such a happy occasion.
It was sheer joy seeing Zoberman as his 10-year dream came true, listening to speaker after speaker spin yarns in the best Jewish tradition and watching Dale stride forward, flash a big grin, look at the congregation and say ``Thank you for inviting me to your house.''
Later that evening, I watched as a local TV reporter interviewed longtime Beth Chaverim congregant and retired Navy man Al Becker.
``Hey,'' Becker said when asked about the relationship between Ascension and Beth Chaverim, ``we all have the same Commanding Officer. We just report to Him through different chains of command.''
I thought back over the afternoon's festivities when, despite the plummeting temperatures outside, the sanctuary glowed with a most special warmth.
It was, I realized, the warmth of joyful people participating in a joyful event during what is the most joyful of seasons for Jews and Christians alike.
Especially for those who for so long have shared their space, their dreams and their hopes for peace and goodwill toward all. by CNB