THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996 TAG: 9603130192
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Over Easy
SOURCE: Jo-Ann Clegg
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
For Jews everywhere, last Friday evening marked the end of a tragic week in which the fragile peace in the Middle East had been stomped into near oblivion.
Despite that, or maybe in part because of it, a couple of hundred Christians and Jews gathered in Congregation Beth Chaverim's new home on Rosemont Road in Virginia Beach to pay tribute to a man who had played a major part in one of the most peaceful ventures in the history of Judeo-Christian relations.
When Rabbi Israel Zoberman entered the sanctuary to begin the evening service, Father Jim Park of the Roman Catholic Church of the Ascension was at his side. Members and friends of both congregations smiled their approval.
It was a tangible reminder that what had started out 10 years ago as a landlord-tenant relationship had grown into one of the most solid friendships between two religious groups to be found anywhere in the world.
The friendship began when the fledgling Beth Chaverim congregation, having outgrown space it had occupied in a United Methodist church, went looking for a new place to worship.
Eventually they ended up and were warmly welcomed at Ascension, a church already well known for its commitment to the community and to humanity in general.
Father Bill Dale was Ascension's parish priest then. He and Zoberman quickly formed a fellowship rooted deeply in the knowledge that although each led his flock down slightly different paths, each ultimately reported to the same Master.
In the course of things, Dale was transferred to a Norfolk parish and Park took his place. At a Friday night service, shortly before he left, Beth Chaverim bestowed on him a singular honor: He was made an honorary member of the congregation.
How unusual is that honor? Very, according to Zoberman. Honorary membership is rare in Jewish synagogues. Such membership for a Catholic cleric is a singular honor. Dale was probably the only one in the entire world.
Until last Friday night when Beth Chaverim bestowed the honor for the second time. On Park.
The ceremony was in the best tradition of a religion that, throughout history, has survived its many threats with a mixture of faith, humor, hope, acceptance, tenacity and love.
``My emotions run very, very deep at this moment,'' Zoberman said in his tribute to Park. ``There could be no better healing of the pain of this past week,'' he added, casting his eyes toward the Ascension parishioners who had braved the cold evening to witness the service, ``than to have the members of this unique religious group with us tonight.''
He talked of the 10 years during which the two groups had shared space. ``People ask me if we didn't have bitter fights,'' he said. ``I tell them no; that the only thing the people of Ascension wanted of us was to be good Jews.
`` `Please, be who you are,' '' Zoberman quoted parishioners as saying, `` `you remind us of our own religious roots.'''
If there was any question of that commonality, a loaf of bread and two cups of wine sat on the altar throughout the service. They were the very tangible reminders of the bond between the holiest moments of the Catholic Mass and the age-old tradition of the Jewish sabbath.
Before the service was over, a third cup was added. One that Beth Chaverim gave Park to commemorate his honorary membership and to thank him for all of his kindnesses.
The word ``shalom'' - Hebrew for peace, as well as for hello and goodbye - was heard often. It was especially appropriate for the occasion.
There is a humorous notation following the definition of shalom in Leo Rosten's witty book ``The Joys of Yiddish.''
``Why is it used for both hello and good-bye?'' the author wrote. ``Israelis say,'' he explained, ``that it is because they have so many problems, half the time they don't know whether they are coming or going.''
There was a little bit of truth to that when the members of Ascension and Beth Chaverim exchanged the greeting last Friday evening, but not because of problems. The confusion stemmed from the feelings of two congregations who over the period of a decade of sharing the same roof had developed a deep love and respect for each other but were now in separate homes.
For them, all three of the meanings were appropriate.
As the service ended, Park made a brief, heartfelt speech, then pulled two checks from his pocket. One was made out to Beth Chaverim, a house-warming gift to be used for whatever was needed.
The second was made out to the organization providing relief for the families of the victims of the latest round of tragedies in Israel.
Margie Brotman, former president of Beth Chaverim, had tears in her eyes as she acknowledged the gifts.
``I feel like a daughter who got married, moved into my own home and now my parents have come to check on me,'' she said.
And like devoted parents everywhere, those who visited Beth Chaverim Friday evening stroked a check - just to make sure the new homeowners got off to a good start.
``Can you imagine,'' Zoberman mused to a visitor after the service, ``all that they did for us and now they've brought us these gifts, too.''
He should not have been so surprised. One suspects that, had the table been turned, the good people of Beth Chaverim would have done exactly the same. by CNB