Interfaith Rabbi
By
Mike Mender
Originally
printed in the Glens Falls Post-Star,
July 18, 1999
It's
not a typical place to find a synagogue, perched on 18
acres on the top of Saratoga Mountain. But few things
about Rabbi Aryeh Alpern's congregation are typical.
First
of all, the people in the congregation aren't all Jewish.
Second, Alpern doesn't necessarily want them to be.
"People
are looking for a more generic type of religion,"
Alpern said. "…I see in the next millennium
people will be shifting to a deeper spirituality –
not based in traditional religion but based in spirituality."
In
part because of that viewpoint, Alpern began performing
interfaith marriages about five years ago. It was a decision
that didn't necessarily sit well with his peers in the
rabbi community.
"It's
the most toxic issue in Jewish life," he said. "People
worry that Jews marrying Christians will result in the
Jews becoming Christian. It doesn't work that way."
Alpern,
who served as rabbi of both the conservative Congregation
Saaray Tefila Synagogue in Glens Falls and a synagogue
in Saratoga Springs, said he has witnessed extreme reactions
from Jewish parents who learned their children were marrying
our of the faith.
"I
knew a family that when they learned their daughter was
marrying a Christian, they tore their clothes and observed
a Shiva—seven days of mourning," he said.
What
most Jews don't realize, he said, is that interfaith marriages
are actually a gain to Judaism, not a loss.
"It
is usually the non-Jew in the marriage," he said,
"who has an interest in Judaism and that serves to
move the couple toward spirituality."
Saturday
at 7 p.m., an outgrowth of his interfaith ministry will
come to fruition. Alpern, along with his wife Karen and
some like-minded friends—many of whom were married
in interfaith ceremonies at which Alpern officiated—will
gather at the Alpern's mountain-top home for a Havdalah
service. The gathering will serve to dedicate the house
both as a home and a synagogue—a permanent home for
his interfaith ministry.
"I
think it's important to make a synagogue feel like home,"
he said. "it's also important to make home feel like
a synagogue."
At
Saturday's service, Alpern will put up a Mezzuzah, a traditional
Jewish symbol used when a home is dedicated to God.
Though
Alpern is shunned by many rabbis because of his ministry,
he believes most Jews would feel comfortable in his congregation.
A typical service at Temple Shabbat Shalom lasts about
an hour as opposed to services at a traditional synagogue,
which Alpern said, can last up to three hours.
He
focuses on helping people learn the importance of the
Sabbath—a concept shared by Jews and Christians.
That
focus is evident in the name of his home/synagogue: "Temple
Shabbat Shalom" which means Sabbath peace, he said.
"We
really stress the importance of getting the family together
one day a week," he said, "at least one day
a week, putting God and family first. Any Jewish person
would be pleased with that."
His
focus on the Sabbath is also evident in the way he counsels
interfaith couples.
"I
recommend couples begin with a simple observance of the
Sabbath dinner," he said. "use the Sabbath as
a way to renew wedding vows. It's a way of expressing
intimacy both with God and with each other. I think that's
a universal message for all people."
Temple
Shabbat Shalom is located at 340 Plank Road in Porter
Corners, outside of Saratoga Springs.
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