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Friday, April 17, 2009

WANNA-BE JEWS DEDICATE TORAH SCROLL

Many Jewish news outlets reported on a Torah dedication at Congregation Temple Bethel in Philadelphia. From the headlines you would think this was a normal Torah dedication at a Jewish synagogue.

Headline on ynetnews

African-American Jews gain acceptance
Congregation of African-American Jews in Philadelphia reaches out to broader Jewish community in bid to persuade Jews to break through racial division.


but here are some interesting excerpts from the article

The founder of Temple Beth'El, Louise Dailey, studied with a rabbi, but was not ordained by a recognized branch of Judaism. The synagogue has a kosher kitchen and a mikvah, or ritual bath, but Dailey also adopted some traditions that are alien to the ancient faith. Congregants called her "Mother Dailey," and she ordained Bowen, her daughter, before she died.


and
The ceremony was a mix of Hebrew readings and shouts of "Hallelujah!" — a worship style typical of African-American churches. The booming music came from what Christians would call a "praise band" — with electric guitars, drums and keyboard. There was a dress code — another unusual tradition for Jews — of blue, silver or white clothing. Bowen's garb was far from typical for a rabbi. She wore an elaborate, flowing white gown — like a wedding dress — with matching white shawl and a yarmulke.

The Jewish Exponent reported
At the start of the ceremony dedicating the congregation's new Sefer Torah, Rabbi Debra Bowen of Congregation Temple Beth'El in Philadelphia summed up the situation: "I'm beside myself, as are most of Congregation Temple Beth'El," she said. "We've been unable to sleep, unable to eat -- and our medical personnel have told us that we have 'Torah fever.' " Congregants of all ages came in droves for the big event at the largely African-American "Conservadox" shul in West Oak Lane.

But here are some telling excerpts from their article
When the congregation's response wasn't lively enough, Bowen reached into her soulful rabbinic arsenal for a guaranteed reaction: "I need to get some hallelujahs!" "This is how we daven!" exclaimed Bowen. The predominantly African-American synagogue occupies an unusual place in the Jewish communal landscape: a vibrant, lively Jewish congregation comprised of a population not traditionally thought of as Jewish.
The article claims the founder, Louise Elizabeth Dailey, converted to Judaism but the "shul's" website doesn't say anything about a conversion in the bio on Dailey. It does however say that Rabbi Debra A Bowen, who is Daily's daughter, received her ordination from her mother. According to the website, Dailey was a baptist (xian) non-Jew. She decided to call herself a Jew and teach others "Judaism". When she got a following she decided to buy a building and call it a "synagogue".
Congregation Temple Bethel runs a Hebrew Academy that teaches the New Testament along with Mishna and Talmud. The following is an excerpt from the website
The year 1995 was a milestone for Congregation Temple Beth `El. We were blessed with Rabbi Dahton Nasi as our Temple Rabbi who is an erudite scholar and a wonderfully warm and approachable person. Prior to his membership with Congregation Temple Beth`El, Rabbi Nasi served as Temple Rabbi and spiritual leader at Adath Emet Yisrael from 1962 to 1972. He received his rabbinical ordination documentation in 1962 after completing the required courses at a private university and at Rutgers College. Among his credentials beyond his Teudah at S'meechut is a Doctor of Divinity degree from the American Bible Institute. He also concentrated on such elective disciplines beyond his Rabbinic and Hebraic studies as counseling and applied psychology. Additional accomplishment of Rabbi Nasi is that he was founder and administrator of the Jehu S. Zebulun Hebrew School of Hebrew and Cognate Studies.
These people are not Jews. They are just observing another form of xianity mixed with Judaism. As if there weren't enough fake Jews around with the messianic Jews, Ephraimites, Hebrew roots xians, Netzarim, Black Hebrews/Israelites.

1 comment:

saraiy said...

WAS THERE A CONVERTING CERTIFICATE FOR JACOB OR MOSES, OR HOW ABOUT THE FOREFATHERS AND FOREMOTHERS IN THE TORAH? THROUGHOUT YOUR ARTICLE YOU HAVE NOT PROVEN YOUR POINT THAT THIS PEOPLE ARE “WANNA-BE JEWS" JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT THE STATUS QUO OF EUROPEAN JEWS IN AMERICA. JUDAISM IS A DISAPORA OF PEOPLE AND TEMPLE BETH EL AND OTHER TEMPLES/SYNAGOGUES LIKE THEM ARE A EPITOME OF THE DIVERSITY IN JUDIASIM. AT TEMPLE BETH EL THEY FOLLOW THE TORAH AND BELIEVE THAT ELOHIM IS ONE! I HAVE ATTENDED THERE SERVICES AND THERE IS NOTHING XIAN ABOUT THEM. I WISH YOU THAT YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT TEMPLE BETH EL BEFORE SLANDERING THEM.