In a week, many Jewish congregations across this country will leave their comfortable temples and hold High Holidays services in strange quarters — often in Christian sanctuaries, fellowship and social halls and public auditoriums. Their Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur events to launch into the sacred time of the new year will need greater seating to accommodate many Jews who want to connect at this the holiest time of the Jewish year.Some temples in the Valley have moved their services around to various sites over the years in quest of the best arrangements, yet keeping them near enough to the temple itself lest the travel be unacceptable. Tempe Emanuel of Tempe has moved its services as far away at Phoenix Civic Plaza.
Congregations face logistical challenges to find places to accommodate the many unaffiliated Jews who turn out. They have to advertise aggressively to make sure Jews looking for a temple to go to will know where, in fact, to go this year. There are issues about making the setting feel right — and, of course, getting the Torahs and ark, prayer books, boxes of kippahs and other trappings transported to the temporary sites. In some cases, Jewish congregations take steps to cover or remove Christian crosses or objects that dont fit the environment. Sometimes, Jewish congregations make use of both campuses of churches that are side by side. The Judeo-Christian common ground takes on new meaning.
This year, for example, Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale, is holding its Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, at huge Scottsdale Bible Church. And Tempe Emanuel of Tempe is using the Tempe Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tempe, with supplemental use of University Presbyterian Church across the street. The Hillel Student Union is moving its events to the Arizona State University Student Union for better space. As it has done for many years, the Chabad of the East Valley will hold its services at the Windmill Inn in west Chandler.
In some parts of the country, congregations avoid renting other halls. They will pack chairs into the sanctuaries and move out whatever they can, short of the bema and ark, to accommodate the crowds that swell to three times more they typically see at Shabbat services. It can get quite cozy.
Of course, many churches communities routinely set up shop in temporary sites all the time, especially rented schools. Also common are congregations that rent other church campuses and simply hold their worship and other events whenever their host congregations are no using the spaces. The relationships are win-win: Income accrues to the host church, while the renting congregation typically gets a ready-made facility and its resources — worship space, social hall, classrooms, pianos, acoustics, music rooms, nursery, parking lot and maybe even office space.
One Valley Jewish congregation insists that we must never mention the name of the church where it it regularly holds Shabbat services and other events. They only want the address published.
It is to the credit of diverse religious faiths to willingly hold sacred events in houses of worship that may contrast sharply in belief and doctrine with theirs. And that they choose not to be offended by the messages of stained-glass windows, stations of the cross, tabernacles and various crosses with or without the body of Christ. It underscores the notion that it is not where one worship, but how one does so.
