Posted on 09/25/2009 6:16:35 AM PDT by Teófilo
Folks, a while back I talked about Islamic Proselytism Increasing Among Latinos in New York and now this piece from CNN, Brooklyn family keeps Latino-Jewish traditions alive, sends me in the direction of an increasing "return to Judaism" movement in Latino communities that I've seen gaining exposure in the media:
Please continue reading here.Every Friday evening, the Núñez family sits down to a traditional religious dinner. Like most families in their Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, their Jewish Sabbath meal includes blessings over the wineand bread, the company of family and friends and excellent food. But for the Núñez family, the Sabbath table would not be complete without salsa picada and jalapeno dip.
Moshe Núñez , an information technology consultant and motivational speaker, was born to a Mexican father and American mother and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico.
His wife, ChanaLeah, grew up in Panama, the daughter of a Salvadoran mother and American-born father.
"Our home is a Latin American home," Núñez says.
"We bring into our home a mixture of the American and Latin culture, and that's reflected in the way we eat. We also enjoy hosting guests, so it's a very Hispanic thing, and a Jewish thing." The couple and their two children moved to Brooklyn's Crown Heights area about five years ago so their son, Michael, 17, and daughter, Simcha, 18, could have "the best Jewish education available," Núñez says.
Crown Heights is the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a branch of Hasidism that is itself a form of Orthodox Judaism. Among the thousands of Hasidic families in the neighborhood, a significant number are also Latinos, Núñez says.
"There are a lot of Latin American Jews here," Núñez says. "Some of them have moved from countries like Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina, where there's political unrest. We make a life here, settle down and become part of the fabric of American society, but we still don't lose our roots."
But unlike Islam, I think we can meet Judaism face on within Catholicism, despite the baggage of centuries of mutual suspicion and less than exemplary behavior by many Catholic Christians. The Association of Hebrew Catholics, "a work in progress faithful to the Magisterium," is "working to preserve the identity and heritage of Catholics of Jewish origin within the Church, to enable them to serve the Lord and all people within the mystery of their irrevocable calling." And since in Christ there's no more Gentile or Jew, this association is open to every Catholic Christian of whatever background.
Pie in the sky? I don't think so, but something long overdue.
With all due respect, although contemporary Jewish authorities are competent to determine who is and isn't a Jew within Judaism, they lack such competence within Christianity and within the Catholic Church. Other than little "t" tradition and custom - apart from political, social, and cultural pressures, some of which were unjustifiably harsh, granted, and that's an understatement - there is nothing in the Church's discipline precluding Catholics of Jewish ancestry to retain a spectrum of Jewish practices within creedal Catholic Christianity. I think the Association of Hebrew Catholics has made giant strides to make that truth clear.
If you are a baptized Catholic attracted to your real or perceived Jewish roots, you are not alone. Within the Church there is a group of people who think and feel like you. You can meet Christ in Hebrew in the Catholic Church; there's a place to engage Christianity's Jewish roots in the qahal of Yeshua HaMashiach .
I find that beautiful and say, Amen!
To end: Jesus' question that we find in the Gospels, "Who do men say I am?" still resonates today and remains current, and actual. He asks that question today from every man, woman, and child. How we answer this question will have tremendous repercussions in how we live our lives and how close we approach God and how deep we abide in His Love. You will only find this love in Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, blessed God forever, Amen.
PING.
The ones named “Jesus” are going to have an identity crisis...
lol
That would be “Jesús” and yeah, you’re right. :-D
..and after their traditional religious dinner, the Nunez’, in keeping with another Latino-Jewish tradition, steal hubcaps from the neighborhood cars then sell them at retail prices....
To those who may be offended by the above post.....This was intended for comical purposes only. I have never met nor heard of a Latino Jew and have no idea what traditions they practice. If I were to come across one, I would of course refuse to pay retail prices for stolen hubcaps....
I think you meant "skullcaps." Let's keep it straight here.
-Theo
Jews came to the new world after the Moors were kicked out Spain. They had to convert of else, however.
A significant part of the Palace of Governors museum at Santa Fe is dedicated to the Jewish immigrants who came with the Spanish and Moors. Also notable amongst the first to arrive were the Lebanese traders. Because of the strong arm of the Church, the Jews were “required” to convert. So, in the day, in the sight of the priests, they were Catholic, and at night they were Jewish. It is still that way in some communities.
“I have never met nor heard of a Latino Jew and have no idea what traditions they practice”
I once worked with a woman who claimed to be a Latino Jew. Actually she was Jewish. The Latino part showed up when it became advantageous to be Latino where we worked. (Latinos got time off to attend special conferences on being Latino, more affirmative action, etc.)
LOL!!
Those must be the ones that came from the tribe of Morons, or something like that. You know the Mormon leftovers before their supposed big battle that they just can’t prove, along with all their other assertions. </sarc>
“returning to Judaism”?
I’d rather they return to Mexico.
A Jew on a remote south pacific island with no connection to Judaism for 30 years met and fell in love with a non-Jewish woman and decided he wanted to get married. So he contacted (yes, the island has internet and phone service) the nearest rabbi possible and asked him an important question. “Rabbi, I have had no connection to Judaism in 30 years. I met a wonderful woman. We are in love. We are going to get married. I want to do this right in her eyes and I am going to accept upon myself her religion and customs. Please tell me, what is the procedure to terminate my Jewish status? How do I officially cut the cord?” The rabbi replied, “If after 30 years of no connection—no kosher food, no synagogue, no tefilin, no Torah—you still feel like there is a connection to ‘cut,’ then there is nothing that can sever your connection.”
The point is, that for a halachic Jew(ie, per Jewish religious law, a person born of a Jewish mother) the bond can never be severed. So I offer this friendly dogmatic counter-point to your dogmatic point.
We are not all from "Mexico." Some of us are even from "here". Perhaps you should return from whatever country your ancestors came in a boat from, if you don't like us to be here. Would make things even and easier for all of us.
-Theo
Touché!
-Theo
No, I won’t need to return because I support what this country represents, I support the American institutions and the Constitution and the laws that have enabled this country to become what it has become. So there’s no need for me to leave. I follow the laws. I work for a living, I support myself and my family. I do not free-load off the taxpayers of this country. I don’t choose to disregard some laws because they are inconvenient to me. I don’t overload the medical system by showing up to emergency rooms with a cold, while not paying anything to anyone for that service and the inconvenience I cause. I don’t work ‘under the table’ while also collecting welfare money that I am not entitled to. I don’t bring a ‘corruption is OK’ mindset to this country, this country works to eliminate corruption. My people don’t vote for communists/socialists in overwhelming percentages, all because I might get to freeload to a greater extent.
So you can stick it. When the bulk of “your people” begin to act like Americans, then I will start regarding them as such. Until then, you can all go back and get a good look at the country you were fleeing in the first place, and then perhaps come back here with a clearer mindset and a greater appreciation for this country.
I really am coming around to Father Z’s and, I think, the Pope’s view that the long term health of the Church depends on restoring reverence and beauty to the liturgy. Save the liturgy, save the world! Of course there is the whole issue of sexual immorality being promoted by the culture, but the Church should serenely teach what she has always taught on that score. But I have a hunch that as long as we plod along with the current casual liturgies with sappy pseudo-modern feel good music without any use of the liturgical treasures of the Catholic tradition, the flock and their offspring are just going to keep drifting away.
Is this being Jewish the way Hillary Clinton claimed she was Jewish?
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