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Developing an AHC Havurah
David Moss

The following article was taken from The Hebrew Catholic, issue #75. All rights reserved.

In the last issue, I wrote about the development and growth of the AHC havurot. Small groups meeting for prayer, study and celebration had long been a cherished dream of Fr. Friedman, our founder. For it was in these very groups that Father believed the promise of the AHC would begin to become manifest and concrete.

In Australia, there has been a havurah since the very beginning of the AHC. Founded by Andrew Sholl, who collaborated with Fr. Friedman in the launching of the AHC, it is today led by Sr. Mariana Handley, NDS.

The following thoughts are offered to those who would like to host or join a havurah but feel somewhat lost as to how to proceed. They are also directed to those who believe that they cannot start a havurah without Hebrew Catholics present.

Please don’t feel bound by the following ­ they are offered simply to stimulate your own thoughts.

First Meetings

Who to invite: any Catholic who has an interest in Judaism, the Jewish people, the Jewish roots of their Catholic faith, the role of the People Israel in salvation history, the reconciliation of Jew and Christian, and similar topics. It is not necessary to have a Hebrew Catholic involved.

Though associated with the AHC, the havurah is free to pursue the objectives of prayer, study, celebration and fellowship in accord with the wishes of its members.

The number of people who come to the first meeting is not important - even two people are enough - what is important is to get started. In Second Exodus, Marthy Barrack reminds us:

“The Talmud said: ‘If two sit together and the words between them are of Torah, then the Shekhinah is in their midst.’ Jesus said, ‘For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.’”

Sample initial agenda:

• opening prayers - use standard Catholic prayers to open the meeting;

• introduction of each person present to the others;

• a brief introduction by the host or some other person describing the AHC and the idea of a havurah would probably be helpful to those unacquainted with us;

• invite those present to describe what they are looking for, what they would like to learn, what they would like to experience, and so forth;

• for those who wish to continue with the havurah, discuss the time and place of subsequent meetings; monthly meetings are suggested in the beginning;

• if time permits, use material from an issue of The Hebrew Catholic to stimulate discussion and as a sample of the kind of topics that can be addressed;

• intercessory and closing prayers: you can pray for the Holy Father, the Church, the AHC, the Jewish people, for Israel and all who suffer in the turmoil there, for each other, and so forth.

• follow with social time and refreshments.

Subsequent Meetings

In subsequent meetings of the havurah, the program of your havurah can begin to take shape.

Prayer, of course, should always be part of the havurah meetings. The patrons of the AHC are the Blessed Virgin under her title of Our Lady of the Miracle, and St. Edith Stein. It would be wonderful to open the meeting with prayer to our patrons, asking their intercession for the individuals present and for the meeting’s activities. Similarly, at the close of the meeting. Additional intercessory prayer, as in the sample agenda, is also recommended.

Some ideas for topics of study include: Fr. Friedman’s Jewish Identity; the rich heritage of Jewish literature; Jewish and Catholic liturgies; the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day; Jewish and Catholic prayer; various historical events as recorded by Jewish and Catholic writers; the demise of Christendom; the history of anti-semitism; the shoah; Jewish and Catholic liturgical music and their historical interactions; the lives of Catholic and Jewish people as they have impacted upon the destiny of the Jews and of the Church; the lives of Hebrew Catholics; the role of males and females in Judaism and Catholicism; the Hebrew language; the many meanings of the term Israel; the election of the People Israel; the role of the People in salvation history; Scripture ­ especially Romans 9-11; the apostasy of the Gentiles; the return of the Jews to Israel; the People Israel as presented in the Catechism and other Church documents; and so on.

The Catholic and Jewish calendars also provide ample topics for study as well as for celebration.

If the group wishes, it would be appropriate to invite teachers, priests, rabbis, musicians, artists and others to give lectures or teach on an appropriate subject.

Some General Thoughts

• If the group is large enough, it would probably be helpful to elect a leader and assistant for a specific period of time, along with a secretary or someone to take notes about the course of each meeting.

• Notes about the meetings can serve the havurah in assessing its own development, learning from the past and making changes where necessary.

These same notes can also serve as input to the AHC. They would be included in The Hebrew Catholic, enabling each havurah to benefit from the experience of the others. They could also help inspire other individuals to join or start a havurah.

• Once a havurah is established, the members can undertake the effort to begin reaching out to parishes and other Catholic organizations in their area. Simple notices in parish bulletins, on parish bulletin boards, in organization newsletters, in diocesan newspapers, and so forth, will spread the word about the AHC and the local havurah.

Such efforts will bring new members into the havurah and will, hopefully, attract some Hebrew Catholics who we might otherwise not have been able to reach.

• For a variety of reasons, many Hebrew Catholics intentionally keep their Jewish origins hidden. It is important to be sensitive to this when a Hebrew Catholic attends a havurah meeting.

• With a well-established havurah, the members can also undertake projects that serve their parishes and communities. The mitzvot of Christ ­ the commandments to love our neighbor as Christ has loved us ­ can provide the havurah the opportunity to take part in the new evangelization called for by the Holy Father and the Church.

• A successful havurah will require that all meetings begin and end at the precise times advertised. Schmoozing can take place prior to or following the meeting.

• The AHC havurot is an exciting prospect whose time has come. It ought to be an enriching experience for all involved and should well serve our Lord, the Church, the AHC and the People Israel. But it will not be without its challenges. The members will have ample opportunity to develop the virtues as different ideas, personalities and experiences come into play.

• Place everything in Miriam’s care and pray about everything. Remember that we are pioneers as we begin to bring back to life that Israelite heritage and presence that has been dormant for approximately 1800 years.

• Let me end with some words from our anonymous writer in A Hebrew Catholic Spirituality:

Ours is the responsibility of restoration through love, in submission to Him ... Ours it is to lift up the sacrificial Lamb on the altar and intercede on behalf of Israel.

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