Appreciating Great Works of Other Religions

After scanning our local newspaper’s website for things to do on the weekend, I attended a performance of Handel’s Messiah at a Methodist church in a neighboring town. The church building was of ample size, but much of the space was given to rooms used for various activities. The section where services are conducted and where the concert took place was relatively modest in size and, in keeping with the Protestant ethic, had clean, simple lines and was pleasing to the eyes but had no elaborate decorations other than a giant gilded cross mounted on the front wall. Not being Christian, I found the cross to be rather imposing and somewhat of a distraction, but I was set on not letting that hinder my enjoyment of the concert. The area in front of the pews was not large enough to hold the approximately 100 singers, who were dressed in street clothing rather than church choir garb, so they occupied the first several rows of pews, and were organized into sections of basses, tenors, altos, and sopranos. There was also a modest orchestra of about 12 musicians.

What a concert it was! The reason that so many people like to listen to Handel’s Messiah and, especially its Hallelujah Chorus is that it is a fantastic piece of work. The two-hour performance alternated between segments by soloists (alto, soprano, bass, and tenor) and those sung by the chorus. The performance was absolutely inspiring! The four-part harmony between the choral sections was very beautiful to hear and, when the sopranos got going, they lent such an air of spirituality that it felt like their voices were projecting straight to heaven. And the last segment of the performance was the Hallelujah Chorus, that is so widely loved. The whole experience was uplifting, rewarding, and inspiring.

Appreciating a concert like that in no way made me interested in becoming Christian. I can appreciate its great beauty and inspirational qualities without feeling an attraction to the religion that sponsored such work. Over several centuries, both Protestantism and Catholicism in Europe became highly organized and wealthy religions that provided the main source of funding for the arts. Masters of the visual arts like Michelangelo and Rembrandt, and Classical composers like Bach and Beethoven were both funded and inspired by the great Christian religions of Europe. Anyone with any level of objectivity would have to agree that this combination of funding and inspiration produced some of the greatest human artistic achievements ever. Jews and others should be able to appreciate great works produced by other religions without feeling that it threatens their own identity.

Must Jews Close Themselves Off to Maintain Their Faith?

The Jewish Advocate is a weekly newspaper that publishes news relevant to Jews of eastern Massachusetts. It’s writers include those of the Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Reconstructionist Jewish movements as well as those of secular or ethnic Jews. The paper also publishes extensive listings of community events. One column in the paper is called “Ask the Rebbetzin.” A Rebbetzin is a rabbi’s wife who, in the orthodox tradition, has some responsibilities in religious leadership, particularly to women and girls. Rebbetzin Korff point of view appears quite orthodox and her responses to readers’ questions indicate the extent to which many Orthodox Jews feel they must distance themselves from secular society in order to avoid challenging the strength of their faith.

In a letter published in the December 10, 2010 issue of the paper, a reader queried whether there was anything wrong with listening to the Christmas carols she loves. The Rebbetzin strongly discouraged listening to the carols because they are a celebration of Christianity. In another recent response, the Rebbetzin stated that a letter-writer should not attend a non-Jewish friend’s wedding in a church because, as a non-Jewish religious ritual, it is prohibited.

I find such defensive responses repugnant. Should it be assumed that the faith of Jews is so weak that to appreciate the art and music of other cultures or to participate in major life events of non-Jewish friends is enough to make one stray from his own religion? I frankly find this abhorrent. Do you think there are any Catholics or Protestants who wouldn’t attend the wedding of Jewish friends? Even priests have been seen at bar mitzvahs. Why must we be so much less secure than everyone else? There is strength in true faith that enables one to experience and appreciate beauty created by those outside the faith without feeling threatened or becoming defensive.