Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Rhett Vorster
[The following is what I wrote in August 2011 to Walter Hillsman,
containing my response to his article called ‘Organs and Organ Music
in Victorian Synagogues’. At the time, it thrilled me to know I had a
friend who was once Faculty of Music at the University of Oxford!]
What plagues the Jews today is their insistence that their tradition is
‘right unless proven wrong’; the Bible to them is guilty until proven
innocent, especially the New Testament.
What encourages me is to know that, indeed, the use of Hebrew has
been increasing in the most liberal of shuln. Bible prophecy said this
would happen. Israel (in the Land of Israel or abroad) hears the
footsteps of Messiah.
What I see as a fundamental problem today in the churches (but not
quite as bad as the churches of the past) is the lack of reference
points. That is, the thinking of the average Christian that the church is
the root of Jah’s work instead of the synagogue. I refer to Paul’s
teachings in Romans, chapters 9-11.
The magrepha is a thing I never knew anything about. Bibliolore
online gives a wonderful article on this; see their article entitled ‘The
magrepha mystery’.
What is sad is that Western Christians have not excluded Jews just on
the basis of organs. Western Christians have usually claimed
Christianity to be an exclusive thing toward Jews. That is to say, these
(on the whole) have not admitted Jews to be the root of our faith. Paul
1
says Gentile believers are the branches on the olive tree - Israel being
the olive tree. The shul (whether Messianic or not) is looked at as a
thing apart and despised; I find that to be the popular view of
Christians.
The contrast between Jewish and Western European Christian
services happened because of the Gentile’s refusal to see Israel as the
root. I loved your reference to ‘one boy treble’, who acted as assistant
to the adult male cantor. I consider myself as God’s ‘one boy treble’
concerning bringing together Jew and Gentile in the faith of Messiah
Yeshua. The division is ghastly. It is hopeful though, in that I have
learned that since the 1970’s there has been a slow convergence of
Jews and Gentiles in Messiah.
Would to God we would keep the ‘Middle Eastern air’ about our
worship. After all (John 4.22), ‘...salvation is from the Jews.’
Your mention of Bevis Marks shul immediately made me think of
Benjamin Disraeli, my hero. Benjamin’s grandfather is said to have
attended there (www.ottolenghi.org). I remember reading years ago
that Benjamin’s father, Isaac, left there because the shul was putting
undue pressure on him. That is how Benjamin ended up leaving
traditional shul-life to put on the Christian life.
Hanging out with you all at Holy Cross has helped me feel like I am in
touch with King Henry the 8th! Holy Cross to me is like the physical
proof of his passion. Solomon L Ginsburg, another hero of mine, is a
product of such passion. Solomon was a Messianic Jewish missionary
to Brazil (www.wholesomewords.org), who was nurtured by the
Anglicans in part. To see prominent Jewish Anglicans, go to
www.adherents.com.