When rabbis quote the Bible, they hope the words will inspire. They generally don’t expect to inspire a fit of rage.
That was the uncomfortable scene at “The Bible in Word and Song,” the last offering Sunday at the Osher Marin JCC’s “Bible by the Bay,” a daylong community event.
The evening’s line-up included a cross-section of Jewish community leaders and musicians, most notably U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer. Some read favorite Bible passages, others performed biblically inspired songs.
But an appearance by controversial San Francisco Rabbi Michael Lerner midway through the evening triggered an angry outburst from an audience member.
The founder of Tikkun magazine and outspoken critic of Israeli policy had just finished remarking “how destructive Sharon’s wall and assassinations have been” to the peace process, referring to Israel’s as-yet-unfinished security fence and targeted killings of Palestinian militants. Lerner also lamented how “Jews in the peace movement cannot get a fair hearing in the American Jewish community.”
He followed with a fiery reading from the Book of Isaiah: “Your hands are stained with crime … Wash yourselves clean; Put your evil doings away from my sight.”
Religion and politics apparently did not mix for one irate audience member.
Moments after Lerner left the stage, the man leaped up and began shouting, calling Lerner a terrorist. He then tried to muscle his way over to Lerner, as event host Rachel Biale tried to calm things down in the JCC’s Zelinsky Theater.
The outburst lasted no more than a minute, and the heckler eventually sat down. Otherwise, the event went off without a hitch, as those in attendance celebrated the centrality of Torah to Jewish life.
The festivities opened with the Lighthouse Youth Choir, performing a pair of gospel tunes. They had the audience cheering heartily as they provided the perfect warmup for Boxer. The Democratic senator then read a passage from Deuteronomy.
Said Boxer: “To be a Jew is to believe in a nation where everyone is emotionally and spiritually connected to one another.”
Other readers included KQED’s Michael Krasny, retired Rodef Sholom Rabbi Michael Barenbaum and Israeli cultural attaché Donny Inbar. Each read favorite Bible passages, while offering a mini-d’var Torah along the way.
Inbar drew laughs when he noted how in America, there are many English translations of the Bible to choose from, whereas in Israel “we don’t have any other versions.”
In keeping with the multicultural theme of the day, a few Christian speakers and performers were on hand, including the Rev. Alan Jones, dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Jones brought a measure of British rectitude to his readings from Genesis and Ezekiel.
Singer Edna Muse and the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church Choir brought some high-energy gospel to the proceedings, though the former may have momentarily forgotten where she was when she dedicated a song to Jesus.
Other performers included Cantor Linda Hirschhorn, who sang a ravishing version of the 23rd Psalm; folk singer Achi Ben Shalom, accompanied by author Marcia Falk; and reggae band Shakina, which added to the ecumenical confusion by dedicating its performance to Ethiopian Emperor and Rastafarian deity Haile Selassie.
One highlight came during the performance of Cantor David Margulies, who was accompanied by a pianist, a flute player and, on one song, 12-year-old Sarah Lemesh. She thrilled the crowd with her bel canto vocals.
Playing for laughs was KCBS weatherman Mike Pechner, who first read the local weather report, speaking so rapidly he sounded as if he were davening at the Western Wall. Pechner went on to read the story of the biblical flood.
The evening ended with a rousing klezmer performance by Stephen Saxon, accompanied by other local klezmer greats Stu Brotman and Josh Horowitz.
Despite the flash of early unpleasantness, most in attendance seemed to have a fine time honoring the Bible just a few days before the start of the High Holy Days.
In an interview with j. earlier in the evening, Boxer expressed her happiness coming home to Marin County and participating in the evening. Said Boxer: “This brings the community together to talk about the meaning of life and the impact of the Bible on our thought.”