It was a productive weekend for Rabbi Steve Vale.
The spiritual leader of Ha-Makom, the Jewish Community of Solano County, attended a Sunday, Aug. 15, interfaith service at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Fairfield.
He walked away “amazed at how powerful it was” — and with a guest speaker for his congregation.
Vale was so impressed with the presentation of a Sufi, Es-Seyyid Es-Shaykh Taner Mustafa Ansari Tarsusi er-Rifai el-Qadiri, that he invited him to speak at the synagogue.
Vale was also impressed at a musical presentation by a group of Sikhs and prayers from Catholics and Protestants.
The service was held in response
to the recent arson fire at Vallejo’s Congregation B’nai Israel and an
incident at a Solano Sikh temple in which a gun was fired at a sign on the property.
Members of B’nai Israel and Vale also gave presentations at the service,
with Vale teaching the assembled religious groups the five words of Moses’ prayer for Miriam from the Book of Numbers.
Of course, interfaith cooperation is a constant for Vale’s congregation, as it meets in Fairfield’s Grace Episcopal Church. And, this year, church leaders are encouraging Vale to build a giant sukkah on the courtyard for Sukkot celebrations.
Symbiotically, Vale’s congregation will get its sukkah, and Grace’s Episcopalian congregants will learn about Judaism and its holidays.