Chapter 24

The weekend of Palm Sunday was fast approaching, and with it, a little conference in New York called "Jews & The Church". This was sponsored by The Association Of Hebrew Catholics, a group I discovered early on. I had been corresponding on their Mailing List, reading, argueing, asking, and generally getting to know a few other Jewish Catholics. My experience, as I think I have noted before, was more mainstream Jewish than many of the people I corresponded with, but I had begun feel a real kinship with the group.

I wasn't going to go, because, of course, I had to be at Holy Family for Palm Sunday. After my dream, however, I knew I had to go for the Saturday session, at least. I was going to take one of those China Town buses but the schedule didn't work, (and then one of them caught fire and my husband wouldn't hear of it). In fact, believe it or not, it is very hard to get to Boston from New York late on a Saturday night! So I ended up having to leave really early, before all the Klezmer, New York catering, and good times!

But I was able to hear Roy Schoeman, author of Salvation is from the Jews, Ronda Chervin, Author of a lot of stuff, Rev. Joseph Koterski, S.J. from Fordham University (terrific guy), and Mark Drogin of Remnant Of Israel, former hippie and now father and grandfather to multitudes of Catholic children. His talk on Saint Joseph ( it was the Feast of Saint Joseph) was really good.

The very best part, though, for me, because I am a delinquent, was hanging out in the Ladies Room and kibbitzing with Dawn Eden.
The fact that my old digital camara took such lousy pictures inspired me to buy a new one immediately! I also met many of the people I had been corresponding with. It was really great, and what was so refreshing was how normal everyone was. That may sound strange, but I have been to a variety of events like this, everything from the UMJC Conference, the Christian Embassy Conference, The Judeo-Christian Zionist Conference in Freeport, Long Island, and the Jews For Jesus " Ingathering".



Without exception, every one of those events, although fun and with a few highlights, could be characterized as long on emotion (and emoting) and short on scholarship. Thank God there were no beribboned tamborines at this thing! I mean really, you could actually be seen in public with these people! With all due respect to these fine ladies, but would you show this picture around the office?