Little Chapel by the Lake hosted an early celebration of the Jewish feast of Purim on the evening of Thursday, March 1.
The service was led in Spanish by Rabbi Manuel Hernandez Gomez and translated into English by Claude Bellon. Pastor Ken Armstrong read Scripture from the Book of Esther.
Purim is a celebration of the salvation of the Jewish people from a genocidal plot in ancient Persia, and carries a relevant contemporary message.
“Thanks Pastor Ken, thanks Claude for translating,” said Rabbi Hernandez. “Thanks to all those who accompanied us in this beautiful celebration of such profound teachings.”
Pastor Ken responded, “Adding the precious teaching of Rabbi Manuel Hernandez Gomez to the ministry of Little Chapel gives a much richer texture to our faith. This is not ‘playing Jewish,’ but rather celebrating and understanding the ‘Jewishness’ of the heritage of our faith.”