email to synagogues

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email to synagogues

fschmidt
Administrator
This is the email that I plan to send to Orthodox synagogues in the future:

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subject: Seeking synagogue

Can Noahides who have no intention of becoming Jewish regularly attend your shabbat services?

If yes, I have further questions.  I am ethnically Jewish and was raised atheist with no knowledge of Judaism.  Later I researched religion and fell in love with the Hebrew Bible.  I follow my understanding of the Bible which is based on my knowledge of science and history.  The Talmud does not appeal to me.  My wife is not Jewish and follows the Bible as I do.  I have also found a number of like-minded (non-Jewish) people on the internet and we read and discuss the Bible together.  We are a very small group, so we would like to find a synagogue or a church that will accept us without forcing us to accept the Talmud or the Christian Christ.  We are looking for this because any moral religion is far superior to immoral modern culture and we want to be associated with moral people.  For us to feel comfortable in a synagogue, the rabbis must be willing to treat Noahides with respect and not as second class citizens.  Also, all of us must be treated equally.  So for example, since I am Jewish I can be called for a Torah reading but the Noahides cannot.  But since we want to be treated equally, just don't call me for a Torah reading.  Don't do anything to distinguish me as a Jew from the Noahides in my group.  Please let me know if these things (respect and equal treatment) are possible.
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Re: email to synagogues

Drealm
A Minyan is another example where you will be treated differently. But this strikes me as more consequential than not being called to do Torah reading. If there are 9 Noahides and 1 Jew in a group they will cancel service. From a practical standpoint this puts us at the mercy of another group. From a personal standpoint this makes me have no interrest in becoming part of the community.
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Re: email to synagogues

fschmidt
Administrator
The solution is simple, they can't use me to complete a minyon.  As long as we are all treated like Noahides, I don't see a problem.