Lost roots…

Dear Readers,
In the previous issue I told you about the time I lectured at the church on the famous Jewish ritual of laying the phylacteries. I left off with the elderly woman who came on stage and held the edge of my Tallit. She quoted:
“Thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of the languages of the nation; take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying we will go with you: for we have heard God is with you” (Zachariah 8:23).
Turning to descend the stage, she said, “Rabbi, go to synagogue! Pray for me and my sons, so when the Jewish messiah comes, he’ll save us with the people of Israel.”
I stood there, wrapped in Tefillin, shocked… I turned to descend the stage too, when the church members bombarded me with questions, all, astonishingly, calling me “Rabbi.” It felt weird, being called a Rabbi, yet, from some reason I couldn’t say to myself I didn’t like it…
A university lecturer on Christianity approached me, inviting me over for coffee. Driving along in his car, he told me that he wanted to show me the Jewish corner of his life.

“His name is Michael, maybe he’s Jewish?” I wondered. When I asked, he explained that to Jews he’s a ‘goy’ because his mother was non-Jewish, but to Christians he’s Jewish because his father was.

I entered his house and stood in shock… The living room had no normal furniture but a large table with an incredible model of the Temple.
“This replica is precise and built to scale,” Michael said. “I’ve been building it for over three years…” He put a videotape into the VCR, that showed him explaining about the Temple, its instruments, and the work of the High Priest on Yom Kippur.
I asked him to explain, of course... From his explanation I understood he was searching for his lost Jewish roots.
During our long talk, I realized there were many like him. He told me about a priest I met every Sunday for a course on Christianity who closes his carpentry shop on Saturdays and keeps the Sabbath as best he can. I will reveal to you, my readers, that ten years later, that same priest converted, changed his name to Yochanan, made aliya and today lives in Haifa…
Michael told me he frequently visits Jerusalem. He said, “I believe the Jews are fulfilling the prophecy of returning to Zion. I feel included, and want to feel included.”
He said, adding: “I don’t know why you are here. You left your family across the ocean and came here to seek what?”
“Some feel their history started a few years ago and come here to learn from us,” he said. “But you, a man who studied religion, engrossed in the enigmas of faith, who absorbed Judaism as a child, you know your history started 4,000 years ago. Why did you come here? What do you seek? What did you come to learn?!”
The rest, I’ll tell you, my dear readers, next time…