Update on the Situation with Boca Raton Synagogue

11 Shevat 5777

(h/t) Emes Emunah

There are three reasons to publicize this subject:

• To set the record straight for the uninformed about the inadmissibility of doing anything similar.
• To gain support from anyone who can to join the outcry in order to prevent this chillul Hashem and save unsuspecting Jews from spiritual danger.
• To make fellow Jews aware of the dire circumstances of Jews in the West. There is a silent Holocaust going on and we must not be apathetic to their plight.

In case, you haven't already heard, a Modern-Orthodox Synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida has invited a self-avowed Catholic missionary to give a motivational speech to their congregation. (See original post about it HERE).

According to Jewish tradition, we are our brother's keeper ("shekol yisrael areivim zeh bazeh"). In that spirit, many well-meaning Jews with love for their fellow Jews began warning of the spiritual danger this poses as soon as they heard about it.



Despite desperate pleas to the rabbi to cancel the event, BRS's rabbi has dug in his heels. (See his response HERE.)

No real Jew in his right spiritual mind is going to expose his congregation to a Catholic missionary. Unfortunately, American Jews - even those calling themselves "Orthodox" - have become so assimilated into the surrounding (Xian) culture that they don't even realize how far gone they are.

Quoting a commenter at the rabbi's blog post:

"Not everyone agrees that Christianity is avoda zara, and even if it is he probably has a din of tinok shenishba (no it's not only for Jews)."

Oy vavoy! Would it do any good to request Jewish sources??? There is certainly no debate that it is avodah zarah for Jews!!

The argument on the "pro" side is that the speaker is a motivational speaker who has an outstanding resume and reputation and is guaranteed not to introduce religion into his shpiel. But, it's not so simple.

The scheduled speaker, Matthew Kelly, is not just any non-Jew. Whether he chooses to include references to his Catholicism and his belief in J---- as God in his motivational speeches or lectures, his faith clearly informs everything he does and that makes him unfit to speak to jews on any subject at all, even purely secular ones.

The following has been contributed through the research of Emes Emunah...

(Click to see in full)

I'll let Rabbi Mizrachi have the last word on this subject from this blog...