That was my experience as one participant in a 15-member delegation from Tikvat Israel that spent Shabbat Vayeishev, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, as the guest of Congregation Temple Bethel, a predominantly black Jewish synagogue in Philadelphia.

Led by Rabbi Howard and Pam Gorin, our delegation consisted of Cliff Fishman, Mark Lautman, Norma Dancis, Bonnie and Elliot Cowan and their children Amalia and Micah, Arlene and Warren Berger and their children Jennie and Alex, and my wife Penina and me.

Over the course of Shabbat, we learned much about the history of Congregation Temple Bethel, not only from our hosts' spiritual leader, Rabbi Debra Bowen, but from almost every other member of this close-knit community of multi-generational families.

In fact, the term "member" when referring to a Temple Bethel congregant is apparently a bit of a misnomer. When I asked Rabbi Bowen how many members the synagogue had at present, she gave a wry smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I have heard estimates of 150 or 175 families, but in fact we do not really keep records because we collect no dues," she said. Even so, Temple Bethel has no debt, and the congregation carries no mortgage on its 20,000-square-foot synagogue.

On Friday evening we were treated to a Shabbat dinner of kosher Jewish soul food, including fried and baked fish, collard greens and cabbage. After dinner we moved to the brightly lit, spacious sanctuary for Kabbalat Shabbat. We were greeted with a "Shabbat shalom," at every turn and made to feel very welcome by everyone. I was introduced to a number of Shiras, Tamars, Yaakovs, Avivas and Yosephs.

During Shabbat services, both on Friday night and Saturday morning, we did witness one custom that I found surprising and a bit discomfiting -- collection of funds from congregants. Rabbi Bowen carefully explained that they interpreted Shabbat as, among other things, a day of offering to Hashem and that the funds collected that day were exclusively for the synagogue. She pointed out Temple Bethel congregants do not otherwise carry or spend money on Shabbat. And she said that those of us uncomfortable with the custom were certainly not expected to take part in it. Because individuals moved forward to the front of the synagogue with their money, rather than having a collection plate passed around as I have seen done in some churches, I did not feel in any way pressured to contribute on Shabbat.

Other customs differed from our own at Tikvat Israel, such as the use of musical instruments throughout services, the washing of hands before ascending to the bimah and the anointing of congregants with oil (a little dab on the forehead). Despite these unusual practices, I felt most members of Tikvat Israel would find the service familiar, even if they weren't entirely comfortable with every aspect of it.

The Torah service was like a mini-Simchat Torah. The sefer Torah was carried around the congregation accompanied by music and singing and dancing, along with the chanting of "hallelujah" and "baruch hashem," which we heard countless times over the course of Shabbat. The Torah service included four aliyot plus a maftir reading. The Torah was chanted in Hebrew and the Haftarah was read in English.

There were also many familiar "characters" in the congregation. One gentleman who clearly functioned as Gabbai Gadol reminded me a lot of our Gabbaim Gadolim. And Temple Bethel had its share of "shmoozers" who would feel right at home at TI.

I suppose the big question on the minds of some who discover the existence of vibrant black Jewish shuls is this: "Well, yes, that is all well and good, but are these people really Jewish?"

Speaking only for myself, here is my simple response: Yes. They observe Shabbat, keep kosher, immerse themselves in the mikveh, circumcise their sons at eight days, teach the Torah to their children, perform mitzvot, contribute to the growth of their community, practice their faith by honoring Torah and constantly show a deep connection to Hashem. They turn down jobs that require working on Shabbat. They begin Shabbat morning service with a half-hour of kavannah, and many spend the whole Shabbat in shul, davening, eating, socializing and learning.

Yes, a joyous chorus of "hallelujah" sounds a lot like what you would hear in a black church, but remember that "hallelujah" is a Hebrew word sprinkled liberally throughout our siddur. I love our services at Tikvat Israel and actively take part whenever I can. But my ruach-filled Shabbat at Congregation Temple Bethel, celebrated with my wife, my TI friends and my fellow Jews in North Philadelphia, in some ways brought me closer to my own Jewish soul than almost any other experience I have had in shul -- Conservative, Orthodox or Reform -- in quite some time.

Yasher koach to Rabbi Gorin and Rabbi Bowen for making our Shabbat at Temple Bethel possible. I look forward to visiting Temple Bethel again and to helping host a delegation from Temple Bethel on a future Shabbat at Tikvat Israel. Read more on our blog:

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