YEARLY SERVICE UNITES CHRISTIANS, JEWS.Byline: Holly Andres Daily News Writer For a Reseda church and a West Hills synagogue synagogue (sĭn`əgŏg) [Gr.,=assembly], in Judaism, a place of assembly for worship, education, and communal affairs. The origins of the institution are unclear. One tradition dates it to the Babylonian exile of the 6th cent. B.C. , the evening before Thanksgiving offers an opportunity to thank God - and also to learn about each other. Valley Vineyard vineyard, land on which cultivation of the grape—known as viticulture—takes place. As many as 40 varieties of grape, Vitis vinifera, are known. Church and Shomrei Torah Synagogue will celebrate their annual Thanksgiving service together Wednesday evening. The two houses of worship have been alternating sites but sharing fellowship and inspiring words with each other the evening before Thanksgiving Day every year since 1992. This unusual get-together grew out of a personal friendship between Pastor Lynn Cory of Valley Vineyard and Rabbi rabbi [Heb.,=my master; my teacher], the title of a Jewish spiritual leader. The role of the rabbi has undergone a number of transformations. In the Talmudic period, rabbis were primarily teachers and interpreters of the Torah. David Vorspan of Shomrei Torah. Speaking of their friendship, the pastor says the rabbi ``. . . has shown his friendship to me; he's very accepting.'' And Vorspan said one of the best features of Cory is his genuineness. ``He's a mensch mensch or mensh n. pl. mensch·es or mensch·en Informal A person having admirable characteristics, such as fortitude and firmness of purpose: ,'' he said, using the Yiddish term for a good, upstanding, responsible man. The two leaders and Pastor Bill Dwyer, also of Valley Vineyard Church, will lead about 500 expected combined congregants in an evening of singing, music, and surprises. ``We've exchanged surprise gifts between us in the past. It's been an exciting experience together. The singing is the high point. One year we literally broke into dancing,'' Cory said. Vorspan said he also experiences the joyous joy·ous adj. Feeling or causing joy; joyful. See Synonyms at glad1. joy  ous·ly adv. feelings evoked by the service. ``We've stressed music as a mode of prayer with some sharing of thoughts,'' he said. ``We leave floating.'' This year's service will feature music and songs that were mutually picked out in 1992. Instead of song sheets, the lyrics lyrics npl [of song] → paroles fpl lyrics lyric npl [of song] → Text m to the songs will be projected on a wall via an overhead projector. A highlight this year will be Dwyer interviewing Cory and Vorspan about their personal views of each other and thoughts on Thanksgiving. ``These joint Thanksgiving services did come out of a personal relationship, a friendship,'' says Dwyer. Dwyer believes that this annual meeting of the two groups helps to break down any barriers or distance between Christians and Jews. ``There's nothing scary on the other side. It's an opportunity to come together and jointly giving thanks to God for blessing us,'' Dwyer says. The evening service of contemporary music, congregational con·gre·ga·tion·al adj. 1. Of or relating to a congregation. 2. Congregational Of or relating to Congregationalism or Congregationalists. Adj. 1. singing and prayers of thanksgiving will start at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26 at Valley Vineyard Church, 6642 Reseda Blvd., Reseda. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Pastor Lynn Cory, left, Rabbi David Vorspan and Pastor Bill Dwyer get together at Valley Vineyard Church, site of an annual service with Shomrei Torah Synagogue on the eve On the Eve (Накануне in Russian) is the third novel by famous Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, best known for his short stories and the novel Fathers and Sons. of Thanksgiving. Bob Halvorsen/Daily News |
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