Shabbat or Not Shabbat

It is not acceptable. Catholics should NEVER participate in any non-Catholic rituals or prayer services. This is, in fact, a violation of the First Commandment. Full explanation here.

From Crisis

By Austin Ruse

In a raw Heritage Foundation all-staff showdown, a young Catholic dared question “recommended” Shabbat dinners. He then got doxxed, mocked, and buried under viral scorn.

One of the more disheartening aspects of last week’s attempted defenestration of the Heritage Foundation and its leader, Kevin Roberts, was what happened to a young Catholic at the quite remarkable all-staff meeting leaked by anti-Roberts partisans. 

First of all, the all-staff meeting was among the most courageous acts I have ever witnessed, and not just by Roberts, who stood up there like a man, apologized for his statement on Tucker Carlson, and took the brunt of several staffers who eviscerated him and called for his resignation. He took it not only as a man but as a true gentleman. 

But the courage did not end with him. It was also on display from the staff members who did the punching. It takes a special kind of courage to criticize your boss and to such a degree as we witnessed. Being in that room had to be among the strangest experiences any of them had ever had. 

And then a young man stood up to express his doubts about attending Heritage-sponsored Shabbat services, one of several “recommendations” of a Jewish committee that Heritage had formed to combat anti-Semitism. I put “recommendations” in scare quotes for a reason.

Even before the all-staff meeting video had been leaked, somebody in Heritage had recorded this young man’s statement/question and released it on 𝕏, along with his mugshot. The purpose of this, of course, was to hold him up to abuse and mockery on a viral scale, which is precisely what happened. He took abuse and mockery for days and days. 

For those who may not know, who are probably legion, a Shabbat dinner occurs in some Jewish homes on Friday evening, ushering in the Sabbath. They light candles, say prayers, offer blessings, and eat. Maybe it is in the dark. Perhaps the women are veiled. Who knows. It varies from home to home. My favorite Shabbat meal is the one from Fiddler on the Roof, though I suspect Jews have never actually sung “Sabbath Prayer,” which was written for the Broadway stage. 

The young man told the all-staff meeting that Friday is a special day of prayer, fasting, and abstention from meat for Catholics, and he would be uneasy if he were required to attend one. 

His query was entirely too much for a woman named Victoria Coates, Heritage staffer, who was on the anti-Semitism task force, and for Bethany Mandel, I believe a former Catholic (apostate?) who is now Jewish, and whose idea it was for these Shabbat dinners to be organized for “interns and junior staff.”

After the young man spoke, Coates went into high emotional dudgeon. She was—of course—“offended” at his suggestion that these dinners were required; they were only “recommended.” Mandel began to mock the young man on 𝕏. They are only dinners. What, you don’t want to be with my kids? Eat my food? These are not direct quotes but rather the tone she used in publicly shaming the young Catholic. This went on and on and may still be ongoing; I wouldn’t know, as it drove me away from 𝕏. 

One of the questions is whether the Shabbat dinner is a religious ceremony. If so, then Catholics, in good conscience, might choose not to attend. Other Catholics will say there is no problem. Fine. The Church warns Catholics against “active participation in non-Catholic worship that could cause confusion or scandal.”
Some on 𝕏 said these dinners have no religious significance whatsoever. I had to ask ChatGPT about the prayers. 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who has sanctified us with His commandments
and commanded us to kindle the light of Shabbat.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who creates the fruit of the vine.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who has sanctified us by Your commandments,
and has taken pleasure in us;
and with love and favor You have given us Your holy Sabbath
as an inheritance, in remembrance of creation.
For it is the first among the holy days,
recalling the Exodus from Egypt.
For You have chosen us and sanctified us above all peoples,
and with love and favor have given us Your holy Sabbath.
Blessed are You, Lord, who sanctifies the Sabbath...

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who nourishes the entire world in His goodness,
with grace, kindness, and mercy.
He gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever.
Through His great goodness, we have never lacked food,
nor will we ever lack it, for His great Name’s sake.
For He nourishes and sustains all,
and does good to all,
and prepares food for all His creatures that He created.
Blessed are You, Lord, who provides food for all.

Maybe a bit more. But you get the idea, and each of these prayers comes with specific actions, voiced by different people around the table—some by the father, some by the mother, some by sons, and others by daughters. Really beautiful. However, one can see that some people would not want to attend in good conscience, as it does sound very much like a liturgy. It is more than simply a meal at Bethany’s house with Bethany’s kids, as Bethany argued on 𝕏. 

And then we turn to the question of the weight of the “recommendation” that “interns and junior staff” attend these Shabbat dinners. This suggestion was part of several “recommendations” to Heritage by the task force; and attached to the “recommendations” was a deadline for acceptance. I think they gave Heritage a couple of days to respond. The deadline passed, and the task force on anti-Semitism cut ties with the Heritage Foundation. So, yes, these were recommendations—but recommendations that came with punishment. 

And consider if Heritage had accepted the recommendations and some “interns and junior staff” did not want to attend. The young man expressed concern that this would be noted. Would the refusers then be accused of being secret Fuentists? And why would only “interns and junior staff” get the “recommendation” to attend? Are these dinners really to build religious comity or to sniff out anti-Semites?

One wonders if Mandel and Coates would be willing to attend a “recommended” Eucharistic procession. After all—paraphrasing Mandel about Shabbat dinner—it is only a walk with some prayers thrown in. 

Perhaps the young Catholic’s query was not prudent. Likely, he was inspired by the flood of honesty all around him. This whole thing is a mess and requires, at this time, kindness, understanding, and goodwill. I fear these are not coming for a good long while.