Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside and Tree of Life Congregation have developed a close relationship since the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018. The leaders of both faiths say it began when Calvary allowed Tree of Life to hold its High Holy Days services and celebrations in its space, and this year the leaders decided to take it a step further. Members of both congregations gathered at Calvary on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, for the church’s annual Christmas pageant, and stayed after the Episcopalian service to listen to Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers perform traditional Hanukkah songs while eating latkes and jelly donuts, traditional Jewish holiday foods. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sat down with the leaders of both congregations to hear what this relationship means to them and their communities.
In Focus Video
See more photos from the service below.
A crucifix and a menorah sit in the entrance to the church during the annual Christmas pageant at Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. This year, Calvary invited congregants from Tree of Life to celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days in its building, and hosted Tree of Life’s Hanukkah party after its pageant. (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)Children dressed as angels wait for their cues and sing hymns. (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers stands in Calvary Episcopal Church during mass. After mass, Rabbi Myers performed Hanukkah songs while congregants from both faiths shared Jewish holiday foods. (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)A boy dressed as a cow lifts part of a woman’s costume from her face during the pageant. (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)Laura Marchl prays during the annual Christmas pageant at Calvary Episcopal Church. (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)A boy waits for his cue during the annual Christmas pageant at Calvary Episcopal Church. (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers and the Reverend Jonathan Jensen pose for a portrait in the sanctuary of Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)
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