A major tsimis has been raised by city council candidate Isaac Abraham because the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) invited him to speak, but they meet in the basement of a Methodist church. Oy, such a fuss over nothing!

CBID hold their monthly meetings in the basement of a Methodist church on 6th Ave. in Park Slope. They hold it there because it is cheap space. There is no religious connection in the club. There is no political connection to the church. The church rents out the basement for their meetings. Fine? Of course fine!

But then Isaac Abraham wants to run for city council representing a whole diverse district in Brooklyn, but he can't bring himself to enter a church basement? Look, I am Jewish, but I have entered churches, synagogues, mosques, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. All it has done is expanded my understanding of others. Perhaps this would be a good thing for Reb Abraham as well, no? A little effort on his part for a little more understanding of others?

I remember back when there was a hotly contested primary for the 11th Congressional seat in Brooklyn, three black candidates and one Jewish candidate were invited to a forum in...gasp...a JEWISH TEMPLE! Oy vey! And did the black, non-Jewish (either by birth or conversion) candidates complain about having to enter a synagogue to debate. Of course not. They went in and debated! But somehow, Isaac Abraham is a special boychik who can't set foot even in the basement of a church. Of course this is his choice and this is still a free country (despite 8 years of Bush), but what message is he giving the voters? He is giving the message that he will not reach out to those who worship in a different place from him. No one is asking him to kneel before an alter or take communion or say a prayer to Jesus. He isn't even being asked to enter the sanctuary of the church.

Which brings up another point. Is this basement, owned by the church, the same as the church? Once a month this basement is used by CBID in the evening. What is it used for during the day?

It is a childcare center called "Beansprouts." THAT is what this church basement is. Look at their website. NOTHING in it about religion that I can see! In reality Isaac Abraham is being asked to enter in the evening what is by day a childcare center. Yet just because it is below the church he won't do it? Feh!

When I first heard about this from my wife, a Jew who is an officer in CBID, I laughed. Now I don't find it so funny. In all seriousness, being Jewish in America doesn't really mean we can insulate ourselves from the majority culture. We are AMERICANS. And that means, if we want to be socially active and politically active, we have contact with our American neighbors and friends and sometimes that means going into childcare centers at the basement of a church. If I heard of a Christian politician refusing to set foot into the auditorium at Beth Elohim because it was part of a Jewish synagogue, I would be appalled. I am similarly appalled that Isaac Abraham feels he is too special to reach out to those of a different religion on their own turf. If his sense of identity as a Jew is so weak and so threatened that he cannot attend an event at a childcare center in a church basement, then I pity him.

In his response to criticism over this, Abraham touts his contacts with non-Jews and blames Lucy Koteen, the president of CBID, for the problem. But to me this is all missing the point. The point is that we are all part of a diverse community and should be willing to meet each other on each other's turf. This is how we show respect for each other. We meet in each other's churches, synagogues, schools, child care centers, etc. To refuse to reach out shows disrespect just as much as it would have if candidates for the CD11 race had refused to debate at Beth Elohim because it was a synagogue.

Reb Abraham. Do not be afraid of your neighbors. Go ahead. Meet them in the childcare center beneath the church. Your faith will not be tested. Your politics may well be tested, but not your faith.