We went to a funeral this morning of a church member at our Baptist Church who dropped dead four days ago. He didn’t show up for his security duty on Sunday and also was slated to read the opening prayer but when they called his name, everyone looked around and someone else stepped up when he didn’t answer. His name was (Gurfinkle) 64 years old, and we knew he was a native Ukrainian. He was always quiet and private. He was a member and did security for the church every Sunday morning and held the door open for everyone at the rear of the church. His grandfather was killed in the concentration camps and his father likewise died later after Mikhail was born as a result of mistreatment he received in there. Mr. G immigrated here as an adult later in life. He had a ph.D in physics and engineering. Brilliant and creative man.

Today, we learned more at the service. HE WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER of our local Jewish Synagogue. They knew him well and he apparently didn’t reveal to them he was a member of OUR church!

The funeral was 100% Jewish with Hebrew songs and prayers, led by a cantor and his rabbi. Half the attendees wore yarmulkes. He’s being buried in an orthodox Jewish cemetery in another city.

There were about 25 people from our church there, including our pastor and all the deacons and not a single one KNEW about his Jewish life. And the Jews there also didn’t know of OUR existence.

Is this unusual?

mindblown