An AHC Havurah invites Catholics to join in the fellowship of prayer, study, and celebration. It is distinct from other similar groups in its focus.
- In matters of study, the members of the havurah seek to better understand our Catholic faith by studying its Jewish roots, and to better understand and appreciate our Jewish brothers and sisters.
- In matters of prayer, the members of the havurah pray not only for the causes and people that are normally prayed for at Mass and in our various devotions, but also for our Jewish brothers and sisters and for all those in Israel and throughout the Mideast.
- In matters of celebration, the members of the havurah learn about and celebrate, in the light of Christ, various aspects of the holy days of the Jewish liturgical year. They thereby experience that which Jesus fulfills in the liturgy, through the sacraments, and through the feasts of the Church’s liturgical year.
These studies, prayers, and celebrations help us to realize the exhortation given us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1096:
A better knowledge of the Jewish people’s faith and religious life as professed and lived even now can help our better understanding of certain aspects of Christian liturgy.
The following is an initial list of materials that can serve as a source of study and prayer in regular havurah meetings. Material for study can also be found in The Hebrew Catholic and the following web sites: hebrewcatholic.net, secondexodus.com, salvationisfromthejews.com.
Magisterial Documents
• Lumen Gentium, Nostra Aetate
• Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the Conciliar Declaration, Nostra Aetate No. 4 (1974)
• We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah (1998)
Other Church Documents
• The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scripture in the Christian Bible (2002)
• Memory and Reconciliation: The Church and Faults of the Past (1999)
Books
• The Crucified Rabbi by Taylor Marshall
This book provides simple and clear comparisons showing the intimate connections between Jewish and Catholic ideas and practices. A great introduction to further studies.
• Second Exodus by Marty Barrack
This book provides an intelligent, faith-filled and zealous apologetic for the faith. Marty provides us with inspirational background and insights from the Jewish roots of the faith.
• Salvation is From the Jews by Roy Schoeman
Roy Schoeman provides a wonderful overview of the role of Judaism and the Jewish people in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind, from Abraham through the Second Coming, as revealed by the Catholic faith and by a thoughtful examination of history.
• Honey From the Rock by Roy Schoeman
This book includes the inspiring stories of 16 Jews, including that of the author, from a wide va- riety of backgrounds, who became fulfilled through their journey to the Catholic Church.
• Jewish Identity by Elias Friedman OCD (currently out of print – pdf copy available on web site)
Fr. Friedman, founder of the Association of Hebrew Catholics, provides the theological and historical background to the work of the AHC. He provides a rationale for preserving the historic identity of the Jewish people within the Church and of their ongoing role from now until “all Israel shall be saved” (cf. Rm. 11:26).
• Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre
Brant Pitre explores the Jewish background of the Eucharist to show that Jewish hopes were fulfilled, not only for a Messiah, but for a new Exodus and a new manna as well.
• Jesus the Bridegroom by Brant Pitre
Brant Pitre shows how the suffering and death of Jesus was far more than a tragic Roman execution. Instead, the Passion of Christ was the fulfillment of ancient Jewish prophecies of a wedding, when the God of the universe would wed himself to humankind in an everlasting nuptial covenant.
• Before the Dawn by Eugenio Zolli
Before the Dawn contains the autobiographical reflections of Rabbi Israel Zolli, former Chief Rabbi of Rome, regarding his journey to the Catholic Church. Upon becoming baptized, Rabbi Zolli took the name “Eugenio” in honor of Pope Pius XII, who did so much to save Jews in Europe during the time of the Shoah.
• The Myth of Hitler’s Pope by Rabbi David Dalin
In this book, Rabbi Dalin takes up the defense of Pope Piux XII against the calumnies that he was silent and did little for the Jews during the Second World War.
• Many Religions – One Covenant: Israel, the Church and the World by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
An exploration by the future Pope Benedict XVI of the covenants and the relation between the Church and Israel, including the fulfillment of the Law by Jesus on the Cross.
• The Mystery of Israel and the Church by Larry Feingold S.T.D., S.T.L.
The first three books of this series reflect the first three series of lectures given by Dr. Feingold at the Cathedral Basilica School in Saint Louis, Missouri. Dr. Feingold is Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, Saint Louis, Missouri, and AHC Director of Theology. The audio recordings of these first three lectures are available on our website.
Vol. 1, Figure and Fulfillment
This volume contains various themes of salvation history, the prophecies and types in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the New.
This volume covers various themes of faith, including the virtues of faith, hope, love, suffering, sacrifice, priesthood, gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc.
Vol. 3, The Messianic Kingdom of Israel
Covering various themes of the Kingdom, this volume includes prophecies of the Messianic Kingdom, marks of the Church, portraits of the Church in the New Testament, comparisons between Israel and the Church, etc.
CDs / DVDs
AHC Lecture Series by Larry Feingold, S.T.D. S.T.L.
Each lecture lasts about one hour, with a follow-up question–answer session of about 20 minutes. You may download each lecture for each series listed below at no cost from our website at: http://tinyurl.com/m9bv2k
1. Themes of Salvation History
2. Themes of the Faith
3. Themes of the Kingdom
4. Themes of St. Paul
5. Themes from the Early Church Fathers
6. Themes of the Incarnation
7. Mary, Daughter of Zion and Mother of God
8. Man Made in the Image of God (Christian anthropology with respect to the natural order)
9. Man Called to Share in the Divine Life (Christian anthropology with respect to the supernatural order)
10. Sacraments: From the Old Covenant to the New
11. Typology: How the Old Testament Prefigures the New
12. Introduction to Theology: Faith Seeking Understanding
13. Creation and Covenant
14. Beatitude and the Last Things, Part 1
15. Beatitude and the Last Things, Part 2 – Spring 2015
In these talks, Brant Pitre uses his knowledge of of the Old Testament and ancient Judaism to illuminate the mysteries of God’s eternal plan.
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Advent
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Papacy
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Purgatory
Jewish Roots of the Liturgy of the Hours
Jewish Roots of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
Jewish Roots of Christian Liturgy: Bible and Mass
The Bridegroom Messiah
In three CDs, Mark explains the Jewish roots of the Mass, including the movement from Temple to Ca- thedral, from Synagogue to Church, and the Passover.
A fourth CD contains a talk, On the New Translation of the Roman Missal, by Fr. Ed Fride.
• Jewish Roots of Catholicism by Br. Bob Fishman
In this DVD, Br. Bob explains a wide spectrum of Jewish history and a great variety of practices and terms.
• The Passover of Christ by Br. Bob Fishman
In 3 CDs, Br. Bob includes a step-by-step walk through the actual Passover ritual with an intense re- counting of Christ’s final Passover on the night of the Last Supper.
• A Hand of Peace: Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust
A 55-minute DVD describing Pope Piux XII’s guidance of the Church through the tumultuous decades surrounding World War II. In addressing the great cal- umnies levelled at this Pope regarding his service to the Jewish people, interviews with Sir Martin Gilbert, Fr. Peter Gumpel, and Sr. Margherita Marchione are presented.
• Reasons for Our Hope: A Bible Study on the Gospel of Luke by Rosalind Moss (now Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God)
Three sets of four DVDs with 39 30-minute sessions (optional study guide available), originally broad- cast on EWTN. Rosalind uses her knowledge of ancient and contemporary Judaism along with the experiences of her own journey to provide an illuminating portrait of Christ from the Gospel of Luke. – Available soon in our web store
• The Footprints of God: The Story of Salvation from Abraham to Augustine by Stephen Ray
A series of DVDs which combines biography, travel documentary, bible study, apologetics and Church his- tory. Titles include: Moses, David / Solomon, Jesus, Mary, Peter, Paul, Apostolic Fathers. – Available soon in our web store
• An Interview of (then) Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, by David Moss. Available as a DVD, on our website, or text.
This interview took place in Aug. 2010 and was shown at the first AHC-sponsored conference in Oct. 2010. It examines some key questions concerning the life of Jews in the Church.