The Synagogue That Sheltered a Church

The effect of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on those who heard Him at Rabbi Martin Meyer's synagogue, Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco, on 12 October 1912 became obvious within a short time. The Christian church located diagonally across the street from the synagogue decided to build a new building, necessitating the demolition of the old one and leaving the Christians temporarily without a place to worship.

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Rabbi Meyer with the support of the Jewish community, offered them the use of the synagogue each Sunday. For the next nine months, Christians and Jews shared the same building.

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When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was told of this, He wrote that 'this action and this deed will become eternal, and in the future ages and cycles, the good intention of the Reverend Rabbi will be recorded in the books and works of universal history and will be on the lips of all men without end.'

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