Should our synagogue bridge club be open to non-Jews?

QUESTION: We were short of one player for our weekly bridge group at shul. So I suggested asking my non-Jewish neighbour . However other people objected that it was inappropriate to invite someone who is not Jewish to a synagogue activity. But I can’t see why, there is nothing religious about bridge.

Rabbi Brawer: It is difficult not to sense the irony in a position that equates playing bridge with a synagogue activity that might preclude on ritualistic grounds the participation of one who does not share the Jewish faith.

Would your neighbourr also exclude non-Jews from attending a political husting located at a synagogue or a first-aid course offered at one? What about allowing non-Jews entry into a synagogue as guests for a barmitzvah or a Jewish wedding?

Would non-Jewish dignitaries be banned from addressing a congregation? Or attending an important communal event hosted in the synagogue? I am not aware of any synagogue that would exclude non-Jews in any of these circumstances. Why bridge, an inherently non-religious activity whose relationship to a synagogue is questionable at best, should be an exception is baffling.

On completing the building of the Temple, King Solomon included non-Jews in his vision for this House of God: “Also to the stranger who is not from the nation of Israel, who comes from a far-away land for the sake of your name. For they will hear of your name and your strong hand and outstretched arm and he will come and pray towards this house” (I Kings 8:41-42). Later, the prophet Isaiah imagined the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as: “a house of prayer for all nations” (56:7).

And while the Mishnah circumscribes the space that a gentile might occupy in the Temple precinct, it welcomed non-Jews to attend as well as offer certain ritual sacrifices (Talmud Bavli, Menachot 73b).

So, if non-Jews are permitted to attend Jewish worship, there is no halachic basis for your neighbour’s refusal to include a non-Jew in your bridge game. On the contrary, it smacks of xenophobia. It is particularly sad when Jews, who have long been the victims of social exclusion, insist on excluding others. When xenophobia masquerades as religious piety, it is doubly offensive.

Distinctions are not unimportant, and there are aspects of any faith community that are closed to all but its adherents. Catholics will restrict communion to those within their faith community. Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the city of Mecca. Some Hindu temples are inaccessible to non-Hindus. And halachah restricts many Jewish rituals to Jews.

At the same time, we must positively celebrate our common humanity whenever and wherever possible. An innocent game of bridge among like-minded people seems like a perfect opportunity to do just that.

Rabbi Brawer is Neubauer chief executive of Hillel, Tufts University

Rabbi Romain: This is an issue that extends far wider than bridge and can apply to many other activities that synagogues organise, from youth clubs to film evenings to zumba classes.

It is particularly difficult, as there are good arguments both for and against permitting the entry of non-Jews.

On the one hand, we want our communities to be seen as welcoming and friendly. Genuinely so. What is more, many synagogues participate in interfaith dialogue, at which non-Jews often say they would like to experience a service, and most will allow them to attend.

In addition, if the reverse happened, and a Jew was banned from a church bridge club, we might feel it smacked of antisemitism and be offended, so how can we object in this case and turn non-Jews away?

On the other hand, synagogue is a place where Jews come to meet fellow Jews. There are plenty of other bridge clubs they can join if they want to mix more generally, but in the shul one, they can have conversations they cannot have elsewhere, as well as enjoy the camaraderie of co-religionists.

There is also the argument that members assume that those who attend are Jewish, and if that resulted in a friendship or romance with someone whom they thought was Jewish, but turned out not to be so, they might feel misled.

Then there is the problem that another member might want to imitate you and bring along a non-Jewish friend, and then others too, and the group would suddenly become very different.

One response would be to say that your neighbour is welcome as a one-off visit, but make it clear that regular attendance is limited to those in the congregation. That way, you are being friendly, but also maintaining the group’s Jewish identity.

On balance, though, I think it best to say no altogether — albeit nicely — “it is for members only”. That way the position is clear for everyone concerned, and the group will not have to discuss exceptions every few months when someone else makes a request.

At the same time, you can point the person to any synagogue events that are open to the wider community eg a Council of Christians and Jews evening or other activity.
The only exception would be if the non-Jewish person was a partner or child of a member, in which case they should be allowed to participate, as immediate family.