Jewish congregation will share historic church with Zen group
Published 12:39 pm Tuesday, June 2, 2015
For almost 90 years, a white clapboard building on Westside Highway has been the spiritual home for several religious communities. It began as the Golgatha Norwegian Lutheran Church, followed by the Bethel Evangelical Free Church and for the last decade, Havurat Ee Shalom. This Sunday, the doors will open to welcome yet another group in a win-win rental agreement between the Havurah, Vashon’s Jewish community, and Puget Sound Zen Center (PSZC), the island’s Zen sangha.
When the Havurah first purchased the building, the option of renting to another organization never entered the minds of the leadership. Though on occasion concerts and community events are held in the hall, during the week the building mostly remains dark, much to the chagrin of Dan Asher, an active member of Havurah. So when his friend Koshin Christopher Cain, abbot of the PSZC, mentioned that the center was looking for a new home, sharing the Havurat seemed like a mutually beneficial idea.
“As a community, over the 10 years we’ve had the building, we’ve been under-utilizing it, and it has certain expenses,”
Asher said. “Rental was never part of the program, but in talking to Koshin, who needed a new space, light bulbs went off for both of us.”
Though the Zen sangha enjoyed the ever-changing beauty of Tramp Harbor as seen from inside its former center — a large converted garage at a home at Ellisport — outside the issue of zoning painted another picture. Parking was restricted by the center’s location in a residential neighborhood, and that hampered both family activities and any future growth. Moving became not just an option but a necessity.
“We were looking for a place that was zoned properly and had parking, not too far from town, was quiet and had a place for walking meditation,” Cain said. “The Havurat ticks all those off.”
Indeed, the building’s simple but spacious interior will easily fit the Zen center’s 60 dues-paying members, with room in the basement for an office, a library and gathering place for children during Sunday services, plus ample parking and a large yard for walking meditation.
During the week, the Zen center will create a meditation hall with regular morning sits, Wednesday evening talks and a Sunday service. The Havurah will continue to hold services on Friday and Saturday, and as Cain made clear, use the building as needed. They have priority, he said, as the Zen center is just the renter.
Still, the two groups spoke highly of one another and remarked on the smoothness of the rental negotiations.
“In the whole process of negotiating this, the Zen people were bending over backwards to make sure we were doing this in a way that would not cause any friction for us,” Asher said. “They were even trying to predict where subjects of sensitivity might arise.”
Cain said the Jewish community has been nothing but welcoming, praising both Asher and Havurah board president Louise Olsen.
“One of my big feelings about this is that it’s not everywhere something like this would work out — two distinct religious paths sharing the same space,” he said.
Asher agrees. Citing certain meditative practices, he added that from a theological standpoint, there is compatibility between the two religions, saying that some Jews who have fallen away from active Judaism and have picked up Buddhism.
Cain remarked that a number of Western Buddhist teachers are Jewish, saying that in the last 40 years, “there has been a lot of overlap between Judaism and Buddhism. There is a harmony there.”
With a meet-and-greet potluck planned for their congregations, the two religious groups appear to be actively fostering that harmony. And both have an eye out toward keeping the building in good stead.
“It’s a historical building. … There is a sense among the Jewish community that we are stewards of a piece of island history,” Asher said. “The (renting) has been a step up for the building in terms of utilization.”
Cain sees the Zen center’s contribution to the building as manpower. He said work parties — with the intention to improve one’s environment and to work mindfully — are part of the Zen practice.
“I’ve been wanting the sangha to do more work practice,” he said, “so this can be our place to do that. It really is a win-win.”
Puget Sound Zen Center Services
Morning Meditation from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday
Morning Meditation from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Sunday
Zen Service from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday
Havurat Ee Shalom Service
Torah study at 9:30 a.m. Saturday
15401 Westside Highway SW
