Philo- Semitic Japanese choir entertains

By Eileen Wingard

KYOTO, Japan — Singing Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and clapping as they filed in, 24 kimono-clad Japanese women and 15 Japanese men in white shirts and bow ties entered the Kyoto sanctuary of Beit Shalom. This was the Shachar Choir. The audience, composed of our tour group, under the leadership of Rabbi Marvin Tokayer; a contingent of Israeli visitors; and members of the local congregation, the Japan Christian Friends of Israel, heartily joined in. We all felt the bonding power of the familiar tune, and the warm welcome it conveyed.

Under the direction of their talented director, the choir sang three songs about the peace of Jerusalem, Or b’Yerushalayim, Or, and Lalechet shevi Achareicha. Their Hebrew pronunciation was impeccable, the harmonies were beautiful, and the singers sang with deep sincerity. Many of us were moved to tears. Who would have imagined that in Kyoto, we would encounter such a choir?

Also, the sanctuary resembled a synagogue more than a Christian church. There were Hebrew letters, an eternal light, and a gold menorah carved into the dais. While I could see no Christian symbols, one of my co-travelers said she saw some small crosses carved into the wood on the balcony behind us.

Soon, we were listening to explanations about who they were and why they had such a strong commitment to Israel. Their founder, Father Takeji Otsuki, had a vision in 1938 in which the Almighty commanded him to dedicate his life to the following goals: 1) Pray for the independence of the Jewish State; 2) Pray for the spiritual restoration and the total redemption of the people of Israel; 3) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; 4) Pray for the coming of the Messiah.

This became the spiritual framework of the group, founded by Otsuki after World War II. The JCFI now has 105 churches and some 8,000 followers. The membership increased after 1948, when the State of Israel was established. Otsuki’s followers felt that the first of the divine commandments had been fulfilled.

Following the explanatory speech, the choir sang more selections, including a rendition of Eli Eli and the Yiddish favorite, A Yiddishe Mame. This was followed by a videotaped speech by Father Otsuki, who died a decade ago.

Otsuki had developed strong ties to Israel, climaxing with his being awarded honorary citizenship of Jerusalem by Ehud Olmert, then mayor of Jerusalem. The charismatic sect leader also met with various Israeli dignitaries, including the late Moshe Dayan, President Yitzhak Navon, and Professor Hanoch Gutfreund, president of the Hebrew University.

There is a JNF Forest of Father Otsuki, which is part of Park Rabin, with a Japanese Garden at the entrance, and the Shachar Choir travels to Israel regularly to give concerts. They also travel to North America, all at their own expense.

The JCFI, with donations by all its members, built a guesthouse in Kyoto, which they call Beit Shalom, to offer free housing to Israeli visitors. Rabbi Tokayer, in his remarks, remembered affixing the mezuzah on the doorpost of Beit Shalom when it was first erected. In addition, in 1995, the group established a Holocaust Education Center in Fukuyama, a suburb of Hiroshima, to teach Japanese students about the Holocaust and what should be done to create peace.

Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, who served as rabbi in Tokyo for twenty years, and was a friend of Father Otsuki, delivered concluding remarks in which he expressed the hope that the group will continue to grow and the friendship between Japan and Israel will continue to flourish. We concluded with the singing of Hatikvah.

Our group was then hosted to a delicious dinner by the congregants. I was able to speak with three young women, two of whom sang in the choir. They were all studying to be teachers. They had changed out of their colorful kimonos into Western dress and were exceedingly sweet and friendly.

It was heartening to find such philo-Jewish sentiment in Japan, given the growing anti-Semitism rife in other parts of the world. This was also a wonderful conclusion for our first day in Japan, the beginning of a 15-day tour entitled Japan and China Through Jewish Eyes.

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Wingard is a freelance writer based in San Diego.  You may comment to her at eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com