This Sabbath was a real treat. My family and I attended the presentation of Fiddler on the Roof performed by the Pikes 
Peak Village Singers. The performance was excellent, our children were enthralled by the acting, dancing, music and singing by these young and very talented performers. My 5-year old daughter sung herself to sleep to the tune, "If I Were a Rich Man."
A favorite scene in the play is the Sabbath evening. This particular scene resonates well with our family. On the Eve of every Sabbath we too gather around the table, Anne lights the candles, then she and the children sing the opening blessing, "Baruch atah Adonai...." It is an evening of blessings. I bless the wine and the bread (challah) which Anne makes! I bless Anne (after reading Proverbs 31) and then I bless each of my children. Anne blesses me by reading Psalms 1, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the Torah of Adonai...." My son Zachary recites John 1:1-10 from memory, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...." We remember that we are celebrating God's creative and redemptive activity and we look forward to our final rest in Messiah when He returns.
In Fiddler, one gets a glimpse of the connectedness of the Jewish people during the Sabbath prayer. In the scene, just before sundown, each household in the village simultaneously welcomes the Sabbath with friends, a meal, blessings, song and God's presence. The importance of the Sabbath cannot be emphasized enough when we consider the long history of Jewish people scattered and persecuted, yet still, when possible, however possible, the Sabbath was welcomed. There is a saying that, "The Jews did not keep the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath kept the Jews."
While we can all appreciate the performance of Fiddler, do we really connect with the history it portrays? After the performance, Anne was asked by one woman if she had felt connected to "her people". How is it, we wondered, that non-Jewish Christians have difficulty connecting to their own Jewish heritage? Many Christians really know very little about their Hebraic origins which is odd since Christianity is the daughter of second temple Judaism. Perhaps such history is too far back. Perhaps such heritage is too far removed, after all we can more easily relate to our Scottish protestant, Irish catholic or fill in the blank heritage. 
Perhaps digging into this heritage is too unpleasant when we dig up some of the realities regarding the history of the church and the Jewish people. Fiddler was described as a story of a people and their God. I wondered if we really believed that or was that just a nice thing to say. It was interesting that the Fiddler presentation left out the scene where the Jews were referred to as, "Christ killers."
I believe we would do well to dig into this heritage. We have much to learn and not simply historically and culturally, but theologically as well. Yes, I believe we would do very well to gain an understanding and appreciation for the people whose faith gave birth to our own.
So, this Sabbath, I felt that I would point out a few resources worth reading.
1. The first is an article by Dr. Richard Pratt. This article addresses some theological aspects of the church's relationship to Israel from a covenantal perspective. While some may disagree with Dr. Pratt's solidly covenantal stance, I think all will agree with and appreciate his respect, gratitude and sense of indebtedness for the Jewish people.
To The Jew First, A Reformed Perspective
2. This is a link to my review of the book, Anguish of the Jews by Father Flannery. I'll repeat my personal conviction that, "This book is required reading for every person who calls himself a Christian. It is simply necessary history. It is also necessary to uphold the Church’s commitment to the Jewish people." Click here for my full review of Anguish of the Jews.
3. This is a link to some wonderful teachings by John Piper on the book of Romans entitled: Romans: The Greatest Letter Ever Written. Unlike many teachers, Piper doesn't just hop over Romans 9-11 (which deals specifically with the church/Israel relationship) but rather, digs deep. Thank you John Piper!
4. For Christians interested in learning about the Hebrew language and Jewish culture, visit www.Hebrew4Christians.com. The proprietor of this site, John Parsons, has done a fantastic job of researching and compiling information to assist Christians in their own research and interest in their Hebraic heritage.
5. Chaim is a reformed ministry to the Jewish people. They have some very interesting articles.
6. Finally there has been an ongoing and increasing interest in the Hebraic 
heritage of Christianity resulting in numerous online and written resources. Much of it is very practical in terms of teaching about Messiah through the festivals, learning Jewish culture and history during the 2nd temple era, studies on the Torah and its relevance to Christian life. Much of these materials are excellent and historically and theologically relevant. However, I must issue a warning because not all are biblically sound.
So why do I believe it to be necessary and beneficial to learn about and embrace our Jewish heritage as Christians? John Piper, in commenting on anti-Semitism, provides some insight that I believe applies well:
"Because the Jewish root—the Jewish fathers, the Jewish Scripture, the Jewish promises, the Jewish history, the Jewish Messiah—supports you, not the other way around. Being a Christian means becoming a true Jew. Being a Christian means finding your ancestry in Abraham and his offspring. Being a Christian means believing and loving the Jewish Torah, and Writings, and Prophets. Being a Christian means being grafted in to the Jewish covenant. Proud anti-Semitism proves we do not know who we are—or we are not who we say we are." 1
Shabbat Shalom and L'Chaim!
1John Piper, The (Jewish) Root Supports You, Through Your Faith Alone, Desiring God, http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2004/160_The_Jewish_Root_Supports_You_through_Your_Faith_Alone/