©Herald Community by:Beth Wallach January 27, 2005 - Jewish clergy make historic papal visit.
After back-to-back trans-Atlantic crossings, Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz of Temple B'nai Sholom didn't quite know whether he was coming or going. The rabbi of Rockville Centre's conservative synagogue was invited, along with the synagogue's cantor, Victor Beck, to have an audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in Rome on Jan. 18.
The rabbi and cantor were part of a historic delegation of about 130 Jewish clergy who were invited to Rome with Pave the Way Foundation, founded by former Rockville Centre resident Gary Krupp. The visit was the brainchild of Krupp, who, for a long time, has had an interest in fostering good relations between Jews and Christians. One of only a handful of Jews to be knighted by the Vatican, Krupp, who is still in Europe, has close ties with the Vatican.
"The Jewish community leaders should express appreciation to this pope," said Schwartz, who has been a friend of Krupp's for more than 30 years and serves on the foundation's board. "He's been the only pope to visit Israel and pray at the Western Wall. He's established diplomatic relations between Israel and the Vatican and visited a synagogue in Rome." Schwartz said the pontiff has been cordial, in general, to the Jewish community and has a "record of beneficence" to the Jewish people, which was evident even when he was a Polish priest during World War II.
The clergy in attendance at the Tuesday-morning audience were mostly from the New York area, but there were also rabbis and dignitaries from Israel, including the former Israeli ambassador to the Vatican. Besides Jewish clergy, priests, nuns and Jewish lay leaders were present. Prior to the audience, which was held in one of the Vatican's cavernous antechambers, the delegation visited several Vatican museums and libraries, many of which are generally off-limits to the public.
The first time Schwartz had seen the pope in person was when John Paul II visited Jerusalem in March 2000...
Wheeled in on a special papal chair, the pope, who Schwartz said "looked regal," briefly addressed the assembled group, beginning with the words Sholom Aleichem, a Hebrew greeting of peace. "He said it in Hebrew, and he said it well," said Schwartz. Making reference to the words of Pope John XXIII, author of the renowned Vatican II encyclical that cleared the Jews of deicide, John Paul II spoke to the delegation about continuing to work toward ending global anti-Semitism.
The pope, who has blessed countless faithful followers around the world, found himself in unfamiliar territory when Schwartz approached him and blessed him in Hebrew. "His facial expressions," said Schwartz, "showed that he was deeply moved." .. As a rabbi in the heart of the Rockville Centre diocese, Schwartz said he is deeply committed to shrinking the gap between Jews and Catholics...
"There's not a divide," said Schwartz, "but there's not a deep comprehension. We have to have a better understanding of each other's religions. Jews have to know more about how Catholics think, and the Catholic community has to have a deeper understanding on a religious level, not necessarily a political one, about how Jews feel about the land of Israel and the state of Israel." The pope, in his remarks, said that in the age of global terrorism, the two religions have to work together to strengthen democracy, because terrorists don't discriminate between Jews and Catholics. "I think it's wonderful," said Kelly, "to see the beautiful relationship between the rabbinical group and the Holy Father, that they were able to exchange thoughts and that there are diplomatic relations between Israel and the Vatican. It's heartwarming to see the camaraderie that exists." "We have so much in common. There's a good basis for a great deal of amity and love between us." rvceditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 285.
©Herald Community 2005