Interfaith dialogue

From The Australian Jewish News (July 23, 2008), by Chantal Abitbol:

"Warm feelings flow from World Youth Day"

DESPITE initial concerns over the Stations of the Cross procession planned for Pope Benedict XVI's visit, Jewish leaders have come out praising World Youth Day (WYD) and the interfaith forums held as part of the celebrations, which concluded on July 20.

"It gave us a good opportunity for networking, and we're further than we were in interfaith dialogue," said Josie Lacey, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (BOD) interfaith chair.

She added that while she was still "sad" the procession had depicted Jesus Christ's final hours and included a scene of him being condemned by the Sanhedrin, the ancient Jewish tribunal, she said the re-enactment on July 18 "wasn't as bad as I expected".

For months leading up to the event, ongoing concerns over the march and its possible negative portrayal of Jews had become a point of contention between the two communities. Talks between the church and the BOD eventually led the church to make some changes to the procession. BOD CEO Vic Alhadeff told The AJN this week that he was satisfied with the outcome and the "sensitive manner" in which the church had handled the re-enactment. "We were especially moved by the reference in the commentary to the Church's rejection of anti-Jewish teachings and by the recollection of the Good Friday prayer of the 1970 Roman Missal in the mention of 'our Jewish brothers and sisters the first to hear the word of God'," he said.

...Courage to Care chairman Andrew Havas said many pilgrims also stopped by the B'nai B'rith centre in East Sydney to see its exhibition based on the Holocaust. "They especially came because we're a Jewish organisation and they wanted to see something Jewish," he said. "They were incredibly supportive."Overall, he said, WYD had helped to build dialogue between the faiths....

...Pilgrims also attended Israeli Harmony Dance Workshops by the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia NSW division and took tours of The Great Synagogue where they learned about the history of the shul and Australia's Jewish community.