pypcinski
07.04.05, 05:32
USA
The best way to thank and honor this friend of the Jews would be to make reconciliation a two-way street instead of always a one-way street. Instead of contending that the Christian Bible is a pack of lies, admit that the Temple leadership and the Pharisees just might have persecuted Jesus and the early Christians, and apologize for it. Would that be so hard to do?
Arik Silverman, Milwaukee, United States of America
www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ArticleNews.jhtml?itemNo=560348&contrassID=13&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0
PL
Letters to the Editor
John Paul II and the Jews
Regarding "Reconciling Christians and Jews" by David Rosen, April 3
I was really touched after reading Rabbi David Rosen's text on the late Pope John Paul II in Haaretz. Being myself Christian and a Pole - the pope's compatriot - I mourn him now as a great man and great leader. I do understand that Jews may and do regard him in a different way (I was sorry when reading Meron Rapoport's text on the pope, "The `elder brothers' reminisce").
However, it is great to see that the gestures of John Paul II were noticed and understood among the Jews as sincere attempts of reconciliation, friendship and apology for the Christians' sins of the past.
I do not agree with one of the commentators who perceived the pope's gestures as purely "politically correct" ones. Quite the opposite, I think. He was all but politically correct. If he demonstrated friendship toward the Jews - which he did, for sure - it was sincere. This is how we Christians understood him. His consistent approach toward the Jews is a great lesson for us. And it is easier to learn this lesson when we see also this kind of understanding from the Jewish side.
I do accept that some Jews don't want to recognize his steps as important and choose to remain suspicious. I just wanted to make a point that if Christian-Jewish relationships are to improve, we have to work on that on both sides.
Marcin Kozlowski
Krakow, Poland
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/562010.html