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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1989
-
Continued from preceding page
ingful in its implications
than the utterances of Car-
dinal. Glemp.
On the evening of Tisha
B'Av, which is for us a day
of commemoration and
faith, Pope John Paul II, in a
homily, spoke of the people
of Israel and reproached
them for having chosen in-
fidelity toward God. Not
less and much more. God,
according to the pope, would
have broken his covenant
with the Jewish people be-
cause they had sinned. This
is why he sent prophets to
convert them. And so God
would have concluded a new
covenant with the Christi-
ans. In other words: Let the
Jews convert and they will
please God and the pope.
How dos we repress or even
hide our indignation? The
prophets said terrible things
about us. True, but it was to
make us more Jewish, not
less Jewish. The God of Is-
rael sometimes has prob-
lems with the people of Isra-
el? In fact, that happens,
but when it does, it's our
business, we don't - allow
anyone to interfere in our
dealings with God.
In truth, it seems to me
that it is the pope Who has
problems with us, just as we
have problems with him. He
doesn't know us, he doesn't
understand us. Sometimes
he gives the impression of
wanting to provoke us. Ex-
amples? Waldheim's visits,
the mass at Auschwitz, the
omission of the word "Jew"
at Mauthausen, the non-
recognition of Israel, the
meeting with Arafat. But,
then, you will ask me, why
does he receive so many
Jewish delegations? And
why did he go to the syna-
gogue in Rome?
I am unable to read the
thoughts of someone else. I
cannot unravel those of the
pope. But I can measure the
consequences. If nothing is
undertaken to dissipate the
malaise, if nothing is done to
correct the fault and reas-
sure the Jews, the separa-
tion between the Jewish
people and Catholicism will
once again become an abyss.
And this abyss will be a
danger for the whole world.
But things have suddenly
improved. After a long si-
lence, the Vatican has finally
issued a statement favoring
the relocation of the con-
vent. Will it happen soon?
Let us hope so. At least, the
next Vatican statement
must include a timetable.
Even this beginning is en-
couraging and hopeful. It
seems possible for Jews and
their Catholic friends to
build on it once more.
That I say this for the day
of Rosh Hashanah is not at
all incomprehensible. Al-
I
though essentially and total-
ly a Jewish holiday, Rosh
Hashanah is more universal
than many others. On that
day we crown God as our
sovereign. Only ours? The
God of Israel "our Father
and our King," we share
Him with all the peoples of
creation. On that day, God
judges all the nations and
seals the fate of all beings.
On that day, God and we
think not only of Jews but of
all humanity. But it is as
Jews that we think about it.
To be Jewish, then, means to
stay faithful to the tradi-
tion, to the teaching and to
the memory of our people.
The secret of the Jew is in
his memory and in his faith-
fulness.
All
4.1
❑
This article was translated
from the French by Anne
Stiller. Elie Wiesel, 1986
Nobel Peace Laureate, is Un-
iversity Professor at Boston
University. This article was
made possible by a grant
from The Fund for Journal-
ism on Jewish Life, a project INNI
of The CRB Foundation of
Montreal, Canada. Any
views expressed are solely
those of the author.
I NEWS I
Seiden Gives
Himself Up
Atlanta (JTA) — Saying he
was "tired of running and
scamming," 27-year-old
Daniel Marc Seiden, a con-
victed Jewish con artist who
preys on other Jews, volun-
tarily turned himself in Sept.
1 to police in Baton Rouge,
La.
The admitted heroin addict
now faces extradition to his
hometown of Denver on fraud
and theft convictions and ex-
cape charges.
Several other jurisdictions
are expected to prosecute the
fugitive in connection with
similar scams dating back to
1985, which bilked thousands
of dollars from charitable
Jewish community leaders.
1
46
1
4
ORT Convention
In Washington
New York — Women's
American ORT's 30th bien-
nial national convention will
take place Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at
the Grand Hyatt Hotel in
Washington, D.C. Over 1,200
delegates are expected to at-
tend. The theme of the con-
vention is "Education and 4
Democracy: An Agenda for
the 90s."
The opening banquet will
be addressed by Senator
Nancy Landon Kassebaum
(R-Kan.) and Israeli Am-
bassador Moshe Arad.