Staff Notebook
Christian Reconciliation Spotlighted
When asked to speak at a first-time
HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance
international conference on Christian
Day, shortly before the sounding of a
reconciliation in Israel, David Blewett
siren of commemoration.
expected to address an audience of
"I had just begun to read a list of 13
100 in a large conference room.
Christian sins," he says. "I included
"But there were close to 1,000 peo-
pogroms, expulsions, ending with the
ple from 26 different countries at
silence during World War II that was
Kibbutz Ramat Rachel on
actually complicity. At that
the edge of Jerusalem,"
point, the siren went off
says Blewett, executive
for two minutes. It could-
director of the Ecumenical
n't have been more sober-
Institute for Jewish-
ing."
Christian Studies in
Bishops from various
Southfield.
countries including South
The April 16-20 event
Africa, Germany and
was sponsored by the
Norway offered services of
Evangelical Sisterhood of
repentance and two
Mary, a Lutheran congre-
Holocaust survivors spoke
gation in Germany, found-
of their experiences.
ed during World War II
In addition to optimism
to call attention to
found
at the conference,
David Blewett
Christian failings in rela-
Blewett also found it in
tion to Jews, specifically
the air. Comparing this
Jews in the Nazi world," Blewett says.
trip to Israel with one he took earlier
"The conference was held to start the
this year as a solidarity mission leader,
new millennium clean with an inter-
he says, "The joy is back. In January,
national call for repentance."
it was very depressing — there was a
Blewett's keynote words to the
gray tone and heads were down. This
group of pastors, government repre-
time, there were tour groups moving
sentatives and lay participants were
around, people on Ben Yehuda Street
simultaneously translated into four
(closed shopping area in Jerusalem)
languages. "My lecture focused on
and even in the Old City. It's not over-
what the church has done to Israel and
whelming, but there is a sense that
the Jewish people, and what the
things have changed."
church has to do now."
— Shelli Liebman Dorfman
Blewett's talk took place on Yom
"
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Pakistan, Nepal and Turkey.
Hand made and modern.
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Fri 10-6 pm
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Chaldeans, Jews Come Together
A Detroit Institute of Arts display on
Board members of the Chaldean
the ancient town of Ur brought
Federation joined those of the
together 50 leaders from the Chaldean
Bloomfield Township-based Jewish
and Jewish communities for an April
Community Council of Metropolitan
24 tour of the exhibit that
Detroit for the tour, which
explores their common
was a first-time formal con-
ancestry.
nection.
"The Chaldean people
The two groups have reg-
are descendants of the
ular connections through
ancient civilization of
political and civic organiza-
Mesopotamia, including
tions, including the
the town of Ur," says Sam
American Arab and Jewish
Yono, immediate past
Friends, says Saad Marouf,
chairman of the Chaldean
current chairman of the
Federation of America in
Chaldean Federation. This
Southfield. "The Jews
informal relationship
trace their ancestry to
evolved into a plan for the
Abraham who also came
joint tour of the exhibit.
Rabbi Marla Feldman
from Ur and brought to
"This came from a mum-
the ancient Israelites the
al idea of the two groups,"
cultural heritage of ancient Iraq. Four-
says Rabbi Marla Feldman, assistant
thousand years ago our ancestors were
director of the JCCouncil, who organ-
neighbors just as we are today."
ized the event with Chaldean Federation
'' .........
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