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Pope Benedict XVI shaking hands with Rabbi Arthur Schneier at the end of his visit at the Park East Synagogue in New York City on Friday. (AP) Last update - 11:06 19/04/2008 Pope Benedict XVI gets warm welcome at New York synagogue By Reuters Tags: Pope Benedict XVI, New York  NEW YORK - A New York synagogue gave Pope Benedict XVI a warm welcome on Friday, with the chief rabbi hailing his work for inter-faith dialogue and congregants playing down recent tensions between Catholics and Jews. "A heartfelt shalom. Willkommen," said Arthur Schneier, chief rabbi of the Park East Synagogue, using the Hebrew word for "peace" and German word for "welcome." The visit on the eve of Passover, the Jewish holiday marking the exodus from Egypt, was only the third by a pope to a Jewish house of worship. Benedict visited one in Cologne, Germany in 2005, and his predecessor Pope John Paul visited the Rome synagogue in 1986. Advertisement "It is with joy that I come here, just a few hours before the celebration of your Pesach, to express my respect and esteem for the Jewish community in New York City," the German-born pontiff said, using the Hebrew word for Passover. "I encourage all of you to continue building bridges of friendship with all the many different ethnic and religious groups present in your neighborhood." Catholic-Jewish relations were strained in February when the Vatican published a new prayer for Good Friday services in the old Latin rite that called for the conversion of the Jews. Benedict partly drafted and approved the wording. Several Jewish leaders criticized the prayer and the Vatican issued a statement that the text "in no way intends to indicate a change in the Catholic Church's regard for the Jews." Schneier, a Holocaust survivor who came to the United States from Budapest in 1947, made no mention of the controversy and instead stressed their common past in wartime Europe. "In our lifetime, we have both experienced the ravages of war, the Holocaust, man's inhumanity to man, and tasted the joy of freedom," he said in the synagogue, a New York City landmark built in 1890. "I thank God that both of us have survived." He added: "Our presence together is a message that inter-religious dialogue is viable and vital to the resolution of conflict. Your message of conciliation has already been heard around the globe." Catholic-Jewish relations had come a long way since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Schneier said, adding: "Your presence here gives us hope and courage for the road we still have to travel together." Members of the modern Orthodox congregation played down the recent exchange over the Good Friday prayer. "He wants this trip to make a point and that point is that the religions should be talking and communicating and not isolating one from the other," said Harvey Feuerstein, 70, a Manhattan lawyer on the synagogue's board or trustees. Barry Zimmerman, 70, a retired Manhattan chemist, shrugged off the recent disagreements with the remark: "Popes have made worse comments in the past." Ken Lipper, a Manhattan real estate executive, said after the short ceremony: "He said that he was here to pay his respects to all of the Jews ... I was very impressed." In the synagogue, two youths gave Benedict unleavened matzo bread and a copy of the Passover Haggadah text. The pope told them he would eat the matzo on Saturday, according to the Jewish ritual. Related articles: Vatican rejects criticism of new prayer for Jewish conversion Al-Qaida No. 2 urges Pope, Christians to convert to Islam Pope receives rare handwritten edition of Bible in private ceremony Pope, Orthodox leader to work for Middle East peace Bookmark to del.icio.us   Passover in Damascus Syria's 100 remaining Jews say they feel free to celebrate Passover openly. Shanghai surprise A Jewish couple in Shanghai weds inside a synagogue for the first time since WWII.   1.   Good 06:19  |  Yosemite 19/04/08   2.   As a Jewish Catholic I am 100% delighted. Bravo, 09:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/04/08   3.   As a Jewish Catholic I am 100% delighted. Bravo, 09:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/04/08   4.   Settlers of Hebron, " we killed Jesus and proud of it" 12:43  |  El-Birawi 19/04/08   5.   is this reform or orthodox??? 13:09  |  Rob of melbourne 19/04/08   6.   Decent People, And Still An Insult to Intelligence 14:45  |  HH Enlightenment 19/04/08   7.   El-Birawi 14:48  |  Yosemite 19/04/08   8.   yosemite 7 16:01  |  potobac 19/04/08   9.   I didn`t expect The Holy Inquisition 16:13  |  Someone 19/04/08   10.   Good News. Siblings in Faith. 16:36  |  Solon 19/04/08   11.   Praise God!!! By all means allow the Catholics to exceed their 16:37  |  fragmented 19/04/08   12.   #4 Reform Jews are NOT responsible for killing our Christ! 17:10  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/04/08   13.   jesus 17:16  |  mark 19/04/08   14.   The "problem" is mark... Too many have yet to acknowledge their 18:46  |  Virginia 19/04/08   15.   So, if you are prone to finger pointing, best to stand in the 18:53  |  mirror, the mirror 19/04/08   16.   Don`t be fooled by a Pope,a German who was 18:57  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 19/04/08   17.   Send this Idol Worshipper on His Way 19:42  |  Avraham 19/04/08   18.   Best Pope since Urban ll. 19:45  |  Avram 19/04/08   19.   the survival of the two... 19:57  |  Eva 19/04/08   20.   To #2 20:11  |  Frank 19/04/08   21.   #16 Max Zinger - what a cheap shot! 20:18  |  Andreas 19/04/08   22.   Revival 20:27  |  Mark 19/04/08   23.   Refuses to eliminate prayer to convert Jews 20:49  |  Albert 19/04/08   24.   devil making deal with other devil 22:33  |  poop benedick 19/04/08   25.   albert of geneva 22:54  |  potobac 19/04/08   26.   No chief rabbis in USA 22:54  |  David 19/04/08   27.   #2 Not a Jew? I was converted by Rabbi Moishe Rosen himself! 23:09  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/04/08   28.   Messiah is not worshipped because He was a man. 23:43  |  Luke 4:16-21 19/04/08   29.   It makes perfect sense. 23:48  |  Awake 19/04/08   30.   hate to be a killjoy 00:59  |  hollingsworth 20/04/08   31.   # 26 Yaakov Sullivan - Rabbi Moishe Rosen - Satmar? 01:07  |  17 20/04/08   32.   Jesus is a Zionist 01:43  |  AV 20/04/08   33.   # 16 max 03:22  |  Axel 20/04/08   34.   Av, I always thought, still do, that "sheep not of this fold" 03:24  |  refers to 20/04/08   35.   the "Rabbi" and the "Father", what a union.Maybe together they`ll 03:44  |  surrender 20/04/08   36.   A beautiful picture :) 03:46  |  Elinor from Iran 20/04/08   37.   "Positive energy" indeed. It makes me happy too Elinor :) 04:18  |  Especially that 20/04/08   38.   Name one thing, fragmented 05:32  |  hollingsworth 20/04/08   39.   Jesus would Condemn Israel 05:50  |  dan 20/04/08   40.   Hollingsworth 06:15  |  sweis Melbourne 20/04/08   41.   Especially that :) 06:32  |  Elinor Bat Noach 20/04/08   42.   "This fold" specifies Jewish Kingdom, whose capital is Jerusalem 08:47  |  AV 20/04/08   43.   "Lifted up from the earth" 09:12  |  AV 20/04/08   44.   Jesuss criticizes the same way Rabbis do 09:27  |  AV 20/04/08   45.   Paul "contradict" Jesus? Peter thought so too. 11:21  |  And then... 20/04/08   46.   Sullivan 16:14  |  MR 20/04/08   47.   I have learned a great deal Hollingsworth. Thing is, you don`t 16:42  |  frag..akaVirginia 20/04/08   48.   # 33 Axel, I as an IAF Oofficer never hesitated 17:16  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 20/04/08   49.   Zinger 18:11  |  IMST 20/04/08   50.   For me, any stretched hand is to be shaken and reciprocal. 01:04  |  hollingsworth 21/04/08   51.   History that eluded me 01:18  |  hollingsworth 21/04/08

Read & React Editorial: Israel can't demolish all of Gaza Responses: 345 IDF troops do nothing as Hebron settlers threaten German MPs Responses: 327 Carter meets Hamas leader, sets out plans for Israel-Hamas truce Responses: 303 Barak: Hamas will pay for attack on Gaza crossing Responses: 445 Rosner's Domain The Passover test and The Passion of Passover Just say no to Carter Poll: What is Carter doing in the Middle East? Let the debate begin: what's a "pro-Israeli" position? Clinton: Massive retaliation if Israel attacked (WTR) More Headlines 02:35 Assad confirms trading messages with Israel 21:01 At least 6 Gaza militants killed in IAF airstrikes 21:39 Report: Hamas rejects Egyptian plan for truce with Israel 00:13 IDF launches formal probe into Gaza killing of Reuters cameraman 01:50 Obama slams Bush, former pres. Clinton's mideast diplomacy 01:42 Abbas says will discuss peace agreement with Bush Tuesday 19:33 Jordan's Abdullah to Carter: Israel must lift blockade of Gaza 23:37 Armenian, Greek worshippers come to blows at Jesus' tomb 23:18 Syrian Jews celebrate Passover at only synagogue in Damascus 17:00 Barak: Hamas will pay for attack on Gaza border crossing Previous Editions Select Day 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr 07 apr

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