From: g87
Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 11:47 AM
No line like David’s for Rabbi and Priest 9 May 2012
Subject: Rabbi Freilich - the denouement
Dear Rabbi Freilich
This will surely be the final email to you.
In earlier emails I ‘’beseeched you’’ to understand what I
had written to you and pasted on my blog.
I wanted to ensure you finally understood that I was not sympathetic to
what you had done. And failed to do. And by extension – continue to do!
Finally methinks you understand: it is all extant on Socialist Dystopia –
where this email will also be posted. It is implied that you finally understand
what you had done et al – by the absence of any response from you.
I expected that this would eventually happen.
My reason for this denouement is to ensure that there is
no chance that either you or Manny Wachs will even dream of contemplating that I
somehow misled you. ANY reading of the above will confirm to the contrary.
Here is the reason for this email: I want to ask you – if you deign to
respond – what did you think you were doing when you gave an interview to a
Christian Journal? See this link!
No line like David’s for Rabbi and Priest 9 May 2012
#################################
Throughout the night, both Fr
Deeter and Rabbi Freilich placed great emphasis on the common ground between
Judaism and Catholicism, a passion shared and studied by both
men.
“Jesus was raised in a synagogue,”
Rabbi Freilich said, referencing the Jewish heritage of Jesus, his family and
disciples.
########
Many of Christ’s teachings are ones
Jews shared, the Rabbi said; “love thy neighbour”, for example, can also be
found in Leviticus in the Old Testament.
The Star of David has no official religious
significance to Judaism, despite the Menora synagogue’s entire ceiling being
dominated by a giant Star of David representation.
“The architect wasn’t Jewish,” beamed the
Rabbi.
################
Rabbi Freilich responded that the realities
of human life came before all else, noting that Jesus had said “Sabbath was made
for man, not man for the Sabbath” [Mark, 2: 27].
He also noted that simply observing the
rules of the Sabbath does not make one a good Jew. “If you’re not a good human,
forget it!” he said.
The Rabbi said synagogues were only
secondarily places of prayer and that their primary role was as places of
learning where Jews are taught culture and law so as to know how to behave
outside Temple.
“The main synagogue is the world,” Rabbi
Freilich said. Synagogues are not quiet places, but instead are full of chatter
and discussion like any classroom.
It’s not uncommon for debates to become
quite spirited. “I certainly wouldn’t say it’s tranquil,” he said.
The Rabbi spoke openly about the role of
some Jews in Jesus’ death, but emphasised that Christ had been killed by
fanatics – corrupted by greed – who had turned the Holy
Temple in Jerusalem into a market.
Many Jews of Christ’s own time had
supported Jesus. Fr Deeter concurred, noting that present day Jews could not
possibly be blamed for something that happened so long ago.
#############
Noting that
Pope John Paul II had called Jews “our dearly beloved older brothers”, Rabbi
Freilich expressed his great affinity with Christianity and Jesus’
teachings. “If I was alive back then, I’d be
a
Christian!” he said. “No,” replied Fr Deeter, “you’d
be dead.”
So I ask you Rabbi – what sort of humbug did you allow yourself to writ
when speaking to a Christian audience?
Are you not ashamed to have contemplated repeating this when you were head
of the RRabbinic Council?
On Shabbat in your own Shul in Perth?
DID YOU THINK IT WOULD NOT CATCH UP WITH YOU?
Shame on you Rabbi F.
Geoff Seidner
- THE WORDS BELOW ARE THE LAST FEW PARAGRAPHS OF THE...
- Relevant letters ex The Australian Magazine June 1...
- Dear Rabbi Freilich June 2 and AJN May 23
- RABBI FREILICH RESIGNS
- No line like David’s for Rabbi and Priest 9 May 20...
- Rabbi misquoted on abuse cover-up AJN 23/5
As in most areas, there are 2 schools of thought as to the appropriateness of rabbis giving these sorts of interviews to Christians. You need to agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteIn due course I will advise as to how /why I disagree with your open - ended stated position about the ''need to agree to disagree.''
DeleteRegards
Geoff Seiner