The rabbi and the pope

Bob Cohn’s “Cohnipedia” column (March 20) about the visit of the late Pope John Paul II to St. Louis also brought to mind many special memories.  Foremost among mine, also, was the role of the late Rabbi Robert Jacobs. As part of the interfaith community invited, it was an exciting and memorable moment in my career at the American Jewish Committee.

ADVERTISEMENT

As if it were yesterday, I can see Rabbi Jacobs in his kippah and tallit, walking so proud and straight up to the lectern. In his clear, strong, deep baritone voice, Rabbi Jacobs announced that he would read a passage from the Book of Isaiah “in the original language, Hebrew.” While there were only five or six Jews seated among the dignitaries in the interfaith community, I know that those words left us with a lump in our throat and filled us with such tremendous pride. 

Father Vincent Heier, the former Ecumenical Officer for the Archdiocese, said Rabbi Jacobs was the first Jew to speak during a service at the basilica and this was the first time Hebrew was read from the lectern of that august building. It was an historic moment, and Rabbi Jacobs was certainly aware of the significance of his role. 

Adding to the auspiciousness of the event was the interfaith dinner later in the evening where over 60 persons from various religious faiths met to break bread together and engage in collegial comraderie, prayer and discussion. I don’t think we will forget that moment in the basilica or the interfaith gathering.  We didn’t have a pope, but we had “our” Rabbi Robert Jacobs. 

Rosalyn Borg, University City

Blame is misplaced

In Michael Berg’s March 13 letter, he blames the Jewish State for undermining the possibility of a two-state solution and he promotes boycotts, divestment and  sanctions (BDS) as a way, as he puts it, “to pressure the State of Israel to stop building colonies.” 

To bolster and add credence to his argument, he urges the city of St. Louis to end its relationship with Veolia Environmental Services, which has done work for the Israeli government in the West Bank.

If Mr. Berg was paying any kind of attention, he would know that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached out numerous times in the past four years, including a 10-month settlement freeze of all new construction in the West Bank, instituted in the fall of 2009, in an effort to restart the stalled peace talks. Has his bargaining in good faith been successful? The answer has been an undeniable and unequivocal ‘no.’

The overall consensus is that, if and when a Palestinian state becomes a reality, it will incorporate both the West Bank and Gaza. Right now that remains an absolute impossibility, as the terrorist organization Hamas, which controls Gaza, has stated categorically that it will not negotiate with Israel, has repeatedly called for the destruction of the Jewish State and does not recognize its right to exist.

The real obstacle to peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in the intransigence of PLO President Mahmoud Abbas and his partner, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, to come to the negotiating table. 

Suffice it to say, the ball is in their court. 

Gene Carton, Olivette