Dear all,
I’d like to start off by asking you one final time to register as a voter for the elections of the World Zionist Congress. It is the single most direct way that we as British Jews can vote for Masorti values in Israel: equality for women, LGBT+, and a just peace for the region. Registration closes soon – follow this link to register. You’ll need a credit card to pay £1 and an ID document.
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The religious leader to whom I looked this past week was the newly installed Pope XIV. He used his first speech to call for tolerance and peace in Ukraine, and is viewed as an ally to those advocating for for women and minorities’ rights. After the death of Pope Francis, known as a liberal, I had feared a pivot towards less tolerance – such as the candidate unfriendly to refugees, Romani people, and same-sex couples. The fact that the 133 cardinals of the Catholic Church, not a group especially known for its forward-thinking attitudes, chose a progressive candidate gives me optimism: populist and intolerant ideologies need not be the future of our leadership.
In this week’s Torah portion, Emor, God issues rules about the priests that will serve in the Temple: they may not approach dead bodies; there are restrictions on whom they marry; they may not shave their heads. But the role played by priests, or Kohanim, was created for the Temple in Jerusalem; since its destruction in 70 CE, their role has effectively been symbolic. In Judaism, we do not elevate people’s holiness: we are all in the image of God, and we are all part of the Jewish people, in relationship with God. There are not even any jobs that may only be carried out by a rabbi.
Catholicism is different. The Pope is seen as the chief intermediary between the Church and God, his teachings infallible; there is a spiritual hierarchy that Jews have not had since Temple times. I am exceedingly grateful for what is, by contrast, Jews’ spiritual equality: we all the same opportunities to bring the divine into our lives.
Yet religions work on different idioms, and I am relieved and happy about the new Pope, the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics. Religions must work together, and I pray that his values will help Jews and Catholics to strive jointly for a better world.
Shabbat shalom!
Shabbat shalom.
Tim