The Synagogue Council of America (SCA), representing the congregational and rabbinic branches of Conservative, Orthodox and Reform Judaism, has launched exploratory talks with national Catholic and Protestant bodies for a four faith consultation on terrorism.
Rabbi Henry Michelman, executive vice president of the SCA, announced at the opening of a two-day conference on terrorism here Sunday that the SCA has asked the National Council of Churches and the Catholic Bishops Conference to consider convening a consultation on terrorism with Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Moslem representatives.
He indicated that initial discussions with his Christian counterparts were favorable and that additional conversations will be held during the next few weeks. Michelman said he hopes that a working committee for such a gathering could be convened as early as this summer. “Terrorism is a problem that must concern citizens of all faiths–Jews, Christians and Moslems,” Michelman declared.
Synagogues and churches were urged to assume the leadership in a citizens fight against terrorism by increased tourism to friendly nations, such as Great Britain and Israel, possible trade boycotts, reaching out to the families of the victims, and mounting community-wide educational programs on terrorism.
The terrorism meeting was sponsored by the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists; the Synagogue Council; the Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University; the Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer Foundation; the American Judges Association (New York Section) and the Brandeis Association.
NO SIMPLE SOLUTION
At a luncheon meeting, Martin Barell, of Great Neck, New York, chairman of the SCA Board of Governors, said: “There are no simple solutions to fight terrorists and the nations that support such acts of violence. We are dealing with one of the worst criminal assaults upon mankind in history, one that regrettably affects innocent men, women and children.”
Barell said that synagogue and church organizations of America were in a superb position to launch such an effort since they represent “a moral force of millions that can help in mounting an international outcry. People must show that they are not just the victims of terrorism but can do things to fight back,” he added.
Justice Jerome Hornblass of New York City, the conference chairman, in his keynote remarks said, “We expect to define the awesome problems posed to society today by international terrorists. Jews in particular have learned through too many experiences since the establishment of the State of Israel, that appeasement in the face of violence only begets more violence.”
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