The Good, the Bad and the Children

Arlene Fishbind’s sixth-grade class at the Hebrew Academy of Miami got a crash-course in the Vatican and Pope John Paul II’s upcoming visit to the United States beginning here Thursday when they visited the exhibit of Judaica from the Vatican Library Tuesday at the Miami Fine Arts Center.

The exhibit coincides with the Papal visit to Miami Thursday and Friday and is located at the site of the Pope’s meeting with 196 Jewish officials on Friday morning. The Pope is scheduled to tour and bless the exhibit Friday morning just before his meeting with the Jewish officials.

The exhibit — shown for the first time outside of Vatican City — contains 57 of the Vatican Library’s 800 Judaic manuscripts. Hebrew translations of four gospels, of Pope Clement XI’s sermons and of Aristotle are included in the collection on display.

A tour guide walked Fishbind’s class through the exhibit answering an endless stream of students’ questions on the Vatican and the Pope. One young boy with a kippa on his head asked “Who is John Paul?” and before the guide could answer another blurted out “Can I go to the library at the Vatican?” but was disappointed to hear it was closed to visitors.

Another classmate informed the group that the Pope’s “gonna come to the Orange Bowl (Miami’s football stadium).” But the Pope will not be at the Orange Bowl, which the boy probably confused with Tamiami Park, a fairgrounds where the Pope will conduct a giant mass Friday.

The discussion then turned to security and one of the children pointed out that President Reagan will come to meet the Pope in Miami. “Is Reagan Jewish?” another asked. The class moved on to the next glass-enclosed manuscript and the questions continued.

When the tour concluded, Fishbind’s class had a few minutes while they waited for the bus to arrive to discuss what they learned about the Vatican and the Pope at the exhibit. Several said they have learned more from the nightly television reports which one complained devote “15 minutes of the half-hour” broadcast to the papal visit.

“I learned that he’s the first non-Italian Pope in 435 years,” said Chaim Hyman, 10, who, according to his classmates, can recite from memory the names of every U.S. President in order, including their middle initials.

Sherry Solomon claimed “This Pope is good to Jews because he is meeting with Jewish leaders here.” But Hyman countered, saying, “The meeting is unimportant because they just want to know why he met with the German guy who helped kill some Jews (referring to Austrian President Kurt Waldheim).”

On the Pope’s side, one boy defended John Paul II saying he is a kind person. Jeremy Wachtel, 10, said the Pope “is trying to make better friends between the two religions.” He added that the Pope will wear a bullet-proof vest, sharing another pearl of wisdom from the tour. This could not be verified.

Pamela Schnarch said some people in the class were upset over the exhibit because they felt “some people used the Pope’s stuff translated to Hebrew and mixed up our religions.” She referred to one manuscript entitled “Homiliae,” a collection of major sermons by Pope Clement XI from the 18th century translated to Hebrew and Latin.

Among some of the other Vatican nuggets Fishbind’s class walked away with were these facts: the Pope doesn’t like women to be heads of churches; some of the color illustrations in the manuscripts were made from crushed stones and gems; some of the books were gifts from Jewish people; and until this exhibit, only scholars saw the books.

Some of the children said they felt left out of all the hoopla over the Pope’s visit and that they thought the country wouldn’t do the same for the visit of a major “rebbe.” Erica Fishman said “Reagan wouldn’t come to greet our rebbe.” Most agreed that the Pope was receiving too much attention in the news and community.

“All he’s trying to do is make peace between Jews and Christians,” one girl shouted to the Pope’s critics.

Indeed, one of the stated objectives of the exhibit is to demonstrate the consistent relations and contacts between Jews and Christians throughout history and to promote greater understanding between the two faiths.

The manuscripts on display date back to the eighth century up to the eighteenth century. The Vatican established the Library in 1453 during the Renaissance when Hebrew, like Greek and Latin, was considered essential for the educated man.

The exhibit features Latin translations of Kabbala, a Hebrew translation of Aristotle’s “De Rhetorica” from the 14th century, biblical commentaries, illustrated Bibles, prayerbooks and even a “riddle book” or collection of quips which the Italian Jewish community coined during yeshiva classes.

An unusual Hebrew translation of four gospels is displayed with the explanation that before the Renaissance, the gospels were translated to Hebrew and studied in order to counter missionary attempts to convert Jews. The gospels recount a version of Jesus’ death, which has been discounted by historians, that depicts the Jews lobbying for the death of Jesus.

The translation to Hebrew “shows a combination of scorn and respect for the text and its teachings,” the exhibit notes. Also on display are biblical commentaries by the Church Fathers and Christian Hebraists.

A 15th century copy of Maimonides’ Mishna Torah is included in the exhibit along with a Mahzor or prayer book in Hebrew for Yom Kippur. Several rare manuscripts featured include a massive compilation in a single volume of the Bible, Massorah, Magna and Pavra (written in the shapes of birds, animals and geometric pattern) Prophets, Writings, the Book of Esther and-Rashi’s commentary on Pentateuch, completed in 1294.

The only known Kabbalist to write in Arabic, Joseph ben Abraham ibn Wakar, is displayed in a book of exposition on Kabbala. The only known copy in existence of “Arugat ha-Bosem (Garden of Spice)” by Abraham ben Azriel, only recently recognized as a significant Hebrew work, has been included in the exhibit. Azriel was a 13th century scholar and commentator of the prayer book, post-biblical and medieval Hebrew poetry.

The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, in cooperation with the Vatican, mounted the exhibit of Judaica from the Vatican Library.