The Vatican is saying that it intended no offense to Jews when the Vatican Post Office issued a stamp that depicts Jews wearing the pointed hats of the medieval ghetto.
“I can assure you that no lack of respect was intended in the choice of the stamp in question,” a Vatican spokesman said.
“It is part of a series of miniatures from the 13th century,” he said.
“In one of them, the artist showed Jesus speaking to a group of people and portrayed listeners wearing headgear that identified them as Jews.”
The Paris office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center last Friday asked the Vatican to withdraw the 2,500 lire, or $1.50, stamp, which it said encouraged anti- Semitic prejudice and violated the standards of the Universal Postal Union.
A letter from the Wiesenthal Center to the Vatican Commission on Judaism said the headgear was “discriminatory and the direct precursor to the Nazi yellow star” which Jews were made to wear during World War II.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
