Benedict to Visit NY Synagogue on Passover Eve, the Day on which the Talmud Claims Jesus was Executed by the Pharisees

Adding to the terrible omen of this visit is the fact that Passover Eve falls on a Friday (Parasceve) this year, as is the day of the crucifixion in St. John's Gospel. Believe me when I tell you, the symbolism of this act of unspeakable treachery will not be missed by the Orthodox rabbis of the world, regardless of the poses they may strike for the public.

"On Passover Eve they hanged Jesus of Nazareth ..." (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a, Steinsaltz edition, Vol XVII, Part III)

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For the sake of His Passion

Pope to Visit New York Synagogue

RACHEL ZOLL - Associated Press

April 3, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) — During his first papal trip to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI will visit a synagogue led by ... Rabbi Arthur Schneier ...

"By this personal and informal visit, which is not part of his official program, His Holiness wishes to express his good will toward the local Jewish community as they prepare for Passover," said Monsignor David Malloy, general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Passover begins at sundown on April 19.

Separately, the pope has scheduled a meeting with Jewish leaders and representatives of other faiths for April 17 in Washington.

Park East Synagogue is a modern Orthodox congregation that was founded in 1888 and is located near the United Nations. Benedict will address the U.N. the morning of April 18.

Schneier, 78, has led the synagogue since 1962, while promoting religious freedom and tolerance worldwide. He founded the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, which promotes interfaith tolerance, and received the 2001 U.S. Presidential Citizens Medal for service to the nation.

The pope has been reaching out to Jews, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who became the first pope to set foot in a synagogue in 1986, when he visited Rome's main synagogue.

Some tensions arose recently over a Good Friday prayer Benedict revived from the old Latin rite that had historically been used as an excuse for violence and discrimination against Jews. Benedict revised the prayer to address Jewish fears, but some Jewish leaders worried that the changes did not go far enough ...

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http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jjyJ2K9aibbI4u_1R44aelKjUCJwD8VQG1H00