Vatican II anniversary celebrated by bishop and local rabbis

Rabbis Steven Graber, of Temple Hillel in North Woodmere, Jay Rosenbaum of Temple Israel in Lawrence and Shalom Stern of Temple Beth El in Cedarhurst were among the 120 rabbis, seven Catholic cardinals, 25 bishops and 50 priests who the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, which transformed 2,000 years of Catholic-Jewish relations and began constructive dialogue between the two faiths, according to religious leaders. Bishop William Murphy, of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, was in attendance.

Held from May 4-7 at the religious center of the Neocatechumenal Way on the shores of the Galilee in Israel, the four-day conference had 400 attendees, including lay people; a concert, “The Suffering of the Innocents,” composed by Kiko Arguello and performed by The Way; reflection on the history of Catholic-Jewish relations and addressed the current wave of anti-Semitism in Europe and the persecution of Christians in some Africa and Middle East countries.

In a closing address Rabbi Rosenbaum said: “While we who have gathered come from different faiths, we share the same fate, so let us pray that God strengthen and inspire us as we go forward to do the holy work of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world for all humanity.”