Landmark address by UK Chief Rabbi to Anglican Bishops

Here in blisteringly hot Israel comes this assessment of the UK Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks', historic address to Church of England Bishops currently meeting during the Lambeth Conference. It's by their excellent reporter, George Conger.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215331172840&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Another excellent reporter, Ruth Gledhill of The London Times, blogged on this event here:

http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2008/07/lambeth-diary-9.html

Quite a change from two and a half years ago when the Church of England Synod voted to divest from Caterpillar bulldozers used in Israel (but not in the Palestinian territories!). The decision to divest was based on this report:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article527244.ece.

Here is some of the fall-out from that very unfortunate decision:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/the-former-head.html

It's also good that, during his address to the Lambeth Conference, the Chief Rabbi reminded the assembled Bishops that the Crusades had represented a devastating period in European Jewish history. Entire communities were decimated by Christians from England, for instance, who were forcibly funded by the Jewish community!.

http://ddickerson.igc.org/cliffords-tower.html

This is worth a mention, as an apology has recently been extended by Archbishop Rowan Williams to the Muslim community on account of the Crusades.

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2008/07/archbishop-christian-doctrine-is.html

But the total annihilation of Jewish communities has been commemorated in our liturgy, as noted here by the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4938202.stm

Here is some more information on the impact of the Crusades on the Jewish communities of Europe:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1096jews-mainz.html

A great deal of work has been done in the last two years to mend fences between the Church of England and the Jewish communities world wide (not least in Israel). Particularly worthy of note was the recent establishment of the Anglican-Jewish Commission, which I reported on here:

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=43222

The Gafcon Conference held recently in Jerusalem must also have had some effect on hearts and minds:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/the-gafcon-conference-next-year-in-jerusalem.html

All this goes to show that where's there's a will there's a way. 

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/daily_life/GemilutHasadim/TO_TikkunOlam.htm