BWg»»W^.'fi::»^--smi»WggBfiiria.^^..B'ffi-,;f; r-JK-g' !'.';i.ir-rji-gri-i-;<'-,-irg«'i»'T^:s:^:fHS5»i«a^ -. Volume XXVII No. 4 April, 1972 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCUim OF XWBH RCFIKCB IN GREAT BRITAHI Erwin Rosenthal (Cambridge) tachment to the land as a postulate of the religion of Israel. He breaks new ground when he explains the estrangement of Christianity from the land of Israel as the A CHRISTIAN-JEWISH DIALOGUE consequence of the refusal of the early Christians to defend it in the national crises of 66-70 and 132-5. Where Paul saw the "end Christian-Jewish co-operation has been the their place as an encounter of equals. That of the Law" in Jesus, the Christ, Matthew concern of German Catholics and Protestants the initiative should be taken by Christians is and Luke speak of the "end of Israel" as a *^r many years and has found eloquent ex­ natural and proper, as is a certain reluctance punishment for the rejection of Jesus. This pression in a surprisingly large number of on the part of the Jews who actively co-oper­ changed the Christian understanding of the Publications, conferences and study weeks, ate only in sma'l numbers. "Old" Testament; the concrete relationship of ^he impact of Auschwitz and the inadequate The equality and permanent value of the Jew to the land (of the covenant and *^claration by the Second Vatican Council on Judaism are stressed throughout. It finds for­ the prophetic messianic promise) underwent 'he Jews only account to some extent for the ceful expression in Dr. Strolz's important in­ in the Christian a spiritualisation which serious attempt by responsible Christians at troduction which sets the tone for a penetrat­ .''taking good" through seeking a better, ob- resulted in a theological antisemitism. For ing analysis of the debt which Jesus and Marquardt Israel belongs to the land, for, l^ctive and just understanding of Jews and Christianity owe to Judaism, specially to ;^<laisim. For, it is not simply a question of "God's ownership (of the land) drove Baal, Biblical Judaism, by F. W. Marquardt, J. but never Israel out of the land". Equally jnoral "restitution"; it is their realisation Blank, Gabriele Dietrich and W. P. Eckert. fj^at the Christian faith must today recognise fruitful and new is his reading of the New Another significant feature of the book is the Testament as showing a positive relationship IJs roots in Judaism, acknowledge its debt to lively interest shown in modern interpreters Its to the "land-theology": he sees in Jesus "the Source and draw the necessary conclusions of Judaism like Hermann Cohen, Franz son of God and a true Jew in one". In him "Om the fact that Jesus was born a Jew and Rosenzwedg, Leo Baeck and especially Martin the unique relationship between God and the *as at home in the Judaism of his time even Buber. Jews has been made manifest before all the '^ough as the Christ (Messiah) of the Chris­ Common Heritage world, yet the promise of the land to the tian dogma—based on the Gospels, Paul and Jews sitands. Emunah as God's fidelity and }^^ Church Fathers—he went beyond Dr. Strolz demands a special declaration on Israel's loyalty must be realised in the State ''udaism. These Christian contemporaries the Jews whom the Vatican Council only of Israel not only religiously, but also strive to bridge the gulf that separated mentioned after Buddhism and Islam and politically. "-hristians far too long from the Jewish regrets that its declaration ignores the rel­ People whose election through divine revela­ igious experience, based on the Bible common After Auschwitz tion must in their view be acknowledged as to Jews and Christians, and does not recognise The Protestant Marquardt is followed by still valid today. This spiritual need also Jewish self-understanding from its own the Catholic Joseph Blank in "Das Mysterium reflects the shame felt over the roots of anti­ history of faith nor explicitly admits Chris­ Israel" who "attempts ... to comprehend the semitism in Christian theology and con­ tian antisemitism. He insists on the " insoluble massacre of the Jews during the Nazi time as sequently over the persecution of the Jews links" between Christian teaching and the a call to a searching new rethinking". Israel *id the misunderstanding of Judaism. Jewish heritage and on account being taken is and remains a reality to which Christ of contemporary Judaism in Israel and in the A Breakthrough brought the Christians near so that "the Diaspora. The Christian must realise that cause of Israel ... is our own cause". He A recent publication* represents a real "the gifts and calling of God" (Romans 11, asks: "Where have we to search for 'the face breakthrough in that Catholic and Protestant 29) still apply to post-Biblical Judaism down of God after Auschwitz' "(deliberately choosing theologians frankly admit Christian guilt and to Auschwitz and the establishment of the Dr. Maybaum's book-title in appreciation of ^eriously endeavour to get to know and un­ State of Israel. He and the contributors "are the questions therein asked)? "Is it the face derstand the independent continuing value of linked in the conviction that the Christians which is revealed unto us in the crucified "i^daism as such in the conviction that as descendants of Abraham (Romans 11, 1) Jesus of Nazareth? Or is it the shapeless face "''idaism is relevant to their own faith today must rediscover the Jewish power of hope if of the uncounted nameless of whom Nelly their faith is to radiate a living historical Sachs speaks?" Although what separates ^^i tomorrow. The Hebraisation of con­ awareness" (p. 12). temporary Christianity has become a burning Oiristian from Jew is still the question of issue. This explains their interest in con­ The first contribution by the present the Messiah, he deems it imperative to talk temporary Judaism and their desire for a reviewer "Vom geschichtlichen Fortleben des to each other, to talk better with one feal encounter and meeting of minds. It also Judentums" starts from the Biblical founda­ another. The question "why did the majority accounts for the topical, practical nature of tion on which the historical continuity and of Jews reject the Messiahship of Jesus"? is The Jewish Power of Hope and Christian for him an open question, a secret which he survival of Judaism and the Jews rest and links with three main concepts of the Bible: *.aith" which pervades the book. The Chris- which furnishes in Messianism the hope of the election of Israel, the covenant, and the ~an contributors write as committed redemption buttressed by the longing for divine kingship of God. believers with commendable, rare scholarly Zion. The close link between Torah, people °ojectivity and integrity enabling them to and land of Israel has always been solace, in­ He "can find nothing in Jesus himself that achieve new insights which they want to see spired hope and has given the Jew the power contradicts in principle Jewish thinking", yet ^PPMed not only in the Christian-Jewish to wait and work for the messianic fulfilment acknowledges that his "but I say unto you" uialogue, but also in the thought and ex­ of the kingdom of God for all mankind on shows a break with Jewish tradition. From perience of a truly Christian faith in our this earth. the persecution of the Jews throughout "iiie. Gone is the time—at least for them and Marquardt's "Gottes Bundestreue und die history, including the Nazi crimes, he con­ those who think like them—when Judaism biblischen Landverheissungen" not only cludes that the Christians were far from a *as considered dead wood supplanted by a shows deep sympathy and understanding for society which could be considered the king­ ^uperior Christianity, when disputations were the connection between covenant and land, dom of God on earth. The Jews wait for forced upon a harassed, persecuted Jewry by but in a positive evaluation of redemption, for them the world is not yet '"e Church triumphant. Today, dialogue takes Buber — interestingly complementing perfect; they "lay bare the sore spots of this u,* JQditchs Hoffnungskraft und ehrlstllchar GlautM. Bd. Rosenthal—stresses the historical con­ aeon" and, therefore, cause disquiet among /atter Strolz. Herder-Freiburg. Barcelona. LofxJon, 1971, '^"- 279. Katorvieit DM30. sciousness of the Jewish people through at­ Continiied on page 2, column 1 and Page 2 AJR INFORMATION April, 1972 A CHRISTIAN-JEWISH DIALOGUE GERMANY AND AUSTRIA LUFTHANSA miACKING Continued from page 1 Emuna Horizonte. A historical survey of the Jewish-Christian "dialogue" brings out well A spokesman of the "Organisa,tion of Vic­ the Christians. He says: "The Jewish criti­ the very gradual change in the Christian at­ tims of Zionist Occupation", the group respon­ cism of the existing world receives its sible for the hijacking of a Lufthansa jumbo titude to Judaism. For him the many misim- jet to Aden recently, in an interview with a strength from the gentle messianic hope derstandings which he fully discusses—among which secretly moves them". West German daily newspaper threatened that them the controversy between Max Arab terrorisits are planning to hijack more Dienemann and Erich Przywara—explain the of the country's aircraft. He declared that the Prophets and Revolutionaries reluctance of present-day Jews to take part hijackings should be understood in the con­ Gabriele Dietrich's chapter "Das jiidisch- in an encounter as equals. But he notes the text of development aid because the West prophetische Erbe in den neueren change brought about not least by National German Govemmenit had paid enormous sums Socialist antisemitism, because "the of money to Israel, but had given nothing to revolutionaren Bewegungen" is, in a sense, the people of Palestine.