Jewish Commuity Leaders Welcome Archbishop

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St. Louis Jewish community leaders formally welcomed Archbishop Robert Carlson to St. Louis at a reception in the Jewish Federation Kopolow Building. The event was co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the St. Louis Rabbinical Association.
 
Before the reception, Archbishop Carlson toured the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center with Curator and Director of Education Daniel Reich; Holocaust Museum Executive Director Jean Cavendar; JCRC Executive Director Batya Abramson-Goldstein, and HMLC President Marci Rosenberg. 

After the tour, Archbishop Carlson attended an invitation-only reception with more than 40 rabbis and community leaders.  Jewish Federation Executive VP Barry Rosenberg welcomed the Archbishop to St. Louis, along with JCRC President Gerry Geiman and St. Louis Rabbinical Association President Rabbi Brad Horwitz of the JCC.

Archbishop Carlson said he was "touched" by his visit to our Holocaust Museum and told those present he looked forward to working in partnership with the St. Louis Jewish community to address such problems such as the breakdown of the family unit, to combat violence and strengthen our school systems.

Welcome Remarks
Barry Rosenberg, executive vice president, Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Dear Archbishop Carlson,

On behalf of our President Sanford Neuman and the entire St. Louis Jewish community, I welcome you to the Millstone Jewish Community campus and the Jewish Federation Kopolow Building. We are honored to host you and wish you success and satisfaction as our community’s new Archbishop. We welcome, as well, Dr. Lawrence Welch, executive director of the St. Louis Archdiocese's office of ecumenical and interreligious affairs.

Archbishop, you lead a large, powerful and dynamic community – whose people, leaders and institutions deeply enrich and strengthen our region. The Jewish and Catholic communities share so much – in our commitment to G-d, religious values, civic responsibility, and social justice.

You may be familiar with the man who declares he doesn’t believe in organized religion. Whereupon a Rabbi responds, “Then you have nothing to fear in Judaism… we’re very disorganized.”

As you know, the structures of our two communities are quite different. Founded in 1901, the Jewish Federation is the central fundraising, social planning and community building organization of the 60,000 member Jewish community residing primarily in St. Louis City and County. In 2008, Jewish Federation distributed over $12.5 Million dollars – 2/3 of it locally, and 1/3 to help Jews in need around the world. We support an impressive array of institutions that provide social, health and human services, Jewish education and activities to promote Jewish identity, recreation and culture and community relations programs that connect us to the larger society. Many of these organizations have strong partnerships with their Catholic counterparts. And like Catholic agencies, most of our services are open to all in need, regardless of religion. In many areas – such as senior services, we are innovators. Programs like our naturally occurring retirement community, which promotes aging in place, and Elderlink, our integrated information and referral source, are models that can be replicated in other communities.

We attempt to simultaneously look inward – addressing the needs of the Jewish people, and outward, contributing to the strength of our larger society. A great example is our Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, which you just visited. It sanctifies the memories of the 6 million and preserves their stories. At the same it uses the lessons of the Shoah as a force for good – to promote tolerance and brotherhood and fight bigotry, hatred and oppression.

Of course we have an enormous commitment to Israel. Through financial, political and moral support we have played a major role in the miracle that is… Israel today. Our concern for Israel is not theoretical. Aside from the deep religious significance, the centrality of the land to Judaism, and centuries of exile, the people of Israel are our family, our friends and in many cases our children, who have moved there.

We provide human services to Jews in need – primarily the millions of new immigrants we brought there. For example, we have a 15 year sister city relationship with Yokne’am and Megiddo – a region of enormous significance to the Catholic church. Among other activities, we provide a multi-faceted suite of services to help 200 families at risk – many of them, new Ethiopian Jewish immigrants.

Many of us just returned from Israel, where we studied the current situation. There are two issues about which we ask your understanding and help.

Despite Israel’s enormous yearning and sacrifices for peace – the prospects today are very dim. Perhaps, the best scenario today is some type of extended period of quiet, where efforts to build the Palestinian economy, as well as legitimate, capable Palestinian governing institutions, might lay the groundwork for future progress and at least relieve suffering. And while we pray and continue to work for peace, it must be one based on acceptance and security of Israel.

On our trip, we toured the security barrier with the person responsible for designing its path. It is tragic that the fence became a necessity. But we saw clearly how every effort has been made to minimize its disruptive impact on the Palestinian people. And I can also assure you that it has made an enormous difference in achieving its only aim – reducing terror.

And finally we come to the threat of Iran. No other issue is more pressing to the security of the world, the stability of the Middle East and of course to the future of Israel. As EU Foreign Minister Javier Solana said recently, “… the world cannot tolerate an Iranian nuclear bomb.” You have just toured a museum that documents the horror unleashed by a pledge to solve the “Jewish problem.” Similar threats are renewed daily from Tehran. We have no reason not to see them as deadly serious. We ask the church to use its enormous influence and moral authority, as part of a global coalition to avert a nuclear Iran.

I want to thank you again for joining us this evening. Although we should be cognizant and respectful of our differences, all of us look forward to working with you, to build on that which unites us – our love of peace, our loyalty to shared religious values, and our commitment to social justice for all. Thank you and may G-d bless you.

Welcome Remarks
Jerry Greiman, President, Jewish Community Relations Council

I am Gerry Greiman, president of the Jewish Community Relations Council, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community. Archbishop Carlson, I and Batya Abramson-Goldstein, JCRC Executive Director, and all at JCRC, are honored and pleased to have this opportunity, along with the Jewish Federation and the St. Louis Rabbinical Association, to formally welcome you to St. Louis at this meeting of Jewish community leadership. We look forward to your remarks and to hearing of the issues of primary concern to the Archdiocese.
As Barry Rosenberg has mentioned, there are many areas in which our communities collaborate in a way that brings great benefit to the St. Louis community. Social justice is one such area. Each of our communities works mightily towards what, in the Jewish tradition is called Tikkun Olam, Repair of the world. And, we work together. Just recently, the Archdiocese was a co-sponsor of a community forum convened by the JCRC :   "Green Pathways Out of Poverty:  A Vision for the Future" The program, which discussed a wide range of programs that provide green jobs training and greening of area housing stock in low-income communities attracted a large and diverse audience. Poverty in all of its manifestations is a scourge. A community response to poverty, in all its aspects, is essential. We are so pleased at the close working relationship we have established with the Archdiocese on issues ranging from hunger to lead paint poisoning, to green jobs, to access to health care…and, more. Through the representation of the Archdiocese on the Community against Poverty Coalition, CAP, coordinated by the JCRC, we look forward to additional shared efforts towards the betterment of our St. Louis community.

Clearly, in the nature of things, coming from different faith traditions, there are issues, such as a community response to poverty, which we agree on. There are issues today that we disagree on. There will be issues tomorrow that we will disagree on. But, those issues have not, and we trust, will not, keep us from working together. And, very importantly, we will keep talking to one another. Our thanks to Dr. Lawrence Welch, executive director of the St. Louis Archdiocese's office of ecumenical and interreligious affairs. Dr. Welch has been a wonderful partner as we keep the lines of communication open and productive.  Looking ahead, we welcome the opportunity to engage in ongoing serious discussion on the full range of issues of great importance that face our two communities. It is our pleasure to, on behalf of the JCRC and its 17 constituent organizations to formally welcome you to St. Louis.