Conversation with Rabbi Daniel Zucker
-Professor Anthony Stevens-Arroyo
Organized by the Faithful Neighbors Ministry of the Church of St. Luke, Stroudsburg
From left to right Herbert Vargas, Doctor Adán Stevens Díaz, Debby Herbert, Mary Frances-Kresge, Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, Rabbi Daniel Zucker, Father Michael Quinnan, Deacon Phil Zimich, Michael Sullivan, Alicia Lynch, Felix Stafforini, Ana Maria Diaz-Stevens
Some fifty people, including Jewish members of Temple Israel, attended the event organized by the parish’s Faithful Neighbors Ministry. Weaving together media accounts, papal pronouncements and the outlines of Catholic teachings on war and humanitarian needs, seven questions had been drafted with counsel from Father Michael our pastor. These questions reflected the particular concerns of Michael Sullivan and Adán Stevens Díaz who had urged the ministry to include difficult issues like these in our pursuit of Catholic social justice.
At Wednesday evening’s event, different members of the ministry each read one of the seven questions in the conversation with Rabbi Zucker. In responding, he presented a review of historical facts and description of antagonistic political views that had led to the present conflict. Members of the ministry asked follow-up questions to clarify some issues. At the end of more than an hour’s exchanges, all the participants stood while Father Michael and Deacon Phil led all in a prayer written by Pope Francis, imploring God to bring peace to the Holy Land. Rabbi Zucker added the Aaronic blessing in English and Hebrew. Then, at the urging of our deacon, all exchanged a sign of peace.
Previous to the visit of the rabbi, members of this parish ministry had met on several occasions with Dr. Abdulah Aldas of the Islamic Cultural Center and Mosque in Stroudsburg to review the same questions from a Palestinian Muslim perspective. Along with three members of that faith community, Faithful Neighbors ministers and Father Michael heard the various personal stories of some displaced Palestinian refugees. After comparing the responses from each side, those who participated in these events have better understood the depths of the conflicts.
This ministry follows the teachings of the Holy Father in his encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, where he asks Catholics to listen to others from different faith traditions and show them the kind of love that characterized St. Francis of Assisi. Although no immediate solution is likely, the spirit of our Catholic faith teaches us the power of unconditional love even to those who hate and persecute each other. There can be no doubt that our parish showed itself as a positive force for good in the Poconos. Even though faith has not yet overcome the obstacles to peace that have been created by centuries of conflict, our Jewish and Muslim neighbors in today’s Stroudsburg know that we Catholics really do care. We are united with Pope Francis in asking God to shower his grace upon these opposing peoples so that, in the words of the Prophet Ezechiel (36:26), “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”