A Blessing to One Another

Ingber. By the time our salads arrived, our conversation was already underway, talking about the opening night.

"Now is a perfect time for the exhibit to open here in your city," commented Rabbi Abie Ingber, "Just look at what is going on between the Jewish community and Catholic community today."

The exhibit "A Blessing to One Another" was created in honor of Pope John Paul II and his effort in interfaith dialogue. To create it in seven months, the creators, Dr. James Buchanan, Rabbi Abie Ingber, Dr. Bill Madges, and Dr. Yaffa Eliach had their work cut out for them. They traveled to Rome in October of 2004 and received Pope John Paul II's blessing for the exhibit which would be opened for his Birthday in May of 2005. In effort to have the exhibit ready by Pope John Paul II's 85th birthday, the creators worked till 3 am in a tiny room on three computers - never eating out, only ordering in so they didn't lose any research time. All decisions were made unanimously and no votes were ever taken.

Walking through the exhibit, one gets to see the progression of Pope John Paul II and his friend Jerzy Kluger's lives. It celebrates the 2,000 years of bad history between the two religions being broken, and the steps to recognizing and visiting the State of Israel. It honors the 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a declaration of relationship with Catholic and non-Catholic religions. There are historical artifacts set against large photos and numerous videos. Toward the end of the exhibit, there is a replica of Jerusalem's Western Wall where visitors are encouraged to write down a prayer and place it at the wall. Visitors are also allowed to touch a bronze cast of John Paul II's hand. Avila University's President, Ron Slepitza, was a docent for the exhibit when it originally appeared in Cincinnati. "I witnessed and experienced its power to transform, to tell a story about the relationships of our youth and the values that we hold being a guide throughout our life," said Slepitza. He wanted Avila to bring the exhibit to Kansas City as a gift to the people and to play a role in interfaith dialogue.

Right now, the ties between the Catholic church and Judaism are on the rocks since Pope Benedict XVI excommunicated four bishops, one being Richard Williamson of Great Britain, on January 24. The upset arose from Williamson's views on the Holocaust and his denial of the event. Israel's chief rabbinate cancelled meetings in the Vatican planned for March and cut ties with Rome in protest of the Pope's actions. A Blessing to One Another only reinforces how important the interreligious dialogue is to help the world's people understand one another. "It is important to open up interfaith dialogue. If you really want to know about a different religion like Judaism, don't just read about it. Make friends with a Jewish person," said Dr. James Buchanan. The exhibit, running from Feb. 3-March 27, is free to the public at Union Station in the Arthur Stilwell Room. It is open from 9:30 am till 5:30 pm Tuesday thru Thursday, noon till 5:30 pm on Sundays, and closed on Mondays.