Saturday, June 29, 2013

Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, a man running from the news

From Haaretz-

Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, received an unpleasant surprise. Since he was chosen as the head of the Anglican Church, roughly four months ago, he has been waiting to meet with the Jewish people’s two spiritual shepherds in the land of Israel – the Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis.

That meeting was supposed to take place on Thursday, but just days prior, it came out that one of the rabbis, Yona Metzger, was the target of a criminal investigation, and was being held in house arrest. Explanations were made, schedules were updated accordingly, and the Sephardic chief rabbi, Shlomo Amar, was set to receive the archbishop by himself. But it turns out that Rabbi Amar also had some personal drama of his own, with all due respect to interfaith dialogue. In a sudden move, Rabbi Amar decided to extend his visit to Spain. He traveled there last week, on one of his frequent trips abroad.

The archbishop was forced to settle for a meeting with the Chief Rabbinate’s director general, and some other second-string rabbis. It seems however, that the archbishop has learned a very important, informative lesson about the monotheistic faith with which he intended to create dialogue: the Jews in Israel have two spiritual leaders – one is under house arrest, and one has exiled himself, of his own volition.


More here-

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/chief-rabbi-shlomo-amar-a-man-running-from-the-news.premium-1.532652

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