The Views of Rabbi Moses Feinstein, Rabbi Abraham Joshua ...

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel on Interfaith Dialogue
On January 9, 1962, Cardinal Bea sent a personal letter in German to Heschel
requesting a memorandum from Heschel.
Before submitting his memorandum to
Cardinal Bea, Heschel sent him three books he authored: G[-]d In Search of Man, Man Is
Not Alone, and The Sabbath. Cardinal Bea received these texts as proof of the ―strong
common spiritual bond between us,‖ 182 the language of ―spiritual bondedness‖ 183
eventually being utilized in the Church document and becoming an integral part of ―papal
teaching on the Jews.‖ 184
Heschel responded to Cardinal Bea‘s request by submitting to
him a memorandum entitled ―On Improving Catholic-Jewish Relations,‖ in which he
related:
Both Judaism and Christianity share the prophet‘s belief that G[-]d
chooses agents through whom His will is made known and His work done
throughout history. Both Judaism and Christianity live in the certainty that
mankind is in need of ultimate redemption, that G[-]d is involved in
human history, that in relations between man and man G[-]d is at stake;
that the humiliation of man is a disgrace of G[-]d. 185
He then proceeded to delineate four recommendations for ―improv[ing] mutually
fruitful relations between the Church and the Jewish community‖ 186 :
182 Kimelman 5
183 Kimelman 5
184 Kimelman 5
185 Kimelman 5
186 Kimelman 5
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