[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 126 (Monday, September 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
     JOHN PAUL II AND ROGER TILLES MEET FOR HOLOCAUST COMMEMORATION

                                 ______


                           HON. PETER T. KING

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 12, 1994

  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer into the Record an 
article that appeared in the summer 1994 edition of the Magazine of 
Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, NY. It is an account of the recent 
meeting between Pope John Paul II and Mr. Roger Tilles, a respected 
businessman and concerned human rights advocate from Long Island.
  I commend Roger Tilles for the outstanding leadership he has 
demonstrated in building bridges between people of all faiths so that 
the lessons of history can truly be learned. I am proud of the 
thoughtful and inspiring message Mr. Tilles personally delivered to the 
Holy Father in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. It is my 
view that every Member of this institution will be inspired by Roger 
Tilles' message and deeds.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Roger Tilles, his wife Jerry, and his 
good friend Msgr. Thomas Hartman for the hard work and unwavering 
commitment that made this historic meeting possible. I know that the 
Tilles' determination flows from their desire to create a better world 
for their young daughter, Eliana Gabriel, and children of all faiths 
around the world.

                    Music Brings the World Together

                           (By Roger Tilles)

       Dear Friends: Over two years ago, I received a phone call 
     from the noted conductor, Gilbert Levine, who I had not met 
     previously. He had learned of my name from both his 
     appearances at The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and 
     through some contact at the Vatican who had known of my work 
     with Catholic/Jewish relations here on Long Island.
       He mentioned that there was to be a concert that Pope John 
     Paul II wanted to initiate, to be held at the Vatican on Yom 
     Ha-Shoah 1993. Levine indicated that he needed some small 
     assistance in raising funds to bring in a choir and one or 
     two soloists for this event that would be put on by the 
     Vatican.
       After two years, and a complete shift in the orientation 
     from a Vatican-produced commemoration to a Tilles Center-
     produced concert with the encouragement and participation of 
     the Pope, and countless heartaches involved with the roller 
     coaster ride in mounting such an overseas production, the 
     expectation of Levine's and mine (for now I had become a 
     principal sponsor) were far exceeded by the actual event held 
     April 7, 1994.
       What started as a small project of assistance, became an 
     event with world-wide historic consequence. I was extremely 
     pleased and proud to be a part of such an event. Whether it 
     was the heightening of the commemoration of the Holocaust due 
     to the release of Schindler's List, the recent killing of 
     Arabs and Jews in Israel, or the recent elections in Italy 
     when the Fascists and blatantly anti-semitic candidates were 
     elected to the majority coalition, somehow the importance of 
     our event was heightened around the world.
       Indeed, just a day before the concert, I received a call 
     through Edward Cardinal Cassidy, President of the Vatican's 
     Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. He said 
     that the Pope wanted to have a dialogue session with our 
     group of sponsors of this event and that I, Rabbi James Rudin 
     of The American Jewish Committee, and Jack Eisner, a leader 
     of the worldwide survivors group, would have an opportunity 
     to present remarks to the Pope, followed by his reaction to 
     what we had said and to the events of the day. When I asked 
     what I should talk about, I was told, anything that I wanted. 
     I did not want to allow the opportunity to pass, by making 
     trite or gratuitous comments.
       Therefore, standing before Pope John Paul II, I was 
     probably too nervous to fully comprehend what the occasion 
     would mean to me and the larger community of the world. I 
     tried to put this in context. In Rome, on this day, Jews and 
     Catholics arrived at a historic juncture, the result of their 
     mutual embrace of programs created on Long Island for the 
     purpose of building bridges among people of all colors, 
     creeds, nationalities and faiths, many of which emanated from 
     our own Temple Beth-El.
       For the first time since the Nazi death camps were 
     liberated nearly fifty years ago, the Vatican hosted a 
     memorial concert where Catholics and Jews could, together, 
     pay homage to the six million Jews who died at the hands of 
     the Third Reich.
       Equally important to its success was the fact that Pope 
     John Paul II wished to confront the revisionists who fifty 
     years later now claim the Holocaust was a fabrication of the 
     Jews. As a Pole who was placed under house arrest by German 
     occupiers, the Pope publicly reminded a world wide audience, 
     ``Do not deny the Holocaust.''
       The reaction to his comments were immediate and electric. 
     Throughout Europe, newspapers echoed Newsday's front page 
     coverage. Broadcasters led their programs with coverage of 
     the ceremony.
       Not content just to speak of brotherhood and a recognition 
     of this monstrous crime against the Jews, the Pope made an 
     enormous impact through his actions. Embracing the Jewish 
     community as an equal partner in the search for spirituality, 
     the Pontiff had chairs of equal size placed in the room for 
     himself and the Rabbi representing the Jewish Italian 
     community. In addition, in deference to the 
     interdenominational spirit of this memorial service, he had 
     removed the traditional cross that hangs in the room where 
     the concert was conducted.
       Pope John Paul's decision to publicly remind the world that 
     the deeds of Nazi Germany must be remembered will have a 
     profound and long term impact wherever Jews and Catholics 
     live and work. An acknowledgment of another person's pain is 
     often the first step toward creating a real and meaningful 
     relationship based on mutual understanding, respect and 
     appreciation. The Pope has used the world's worst nightmare--
     Nazi rule--as a bridge to strengthen relations with a 
     community that has viewed Roman Catholicism warily for 
     centuries.
       On Long Island, Jewish and Catholic leaders will continue 
     to expand upon their dialogue that confronts bigotry and 
     prejudice, regardless of its target. The Pope's participation 
     in a Holocaust memorial will ensure that swastikas and other 
     symbols of hatred and intolerance will be confronted by Jew 
     and Catholic together in a united effort encouraged by the 
     spiritual leader of the world's Roman Catholics.
       Regional programs already underway should be significantly 
     encouraged by the events in Rome. For example, our 
     participation with Msgr. Thomas J. Hartman of the Diocese of 
     Rockville Center is now creating a common ground through 
     Project Understanding which unites Catholic and Jewish 
     youngsters in visits to Israel. Visiting holy places, and 
     learning first hand about the history and experiences of each 
     other's religion, young people are returning to Long Island 
     inoculated against prejudice and strengthened in their own 
     faith.
       So, too, our Temple's ongoing dialogue with St. Aloysius 
     Church and our hosting this summer of a group of Northern 
     Ireland Catholics work in a similar manner.
       Yet these efforts, as important as they are, are still not 
     enough. The grassroots programs that began here on Long 
     Island and let to the Vatican can be considered only a 
     foundation upon which to build.
       In a world assaulted by genocide in the Balkans, human 
     rights violations in China, the emergence of fascism in Italy 
     and the Russian Republics and hate mail on our own front 
     lawns, the Pope has alerted us that all of us have a moral 
     obligation to confront and repudiate prejudice. In a universe 
     where the number of ethically grounded individuals seems to 
     be shrinking, it is no small wonder then that people of 
     differing backgrounds are finding comfort in recognizing the 
     value of their neighbor's faith.
       Therefore, I spoke the following words which were to me 
     part of an event of a lifetime:
       ``Your Holiness,
       ``Thank you for bringing the power of your commitment to 
     commemorate the Shoah together with the unique power of 
     music.
       ``I have had the privilege to create with my friend and 
     brother, Monsignor Thomas Hartman of the Diocese of Rockville 
     Center, several programs that bring the spiritual richness of 
     both Catholicism and Judaism together for the benefit of all.
       ``Indeed, only recently our fifth group of Catholic and 
     Jewish young people from Long Island in New York, where a 
     preponderance of the population is both Catholic and Jewish, 
     returned from their journey to Israel for the Passover and 
     Easter season, where once again they strengthened their own 
     religious identities, as they learned to respect and love 
     their friends with a different religious identity.
       ``We have been struck by the awesome power of the young, 
     who have not had the walls built around them, to appreciate 
     the spirituality of those who believe differently and, even 
     more, to be able to love each other because of that 
     spirituality. These young people give us the light to see the 
     benefits of mutual respect and understanding.
       ``This summer, as part of our Synagogue's ongoing dialogue 
     with our local parish church, we will be hosting a group of 
     Catholics from Northern Ireland. Here, as in other attempts 
     to understand and assist each other, we continue the quest. 
     In America, and in the world, we need each other, and 
     together we can continue to be that force for good which 
     brings peace to our planet. For the sake of my three-year-old 
     daughter, Eliana Gabriel, herself a descendant of an 
     concentration camp survivor, and for all the children of our 
     small world, we must continue these programs which are indeed 
     the embodiment of this momentous musical event. In doing so, 
     we remember and honor the Shoah and know that only with love 
     and respect for each other, under God, will we insure that 
     such tragic occurrences will happen `never again'.''

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