Rabbi, bishops struggle to describe joint trip to Auschwitz, Vatican

Published: 2005-09-22

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz has been involved in Catholic-Jewish dialogue for decades and believes "you must not underestimate the value of friendship." The rabbi, executive director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., led six Catholic bishops on a prayer and study tour of Poland's Auschwitz death camp in late September. "Traveling together, crying together -- there is something here I hope never disappears. I feel I could call on any of these buddies if I ever need anything," the rabbi told Catholic News Service. Rabbi Ehrenkranz and the six U.S. bishops were joined by two other rabbis and Anthony J. Cernera, president of Sacred Heart, for the Sept. 18-23 trip to Auschwitz and the Vatican. Members of the group spoke with CNS after meeting Bishop Brian Farrell, vice president of the Vatican's Commission for Religious Relations With the Jews.

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