A Reincarnation of Pope John the 23rd?

The Pope in Shul - Photo credit: Forward

I am really liking this pope. Just about everything I am hearing about him is good. Especially his attitude towards the Jewish people and his relationship with the Jewish people of Argentina when he was the Arch Bishop there.

Not to mention his honesty about the Catholic Church's role during the Holocaust. Not having been in Europe and hearing all the accusations against - and defenses of it, he just doesn't know what to believe. He has therefore said he willing to open up the Vatican archives to find out the truth. Which he says is imperative. From the Forward:

“Opening the archives of the shoah seems reasonable,” the future pope says. “Let them be opened and let everything be cleared up. Let it be seen if they could have done something [to help] and until what point they could have helped. If they made a mistake in any aspect of this we would have to say, ‘We have erred.’ We don’t have to be scared of this- the truth has to be the goal.”

Wow. This pope may actually be a throwback to Pope John the 23rd - perhaps the man most responsible for Vatican II which changed the 2000 year old paradigm of latent Antisemitism based on Jews as Christ killers to one of near brotherhood.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Seen at Chasidishe book store in Monsey

Here is another reason why education is important. (Sent to me by a friend.)

Ohio - Gotta Love 'Em

R' Mordechai Gifter, ZTL - Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe - Wickliffe, Ohio

Ya gotta love the state of Ohio. I guess they don't know about BDS. The following appeared in a JTA news briefing today:

(JTA) -- Ohio has bought $42 million in Israel Bonds, reportedly the largest single government purchase of Israel Bonds in U.S. history. 

 The Mach 1 purchase increases the total amount of Israel Bonds in the state's treasury portfolio to more than $80 million; the Cleveland Jewish News reported it as the largest such buy in U.S. history. 

“We believe this is a sound investment for the taxpayers of Ohio and consistent with our strategy of investing in safe and strong securities,” Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel, who is Jewish, told the newspaper.

The Ohio Revised Code was amended in 1993 to allow the state to invest in foreign bonds. In 2010, the Ohio State Senate passed a bill allowing the state treasury to increase debt earnings in foreign nations from 1/2 a percent to 1 percent of the state’s portfolio, according to the newspaper.

The previous highest single purchase of Israel Bonds in U.S. history was $25 million, made by several states, Thomas Lockshin, executive director for Israel Bonds in Ohio and Kentucky, told the Cleveland Jewish News.