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NEWS
Keeping a Cross Off Stamp Commemorating Pope
By Betzalel Kahn
Deputy Welfare Minister Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz asked Minister
Dan Naveh, head of the Ministerial Committee for Symbols and
Ceremonies, to ensure that no crosses appear on the stamp
issued in memory of Pope John Paul II. In his letter Rabbi
Ravitz notes, "Many of our people shudder at the sight of the
cross, which opens wounds that have not yet healed over and
reminds them of acts committed under this symbol."
Rabbi Ravitz contacted Minister Naveh following a decision by
the committee to approve the issuance of a stamp in memory of
the Pope. He asked that no crosses appear in any form on the
stamp—not hanging from his neck or on his clothes and
not as a separate element. "If this is impossible I suggest
the idea of issuing the stamp be shelved," he said, noting
that stamp proposals have been known to stir widespread
controversy in Israel.
At the end of his letter Rabbi Ravitz asks Minister Naveh to
inquire whether a stamp has been issued for Czech diplomat
and politician Jan Masaryk, a Righteous Gentile who worked
extensively to combat antisemitism.
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