Pope Encounters of the First Kind

I was expecting Tom Hanks to walk into our synagogue any moment, maybe even get an aliyah. You see the guest speaker at our synagogue this weekend was best-selling author, professor and unofficial Jewish liaison to the Vatican, Rabbi Benjamin Blech. He co-authored a book on Michelangelo's hidden messages in his Sistine Chapel fresco (see previous blog post for details), but that's only a small part of the rabbi's Vatican adventures. He's been part of the Jewish delegation to - (and here I must use some very diplomatic language considering the delicate nature of the group's ongoing discussions / negotiations) - reconnect - discover the hidden Jewish treasures that are stored 14 floors down in the bowels of the Vatican. Along the way, he blessed the late Pope John Paul ll, (at the Pope's request), met with the Vatican's innermost circle and dare I say, witnessed nothing less than a miracle. (Next post). It was heartening to hear Rabbi Blech praise Pope John ll in the highest terms: How committed he was to bridging the gulf between Judaism and the Vatican and in seeking forgiveness for all of the past wrongs committed by the church against the Jews over history. Since it was shabbat when he spoke, I couldn't take notes and his stories were so full of intrigue and packed with Da Vinci Code-like characters, I wouldn't quote myself in the New York Times, but I can give you an idea of the kind of stories we heard. One day the rabbi gets a call from the Vatican emissary who gives the American president's private tours of the Sistine Chapel, "What's your calendar like? The Pope would like to see you?" and this is where the next part of the adventure begins...