ADL Dismayed Over Presbyterian Decision to Fund Church That Proselytizes Jews
New York, NY, October 17, 2003…The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed dismay at a recent decision of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to fund the new Presbyterian church, Avodat Yisrael, in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and urged church officials to reverse their decision.
"We believe that this 'church' engages in deception and misrepresents its purpose, which is to proselytize Jews," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and author of Never Again?: The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism. "One cannot understand a church that holds services on Yom Kippur and whose leader publicly advocates proselytizing Jews in any other way.
"The church, Avodat Yisrael, undermines the progress that has been made in recent decades by the Presbyterian Church toward mutual understanding of our faiths. It violates both the sprit and letter of the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s 1987 Paper, 'A Theological Understanding of the relationship between Christians and Jews.' In light of the anger and distrust that is developing, this initiative has the potential to set back relations between our faith communities".
ADL has contacted the Presbyterian Church (USA) and urged them to cancel their funding of Avodat Yisrael.
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
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