New York, NY, March 14, 1996...Passion Plays and Judaism, released today by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), is a dialogue among interfaith religious leaders who discuss the meaning of Passion Plays, their impact on Christian-Jewish relations, and the dangers of anti-Semitic interpretation.

Rabbi Leon Klenicki, Director of the ADL Department of Interfaith Affairs, addresses these issues with Reverend Kevin Ashe, Executive Director of the Park Performing Art Center and Reverend Jay Rock, Co-Director for Interfaith Affairs of the National Council of Churches.

Rabbi Klenicki said that Passion Plays are important "in the spirituality of Christianity" as they "bring life to the basic event of Christian commitment ... but also nurture the inner religious feeling of people attending."

"My concern, however," said Rabbi Klenicki, "is when a Passion Play abuses the New Testament text in order to continue the teaching of contempt ... blaming Jews for the death of Jesus...."

Stating that "Jewish uneasiness about Passion Plays does not mean a negation of the right of the Christian to present his or her faith commitment," Rabbi Klenicki said, "Our problem is not the faith commitment of the Passion Play but its use and abuse for other purposes."

Eugene J. Fischer, writing in the prologue, said, this publication serves as a healthy interfaith dialogue, providing religious leaders with educational materials with which to evaluate current productions of Passion Plays and "present Jesus's passion and death the way it was originally intended to be presented... as a healing and reconciling drama, not a source of enmity between Christians and Jews."

Included in the publication is, "A Liturgical Interpretation in Narrative Form of the Passion of Jesus Christ With a Dramatic Arrangement for Congregation Use," by John T. Townsend, followed by a section outlining criteria with which to evaluate Passion Plays, prepared by the Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Editors Note: Copies of Passion Plays and Judaism are available from the Media Relations Department.

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.