Late last month, Pope Francis received a local gift from New York that served as a goodwill gesture to promote greater understanding among people of different faiths.
Pave the Way Foundation — a Wantagh, L.I.-based organization whose mission is to “end the malevolent use of religion” — organized a trip to Rome to present the pope with a copy of a Jewish sacred text for use in the Vatican Library.
The document was a replica of the English translation of the “Tikkunei Zohar,” an ancient sacred text of the Jewish Kabbalah, a mystical movement that interprets the Bible. The Tikkunei Zohar is a collection of 70 commentaries written in Aramaic on the opening of the Torah, the Hebrew Bible.
“It was a special opportunity to be able to present the texts in the presence of the Holy See, and it opens the doors of religious and cultural exchange,” said Gary L. Krupp, co-founder of Pave the Way.
Pave the way Foundation worked with Reverend Richard Donahoe, Rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama on this project. Father Donahoe was able to identify the availability of the Bodmer Papyrus, which is the oldest written version of the Gospels of St. John and St. Luke and contains the oldest written version of the Lord’s Prayer which was written sometime between 175 and 225 AD.
Pave the Way initiated contact between Fr. Donahoe with the Vatican Library. It was also through the efforts of Pave the Way that a donor was identified, Mr. Frank Hanna III of Atlanta, Georgia, who helped make available this historic acquisition for worldwide study. It remains in the care of the Vatican Library. Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, was instrumental in helping to realize this historical event.
Pave the Way Foundation is extremely pleased to have played a key role in The Bodmer Papyrus Project.
Pave the Way Foundation board members greet Bishop Raffaele Farina SBD, just prior to the presentation of the Bodmer. From left to right: Dr. Rolando Clementoni KCSG, Gary and Meredith Krupp, Bishop Farina, Richard Kandel, and Harry Epstein.
Pope Benedict XVI examines the papyrus.
Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State receive Gary Krupp of PTWF at the presentation ceremony on January 22, 2007.
Video presentation of the Bodmer Papyrus to Pope Benedict XVI, January 2007
Pave the Way Foundation co-sponsored this exhibit, with the Center for Interreligious Understanding and the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
September 6, 2006 through February 23, 2007, the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City hosted an historic exhibition: “A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People.” Celebrating Pope John Paul II’s contribution to repairing and strengthening relationships between members of the Catholic and Jewish faiths, this informative and inspiring exhibit includes photos, video footage, documents and priceless artifacts. The exhibit opened to rave reviews in Cincinnati and Washington DC, serving as an opportunity for people of different faiths to come together and understand what Pope John Paul II did to improve Catholic/Jewish relations and to recognize all that can be done to carry forward his great mission – to increase understanding and tolerance between all religious groups.
“Baruch ha ba be Adoshem Adonai. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”
The words of Rabbi Elio Toaf, Chief Rabbi of Rome, upon the occasion of welcoming Pope John Paul II to the Great Synagogue of Rome March 1986.
Opening speakers left to right: Gary Krupp, President of PTWF; Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Vatican Ambassador to the UN; Dr. Jerzy Kluger board member of PTWF and childhood friend of Pope John Paul II; Governor of the State of New York, George E. Pataki.
PTWF Board members Richard Kandel, Director; Elliot Hershberg, Chairman of the Board; Gary Krupp, President of Pave the Way Foundation (sponsor of the exhibit.)
“A Blessing to One Another, Pope John Paul and the Jewish People” was created and produced by Xavier University (Cincinnati), Hillel Jewish Student Center (Cincinnati), and the Shtetl Foundation in New York.
In October and November 2005 PTWF sponsored two historic concerts. The first was a collaboration with the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, to commemorate the life of Pope John Paul II. This was on October 16th, 2005, the anniversary of the Pope’s election to the Throne of St. Peter.
The second concert took place in Venice Italy, where PTWF co-sponsored a multi-talented concert of classical, jazz and modern musical artists. The event producers, Ms. Antonietta Torsello and Eugenio Masiero, spent all of their waking moments on this most important project. This event occurred on November 14, 2005 in the Palazzo del Cinema on the Island of Lido in Venice.
This event recorded the performances of over 30 talented artists, in order to produce a DVD. The proceeds of the sale of this DVD were used to benefit a very special hospital in Italy. The hospital, Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza, is a 1,500 bed facility, that serves al the people of Italy, but particularly the poor. It was founded in 1956, by St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.
Long Island Philharmonic Performance to Honor Pope John Paul II
A Tribute to the Late Holy Father
TLIC photos/Gregory A. Shemitz
Classical music lovers of all ages and faiths filled St. Agnes Cathedral, Rockville Centre on Octoberr 16 for a performance by the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. On the program was Fauer’sRequiem, in memory of Pope John Paul II’s outreach to the interfaith and ecumenical communities. From left: Msgr. Donald Beckmann, Director of the Diocese’s Office of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, Bishop William Murphy and Gary Krupp of Pave the Way Foundation, applaud the performance of cellist Jay Shulman.
Fall 2005:
A special Interreligious performance of notable music was performed at the Cathedral of St. Agnes in Rockville Centre, NY to honor the memory of His Holiness Pope John Paul II. This was sponsored by the Diocese of Rockville Centre along with Pave the Way Foundation, and a number of Jewish and Muslim organizations. This event was televised on national religious television.
(Photo) Gary and Meredith Krupp with Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger and his Chief of Staff, Oded Weiner, at the opening of the Vatican Exhibit.
Pave the Way Foundation is pleased to have been instrumental in initiating the first ever exhibit of Hebrew manuscripts from the Vatican Library to the State of Israel. On September 27, 2005, the Israel Museum celebrated the opening of “Rome to Jerusalem,” an exhibit of Maimonides Mishneh Torah, Jacob ben Asher’s Arba’ah Turim, Pentateuch (missing until Leviticus XIII:53), Five Scroll Psalms Haftarot Rome, written in1293 and a Bible from Rome written in 1285/86.
Short video: Welcoming ceremony conducted by James Snyder, Director of the Israel Museum, and Archbishop Pietro Sambi, former Vatican Ambassador to Israel.
Opening of the Israel Museum Exhibit, on loan from the Vatican Library, September 27, 2005.
Maimonides was an enlightened Rabbi, philosopher and physician, whose writings are revered by the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions. He died 800 years ago, but his writings and message of reconciliation, born of understanding the similarities of the three faiths, is extremely relevant today. He wrote in both Hebrew and Arabic and his manuscripts highlight the convergence of these faiths. Some of these writings have been housed in the Vatican Library. Many of these important historical and theological works have never been available for public viewing before this project.
Phase One, September 2002. Pave the Way Foundation requested and was granted permission to bring Jewish scholars to view the original manuscripts of Maimonides to the Vatican Library. The Library was specially opened for this occasion by Fr. Raffaele Farina SBD, Prefect of the Library and H.Em. Jorge Cardinal Mejia, Vatican Librarian and Archivist.
This was a great and historic event. Please watch the video below describing the unique and providential events that occurred that day.
PhaseTwo Pave the Way initiated the Vatican’s loan of Maimonides works, along with other rare Hebrew manuscripts, for exhibit in Jerusalem, at the Israel Museum’s 40th anniversary on September 27, 2005. This historic commemoration was the first time these manuscripts were displayed on Israeli soil.
Opening of the Israel Museum Exhibit with the two Chief Rabbis of Israel, the Director and Curators of the Israel Museum, the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, and the Prefect of the Vatican Library.
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Pave the Way Foundation initiated the first loan in history from the Vatican Library to the State of Israel. Opening the exhibit, from left to right: Sam Philipe PTWF representative to Israel, Gary Krupp President of PTWF, Yonatan Peres, son of President of Israel Shimon Peres, Chief Ashkenazy Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger, and Chief of Staff to Rabbi Metzger Oded Weiner.
Phase Three Pave the Way arranged for the digitization of the Vatican Library manuscript collection from a private donor. This was extremely significant in that it “paved the way” to the future opening of one of the worlds’ largest collections to international learning and scholarly study.
Phase Four This will be dedicated to reproducing these rare manuscripts, in concert with the Vatican Library, so that the every day person, libraries and schools may one day access these treasures. PTWF has also instituted the digitization project to preserve the manuscripts of the Franciscan Custody in the Holy Land. Through PTWF, there are now over 8,000 images of manuscripts that are preserved forever. Copies of these priceless images will be preserved at the Vatican Library, the Franciscan Custody in Israel and in Washington, DC. The George S. Blumenthal Foundation, which donated these services through PTWF, will be creating a website for the Franciscan Custody where these manuscripts can be viewed online for world wide learning.
