Friday 8 June 2012

On Religious Freedom and Solidarity with other Faiths

Guest Blogger: Rabbi Phil Lefkowitz

Rabbi Lefkowitz's comments regarding the upcoming national rallies on Friday for religious freedom printed in the June 3rd edition of the National Catholic Register -

"At Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago, Rabbi Philip Lefkowitz of Agudas Achim North Shore Congregation will share the podium with Catholics and Protestants and a Muslim attorney with the Becket Fund for Religious Freedom, another partner in the umbrella of organizations supporting the rallies.

"Religious freedom for Jews is a very sacred thing," said Rabbi Lefkowitz, "and we don't want to see encroachment by the government upon the religious community. I'm honored to be asked to speak."

He noted that many conservative and Orthodox Jewish organizations, such as the Rabbinical Council of America, are "wholeheartedly supporting the Catholic Church's courageous stand" for religious liberty and against the HHS mandate. But he is concerned about this being seen as a Catholic issue when it is an "issue for every religious person."

"The idea that the Church, the collective religious community, must constantly be on the defense is quite obvious today," said Rabbi Lefkowitz, founding chairman of the Legislative Commission of the Chicago Rabbinical Council. "There is a war on religion, and if you add to it the fact that America is no longer a Judeo-Christian society, we've got a very difficult situation to contend with. But we have to draw the line and make sure everyone understands that the separation of church and state means protecting the church from the state, not the other way around, or else it'll be an absolute calamity."

Phil Lefkowitz

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Rallying Cry for Religious Freedom Goes Out This Friday | Daily News | NCRegister.com

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/rallying-cry-for-religious-freedom-goes-out-this-friday/

Shalom and Regards,
RRW

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