Dear Rabbi
Daniel Eidensohn,
Shalom.
We would
like to present the following situation.
1 –
Ecumenism is being used by Shavei Israel as a weapon in favour of its
proselytizing objectives.
2 – In
February, Michael Freund intends to go to London with priest Agostinho Jardim
Moreira to speak with "great rabbis", including the
Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. Having no credibility whatsoever amongst Jewish religious circles, Freund
will face difficulty in talking to them. However, if he asks us, we ourselves
will request those meetings for him.
3 – What
does Freund want to speak about with "great rabbis"? Ask if the
proselytism is allowed? Ask if the conversions of false Marranos he supported
in Portugal are valid? Ask whether the falsification of news and documents is
acceptable? NO. He just wants to go to London and abstractly speak of
"ecumenism and interreligious dialogue", but in our opinion this is
nothing bet a trap for the unwary rabbis who have the misfortune of receiving
him, because, in the following days, false news will be published on the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, on the Arutz Sheva, etc., saying "Great London rabbis
support the priest’s project", "The Jewish Community of Oporto is
isolated", etc.
4 – The
Jewish Community of Oporto is not against ecumenism, but rather against Shavei
Israel proselytism and against the projects of this organization in Oporto. This organization was expelled from our community by Jews who have lived in Oporto for over 50 years
and by a Religious Committee of shomer mitzvot
Jews. Now it is again seeking to have headquarters in this
city for its proselytizing activities, joining
the Priest's project.
5 – The
Shavei Israel proselytizing philosophy is subversive both to Judaism and to
Christianity because there would be no Christians left in Portugal if Shavei
Israel converted all Jews’ descendants in the country. Scholars believe that
almost all Portuguese citizens are descendants of
Jews.
6 – The trip
to London is a continuation of a move that Freund tried in Oporto a few weeks
ago, to break, by force, the resistance of the Jewish Community of Oporto to
the project of a Jewish Memory Interpretation Centre run by a priest and Shavei
Israel. Shavei Israel led the priest to arrange an "Interreligious
meeting" in order to make the public presentation of the project and the
meeting was scheduled for January 14, 2014, with the convening of the
Portuguese press and other Jewish communities from Portugal, fact that was
immediately reported in the newspapers. Of course the Jewish communities were
invited to the "Interreligious meeting" without knowing that the
Jewish Community of Oporto opposed the Interpretation Centre project, that is
to say, they were deceived and instrumentalized to unwittingly play the role
opposing the Jewish Community of Oporto.
7 – It
seemed impossible to stop Shavei Israel's plan, but the strong public
opposition of the Jewish Community of Oporto made the Church intervene and the
"interreligious meeting" to be cancelled. Too bad for Shavei
Israel.
8 – When
Shavei Israel saw its plan had failed, at once started pressuring the priest to
write letters to the rabbis who are friends of the Pope, complaining about the
rabbi of the Jewish Community of Oporto. The priest resisted, as he has already
understood something is not right. The priest is a victim of Shavei Israel and
he will have many difficulties in setting free in the future.
9 – The
Jewish Community of Oporto has given Shavei Israel many proofs of benevolence,
handling this issue only within the Jewish institutions. The situation will
change if Shavei Israel insists on bringing the issue in the public square. We
will have access to the foreign media we want and even if members who do not
want protagonism (because they do not like being buffoons) have to speak
publicly, they will do it in the press and wherever necessary, dismantling all
the scams and demanding legal pursuit of those who have prevaricated. One must
put an end to such huge, repeated evils.
10 – The
Shamash and security man of the Oporto Synagogue has long written the Rabbi of
Shavei Israel explaining in detail what happened with fake Marranos converted
with the support of such organization. There was obviously no response. Maybe
it will soon be necessary for us to publish these significant explanations and
other documents in the Daas Torah. It will be disappointing to unwary
benefactors who give Shavei Israel money to find “lost Jews” in Portugal.
We invite Freund, on his
journey to London, to visit the Beis Din and say what he wants. We will be there waiting for him and we will use the
opportunity to discuss the validity of many of the conversions supported by
Shavei Israel (as for as the rabbis believe that people supported
by Shavei Israel are "lost Jews", therefore the
conversions are done almost automatically), including
the conversion one of his converted rabbis, a former evangelic priest.
Rabbi Daniel Litvak
Religious Committee
Board of Directors