The Reverend Know-it-all frequently cites the wisdom of his friend Rabbi Philip Lefkowitz. I am honored to have had the opportunity to have a few conversations with the Rabbi and have been deeply impressed with his wisdom, humor, compassion, and the respect with which he treats all people. That respect means that he is going to tell them the truth even when that truth may make people feel uncomfortable. Part of that truth involves the reverence for life that is inherent in Orthodox Judaism, a reverence that is fully in harmony with the teachings of the Catholic Church on the issue.
For that reason, I was not surprised but very pleased to read the story from the Catholic News Service about Rachel Casey and her family. Rachel is not quite three years old and was born with Down syndrome and has various heart ailments. Her Irish Catholic family had been stationed in Israel where her father worked with United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. As the Caseys lived in an ultra-Orthodox area of Jerusalem where the United Nations is not held in high regard, they were concerned with the level of care that would be available for their daughter. In short, the level of care and acceptance far exceeded that available in their native Sligo, Ireland.
This story once again demonstrates how the least among us often serve as a catalyst for understanding between disparate groups.
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