For the first time ever, Vatican Radio is producing a webpage in Hebrew with up-to-date
information about the ongoing Special Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. The work
of Hana Bendcowsky - who is responsible for that webpage - is to make quite sure "that
the Israeli public" be correctly and well-informed about Synod proceedings and the
message of the Bishops with no margin for misunderstandings and controversy. Hana,
who is a Jewish expert on early church history and Programme Director of the Jerusalem
Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, explains that only a person who fully understands
both the Christian and Jewish histories, points of view, and terminologies can properly
translate, not just the words, but the real, intended meanings behind the text. In
a chat with Linda Bordoni, she introduces herself, speaks of her passion for early
Church history. The choice of having been invited to take on this responsibility,
Hana says, "is also connected to the fact that things that happened in the Vatican,
in the Catholic Church, and reported maybe not in the right way to the Israeli public
by the media, were misinterpreted by Israelis. And as relations between the Jews and
Christians - especially the Catholics - are so sensitive .... I think it is important
for the Church that this time the reports be absolutely right, that they come from
the Church in Hebrew, without misunderstandings and misinterpretation of the events".
She points out that her intervention is not linguistic but cultural "because the language
of the Catholic Church and the terminology of the Catholic Church have to be transformed
into - not only the Hebrew language - but the Israeli way of thinking". "It's the
first step" Hana points out "to create understanding between the Catholic Church and
the Israelis". Hana - who sits in at all the Synod sessions - describes the experience
as "fascinating, because to listen to Bishops from countries that she would normally
never be in contact with, like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon... means learning a lot about
the Catholic Church and the different issues they face". Hana also explained that
after having listened to the Synod Fathers she writes up her reports in Hebrew, and
they find their place on Vatican Radio's special Synod website "that contains 6 languages:
the four official languages of the Synod plus Armenian and Hebrew". Hana reveals that
the Israeli press is not very interested in the Synod, however a leading newspaper
has discovered the website and reported on it. Hana concludes with a consideration
about the message "it's a very strong message to the Israeli audience and I hope the
Israelis will understand and accept the message" "That would be my mission to use
this message and repeat it, to tell the Israelis: we want you to be closer to the
Church - not to evangelise you - just to let you know that we care about you as an
elder sister religion".