World Society President Meets Pope Benedykt XVI

- during the Pope's visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp

During the visit of Pope Benedykt XVI to Auschwitz-Birkenau on 28th May 2006, the President of The World Society of Częstochowa Jews and Their Descendants, Sigmund Rolat, was among those privileged enough to meet him.

Sigmund presented the Pope with a copy of the Album of our Exhibition, “The Jews of Częstochowa”.

The Pope was particularly moved by the inscription Sigmund had written inside the Album – a fragment of Psalm 133: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity”.

This inscription connected directly with the words of the Pope’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II, when he referred to the Jews as his “elder brothers in faith”

 

This is how the
Częstochowa edition of
“Gazeta Wyborcza”
covered Sigmund’s meeting
with the Pope.

Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Shudrich, meets the Pope. Israeli Ambassador to Poland, David Peleg z”l, is second from the left.
Pope Benedykt XVI reads the inscriptions on each of the memorial plaques.
Pope Benedykt XVI addresses those gathered and the world on the occasion of this historic visit.

The World Society gratefully acknowledges “Gazeta Wyborcza” for the use of its material
and also Zbigniew Burda for all other photographs which appear on this page.