” “"The Jewish people have never stopped believing, not even when they were left to themselves. This is where we got our strength from during the persecutions. Pope Benedict, your visit is the first step in the journey towards the spiritual construction of the third temple of Jerusalem that can be built when there is peace amongst all peoples". With these words the rabbi Netanel Teitelbaum greeted Benedict XVI who came to visit the Synagogue of Cologne. "Your visit he said is an active sign against the Christian anti-Semitism of the past and shows everyone how you see the Catholic Church in the relationship. Your visit is of great importance". "In Judaism the rabbi recalled there are five pillars of peace: faith in the One and Almighty God; remembering the past when building the future on the past is the second pillar; the third is that of doing good deeds; prayer is the fourth and today we will be praying for peace; the fifth pillar is the call for peace, and freedom which is having the chance to decide. True peace in the world is the peace that is accepted by all parties in an equal manner". "If we take the 5 pillars the rabbi added they turn into a hand which, albeit having five fingers is nevertheless one entity, the hand of the Jewish people. I give you this hand as a symbol of the peace of the Jewish people and as symbol of peace for all the peoples of the world. Please allow me to conclude with a Yiddish phrase in Hebrew and German: May an abundant peace and happy life descend from Heaven and may He who lets it descend grant it to all of us and to the people of Israel".
