Page 130 - October 7 - Teresa Pirola

‘This book is a collection of writings by the author over the ten months that followed October 7... as she grappled with her Church’s reaction, sought to take responsibility for her own response to October 7, and observed the highly visible rise in antisemitism that was unfolding in her home country of Australia. They are very personal reflections, open to disagreement and dialogue. Yet, her voice is one that ought to find a considered place within a range of opinion in the Catholic community. Given the historical arc that places October 7 in the shadow of the Holocaust, the Second Vatican Council and the Church’s stated commitment to ‘Never again’, Teresa Pirola offers a voice that respectfully needs hearing.’
From the book’s foreword by Most Rev Peter A Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne
‘With passion, perception and some bewilderment, Teresa Pirola examines the Catholic Church’s largely public silence and failure to strongly and openly stand by the Australian Jewish community following the horrific events of October 7, 2023. Her writing and messages to her colleagues are those of a person with moral courage and a true guiding north star — an educator who transcends form to find the substance that makes us all human.’
Ms Jillian Segal AO, Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia
Teresa Pirola, ThD is a Sydney-based writer and faith educator who has been active in the work
of Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and lay-led movements for 40 years. She is author of Catholic- Jewish Relations: Twelve Key Themes for Teaching and Preaching (Paulist Press, 2023). She walks closely with the Jewish community and offers interfaith resources at lightoftorah.net.
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