Rabbi Joseph Potasnik speaks with Huffington Post Religion correspondent, Jaweed Kaleem, about the importance of religious expression during 9/11 anniversary activities:
“Many people would understandably prefer to see a presence of clergy, but priority must be given to families of victims — that is the overriding concern,” said Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis. “If you do include clergy, then the question becomes, ‘Which faiths should be represented, which are not represented, how does one include everyone?'”
Potasnik said that the controversy “should not overshadow all the progress and work that has been done by and among different faiths” since 9/11 and noted that other commemorative events will have clergy and prayer. These include an event organized by the New York Police Department on Sept. 8 at Lincoln Center, which will include Rabbi Alvin Kass, the chief of chaplains for the NYPD; Cardinal Edward Egan, the archbishop emeritus of New York; and Bloomberg. Representatives of the Archdiocese of New York are participating in several 9/11-related events, and the Interfaith Center of New York is also hosting many 9/11-related gatherings.”
Full text at HuffingtonPost.com.
