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 being 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 language: 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".
