U.S. Sen Rick Santorum (R-Penn.) says that the actions of U.S. military forces after World War II to help Jews in Munich obtain the Talmud exemplifies the cooperative spirit that should exist between religion and government.

"This country has a history of encouraging faith," Santorum said in Senate floor remarks Jan. 31 to comment on the recent commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

"In 1948, as the Jewish community in Munich was still rebuilding after the end of World War II, local rabbis asked the United States Armed Forces for assistance in obtaining copies of the Talmud," he said. 

"The Nazis had tried to destroy all the copies of the Talmud during World War II and only a precious few were left to study. When requested by the local rabbis, the United States Armed Forces responded, and helped to publish 19 volumes of the Talmud for the use of the community, recognizing the great importance of the Talmud to rebuilding the displaced Jewish community in that region. The title page of the first volume of that new Talmud edition stated that it was published 'with the aid of the American Military Command and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Germany.' It was dedicated to the 'United States Army,' which provided the opportunity and the means for its publication." 

"In this example," Santorum said, "the United States Army reached out to help displaced persons, who had faced such terrible struggles to survive, to rebuild the community in that land, and it did so by encouraging their faith. In like manner, we should encourage people to live out their faith, for it is faith that teaches us to respect the lives of those around us, to love our neighbors, and to care for one another. 

"True religious freedom and pluralism does not mean that we will agree with our neighbor on our 
faith beliefs, but it does mean that we will fight for the right of our neighbor to freely believe 
what he or she thinks best," Santorum added. 

"Banishing religion from the public square will not result in respect for all but, rather, respect for a few. Ensuring that everyone is free to practice one's faith in one's own way is the correct way to build a culture that is respectful of differences and mindful of the needs of others. It is the way to ensure that Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and the other death camps are never repeated in other areas of the world."                                           —Donald H. Harrison