Councils Proclaim Christian Leadership Week : Jewish Leaders Upset With 2 Cities

Jewish leaders expressed concern Thursday about a proclamation by the city councils of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa of Christian Leadership Week scheduled to begin next Thursday, which is Passover.

Coordinators of the event said it is only a coincidence that Christian Leadership Week starts on a Jewish holy day this year. They said they see no harm in cities recognizing a special week dedicated to Christian leaders.

“There is no city funding, and this was just a resolution recognizing the week,” said Costa Mesa Councilwoman Mayor Mary Hornbuckle. “There’s never been any controversy about this in the past.”

Jewish officials said Thursday they believe the proclamations violate the principle of separation of church and state as mandated by the U.S. Constitution.

Newport Beach Mayor Donald A. Strauss said Thursday that he regrets any hard feelings the cities’ proclamation has brought to non-Christians.

“I don’t want this kind of thing to offend people,” he said. “To my knowledge, we’ve never had any controversy about this before, but I think that in future years we should just be in favor of something like a plain ‘Leadership Week.’ ”

Rabbi Steven Schatz of Temple Isaiah in Newport Beach said, “I’m not happy with this, and that’s for sure.

“People need to make a distinction between government and private organizations. A lot of things private organizations do should not be done by government. If a private organization wanted to endorse this type of week, it would be fine. It is not good for government to do this, however.

“This kind of thing also bothers me because it tends to say to non-Christians that their government considers them as second-class citizens, and that is something that government should not do.”

Jon Marchiorlatti, chairman of 1989 Harbor Area Christian Leadership Week, said the event has been staged for the past 25 years. He said the week “basically allows businessmen, businesswomen and leaders to refocus on God and their country.”

Opposition in Irvine

The event has caused some controversy in the past, notably in Irvine, Marchiorlatti said, adding that it “was not intended to be a thorn in the side of anyone. It’s something we look forward to each year, and I have Jewish friends who have come in past years.”

Since opposition surfaced in Irvine 2 years ago, the City Council there has declined to recognize the event with a proclamation, Marchiorlatti said.

Asked if he was surprised by the controversy this year in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, Marchiorlatti said, “I expected it because we get a little bit each year, and since this week is to start on Passover, I thought we might probably get more (controversy) than usual.”

Marchiorlatti said the week always starts on a Thursday, and this year’s date was set because that was when a speaker was available. “Only later, after we had scheduled the week, did we learn it was starting on Passover.”

Jewish leaders generally said that they believe the scheduling was inadvertent. “I think it was just kind of a fluke,” said Chelle Friedman, director of community and public relations for the Jewish Federation of Orange County.

‘Don’t Think It’s Appropriate’

But Friedman added: “While the date it starts is probably a coincidence, the whole concept is blatantly insensitive. It definitely is a problem of lack of separation of church and state. And it’s something that Newport has being doing for years and years. We don’t think it’s appropriate for city government to base leadership on any particular religious framework.”

Elizabeth Gale, Orange County regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said: “Something like Christian Leadership Week sends a message of exclusion to those who are not Christian. Government leaders should try to unite, not try to divide.”

The initial event for Christian Leadership Week is the Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast next Thursday at the Red Lion Inn in Costa Mesa. On April 24, a breakfast for high school students is planned at the Balboa Bay Club. Marchiorlatti said other events will include gatherings at several homes in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa “where speakers give testimony about their relationship with Jesus Christ.”