The Birmingham Jewish Federation announced Tuesday that it would assemble a delegation of Jews and Christians that would try to meet with the governor "as soon as possible to initiate a dialogue."
Friedman, the longtime head of the federation, said the Jewish community was generally comfortable in the Southern state but that such things happen from time to time, things he characterized as "only in Alabama" moments.
"These folks typically don't mean any harm at all," Friedman said. "It never occurs to them that they're saying anything that would make others uncomfortable. They're simply motivated by their passion for their own religious faith."
Tenzen Deshek, a lama at the Losel Maitri Tibetan Buddhist Center in Birmingham, gave a good-natured chuckle Tuesday when asked whether he took offense at the comments. "You know," Deshek said, "although he's the governor, he can't change people's minds."
