How did Pope John Paul II seek better relations with Jewish people?

Pope John Paul II actively sought to heal the historical rift between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish people, consistently referring to Jews as "our elder brothers in faith."1

His efforts included:

• Symbolic Gestures: In 1986, he became the first modern pope to enter a synagogue, where he embraced the chief rabbi of Rome. In 2000, he visited Yad Vashem and prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, leaving a written prayer for forgiveness and brotherhood.1
• Moral Condemnation: He formally declared antisemitism a sin against God and humanity and championed a general apology for the historical sins committed by Catholics against Jews.1
• Diplomatic and Institutional Action: He pushed for the Vatican to recognize the State of Israel in 1993 and oversaw the publication of We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah (1998), which examined Catholic contributions to anti-Jewish prejudice.1

While some initiatives, such as the canonization of Edith Stein, were met with criticism, his papacy marked a fundamental shift toward reconciliation and the rejection of historical violence.1