Dr. David L. Coppola, Associate Executive Director of the CCJU and Rabbi Elliot Dorff author and distinguished professor of Philosophy at the University of Judaism, present at the 2006 Colleagues in Dialogue Conference in New York City.



Rabbi Dorff continued, “Each tradition has made choices along the way and they are not obvious because others thought other choices were obvious. We all have things to learn from other people. . . . It is the way you keep in touch with your convictions. I wrote this book to help illuminate ways to fix the world's poor and homeless but also to offer ways to begin fixing our own homes and families. If we first fix our homes, then together we can help to fix others. . . and that includes the challenges associated with marriages and parenting. Marriage is not simply doing what comes naturally. It is a new phenomenon and requires new skills, and so does parenting, and so is taking care of our parents.”

Rabbi Dorff then led the participants through an exercise to identify so called common sense reasons not to be concerned for the poor. After numerous reasons were listed he said, “As we can see, one does not need an argument to breath, but we do need a rationale to give to the poor. It takes choices and moral convictions and the duties in relationships that are based on the depth of those relationships.” He then proceeded to discuss the reasons why Jews and Christians should help those in need. He noted, “there are moral duties that people impose on us simply by meeting us. These are the requirements of communal living and human compassion.” Rabbi Dorff cited other reasons to help those in need such as: God's command to care for the poor and needy (Deuteronomy 15); God's sovereignty (Leviticus 25); the dignity of God's creatures, especially humans created in the Divine image (Deuteronomy 24); God's covenant (Deuteronomy 10); and helping others as a legitimate path for those who aspire to holiness or doing good (Leviticus 19). Rabbi Dorff also discussed the challenges of individuals and organizations responsible for distributing charity as well as the responsibilities of the poor to participate in breaking the cycle of poverty.

Rabbi Dorff concluded by fielding questions and comments from the participants and encouraged them to pursue their questions in dialogue with one another.

Another highlight of the Colleagues in Dialogue conference was a panel presentation by three of the participants describing some of their experiences in interreligious dialogue in their congregations. Rev. Ty Hullinger from the Church of the Resurrection, Ellicott City, Maryland, described the ways in which his parish has introduced the teachings of Nostra Aetate especially during Holy Week. One such example was reading a statement before the liturgy began reiterating the Church's teaching. Another was in a homily where he said, “If you were a Jew, would you feel comfortable?. . . I'm not a Jew and I feel uncomfortable.” He said, “Sometimes the message of Nostra Aetate has not been well-received, but preaching the Just Word requires that of each of us.”

Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro, Rev. Ty Hullinger, and Rev. Tomi Jacobs participated in a panel discussion at the CCJU 2006 Colleagues in Dialogue Conference held at Union Theological, New York City.

Father Hullinger also related that he has benefited from interreligious dialogue between some clergy and even in his own family. He said, “Members of my family live in interfaith marriages and I see them as blessings, each strengthening and challenging the other in his or her faith.”

Rev. Tomi Jacobs served at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Gloversville, New York, described some of the programs and interfaith services she has been involved in planning, especially one where her community produced a play of the Holocaust for children, based on a book by Eva Schloss, Eva's Story. She said, “There are good people everywhere and it takes time to build real collegial relationships among the clergy. Sometimes I had to do a lot of the work, but after the first year I was encouraged by so many others who were interested in this work. The irony—and opportunity—is that sometimes the church gets along better with the synagogue than other Christian churches.”

Kerith Spencer-Shapiro, Cantor at Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia, New Jersey, described her pastoral visits, witnessing marriages, and involvement with their religious school as very fulfilling. “A natural extension of that work is the clergy meetings, which are wonderful,” she said. “In the beginning I just showed up and listened. I learned from them and built up trust.”

She also related that two synagogues in town have sponsored a Yom Ha Shoah program and invited members from each of the religious traditions. The 7^th graders lead the service. Also in her community is an interfaith youth group that rotates on a monthly basis and goes to each congregation and leads a service at the host faith community. Leonia Interfaith Youth Group (formerly the Leonia Ecumenical Youth Group) opens up opportunities for teens to dialogue and experience each other on a different level from school. In particular, Cantor Spencer-Shapiro suggested that music was a very effective way to bridge boundaries. She said, “It is not difficult to listen to music together, especially if it is difficult or not possible to pray together.”

Much conversation followed about the ways for people to collaborate and be together and celebrate their common life in the community. Also discussed were the distinctions between what is meant by “ecumenical” and “inter-religious,” the responsibilities of being a rabbi versus a priest or minister, the differences in understanding between Jews and Christians over the meaning of the word, “prophetic,” and the perspectives of those present on the emotional resonances of spirituality.            

One participant, Rabbi Bryan Bramly, Temple Beth Sholom, Stratford, Connecticut, spoke of the success of an interfaith coffee house that is sponsored by different houses of worship in Stratford. He said, “Religious leaders need to meet young people where they are at. If we can support these efforts, then we can move mountains.”

Another participant, Rabbi Jeremy Schneider said, “Being with others who were non-Jewish has helped me to understand and live out my Jewish identity with more fidelity and intentionality. I look forward to continuing that for myself and my congregation”

Rabbi Jeremy Schneider

The Colleagues in Dialogue Conference also included discussions with Rabbi Joseph H. Ehrenkranz and Dr. David L. Coppola, directors of the CCJU; a tour of the historical Jewish section of the lower east side of Manhattan, and a musical performance at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, “The Light in the Piazza” at Lincoln Center.

Colleagues in Dialogue will reconvene in 2007.