June 2-4, 2003

“Recent Progress in Christian-Jewish Understanding”

The Seminarians Institute, hosted by the Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding (CCJU), entered its fourth year in 2003. The purpose of the Institute is to introduce future religious leaders to the growing interfaith dialogue between Christianity and Judaism and to foster continued sharing of religious traditions with one another in a spirit of friendship. Twenty-four students convened at Sacred Heart University on Monday, June 2, for the three-day event. The participants were provided with lodging at Sacred Heart's East Hall residence building and shared kosher meals throughout the event.

Participants attending the Institute came from the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City (Daniella Kolodny, Ethan Linden, Susan Tendler); Pontifical North American College, Vatican City State (Michael Deascanis); Pope John XXIII National Seminary, Weston, Massachusetts (Leonard Montoya); Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Wyncote, Pennslyvania (Alex Lazarus, Hugh Seid Valencia); Sacred Heart School of Theology, Hales Corners, Wisconsin (Augustine Carrillo, Lewis Eberhart, Thomas Mescall); Saint Francis Seminary, Saint Francis, Wisconsin (Peter Berger, Jason Lavann); Saint Mary's Seminary & University, Baltimore, Maryland (Peter J. Clarke, Ty Hullinger, Timothy Kuhneman, Thomas Shane Mathew); Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington, New York (Kevin Abels, Josephjude Gannon); Union Theological Seminary, New York City (Kellyann Falkenberg); University of Judaism, Los Angeles, California (Alan Abrams, Risa Weinstein); and Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut (Michael Peppard, John Whitley).

Day I
After an introductory session and meal, the participants attended a presentation by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, president of CHAverlim kol yisrael/Jewish Life Network, New York. Rabbi Greenberg has been the keynote speaker for each of the four Institutes. He spoke about three stories of creation, covenant and redemption that Judaism and Christianity share: God brings order out of chaos and humans are created in God's image; God invites humans to embark on a journey “from non-life to life” into covenant; and God invites humanity to be partners and collaborators to help bring an end to war, famine and worldly discord. These stories all point to the “Triumph of Life.” To recognize these movements of the divine in all human beings is an essential step toward the fulfillment of our covenants with God. Interreligious dialogue is thus indispensable for its contributions to peace and human understanding, according to Rabbi Greenberg.

The message that Christianity and Judaism are called to bring to the world is the Triumph of Life, and we must work together all the more diligently because this “will not come by a miracle.” Neither can secular utopianism succeed, Rabbi Greenberg said, for it is not oriented toward God. Nor will the Triumph of Life come about “by escape to nirvana or enlightenment.” Our partnership with God must create partnerships among one another. When the nations unite in peace, we will know redemption.

Day II 
Rabbi Joseph H. Ehrenkranz, executive director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding, conducted a morning session on the history of Jewish Christian relations. He focused on the difficult past that Jews and Christians have lived and died through. “This heartbreaking past makes the advances of the past forty years almost unbelievable to Jews,” Rabbi Ehrenkranz said. “However, I believe that the advances we have made will shape the way Jews and Christians relate to one another for at least the next century.”

The afternoon session was facilitated by Judith H. Banki, Director of Special Programs at the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, New York. Her presentation, “Landmarks and Landmines in Jewish-Christian Relations,” examined several positive changes implemented in Christian catechesis and liturgy since the Second Vatican Council (“landmarks”). She said, however, that she was under no illusions: “Official repudiations by Nostra Aetate of the teaching of contempt by no means erased its vestiges in the clergy or in the laity. Many more years of joint study and working together are the only guarantees to authentic relationships and teaching about each other.” Some landmines included ignorance, fear, violent texts, religious extremism resulting in terrorism, the relationship of Christians and Jews to the State of Israel, and the actions or inactions of Pope Pius XII.

Later in the afternoon, the students visited the Cathedral of Saint Augustine in Bridgeport where the pastor, Monsignor Kevin Wallin, gave a presentation on Church architecture and the symbols of liturgy found in the church. Afterwards, the group intended to visit with Rabbi Leon Waldman at Congregation Beth El, Fairfield, but unfortunately, the bus would not restart. The participants made the most of the time and after several hours, returned to the University. Many participants later commented that ironically, the time spent waiting for another bus was some of the best dialogue of the Institute.

The evening session of the Institute was a Scripture workshop led by Dr. David Coppola, director of programs and publications for the CCJU. The students gathered into groups, were given passages from the Hebrew Scriptures followed by those from the Christian New Testament, and shared with each other their interpretations. As an example, Psalm 23, which begins: “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want,” initiated a discussion of the different Jewish and Christian perspectives on prayer and supplication, suffering, providence, and several other topics inspired by the rich text. The participants soon discovered that the others' reading of the texts were very different from their own. One astonished Jewish student quipped that in almost every passage of the Hebrew Scriptures, a Catholic seminarian could probably find an allusion to the Eucharist. The lighthearted comment indicated the true fruits of the workshop: every student was surprised in some way by the unique and complex interpretations of Scripture in the other, and the encounter brought about an enrichment of his or her own understandings. Although the Scripture session ended around ten o'clock, many of the students continued long into the night.

Day III
The third day's activities began with a review of the Institute and the implications the participants saw for their ministries. This discussion focused on the place of prayer and liturgy and remaining faithful to one's tradition while also working together for social justice. Materials from the CCJU conference, “What Do We Want the Other to Teach About Our Prayer and Liturgy” (Rome, March 13-15, 2002) were distributed and proved to be helpful starting points for discussion. 

Later that morning, Cardinal William Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore, arrived to give the final presentation of the Institute. Cardinal Keeler spoke about his many years of experience in Christian-Jewish dialogue and told the students that the commitment of the Catholic Church to friendship with Jews would continue regardless of who the next popes may be because “its teachings are now present at all levels.” In the presentation, the participants heard an inside view of many important events in Catholic-Jewish relations in recent history from someone who had played a key role at the national and international levels. Cardinal Keeler stressed the need to tell others about the principles of Nostra Aetate and the subsequent statements (1974 Notes, 1985 Guidelines, and 1998 We Remember) and their implications for building a world of understanding together. He said that the relationship of the Catholic Church to Jews "transcends our understanding, but we are now trying to explicate it." The students enjoyed a question and answer session with the cardinal and many engaged him in one-on-one conversations after the session concluded.

At the final luncheon of the Institute, the students were joined by members of the CCJU Board of Directors who listened as many of the seminarians and rabbinical students shared their experiences of the Institute. One Christian participant said that he was surprised that the program offered such authentic dialogue. He said, “This conference has been extraordinarily formative for me. I leave with a deeper journey into questions, both old and new, as well as a deeper experience of God. The world is better because these seminarians and rabbinical students are willing to be open with each other.” Another Jewish participant agreed, “It was a great opportunity to learn about the passions of other people who are studying to be religious leaders. It was also wonderful to learn and question about the history and future path of Christian-Jewish dialogue.”

All the participants said that the personal discussions that followed each presentation were valuable. A Christian student put it this way: “The best parts were when we had a chance to discuss things in small groups, whether as we waited for the bus or the joint text study. I enjoyed meeting rabbinical students my age who were open to talking and learning.” A Jewish student agreed, “As a Jew, I felt I learned the most about Christianity during the joint text study. It really opened my eyes to how Christians understand the Bible, how future priests hope to use the Book as a tool for teaching, and how the passages that mean one thing to me can also have a completely different, but just as meaningful spiritual understanding for someone of a different faith.”

A Jewish seminarian summed the conference up by saying, “This conference was invaluable in answering many of my questions about Christianity and being able to meet my future colleagues. I will definitely make Jewish-Christian dialogue a centerpiece of my rabbinate. This conference gave me many ideas on how to facilitate dialogue in the future.” Another student concurred, “I loved it, from beginning to end and I believe it helped me become a better Christian.”

The next Institute is scheduled for June 7-9, 2004, at Sacred Heart University. For more information or to register, please contact Dr. David Coppola at 203-365-7592 or email him at coppolad@sacredheart.edu.

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