Program to explore interfaith relations

Giving a workshop on Jewish-Christian dialogue in the Albany Diocese always pleases Sister Mary Boys, SNJM, because the Diocese's history of interfaith efforts means that interest is already high.

"We can assume there will be a number of people who have a basic familiarity" with both Judaism and Christianity, she told The Evangelist.

Still, she and a fellow presenter, Dr. Sara Lee, will start with the basics during "Learning in the Presence of the Other," Oct. 14, 1-5 p.m., at The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

Topics

The workshop, which is in memory of a Capital District couple, Howard and Bernice Kahn, will cover:

* why the relationship between Jews and Christians is especially complicated;

* why "history is always on the table" when Jews and Christians come together for dialogue;

* what issues challenge dialogue, including the Holocaust and the current state of Israel; and

* why it's important to continue dialogue between Jews and Christians regardless of challenges.

Two brief documents will be used to spark discussion: "Dabru Emet" ("Speaking Truth"), written by a team of Jewish scholars, and "A Sacred Obligation," written by an ecumenical group of Christian scholars.

Dialogue

Sister Mary pointed out that those who got involved in interfaith efforts decades ago are now aging, and successive generations may not feel there's as much need for dialogue now that anti-Semitism is not as virulent. But interfaith communication is not a luxury in modern America, Sister Mary emphasized.

"Christians can't tell the story of our faith without mentioning Judaism," she noted. "And, for a long time, we got it wrong. For Christians especially, it's an enormously important thing to quite candidly look at that history together."

The presenters, who recently co-wrote "Christians and Jews in Dialogue: Learning in the Presence of the Other," believe that learning about other faiths is best done by hearing members' lived experiences.

Sister Mary noted that some of the most powerful experiences in previous workshops occurred when participants spoke about what made their faith's holy days important to them, or how it felt to be victims of anti-Semitism.

Shared ideas

Learning about Judaism or Christianity from books is far less profound than learning together through sharing, Sister Mary said.

She expects the workshop to include some challenges, particularly in discussions on Israel.

"We [Christians] don't understand why Israel is so important to Jews," she noted. She hopes participants leave saying, "I'm not sure I agree, but I have some new perspectives."

The critical thing, she said, is to keep the discussion going: Dialogue with those of other faith "leads to greater understanding of your own faith."

(The event will include an award presented by the Capital District Board of Rabbis to Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, honoring his 40-year commitment to Jewish-Catholic dialogue. The award is a first for the board, which includes rabbis from Orthodox, Conservative and Reform congregations. Sister Mary Boys, a theology professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, is the author of several books on Judaism and Christianity. Dr. Lee is director of the school of education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles and an author/editor of several books on Judaism. For information on the workshop, call Joan Dunham, 456-4126.)

(10/04/07)