Catholics, Jews mark 20 years of continuing dialogue

A commitment to furthering friendship and interfaith ties between Catholics and Jews was the common goal as members of both faiths gathered for "Looking Back, Marching Forward," an April 9 program commemorating the 20th anniversary of "From Fear to Friendship," an interfaith service held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany.

On Palm Sunday in 1986, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard apologized to Jews on behalf of the Catholic Church for centuries of anti-Semitism and called for reconciliation between the faiths.

The anniversary event, held at Congregation Ohav Shalom in Albany, included remarks from Bishop Howard J. Hubbard (see page 11).

'Portal' walk

After the talks, participants went to the Cathedral, where they walked hand-in-hand through "Portal," a sculpture commemorating the 1986 event. The walk was a sign of their commitment to continued dialogue.

Rev. James Kane, director of the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the Diocese, said that "one generation will not atone for centuries of mistrust, but it is a good start. And there's no turning back."

"Living-room dialogues" between Catholics and Jews, which began 30 years ago, were cited by many of the speakers at the commemoration as being the genesis of "From Fear to Friendship" and the spark for the Capital District's being one of the areas with the strongest interfaith ties, said Julia Helfman, a member of Ohav Shalom.

Two decades

"We felt this day deserved commemoration and celebration," said Ms. Helfman. "It's about understanding, and, through understanding, reaching respect -- with a capital R."

Twenty years of dialogue have been "about recognizing many ways of knowing God. It's never about conversion," said Kathleen Duff, who is campus minister at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady.

She and Ms. Helfman are co-chairwomen of the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue Committee.

'Profound effect'

Robert Ludwig, chair of the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, attended the Cathedral event in 1986 and heard the Bishop's apology for anti-Semitism.

Since then, he said, he has seen that event "have a profound effect on Catholic churches around the world.

"This was an extraordinary event. It took a lot of courage for the Bishop to step forward and say what he did, and his remarks were deeply appreciated by the Jewish community. We have beautiful relations between our two communities, and we are very grateful."

Sensitive issues

Debra and Neal Silverman come from an interfaith background: He is a Messianic Jew, and she a Christian.

Christian-Jewish relations are a "sensitive spot" for her husband, she said, because "his father lost his whole family in the Holocaust." Recent emigres to the Albany area, the couple hadn't heard about the 1986 event until recently and wanted to know more.

"This is great for me, because I love to see the two faiths come together," Mr. Silverman said. "We feel like God has woven the Christian faith and the Jewish faith together, and that part of the journey of our two faiths is reconciliation. We want to be part of something that we really believe."

Leadership

Bob Herman, who attends Temple Beth Emeth in Albany, came to the anniversary event because "I have many Catholic friends. We get along so well personally; we should get along institutionally.

"It is a matter of leadership; and while the importance of interfaith relations has to come from the people, it must begin with leadership.

"Christian/Jewish relations have improved enormously, and this improvement has to extend to different groups. The future depends on understanding each other."

Acceptance

Mary Neylan, a parishioner at the Cathedral, was walking to Mass on Palm Sunday 1986 when she saw people "pouring" out of the church doors. She was curious about what had happened, and a friend, Rosemary Roesch, put her in touch with someone who had been there.

"It had so touched him and impressed him that I had to make sure I came this time," Ms. Neylan said. "I couldn't miss this one."

Ms. Roesch, a parishioner of St. Teresa of Avila Church, agreed, noting: "It is important for people to have a general acceptance for all religions. There shouldn't be religious demarcations; we should all accept each other."

'Friendship'

Joan Dunham, a member of St. Madeleine Sophie parish in Guilderland and a longtime participant in Jewish/Catholic dialogue, spoke at Ohav Shalom to express her hope that younger members of the community will get involved in efforts to bring the two faiths together.

"After 20 years, we don't want this to die out," she said. "That trust is there, and we don't want to lose it. There are many more places to go, and many more places to walk."

Kitt Jackson, administrative director for the Capital Area Council of Churches, came to the event alone but was "touched" when a Jewish attendee in a similar situation took her hand to walk through the sculpture.

"We are all part of the same family," Ms. Jackson said. "I felt that I had to walk with everyone else, or I didn't do what I came to do. I had to come finish it."

'Pursuit of peace'

Lenora Pfeffer, a cantor at Ohav Shalom, attended due to her "commitment to the pursuit of peace."

She went to a Catholic high school and has been involved in interfaith dialogue since then. "It's really about what we have in common, making room for everyone to be exactly who they are," she explained.

Anna Marie Lawler, a Cathedral parishioner, attended because she wanted "to commemorate our togetherness and how much we have in common. It is very important to me that we acknowledge and recognize our roots with the Jewish people."

Kathleen Valenti, a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany, believes that "it is important to know that, while we have different rituals and beliefs, we are of the same God. I believe it's happening within our own community today."

More to do

Some attendees said that there's still a long way to go in cementing interfaith relations.

Ms. Helfman counseled future dialogues to "remember the steps that went behind you, as you step forward, and the things that led you to this point. You can't do this in a vacuum."

"All those who were there [in 1986] had the feeling that something unique had happened. We knew we had been changed. We knew that our tomorrows could be changed," said Rabbi Bernard Bloom, who walked through "Portal" with the Bishop. "We need to have the next generation come and continue the work. 'From Fear to Friendship' isn't a 500-yard dash; it's a relay race. We need to keep passing the baton."

'Unique relationship'

Frank Pell, chairman of the diocesan Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, attended "From Fear to Friendship" 20 years ago.

"As a Catholic, I don't think I'll fully appreciate how much the original ceremony meant to the Jews," he admitted. "It made such an impact.

"I take a great sense of pride in knowing that this is a unique relationship. [The dialogue committee members] are people to be admired; they've worked so diligently, and the fruits of that work are days like today."

(4/13/06) [[In-content Ad]]