Bishop to head Jewish-Catholic dialogue on March 18 at Beth Emeth

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, leader of the Diocese of Albany and the Vatican Consultor for Religious Relations with Jews, will take part in the “Relations with Worldwide Jewry” event on Wednesday, March 18, at Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany from noon-1:30 p.m. This Jewish/Catholic dialogue is a ‘lunch-and-learn event;’ bring lunch and a drink, Beth Emeth will provide the dessert, while Bishop Scharfenberger discusses his encounters with world Jewry.

Anti-Semitism has been on the rise for the past year in the United States and on Feb. 23, the Jewish Community Center in Albany was evacuated after it received a bomb threat via email. On Feb. 27, Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched the “No Hate in Our State: campaign to fight anti-Semitism. The series of proposals in the state budget would include, “passing a first-in-the-nation domestic terrorism law, investing $25 million for religious not-for-profit organizations vulnerable to hate crimes, creating an education curriculum on diversity and tolerance for students in New York and investing $2 million to support the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force,” according the governor’s website.

The event is free and open to the public and sponsored by the Commission for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Affairs of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, the Jewish/Roman Catholic Dialogue Committee, Jewish Federation of NENY and Congregation Beth Emeth.