International Coucil of Christians and Jews

E-bulletin # 5

In this e-bulletin:

Next year in Jerusalem

Consultations in Arnoldshain and Eisenstadt

ICCJ Newsletter

Upcoming events

ICCJ, the International Council of Christians and Jews:

A global network that

• builds Jewish-Christian understanding;
• brings the religious and moral principles of these traditions to bear upon the problems of interfaith, inter-racial and international relations;
• strives to eradicate prejudice, discrimination and their consequences;
• promotes attitudes of tolerance and mutual respect.

Next year in Jerusalem

The ICCJ 2008 Jerusalem Conference 22 – 25 June a first step within a wider ICCJ project, is hosted by the ICCI’s Centre for Interreligious Encounter with Israel. Under the conference title ‘The Contribution of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Dialogue to Peace-Building in the Middle East’ there will be three keynote speakers at the opening event on Sunday 22nd June followed by dinner. Main topics will include

• The Theology of the Land,
• The influence of the Israel-Palestinian conflict on Jewish-Christian relations and
• The role of religion and religions in the conflict;
• Religion as source for reconciliation.

An innovation will be that workshops will be held in the form of study outings to themes related sites and projects including visits to the Centre for the Study of Christianity, Yad Vashem, Abu Ghosh, The Jewish, Christian and Muslim quarters of the Old City, as well as Bethlehem, the Islamic College – Baka, Neve Shalom/Wahat a Salam, the Open House in Ramle and other Ramle institutions, the Mar Elias College.and meetings with religious and political leaders.

The majority of participants will be lodged in the main conference centre, the Yehuda Guest House as well as in the Tantur Ecumenical Centre.

A pre-conference study tour on the theme: Listening to the Other’s Religious-Historical Narrative examining some of the issues of the main conference in additional depth will take place from 17 – 21 June.

A post-conference study tour on the theme Spirituality and the Holy Land of Israel taking up issues not highlighted at the main conference will take place from 27 June – 1 July

There will be a Women’s meeting preceding the main conference.

Full further details will become available in January. For additional information contact: iccj2008@icci.org.il

The ICCJ Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday 26th June.

Consultations in Arnoldshain and Eisenstadt

In the ‘ Evangelische Akademie’ of Arnoldshain (Germany) a consultation was held on the ICCJ project ‘Re-assessment of Jewish-Christian dialogue’. Members of the expert group on the subject met from November 18-20. A first outline was drafted for a new ICCJ document on the future of Jewish-Christian dialogue. This document will hopefully be published 70 years after the beginning of World War II, during the 2009 ICCJ international conference in Germany. Dr. Phil Cunningham, USA, will moderate the drafting, writing and editing process.

Soon a first publication will be posted on the internet. Those who showed their interest in this process will soon be invited to take part for the first time in the ongoing internet discussion which will result in a initial document, discussed at a conference in Fribourg, Switzerland, October 2008.

Starting on Thursday November 22 another ICCJ consultation started in Eisenstadt, Austria. Hosted by ICCJ and its Austrian member organization representatives from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Austria met. Reports were given on the situation in those countries. The report from Hungary on the growing anti-Semitism in particular drew the attention. It was decided to start an educational project, a joint venture of ICCJ member organizations in the Central and Eastern European countries. Aim of this project will be to teach the teachers in schools and religious institutions on history, religion, culture and citizenship.

ICCJ Newsletter

As in 2006 a hard copy Newsletter will be published soon. Edited by ICCJ consultant Ruth Weyl this Newsletter (German translation: Nachrichten) will provide extensive information on the 2007 Sydney conference, the preceding Women’s conference and the Yardley Hastings (UK) Youth conference. News from several ICCJ member organizations around the globe will be included.

Upcoming events

January 12-13, 2008. A small expert group will meet in Cambridge, UK, at the Centre for the studies of Jewish-Christian Relations to continue the Central and Eastern European educational project.
January 14, 2008. In cooperation with ICCJ member Three Faiths Forum, a workshop like meeting will be held in London to re-start the trilateral ICCJ Abrahamic Forum Council.
March 9-11, 2008. Meeting of the ICCJ Executive in Heppenheim, Germany, On Sunday March 9 members of the Executive Board will be guests at the Heppenheim churches.
June 22-26, 2008. Annual ICCJ Conference in Jerusalem. The programme also will include pre- and post conference study programmes under the auspices of the Interreligious Coordinating Council Israel, ICCI.
October 26-28, 2008. A conference co-hosted by the Faculty of Theology of the Fribourg University will prepare the ICCJ document on the future of Jewish-Christian dialogue to be published during the 2009 annual meeting in Germany.