INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

E-Bulletin # 15

In this E-bulletin:

- Announcement of the 2010 ICCJ conference in Istanbul: June 20 – June 23

- Report on the ICCJ Seminar: From two narratives to one culture of Peace

- Board meeting in Istanbul

- Regional and national conferences 2009 and 2010

- Upcoming events

ICCJ, the International Council of Christians and Jews:

a global network that

• builds Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Christian-Muslim 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.

Istanbul conference: Children of Abraham - Bridging the divides

The 2010 ICCJ conference will take place in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul. For the first time in its history ICCJ will gather in a country with a vast Muslim majority. The beautiful city of Istanbul however stands for a long history of all three so called Abrahamic religions. Located in Europe and Asia the city is considered a “cultural bridge”. Besides being the home of a Jewish community for centuries, since biblical times Istanbul has been one of the founding Patriarchates of the Christian Church. Standing in front of the Hagia Sophia we are standing in front of a millennium gone by during which faith communities were split up and religions, all more or less cherishing Abraham as a common ancestor, fought against each other. Where else than to Istanbul should we go to revitalise the trilateral dialogue work of the ICCJ!

At the time this E-bulletin is published a lot of work still has to be done. One of the many hotels in Istanbul will be chosen as our conference venue. Negotiations are in progress. Main difference with preceding conferences will be the direct booking of the rooms by the conference participants. This will give each participant the opportunity to book the hotel room e.g. for a pre- or post conference stay in Istanbul. ICCJ will make sure there are sufficient rooms available. Details will follow as soon as possible.

The program of the conference will be coordinated with many institutions and individuals in Istanbul. ICCJ is –among others- in contact with members of the Theological Faculties in Istanbul, the Jewish community, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, all of which welcome very much the idea of ICCJ having its 2010 conference in Istanbul. As usual during ICCJ conferences and apart from the official opening and closing sessions, we will offer the conference participants a wide range of plenary sessions and workshops, some of which will be held ‘on the spot’, as we are visiting places of interest in Istanbul. And of course a small cultural program will also be part of the program. Those who participated at the Berlin conference will remember the beautiful boat ride on the river Spree. A ride on the Bosporus certainly is charming as well.

Please mark down the dates of the Istanbul conference in your agenda: Opening dinner on Sunday, June 20, closing session on Wednesday evening, June 23. The ICCJ Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday June 24, 09.00 hrs. We will inform you in due time re the registration for the conference and the booking of the conference hotel.

ICCJ seminar: From two narratives to one culture of Peace.

Ten participants from Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA aged between 33 and 85, under the inspired leadership of Debbie Weissman and with expert guides, theologians and historians, joined in meeting with individuals and institutions, Arab and Jewish Israeli as well as Christian to listen to diverse voices, witnesses of diverse experiences and perceptions basic to the conflict in that small and beautiful country.

They stayed with Arab hosts in Abu Gosh near Jerusalem, with Christians in their Kibbutz Nes Ammim in the north only a few miles away from the Lebanese border and with Jewish families in Jerusalem.

From the beautiful grandeur of Jerusalem to the vineyards and hills of the Galilee the group encountered past and present history and religious traditions at every step.

Board meeting in Istanbul

Preparing the 2010 conference the ICCJ Executive Board will convene in Istanbul from Sunday January 10 till Wednesday January 13. Apart from a telephone call in the fall, the Executive Board meets twice a year, once during the annual conference and once during the beginning of the year. Last year the spring meeting took place in Jerusalem and now the Board meets in Istanbul, in an effort to strengthen the ties between the Board and specific ICCJ projects.

Regional and national conferences 2009 and 2010

Netherlands
On Monday, November 16 the Dutch CCJ held its annual conference in the Jewish Cultural Centre of Amsterdam. Theme: From Seelisberg to Berlin. Speakers were Professor Judith Frishman from Leiden University and ICCJ General Secretary Rev. Dick Pruiksma. In the morning session the Berlin document ‘A Time for Recommitment’ was presented to the leaders of the Jewish and Christian communities, working together in OJEC, the Dutch CCJ. In the afternoon the Twelve Points of Berlin were introduced to a wider audience.

Latin America
As a follow up to the Berlin conference, a regional conference of Latin American countries was held in Montevideo, Uruguay from December 6-8. A report by Pastor Armin Ihle of the Uruguayan ICCJ member organisation will follow.

Italy
During the first weekend of December the Italian groups gatherered in Camaldoli, east of Florence. Part of their program is the new ICCJ Berlin document.

We at the ICCJ office in the Martin Buber House know that many of our member organisations are planning conferences and meetings on our new document and the Twelve Points of Berlin and we cordially invite all hosts to send us a report about their activities: info@iccj-buberhouse.de.

Upcoming events

January 10-13, 2010 Executive Board meeting in Istanbul.
June 20-23, 2010 ICCJ conference Istanbul.
June 24, 2010 Annual General Meeting.