INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

E-Bulletin # 13

In this E-bulletin:

- News about the 2009 ICCJ International conference in Berlin:A Time for Recommitment Jewish-Christian dialogue, 70 years after War and Holocaust

- November seminar: From Two Narratives to a Culture of Peace

- Conference Arad, Romania

- Visits to member organisations

- Regional conferences

- 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.

Berlin conference: A Time for Recommitment

In a few weeks the annual international ICCJ conference will be held in Berlin. Seventy years ago in this city it was decided to start a war that is known now as World War II. It was during this war that in Europe the Holocaust took place. Now ICCJ comes to Berlin to present a new document: ‘A Time for Recommitment: Building the New Relationship between Jews and Christians’ part of which are the Twelve Points of Berlin, a call to Christian and Jewish Communities worldwide. Seventy years after the beginning of War and Holocaust we are gathering in Berlin to build new relations and to accept our common commitments for the future.

The conference will start on Sunday July 5, with an opening ceremony during which the representatives of ICCJ member organisations world wide will sign the new document, accepting it as a base for further discussion and a guideline for the years to come. The key note address this evening will be given by Bishop Dr. Wolfgang Huber, Protestant Bishop of Berlin and chair of the Bishops conference of the German Protestant Church. Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, German Minister for the Interior will represent the German government.
Find the program of the conference:
http://www.iccj.org/en/pdf/PROGRAM%20BERLIN.doc
Registration is still possible at:
http://www.iccj.org/en/pdf/REGISTRATION%20FORM.doc

JOIN US IN BERLIN - IT IS TIME FOR RECOMMITMENT

November seminar: From Two Narratives to a Culture of Peace

Starting November 3 the 2009 ICCJ seminar ‘From two narratives to a culture of peace’ will be held in Jerusalem and the Galilee. This seminar is part of the ICCJ project on the impact the Middle East conflict has on interreligious dialogue. ICCJ wants to bring as many people as possible to the region to let them experience the complexity of the situation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. A special part of the program will be the stay with Arab families in Abu Gosh and Jewish families in Jerusalem. Program details will be available as soon as possible.
The program of this seminar promises to be challenging. We will be seeking a way for one culture of peace emanating from two narratives. The seminar will be led by ICCJ President Dr. Deborah Weissman.

Conference Arad, Romania

Together with representatives of ICCJ member organisations in Central and Eastern Europe and many outstanding personalities from Romania, ICCJ President Dr. Deborah Weissman and ICCJ General Secretary Rev. Dick Pruiksma took part in an excellent conference in Arad, Romania. Initiated by our Austrian member and one of our Hungarian members, every second year a conference is held in this region to bring together the ICCJ members in the emerging democracies of Europe. However, this conference was most important because under the inspiring leadership of Mr. Ionel Schlesinger, the President of the Jewish community in Arad, this meeting was the first ever attempt in Romania to establish a national, interfaith organisation, which will be in the near future, we hope, a new ICCJ member.

The start of the conference at Arad Town Hall was impressive. The Orthodox Bishop of Arad, priests and pastors of different religious denominations, the Arad mayor, leading scholars of both Arad universities, former ambassadors to the State of Israel and the delegates from abroad filled the lofty main hall. Media coverage was extensive. Newspapers and TV stations reported on the meeting which was made possible by the generous support of the Arad city council and the county of Arad.

As a result it was unanimously decided to bring together a group of eminent personalities which will move forward the idea of a Romanian interfaith organisation. We do hope their efforts will prove to be successful soon.

Visits to member organisations

ICCJ General Secretary Dick Pruiksma paid a short visit to the Amitié Judeo Chretienne de France in Paris on Monday March 30. One of the results of this meeting was the decision to have a French speaking workshop during the Berlin conference, led by the dynamic new AJCF President, Rev. Florence Taubmann.

In Hungary the General Secretary met with the new President of the Hungarian Council of Christians and Jews, Bishop Dr. Asztrik Várszegi, the Abbot of the famous and beautiful Benedictine monastery of Pannonhalma and with Rabbi Alfred Schöner, Rector of the Rabbinical Seminary in Budapest. ICCJ congratulates Rev. Bertalan Tamas for his successful efforts to renew the Hungarian CCJ.

Regional conferences

As a follow up to the Berlin conference, two regional conferences will be held on the same theme as the main annual conference: ‘A Time for Recommitment’. One will be a meeting point for our member organisations in the Baltic and Nordic region. Director Gunnel Borgegard of the Swedish CCJ is organising this event. And the same topic will be discussed at a regional Latin American conference later this year, organised by Rev. Armin Ihle of the Confraternidad Judeo-Cristiana in Uruguay.

Upcoming events

July 5-8, 2009 ICCJ Conference in Berlin, Germany. A Time for Recommitment.
July 9, 2009 ICCJ Annual membership meeting in Berlin, Germany.
November 3-11 ICCJ seminar: From two narratives to a culture of peace.