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A Time For Recommitment- Jewish Christian Dialogue Seventy Years after World War II and the Shoah.
Ten Sisters of Sion were present in Berlin at a significant moment in Jewish Christian relations on July 5th, 2009, when representatives from twenty two countries, who were members of the International Council of Christians and Jews, signed an historic document entitled: “A Time for Recommitment. Jewish Christian Dialogue Seventy Year after War and Shoah”. Among them were two Sisters of Sion Rita Kamermaeur who signed on behalf of Israel and Marianne Dacy for Australia. The ceremony, held at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin was attended by close on two hundred people, the Israel Ambassador, several Church dignitaries and the Minister of the Interior Dr Wolfgang Schaeuble.
The ICCJ President Dr Deborah Weissman stated that the document translates theology into practical realms. She stressed that after the Shoah, many Germans have provided us with a model of metanoia.
Dr Schaeuble added that there had been an effort to revive Jewish culture in Germany where, at this present time, the Jewish community is the fastest growing in the world. Rabbi Henry Brandt stated we have to defend what we have achieved, despite the setbacks.
Dr Phil Cunningham pointed out that the 1947 document at Seelesberg was addressed to the Churches, and sought to reverse the long standing teaching of contempt, helping to spark a new era of Jewish Christian dialogue. Today’s statement, some sixty years later is addressed to both Jews and Christians and to other faiths, and is a snapshot of the current state of Jewish Christian relations as viewed by its authors. It is the hope of the ICCJ that study of this document will stimulate and help us recommit ourselves to the work of rapprochement.
Bishop Dr Wolfgang Huber, Chair of the Council of Protestant Churches gave the key note address and said that the Twelve Points represent steps to eliminate anti-Semitism and are indispensable pre conditions for Jewish Christian dialogue. Working honestly together means we accept our differences. The last four points were addressed to Jews, Christians and Muslims to further develop their togetherness in a shared justice for a globalise world and caring for the environment. The importance of working for the inalienable value of human life is stressed and efforts together for a just peace. While people signed the document, music from each one’s country of origin was played, which help lighten the atmosphere.
Two evenings later a reception was held in the former Huguenot Cathedral to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the German Coordinating Council of Societies for Christian_Jewish Cooperation, of which there are more than eighty. The Chancellor Angela Merkel was high in her praise of the work of the International Council of Christians and Jews.
During the three days of meetings, workshops were based on topics derived from the Twelve points of Berlin and included: Paul and Judaism, Twenty First Century Forms of Supercessionism, The Impact of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict on Christian-Jewish Dialogue, The Papacy of Benedict XVI and a report on the “Christ and the Jewish People” Consultation. Workshops on non-theological topics examined Women’s Issues in Interfaith dialogue, and the current Economic Crisis and Interfaith Dialogue. There was also an interfaith text study. Talks broached such issues as developing theologies of Judaism that affirm its distinctive integrity, and re-examining Jewish texts and liturgy in the light of Jewish Christian dialogue. The talk focussed on the Aleinu. There were also visits to the Jewish Museum and a Holocaust Memorial which featured a vast area of blank concrete slabs outside, and a numbing display downstairs. We also spent three hours on a boat trip down the Spree and saw the main features of the city of Berlin. At the closing banquet, the German Government was also in attendance in the person of the Federal State Minister of the Chancellery, Hermann Groehe.
s.Marianne Dacy nds
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