Widening Horn
' ons

The 10-year-old project, known as
voice for centrist Orthodoxy, respond-
C-JEEP, currently is in New York,
ed to the Vatican's 1965 call for more
Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco
Jewish-Catholic dialogue by permit-
and Los Angeles, and will expand to
ting joint work on social problems,
Pittsburgh
next
year.
but not theological exploration.
Liberal Jewish schools update
Proponents of interfaith learning
Yeshiva University's rabbinical
argue that it actually strengthens Jewish
school does not offer courses on
curriculum — by adding Christianity.
understanding of Judaism and prepares
Christianity, and few Orthodox day
Jews to converse intelligently with
schools study other religions or offer
Christian -neighbors and colleagues.
exchanges with Christian institutions.
"From my own involvement with
Exchanges Are Growing.
- Perhaps more daunting than ideo-
JULIE WIENER
such conversations, I don't feel there's
logical concerns are time constraints.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Increasingly, however, liberal Jewish
Most rabbinical schools do not
institutions are incorporating the histo- anything to fear from them," said
Rabbi Allan Kensky, dean of the JTS
New York
require exchanges or separate courses
ry of Christianity into their curricula
t Charles E. Smith Jewish
on other faiths, saying there is a limit
and are promoting exchanges with cler- rabbinical school. "My own sense of
being anchored in Jewish tradition is
Day School in suburban
to how much can be squeezed into
gy of other faiths. Many also partici-
enhanced
by
such
conversations.
I
often
Washington, Jewish history
already-crowded schedules.
pate in exchanges in which rabbinical
gain a deeper understanding of
courses cover the rise of
"You can't add something without
Christianity and Church-sanctioned
my own tradition by seeing it
removing something else from the pro-
=. 5 in light of another."
anti-Semitism, and then go on to
gram," said Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson,
teach how Jewish-Christian rela-
A familiarity with Christianity dean of the University of Judaism's
-9, also is useful to rabbis when
tions have improved in recent years.
Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.
counseling congregants who
Reconstructionist rabbinical stu-
Most Jewish day schools — which
converted or, as is increasingly
dents are required to take at least
already have their hands full teaching
5 common, talking to Jews who
one course in Christianity, and
both Judaic and secular studies
are married to Christians.
also have the option of taking a
also find it difficult to squeeze in any-
course with Lutheran students on
"Most Jews are unbelievably
thing new.
Christian-Jewish dialogue.
ignorant about Christianity"
However, Cynthia Peterman, chair of
said Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-
And the Jewish Theological
the Jewish history department at
Seminary is considering developing
Kreimer, director of religious
Charles E. Smith, said it is "very impor-
studies at the
a required course on other religions.
tant for our students to engage in think-
Outside Orthodoxy — where
Reconstructionist Rabbinical
ing about how they view Christianity
interfaith studies and exchanges
College in suburban
today and how Christians view Jews.
remains rare — Jewish learning
Philadelphia.
"I would hate for our students to
Faculty and students at Resurrection High School in
about Christian tenets and history Chicago in front of a sukkah they constructed as part
While many argue that
come away from their studies of
Christianity pervades
appears to be on the rise, reflect-
Jewish history thinking that
of a lesson on Jewish holidays taught in the American
ing a growing climate of trust
American culture, Fuchs-
Christians, and Catholics in particular,
Jewish Committee's Catholic/Jewish Education
between Jews and Christians in
Kreimer said most of what
- are all Jew-haters," Peterman said.
Enrichment Program.
the United States.
Jews consider Christian is sim-
But some question whether it's nec-
Next week, 50 faculty members
ply a "paganized" version of
essary to make a special effort of
students study periodically with stu-
and administrators from 21 Christian
the religion, and few Jews know "the
studying Catholicism or Christianity
dents in Christian seminaries, or share
and Jewish seminaries - including ones
actual
history
of
how
these
religions
in general, when they are so much a
training in things such as chaplaincy.
developed."
representing the Conservative,
part
of mainstream Western culture.
While still rare, a growing number
Reconstructionist, Reform and tradi-
Her husband, she said, _grew up think-
"Virtually 70 percent of the world his-
of Jewish day schools are integrating
tional wings of Judaism — will gather
ing Christians believed that Jesus had
tory taught in our Jewish high schools is
Christian history into the curriculum
in Baltimore for two days of discus-
come back to life as the Easter bunny.
the history of Christianity," said Bruce
or participating in exchanges with
sions on how they teach future clergy
Powell, head of a new community Jewish
neighboring Christian schools.
about other faiths.
high school in Los Angeles and a con-
In a pilot program jointly sponsored
Other Concerns
And at apeeting earlier this month,
sultant to day schools.
by the Archdiocese of Boston and the
the International Catholic-Jewish
Nonetheless,
Orthodox
leaders
have
Powell, who is the former head of
local Anti-Defamation League chapter,
Liaison Committee, a group of top
generally been reluctant to discuss
the Milken Community High School
13 students at the New Jewish High
Catholic and Jewish leaders, issued a
of the Stephen Wise Temple, also in
School of Greater Boston are taking an Christianity, citing concerns that it
recommendation calling on both
will undermine Jewish learning or
Los Angeles, said, "Most of history is
elective course on the development of
Catholics and Jews to make learning
even shatter people's faith in Judaism.
Christian history. The real question is,
Christianity, Catholic holidays and
about the evolution of relations —
The late Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik,
do the Jewish schools teach enough
liturgical cycles.
particularly the Church's 1965 repudi-
whose writings remain an authoritative Jewish history?"
The students met six times this year
ation of the concept of Jewish guilt for
to study together and do joint social
Christ's death — a core part of the
action projects with local Catholic stu-
curriculum for new clergy.
-dents enrolled in a course on Judaism.
For your best price,
According to the statement, Jewish
In a similar program, the American
institutions — due to difficulty over-
selection genet'
Jewish Committee's Catholic-Jewish
coming "generational memories of
Educational Enrichment Program, par-
person.ali.zeel service
anti-Semitic oppression" — have not
allel courses are set up between Catholic
made as great an effort as Catholic
schools and Jewish day schools.
ones to revamp their teaching about
Jewish leaders teach in the Catholic
the other in recent years.
schools and Catholic leaders teach in
41.
Jewish schools.
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