34 | MAY 19 • 2022 

W

indsor’s 
Assumption 
University and the 
Windsor Jewish Federation and 
Community Centre launched 
a new course titled, “Jerusalem 
and Rome: Jewish-Catholic 
Relations” during an event at the 
Windsor JCC on May 2. 
The course marks a new 
chapter in Jewish-Catholic dia-
logue, teaching an appreciation 
for both religious traditions 
with hopes to inspire additional 
Jewish-Catholic communities in 
Canada and the United States. 
Dan Brotman, executive 
director of the WJCC, and Dr. 
John Cappucci, the Stephen 
Jarislowsky Chair in Religion 
and Conflict at Assumption 
University, signed a joint state-
ment during the event and gave 
each other tokens of apprecia-
tion to symbolize their contin-
ued friendship. 
Jewish and Catholic prayers 
at the event were led by the 

WJCC’s Rabbi Mike Nasielski 
and Assumption University’s Fr. 
Paul McGill, CSB, Superior of 
the Basilian Fellows. Members 
of the Windsor and broader 
Jewish and Catholic communi-
ties were also present. 
The course provides a portrait 
of Jewish-Catholic relations by 
exploring both the historical 
interactions and the contempo-
rary developments between the 

two religions and the place they 
hold in the larger community. 
The course will also explore the 
similarities and differences in 
the lived expressions of Judaism 
and Catholicism. 
The course aims to provide 
the space for students to explore 
approaches and strategies to 
help cultivate understanding, 
dialogue and cooperation 
between Jewish and Catholic 

communities. 
For Nasielski, the course 
is unique in that it’s present-
ing Jewish-Catholic relations 
primarily through a Catholic 
university but with much input 
from Jewish sources and guest 
speakers, including himself. 
“It takes that mission of 
helping Catholics and other 
non-Jewish people understand 
Judaism but makes a strong 
point of presenting it from a 
Jewish lens,
” Nasielski said. “It 
makes sure the Jewish perspec-
tive is expressed by actual, living 
Jewish people and it’s not just 
‘about the Jews.
’”
For Cappucci, the course is 
a historic moment and major 
step forward in Jewish-Catholic 
relations. 
“You have a Catholic uni-
versity and Jewish federation 
working together on an item 
of mutual interest and mutual 
education benefit for the com-
munity. I’m very excited by it,
” 
Cappucci said. 
“I hope [the students] will 
be inspired to see Jews and 
Catholics are not as different 
as everyone starts to think they 
are, that their similarities out-
weigh their differences.
” 
.

Assumption University and the Windsor Jewish Federation 
and Community Centre launch new course.

Jewish-Catholic Relations

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY

Dr. John Cappucci and 
 
Dan Brotman signed a 
 
joint statement.

In honor of Jewish American 
Heritage month in the United 
States, the American Jewish 
Committee (AJC) has desig-
nated May as #JewishandProud 
Month.
“
Amid rising antisemitism 
and a wave of deadly terror 
attacks on Israel, we’re calling 
on all Jews and all allies to cele-
brate Jewish identity and unite 
against all forms of Jew-hatred,
” 
said Belle Etra Yoeli, AJC Chief 
Advocacy Officer. 
AJC, the leading global 
Jewish advocacy organi-
zation, first introduced 

#JewishandProud at the “No 
Hate, No Fear” Rally in New 
York City, in January 2020, 
where over 25,000 Jews and 
allies marched together against 
antisemitism. The hashtag 
went viral on social media, 
with Jews, allies of all back-
grounds and civil society 
leaders expressing their Jewish 
pride or showing support for 
the Jewish community. 
Throughout the month of 
May, AJC is encouraging Jews 
and all people of good will to 
exhibit their pride by:
• Wearing and proudly dis-

playing Judaica, like a kippah or 
Star of David, when in public.
• Downloading and 
taking a picture with the 
#JewishandProud sign and 
posting a photo of it on social 
media and using the hashtag 
#JewishandProud!
• Sharing one’s own 
#JewishandProud story. A 
collection of testimonials from 

Jews around the world will be 
shared on AJC’s social media 
accounts and website.
• Joining AJC in urging the 
White House to convene a 
taskforce to develop a national 
action plan to fight antisem-
itism. Sign the petition here: 
https://actnow.ajc.org/RkadPkK.
Allies of the Jewish com-
munity are encouraged to 
participate by downloading 
a #JewishandProud Ally sign 
and posting a selfie with it on 
social media with the hashtag 
#JewishandProud.
Learn more at AJC.org/
JewishandProudMonth. 

Jewish and Proud

