INTERFAITH COMMITTEE

Working to bridge divides, create community

The goal of CAI’s Interfaith Committee is to create community while reducing bigotry and xenophobia. In these challenging times, learning about our neighbors’ cultures and beliefs can lead us to treasure our differences while appreciating our human and spiritual commonalities.

Our programs focus on our shared desire to make the world a kinder and safer place. “Welcoming the Stranger” is a very Jewish thing to do.

Through CAI’s involvement with the West Essex Ministerial Association, we have forged strong bonds and created programs with area churches and the Peace Islands Institute (a Turkish-Muslim group that shares our goals). Susan Werk ably facilitates our programs. This year we completed “Nourishing Our Souls,” our beautiful interfaith vegetarian cookbook created in partnership with the Environmental Committee. Its mission is to help save our planet and improve our health, while providing delicious, culturally diverse recipes — submitted by members of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities — that allow us all to break bread together. To date, some 350 copies have been sold; from the net proceeds, $1,000 has been given to local food pantries (thanks to the Social Action committee for facilitating the donations to Toni’s Kitchen and the Human Needs Food Pantry). Some two dozen copies are being donated to local libraries by Bob and Janet Markman, and it is being featured by Hazon. So if you haven’t already, please order one now, and remember, “Nourishing Our Souls” also makes a great gift.

Our relationship with Begegnung: Christians and Jews has resulted in several programs under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Ursula Rudnick and CAI’s Debby Miller, including virtual trips to Buenos Aires, Jerusalem, and Hanover in Germany. We learned about Dona Gracia Nasi, Martin Luther, and Abraham Joshua Heschel with scholars from Germany, Israel, Denmark, and Great Britain

Diane Reidenberg is leading our programming with the Christian community. On Shabbat, March 24-25, Dr. Rudnick joined us both for erev Shabbat dinner and morning services to discuss, with Rabbi Lucas, the Mishnah from Jewish and Protestant points of view.

In other programs, we explored, with Israelis, interfaith relations in Israel and welcomed Holocaust historian Rafael Medoff, who spoke about combatting anti-Semitism

At our annual Iftar dinner will be held on Mar. 29 at 7:00 p.m. at CAI with the Peace Islands Institute, we will spend the evening learning about each other and celebrating the things we are thankful for.

In partnership with the Tzedek Initiative and Braver Angels whose mission is to bridge the partisan divide we are developing a program to offer guidance in improving skills as we discuss divergent views on race, religion, and politics.

If you would like to join the Interfaith Committee, open to all congregants, or get involved in any of our programs, contact chair Gail Kleinman at gskleinman@gmail.com.