Anti-Defamation League 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate Resources for Regions
NOTE: This document contains many links to resources on the web. An electronic version, with live links, can be found on the “G” drive in a folder named “Nostra Aetate 50 th”
Note from Abraham H. Foxman
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Introduction The promulgation of the Roman Catholic Church’s “Nostra Aetate” on October 28, 1965 is arguably the most important moment in modern Jewish-Christian relations. (See Nostra Aetate FAQ, p. 6) This presents an excellent opportunity for Jews and Catholics, and their institutions, to join together to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary and to reaffirm and deepen relationships. The text of Chapter 4, the section that deals with Jews and Judaism follows below. A link to the full text can be found on p. 8.
Nostra Aetate, Chapter 4 As the sacred synod searches into the mystery of the Church, it remembers the bond that spiritually ties the people of the New Covenant to Abraham's stock. Thus the Church of Christ acknowledges that, according to God's saving design, the beginnings of her faith and her election are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses and the prophets. She professes that all who believe in Christ-Abraham's sons according to faith -are included in the same Patriarch's call, and likewise that the salvation of the Church is mysteriously foreshadowed by the chosen people's exodus from the land of bondage. The Church, therefore, cannot forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles. Indeed, the Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles, making both one in Himself. The Church keeps ever in mind the words of the Apostle about his kinsmen: "theirs is the sonship and the glory and the covenants and the law and the worship and the promises; theirs are the fathers and from them is the Christ according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:4-5), the Son of the Virgin Mary. She also recalls that the Apostles, the Church's main-stay and pillars, as well as most of the early disciples who proclaimed Christ's Gospel to the world, sprang from the Jewish people. As Holy Scripture testifies, Jerusalem did not recognize the time of her visitation, nor did the Jews in large number, accept the Gospel; indeed not a few opposed its spreading. Nevertheless, God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes or of the calls He issues-such is the witness of the Apostle. In company with the Prophets and the same Apostle, the Church awaits that day, known to God alone, on which all peoples will address the Lord in a single voice and "serve him shoulder to shoulder" (Soph. 3:9). Since the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews is thus so great, this sacred synod wants to foster and recommend that mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies as well as of fraternal dialogues. True, the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ; still, what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today. Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures. All should see to it, then, that in catechetical work or in the preaching of the word of God they do not teach anything that does not conform to the truth of the Gospel and the spirit of Christ. 3 ADL 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Resources for Regions
Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel's spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone. Besides, as the Church has always held and holds now, Christ underwent His passion and death freely, because of the sins of men and out of infinite love, in order that all may reach salvation. It is, therefore, the burden of the Church's preaching to proclaim the cross of Christ as the sign of God's all-embracing love and as the fountain from which every grace flows.
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Programming Suggestions There are a variety of ways to mark this anniversary. A few suggestions follow. Note: Getting on the calendar of the local diocese, church or synagogue can be a challenge; the time to start organizing events is now! Since spring calendars are probably planned already, look at the fall instead. Get a date, even if the specifics of a program need to be worked out collaboratively. Finally, I am aware of that many of our regional offices are short staffed so please don’t hesitate to call me for help. •
Write a letter of congratulations to the local bishop, archbishop or cardinal (see Sample Letter, p. 15). Bring a delegation including lay leadership to present the letter, perhaps with a gift, such as a copy of the Jewish Annotated New Testament.
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Publish a congratulatory ad in the local Catholic, Jewish or secular press, where possible highlighting local Jewish-Catholic endeavors
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Sponsor a symposium at a local synagogue, church, seminary, or university on Nostra Aetate using local clergy or academics, or featuring nationally known interfaith scholars (contact Rabbi Sandmel for suggestions). Since Pope Francis is a Jesuit, Jesuit institutions might be particularly appropriate. Note: Nostra Aetate also speaks about Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims. Including religious leaders or scholars from these communities should be considered as well
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Sponsor joint synagogue and church adult education using "Walking God’s Paths" (see Curriculum), Irreconcilable Differences (see Bibliography, p. 13), or either of the films or the PowerPoint (see Media) or other books in the bibliography (indicated with an asterisk)
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Bring Jewish and Catholic youth together for study or community service
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Sponsor a joint concert of Jewish and Catholic music
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Sponsor a pulpit exchange between local synagogue and Catholic church
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Study Nostra Aetate and Dabru Emet (see p. 10). This would a good project for a CatholicJewish dialogue group or make an interesting program with a Jewish speaker responding to Nostra Aetate and a Catholic speaker responding to Dabru Emet.
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Host a public screening of “Sister Rose’s Passion,” (see Media, p. 9) followed by panel discussion including Jewish and Catholic respondents (e.g., local rabbis, bishop).
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Circulate sample sermon to local rabbis (see p. 16).
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If there are Bearing Witness alumni in your region, include them in your programming. Ask them to speak about their experience.
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Nostra Aetate FAQ What is Nostra Aetate? “Nostra Aetate” (literally: “in our time”) is one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Promulgated on October 28, 1965, it addresses the relationship of the Roman Catholic Church to nonChristian religions, especially Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. What does Nostra Aetate say about Judaism? •
It repudiates the long standing charge of deicide (that the Jews killed Jesus)
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It affirms the religious bond and spiritual legacy shared by Jews and the Church
• It implies that God and the Jews abide in covenant, a recognition that was made explicit by John Paul II and subsequent popes. • It deplores “all hatreds, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism directed at Jews at any time or from any source.” • It stresses the need for accurate biblical interpretation and religious education so that negative views of Jews and Judaism are not presented as biblically based or as authentic Catholic teaching • It calls for respectful dialogue and collaborative biblical and theological inquiry between Jews and Catholics • It expresses no interest in further efforts to baptize Jews. It relegates the resolution of the Jewish and Christian disagreement over Jesus’ significance to the end of history.
Why is Nostra Aetate significant? Nostra Aetate, which has been described as a “sea-change,” effectively reversed centuries of the “teaching of contempt for Jews and Judaism,” which held that the Jews were collectively and perpetually accursed for the death of Jesus and that God replaced them with the Church as the new “Israel.” That Nostra Aetate came with very high teaching authority from the Roman Catholic Church, which in size and influence is unequalled in the Christian world, makes it especially important. Did Nostra Aetate resolve all the issues between Jews and Catholics? No. First, there are defining differences in how Jews and Catholics understand and relate to God. Nostra Aetate started a new age of respectful interaction in which distorted and polemical claims about each other's traditions can be corrected while cherishing the distinctive identities and insights of each community. Second, Nostra Aetate did not explicitly discuss certain topics, such as the State of Israel, the Holocaust, and whether Catholics should seek to convert Jews. Has the Catholic Church addressed such remaining issues since Nostra Aetate in 1965? The Catholic Church addressed the Holocaust in its 1998 “We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah,” as well as through the addresses and visits of Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis to Yad Vashem during 6 ADL 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Resources for Regions
their visits to Israel. The Holy See established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1993, though the implementation of the final agreement between the two sovereign states is still being negotiated. The question of whether the Catholic Church should engage in conversionary outreach toward Jews has been answered negatively as can been seen in the fact that it does not allocate any funds or any energy to that pursuit. Theologically, the repeated affirmation of the Jewish covenant and such statements as 2001's “The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible" that “Jewish messianic expectation is not in vain,” as well as Pope Benedict's affirmation in a 2011 book that "The Church must not concern herself with the conversion of the Jews,” show that converting Jews is not on the Catholic Church’s agenda. Since Nostra Aetate, the Catholic Church has continued to deepen its theological reflections on Jews and Judaism through official documents, research by Catholic theologians (increasingly done in collaboration with Jewish colleagues), personal writings of popes and other officials, and public gestures, such as Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Israel, during which he placed a prayer of repentance in the Western Wall. In 2014, Pope Francis placed a wreath on tomb of Theodore Herzl, considered the father of Zionism. Is there still anti-Semitism in the Church? Yes. While the official teaching of the church is that anti-Semitism is a sin, it is unrealistic to expect the immediate elimination of a long history of hostility toward Jews among the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world, many in places where there are no viable Jewish communities. Even where there are Jews, many Catholics are unaware of these changes, as are many Jews. Pope Francis, like all his predecessors since Nostra Aetate, regularly and unambiguously denounces anti-Semitism, speaks in the most positive terms about the relations between the Church and the Jews, and stresses that Christianity cannot be understood apart from its relationship to Judaism. What is the state of Jewish-Catholic relations in the United States? Relations between American Jews and Catholics are exemplary. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops maintains ongoing dialogues with the Jewish community and there is collaboration on many issues of common concern, such as immigration. In many communities, local dioceses and churches have longstanding positive relations with the Jewish community. Most centers of Jewish-Christian relations are housed in Catholic academic institutions, and courses on Judaism, taught by Jews, are offered at some seminaries. What are the views of Pope Francis today about Jewish-Catholic relations? In addition to being the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis is also the first pope to have experienced sustained theological conversation with close Jewish friends. He has referred to Nostra Aetate as beginning a "journey of friendship" for which Jews and Catholics should thank God. He speaks with admiration for Jewish religious traditions and with understanding about Jewish concerns for Israel. There is every indication that he will sincerely and energetically promote the positive developments begun by Nostra Aetate. Why should ADL be involved in commemorating the anniversary of Nostra Aetate? Nostra Aetate, and especially its repudiation of anti-Semitism, is arguably the most important and influential Christian document on Jewish-Christian relations since the Shoah. Educating Christians (and Jews!) about Nostra Aetate is part of our mission to combat anti-Semitism. Given ADL’s long involvement with JewishCatholic dialogue, including during the composition process of Nostra Aetate, this is an auspicious time for ADL offices to renew and deepen relationships with local Catholic hierarchy and institutions. Regional offices are encouraged to seek opportunities to partner with local dioceses, seminaries, universities, and churches 7 ADL 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Resources for Regions
(and with other Jewish organizations) to commemorate fifty years of increasingly positive Jewish-Catholic relations.
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Resources One of the most useful sources of information on Nostra Aetate, and for that matter, on JewishChristian, relations is Dialogika, maintained by the Council of Centers of Jewish-Christian Relations and the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. Dialogika provides a comprehensive cyber-archive of official statements, historic documents, educational resources, and current information. In addition to the resources listed below, there is much more on the website; it well worth exploring. Dialogika has a section devoted to the Second Vatican Council and Nostra Aetate, which includes: •
The full text of Nostra Aetate
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Earlier drafts of Nostra Aetate and texts of the deliberations leading up to its promulgation
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Precursors to Nostra Aetate, including essays by Abraham Joshua Heschel, addresses and essays by Catholic theologians, and statements from other churches and religious bodies.
Also available on Dialogika are the texts of subsequent Roman Catholic documents that expand and deepen the Catholic understanding the Church’s relation to Jews and Judaism: •
Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate, No. 4 (1974). This document calls for a better understanding of the religious traditions of Judaism and of Jewish self-understanding. It addresses liturgy, teaching and education, and common social action.
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Notes on the Correct Way to Present Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church (1985), which consists of six sections addressing Religious Teaching and Judaism; Relations Between the Old and New Testament; Jewish Roots of Christianity; the Jews in the New Testament; The Liturgy; Judaism and Christianity in History
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Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel (1993)
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We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah (1998)
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The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible (2001). This document, written under the leadership of then Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), asserts Jewish biblical interpretation after the time of Jesus has its own religious value for Catholics
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Jews and Christians, together as witnesses to the one God , written by Fr. Norbert Hofmann, SBD, who has served for many years as Secretary of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
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A more comprehensive list of Resources for the 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate can also be found on the site.
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Other Useful Websites Anti-Defamation League: Interfaith Affairs Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations International Council of Christians and Jews Jewish-Christian Relations: Insights and Issues in the ongoing Jewish-Christian Dialogue Transforming the Catholic-Jewish Relationship: Looking Back, Looking Ahead (Nostra Aetate on its 40th Anniversary
Media Two documentary films relevant to Nostra Aetate have been produced. One, “I am Joseph Your Brother” (2001), traces the history of Catholic-Jewish Relations into the papacy of John Paul II. The film and a study guide are available from the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel. The second, “Sister Rose’s Passion,” celebrates the career of Sister Rose Thering, a nun who made the battle against anti-Semitism her life’s work. Sister Rose challenged official church doctrine that blamed the Jews for the death of Jesus. “Sister Rose’s Passion” was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Short category. It is available from Storyville Films. A PowerPoint presentation, “Milestones in Modern Catholic-Jewish Relations” has been produced by Scarboro Mission. The presentation can be found here, and on the same page are links to additional information supporting each slide.
Curriculum “Walking God’s Paths: Christians and Jews in Candid Conversation” is a six-session process to stimulate candid conversation between Jewish and Christian congregations. Produced by the Center for ChristianJewish Learning at Boston College on behalf and with the oversight of the National Council of Synagogues and the Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, it is now made available online through special arrangement with the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations. The series consists of 15-minute discussion-starting videos and a detailed online User’s Guide containing dialogue questions and resources. Participants will experience each tradition’s understanding of how it walks God’s path and how the two faith communities could relate to one another in positive ways. The videos and user’s guide are available here.
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Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity When discussing Nostra Aetate, one question that often comes up is whether the Jewish community has produced a similar document. The answer to that question is a qualified “yes.” On September 10, 2000, a group of four Jewish scholars published “Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity” as a full-page ad in the New York Times and Baltimore Sun. In addition to the authors, Dabru Emet was endorsed by over 200 rabbis and Jewish academics from around the world. Thus 2015, in addition to marking the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, is also the 15 th anniversary of Dabru Emet. The “qualification” is that Dabru Emet differs from Nostra Aetate is one significant way. Nostra Aetate is an authoritative document of the Roman Catholic Church, and therefore can be said to speak for the Church. Dabru Emet has no authority other than the reputations of the authors and those who endorsed it. Nonetheless, its publication was heralded as a significant development in Jewish-Christian relations. Nostra Aetate was mean to be definitive, Dabru Emet, on the other hand, represented only the opinion of its authors and was intended to provoke conversation within the Jewish community. Dabru Emet consists of a preamble that acknowledges the change in Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism represented by Nostra Aetate and proposes that, in light of those changes, Jews should now consider what they might say about Christians and Christianity. It then lists eight points, each of which is followed by a brief paragraph of explication: • • • • • • • •
Jews and Christians worship the same God. Jews and Christians seek authority from the same book—the Bible (what Jews call "Tanakh" and Christians call the "Old Testament"). Christians can respect the claim of the Jewish people upon the land of Israel. Jews and Christians accept the moral principles of Torah. Nazism was not a Christian phenomenon. The humanly irreconcilable difference between Jews and Christians will not be settled until God redeems the entire world as promised in Scripture. A new relationship between Jews and Christians will not weaken Jewish practice. Jews and Christians must work together for justice and peace. In addition to the statement itself, Dabru Emet was accompanied by two books, Christianity in Jewish Terms and Irreconcilable Differences (Bibliography, p. 13). The first of these is a scholarly volume of essays by Jewish and Christian theologians on the themes addressed in Dabru Emet. The second is written by Jewish and Christian educators and is targeted at adult congregational learners and advanced high school students. The full text of Dabru Emet follows on the next page.
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Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity In recent years, there has been a dramatic and unprecedented shift in Jewish and Christian relations. Throughout the nearly two millennia of Jewish exile, Christians have tended to characterize Judaism as a failed religion or, at best, a religion that prepared the way for, and is completed in, Christianity. In the decades since the Holocaust, however, Christianity has changed dramatically. An increasing number of official Church bodies, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, have made public statements of their remorse about Christian mistreatment of Jews and Judaism. These statements have declared, furthermore, that Christian teaching and preaching can and must be reformed so that they acknowledge God’s enduring covenant with the Jewish people and celebrate the contribution of Judaism to world civilization and to Christian faith itself. We believe these changes merit a thoughtful Jewish response. Speaking only for ourselves -- an interdenominational group of Jewish scholars -- we believe it is time for Jews to learn about the efforts of Christians to honor Judaism. We believe it is time for Jews to reflect on what Judaism may now say about Christianity. As a first step, we offer eight brief statements about how Jews and Christians may relate to one another. Jews and Christians worship the same God. Before the rise of Christianity, Jews were the only worshippers of the God of Israel. But Christians also worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; creator of heaven and earth. While Christian worship is not a viable religious choice for Jews, as Jewish theologians we rejoice that, through Christianity, hundreds of millions of people have entered into relationship with the God of Israel. Jews and Christians seek authority from the same book -- the Bible (what Jews call "Tanakh" and Christians call the "Old Testament"). Turning to it for religious orientation, spiritual enrichment, and communal education, we each take away similar lessons: God created and sustains the universe; God established a covenant with the people Israel, God’s revealed word guides Israel to a life of righteousness; and God will ultimately redeem Israel and the whole world. Yet, Jews and Christians interpret the Bible differently on many points. Such differences must always be respected. Christians can respect the claim of the Jewish people upon the land of Israel. The most important event for Jews since the Holocaust has been the reestablishment of a Jewish state in the Promised Land. As members of a biblically based religion, Christians appreciate that Israel was promised -- and given -to Jews as the physical center of the covenant between them and God. Many Christians support the State of Israel for reasons far more profound than mere politics. As Jews, we applaud this support. We also recognize that Jewish tradition mandates justice for all non-Jews who reside in a Jewish state. Jews and Christians accept the moral principles of Torah. Central to the moral principles of Torah is the inalienable sanctity and dignity of every human being. All of us were created in the image of God. This shared moral emphasis can be the basis of an improved relationship between our two communities. It can also be the basis of a powerful witness to all humanity for improving the lives of our fellow human beings and for standing against the immoralities and idolatries that harm and degrade us. Such witness is especially needed after the unprecedented horrors of the past century. Nazism was not a Christian phenomenon. Without the long history of Christian anti-Judaism and Christian violence against Jews, Nazi ideology could not have taken hold nor could it have been carried out. Too many Christians participated in, or were sympathetic to, Nazi atrocities against Jews. Other 12 ADL 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Resources for Regions
Christians did not protest sufficiently against these atrocities. But Nazism itself was not an inevitable outcome of Christianity. If the Nazi extermination of the Jews had been fully successful, it would have turned its murderous rage more directly to Christians. We recognize with gratitude those Christians who risked or sacrificed their lives to save Jews during the Nazi regime. With that in mind, we encourage the continuation of recent efforts in Christian theology to repudiate unequivocally contempt of Judaism and the Jewish people. We applaud those Christians who reject this teaching of contempt, and we do not blame them for the sins committed by their ancestors. The humanly irreconcilable difference between Jews and Christians will not be settled until God redeems the entire world as promised in Scripture. Christians know and serve God through Jesus Christ and the Christian tradition. Jews know and serve God through Torah and the Jewish tradition. That difference will not be settled by one community insisting that it has interpreted Scripture more accurately than the other; nor by exercising political power over the other. Jews can respect Christians’ faithfulness to their revelation just as we expect Christians to respect our faithfulness to our revelation. Neither Jew nor Christian should be pressed into affirming the teaching of the other community. A new relationship between Jews and Christians will not weaken Jewish practice. An improved relationship will not accelerate the cultural and religious assimilation that Jews rightly fear. It will not change traditional Jewish forms of worship, nor increase intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews, nor persuade more Jews to convert to Christianity, nor create a false blending of Judaism and Christianity. We respect Christianity as a faith that originated within Judaism and that still has significant contacts with it. We do not see it as an extension of Judaism. Only if we cherish our own traditions can we pursue this relationship with integrity. Jews and Christians must work together for justice and peace. Jews and Christians, each in their own way, recognize the unredeemed state of the world as reflected in the persistence of persecution, poverty, and human degradation and misery. Although justice and peace are finally God’s, our joint efforts, together with those of other faith communities, will help bring the kingdom of God for which we hope and long. Separately and together, we must work to bring justice and peace to our world. In this enterprise, we are guided by the vision of the prophets of Israel: It shall come to pass in the end of days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established at the top of the mountains and be exalted above the hills, and the nations shall flow unto it . . . and many peoples shall go and say, "Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in his paths." (Isaiah 2:2-3) Tikva Frymer-Kensky, University of Chicago David Novak, University of Toronto Peter Ochs, University of Virginia Michael Signer, University of Notre Dame This text, and a list of the signers, can be found here.
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Select Bibliography on Nostra Aetate and Jewish-Christian Relations (Note: those most appropriate for congregational study are marked with an asterisk) Attridge, Michael. Jews and Catholics Together: Celebrating the Legacy of Nostra Aetate. Ottawa: Novalis, 2007. Berger, Alan L, David Patterson, David P. Gushee, John Pawlikowski, and John K. Roth. JewishChristian Dialogue: Drawing Honey from the Rock. St. Paul, Minn: Paragon House, 2008. Bialer, Uri, and Neville Lamdan. Nostra Aetate: Origins, Promulgation, Impact on Jewish-Catholic Relations ; Proceedings of the International Conference, Jerusalem, 30 October - 1 November 2005. Berlin: Lit, 2007. *Boys, Mary C, and Sara S. Lee. Christians & Jews in Dialogue: Learning in the Presence of the Other. Woodstock, Vt: SkyLight Paths Pub, 2006. Cernera, Anthony J. Examining Nostra Aetate After 40 Years: Catholic-Jewish Relations in Our Time. Fairfield, Conn: Sacred Heart University Press, 2007. Cunningham, Philip A. et al, eds., Christ Jesus and the Jewish People Today: New Explorations of Theological Interrelationships. Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub, 2011. Cunningham, Philip A. Education for Shalom: Religion Textbooks and the Enhancement of the Catholic and Jewish Relationship. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press, 1995. *Cunningham, Philip A. and Arthur Starr, eds., Sharing Shalom: A Local Interfaith Dialogue Process. Mahwah/New York: Paulist Press, 1998. *Frymer-Kensky, Tikva S., David Novak, Peter Ochs, Michael Signer, David Fox Sandmel. Christianity in Jewish Terms. Oxford: Westview Press, 2000. Greenberg, Irving. For the Sake of Heaven and Earth: The New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2004. Korn, Eugene, and John Pawlikowski. Two Faiths, One Covenant?: Jewish and Christian Identity in the Presence of the Other. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005. *Korn, Eugene. The Jewish Connection to Israel, the Promised Land: A Brief Introduction for Christians. Woodstock, Vt: Jewish Lights Pub., 2008. *Levine, Amy-Jill, and Marc Z. Brettler. The Jewish Annotated New Testament: New Revised Standard Version Bible Translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Melloni, A. and Lamdan, Y. Nostra Aetate: Origins, Promulgation, Impact on Jewish-Catholic Relations. Edited by Munster: LIT Verlag, 2007. Moyaert, Marianne, and Didier Pollefeyt. Never Revoked: Nostra Aetate As Ongoing Challenge for Jewish-Christian Dialogue. Leuven: Peeters, 2010. Oesterreicher, John M. The Rediscovery of Judaism: A Re-Examination of the Conciliar Statement on the Jews. South Orange, N.J.: Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies, Seton Hall University, 1971. Pawlikowski, John T. Restating the Catholic Church's Relationship with the Jewish People: The Challenge of Super-Sessionary Theology. Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2013. *Rosenthal, Gilobert S. A Jubilee for All Time: The Copernican Revolution in Jewish-Christian Relations. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2014. *Rudin, A J. Christians & Jews Faith to Faith: Tragic History, Promising Present, Fragile Future. Woodstock, Vt: Jewish Lights Pub, 2011. 14 ADL 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Resources for Regions
Rosen, David, and Karl Lehmann. Jewish-Catholic Relations Since Nostra Aetate: An Unfinished Agenda. Berlin: A, AphorismA Verlagsbuchhandlung, 2007. Rudin, A J. Cushing, Spellman, O'Connor: The Surprising Story of How Three American Cardinals Transformed Catholic-Jewish Relations. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 2012 . *Sandmel, David F., Rosann M. Catalano, and Christopher M. Leighton. Irreconcilable Differences?: A Learning Resource for Jews and Christians. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2001 . Sandmel, Samuel. A Jewish Understanding of the New Testament. Woodstock, Vt: Jewish Lights Publ, 2008. Sandmel, Samuel. Anti-semitism in the New Testament? Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978 . Sandmel, Samuel. We Jews and Jesus: Exploring Theological Differences for Mutual Understanding. Woodstock, Vt: SkyLight Paths Pub, 2006 . Sherman, Franklin. Bridges: Documents of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Volume One. The Road to Reconciliation (1945-1985); Volume Two. Building a New Relationship (1986-2013). New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 2011 and 2014.
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Sample Letter to Local Catholic Leaders Dear ____________, October 28 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of Nostra Aetate as part of the Second Vatican Council. It is difficult to over-estimate the significance of this declaration for the Jewish community. In this remarkable document, the Church not only unequivocally rejected the pernicious deicide charge and all expressions of anti-Semitism, it also affirmed the ongoing importance of the Jewish covenant with God and the “spiritual patrimony” that Jews and Christians share. This is a moment that should be both acknowledged and celebrated. In the fifty years since that day, the Jewish community and the Roman Catholic Church have developed a relationship that previous generations could not have imagined. Who can forget the image of Pope John Paul II praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem or Pope Francis’ repeated statement that a Christian cannot be an anti-Semite? We are indeed blessed to live at a time when Jews and Catholics see each other as friends and allies. Here in Yechupitzville we …(personalize - talk about what is happening in your community) On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Nostra Aetate we pray that the spirit that led to its creation and that has animated the friendship between our two communities will continue to deepen and strengthen. Sincerely
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Sample Sermon for Shabbat Lech L’cha, 2015 There is an enigmatic section in this week’s Torah portion, in Gen. 14:17-20. It is part of a longer narrative about Abram’s involvement in a war between various nations that existed in and around Canaan during Abram’s sojourn there. The passage states: When he returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh, which is the Valley of the King. And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your foes into your hand.” And [Abram] gave him a tenth of everything. What do we learn from the Torah about Melchizedek? He is from Salem, often identified with Jerusalem. He is a both a king and a priest of God Most High (‘el elyon). He greets Abraham with bread and wine, but the text does not specify whether that was simply refreshments or for some kind of ritual use. He blesses Abram, and Abram gives him a tithe, a tenth of all the booty he had acquired during the war. That’s what we can glean from the Torah. It is possible that there is a second reference to Melchizedek in Psalm 110, but since the name itself means something like “righteous king,” its appearance there may not be as a proper name. The old JPS version translates it as a name, but the new one does not. I leave it to you to decide. The rabbis suggest that Melchizedek is actually Shem, the son of Noah. Christian tradition sees him as a figure of Christ. Be that as is may, I want to focus on the Torah’s very brief description itself. This Melchizedek, we are told, is a priest of El Elyon, God most High, the same God, who, in chapter 12, calls Abram, which Jewish tradition considers the beginning of Jewish history. Therefore, he and Abram apparently worship the same God. Furthermore, Melchizedek is not just a king but also a priest, a religious figure of some kind. He approaches Abram with great respect and Abram, in turn, demonstrates his respect for Melchizedek by giving him a tenth of his spoils. This is pretty scant information about what must have been a very significant encounter. I would like to suggest that this may be the earliest record of and encounter between a Jew and the adherent of another tradition that acknowledges the same God as the Jews. The relations between Jews and others who claim to worship the God described on the Bible have not always been as irenic as the depiction of the meeting between Abram and Melchizedek. The last half century, however, has seen remarkable and dramatic changes in Jewish-Christian relations. None of these is as significant as the Roman Catholic document Nostra Aetate, part of the reforms of the Second Vatican council. This week we celebrate the 50 th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. If I were to pick one aspect of Nostra Aetate that had most immediate effect on the Jewish community at the time, it would be the repudiation of deicide charge, that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. Here is what Nostra Aetate said: “True, the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ; still, what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today.” 17 ADL 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Resources for Regions
It went on to say: “the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures.” It may be hard to understand the significance of this today, testimony to how the Christian world has changed in 50 years. For Jews of certain generation being called Christ killers was simply a part of growing up. That is what was taught and preached in the Church. However, as pointed out by Philip Cunningham, “In North America and Europe such assertions have virtually been removed from Roman Catholic textbooks.” (Midstream, Sep/Oct 2005, p. 13) In appreciating the significance of Nostra Aetate, Sr. Mary Boys writes: What Nostra Aetate actually says is important, but what is launched is far more significant. Religious textbooks underwent significant revisions, subsequent documents extended and deepened Nostra Aetate, dialogue groups were formed, and scholarship on Jewish-Christian relations developed. Moreover, structures were put in place: Pope Paul VI established the Vatican’s Commission of Religious Relations with the Jews in 1974; less than a month after the formal closing of Vatican II, the U.S. Catholic bishops opened the staff office of the Commission on Ecumenical Affairs in Washington, D.C. (now the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). Such institutional commitments, combined with the flourishing of scholarship, including chairs in Judaica at many Catholic colleges and universities and recent establishment of centers for Christian-Jewish study, mean that what began with Nostra Aetate is firmly embedded in the life of the Church. While some of the far right of the church continue to resist what Vatican II initiated … and some church officials seem to minimize the significance of Nostra Aetate and subsequent developments, the theological advances of Vatican II will not be overturned. For the Jewish community, one of the most significant outcomes of Nostra Aetate was the recognition of the state of Israel during the papacy of John Paul II and with the significant involvement of then Cardinal Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI. In 1904, Theodore Herzl, the father of political Zionism, visited Pope Pius X. The pope reaffirmed that belief that Jews must remain without a homeland by telling Herzl: “We can't prevent Jews from going to Jerusalem, but we can never sanction it....The Jews have not recognized our Lord and we cannot recognize the Jews.” Yet, the 1975 “Guidelines and Suggestions for the Implementation of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate (4)” teaches that Catholics need to understand Jews as Jews understand themselves. That includes understanding why the State of Israel is important to Jews. The recognition of Israel by the Vatican is a practical application of that principle. There are still some issues between Israel and the Vatican of a bureaucratic nature that need to be resolved, but there is every reason to believe that will take place soon. In regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Vatican’s stance differs from other Christian churches. To begin with, it approaches the conflict from a diplomatic perspective, as the sovereign nation that the Vatican is. When it criticizes Israel, it does so in the diplomatic language of international relations. It does not resort to the theological discourse often found among Protestant churches, some of which makes use of anti-Jewish rhetoric from the Middle Ages. Another milestone reflecting the impact of Nostra Aetate occurred in 1998, with the release of a document called “We Remember, A Reflection on the Shoah”. A key passage reads: We deeply regret 18 ADL 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Resources for Regions
the errors and failures of those sons and daughters of the Church. We make our own what is said in the Second Vatican Council's declaration Nostra Aetate, which unequivocally affirms: "The Church . . . mindful of her common patrimony with the Jewish and motivated by the Gospel's spiritual love and by no political considerations, deplores the hatred, persecutions, and displays of anti-Semitism directed against Jews at any time and from any source" Many Jewish leaders applauded the document, but a few critics both Jewish and Catholic think the document did not go far enough. Some pointed to the phrase “the regret for that done by sons and daughters of the church” is not expressed on behalf of the Church itself. Jews need to understand that when Catholics speak of the Church, they do not have in mind an earthly institution, but rather a theological construct. In this regard, the Church is sacred and eternal, and does not, indeed cannot make mistakes. In terms of the Holocaust, the proposed beatification of Pope Pius XII, who served as Pope during World War II, remains a point of tension. There are questions about what Pius did or did not do or say to save Jews during the war. Some believe that he did all he could and more, others that he turned a blind eye to the suffering of Jews. To complicate matters, the Vatican archives containing the key papers from that period of time have yet to be opened to the historians and researchers. Many both outside the church and in feel that any decision on beatification should wait until the archives are open and the material is thoroughly studied. Supporters of the Pius X do not want to wait, and some resent what they see as outsiders meddling in Church business. Pope Francis has vowed to open the archives, and some reports suggest that they will be opened this year. 1 Having mentioned Pope Francis, a few more words about him are in order. The Church has been changing demographically and becoming more and more a southern Hemisphere institution. Numbers in the US and Europe are declining, while Africa and Asia are seeing growth, and Latin America remains strongly Catholic, thought Evangelical and Pentecostal churches have been growing. When Benedict XVI resigned, most Vatican watchers expected someone from the global south to replace him. The Jewish community was legitimately concerned that such a pope might not know Jews personally or consider Jewish-Catholic relations to be a priority, as has been the case with every pope since John XXIII. When Cardinal Bergolgio’s name was announced as the new pope, the Jewish community could not have been more surprised and pleased. Here was a pope who not only knew Jews, but considered them good friends and had even authored a book with a rabbi! And Pope Francis has not disappointed. His statements about Jewish-Catholic relations, his continued personal relationship with Rabbi Abraham Skorka, his visit to Israel during which he laid a wreath on the grave of Theodore Herzl, implicitly repudiating the comment of Pius X cited above, have been very well received by the Jewish community. With Pope Francis, we see a continuation of the direction set by his predecessors, further cementing in the life of the Church the momentous changes that Nostra Aetate inaugurated. This does not mean that there have not been moments of tension since 1965. Some may remember controversies over a Carmelite convent at Auschwitz, or the meeting between Pope John Paul II and Kurt Waldheim, or the kerfuffle over Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ.” We cannot expect that almost 2000 years of anti-Jewish teaching would disappear with the stroke of pen from a Church with over a billion members all over the world, many in places where there is no Jewish community. However, even the most contentious issues have ultimately been resolved precisely because of the direction set by Nostra Aetate. The Jewish community and the Church maintain close relations at the highest levels and when problems do arise (and we can assume that they will from time to time), 1 This is being written in January, 2015; please check to see if there has been an announcement subsequent to this writing.
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representatives of the two communities meet as friends to work them through. It is not always easy, but the commitments of Nostra Aetate and the good will built up over 50 years of dialogue and relationship with the Vatican and with local Catholic leadership have changed the Church and the relationship between the Church and the Jews forever. Within the Jewish community, there remains a lot of work to be done. Jews are generally ignorant of Nostra Aetate, not to mention other Vatican documents (as well as similar Protestant documents). However, the visit of Pope John Paul II to the great synagogue in Rome and especially to Israel is 2000, produced powerful images that symbolize the new relationship. The picture of John Paul II placing a prayer in the Western Wall speaks volumes. And now both Benedict and Francis have each visited Israel. It is safe to say that a visit to Israel will now become a fixture of a new pope’s first year. We Jews teach a lot about Christian anti-Semitism, but we don’t teach so much about recent changes. 2 Because Christian anti-Semitism remains a real concern, it is doubly important for Jews to be aware of those churches, starting with the Vatican, that have officially rejected it. Ideally, learning about Christian efforts to reconcile with the Jewish community should be part of a well-rounded Jewish education, and should definitely be part of rabbinic school curricula. Similarly in the Catholic Church itself, Nostra Aetate and subsequent documents are not well enough known, especially outside Europe and North America. This should be part of Catholic curricula as well. These concerns, however, should not overshadow the remarkable changes that Nostra Aetate signifies. Like Abram and Melchizedek, Jews and Roman Catholics share a commitment to the God of creation. The 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate reminds us that what seemed like intractable enmity can be overcome. As we commemorate the anniversary of this ground-breaking document, let remember that all good relationships require work - we should do our part to see that Jews and Catholics continue to create bonds of friendship and mutual understanding.
v. 1 2 This might be an opportunity to say something about Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity. See p. 9.
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