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USCCB Dialogue with the Orthodox Union Resumes
At a recent meeting of delegates of the Catholic Church and Orthodox Judaism, participants shared concerns over the tragedy of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the ensuing conflict in Gaza, and the rise of antisemitism globally.
Representatives of the Committee of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met with representatives of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Organizations and the Rabbinical Council of America at the Catholic Center of the Archdiocese of New York in New York, NY on Monday, September 16, 2024. It was co-chaired by Most Rev. Edward Scharfenberger, Bishop of Albany, and Rabbi Mark Dratch, Executive Vice President, Emeritus, of the Rabbinical Council of America.
This meeting marks the first of its kind in over a decade with the hope of re-instituting the twice yearly meetings that began in 1987 following the visit of Pope John Paul II to the United States and his historic meeting with representatives of the American Jewish community.
The meeting offered Jewish delegates the opportunity to share their experiences of the past several months, a perspective received with gratitude by the Catholic delegates who were present and offered their support.
Jointly, the dialogue participants discussed principles of just war in both the Catholic and Jewish traditions following presentations by Most Rev. Edward Scharfenberger and Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier, Ph. D., Research Associate at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ. Sustained discussion considered both the rights of Israel to defend itself against terrorism, as well as the challenges of emerging warfare that employs both innocent hostages and civilians as human shields.
All present renewed their commitment to stand together to fight antisemitism, which has seen a drastic rise since the attacks on October 7. Both delegations agreed to semi-annual meetings going forward and anticipate meeting again in Spring of 2025.