Last weekend ABC’s (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) program “The Spirit of Things” aired an interesting show looking at some of the schisms, opportunities and misunderstandings that exist within the Jewish/Christian dialogue.  I am listing to it now and thus far, it’s quite good.

Below is the show synopsis and a couple links for those of you who would like to listen to it for your selves!

SUMMARY: Since the parting of the ways 2000 years ago, are Christians and Jews any closer to bridging the gap of understanding and friendship? After a history of being persecuted by Christians, Jews feel they are still the object of antisemitism. Meanwhile Christians preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to an unredeemed world. How can these two traditions overcome the sibling rivalry and work for a better world? New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine, and others from the International Council of Christians and Jews conference in Sydney point the way.

       1) Link  2) Enclosure

One thing that has really grabbed me was the interview with Amy-Jill Levine, a biblical scholar from Vanderbilt . I have a an excellent series of lectures by here on some of the great figures of the “Old Testament”. I had always assumed that she was a Christian theologian because that lecture series I have, used the term “Old Testament” instead of Torah in the title. I just thought that no Jew would do that. But nope she is in fact an accomplished (Modern Orthodox) Jewish academic.

One of her main points seems to be that we Jew’s need to develop a better understanding of who Jesus was and why he is so important to our Christians neighbors. More or less suggesting that we Jews a have been lazy especially since the Holocaust in terms of Judeo/Christian understanding. She goes on to to suggest many Jews seem to believe that Christians need to apologize and learn about us and our Judaism but we need do nothing but accept the apologies. To her this is not only a mistake but inappropriate. If you want to know why, well then you will have to listen for yourselves! 

NOTE: I just heard that Jesus wore “Tzitzit“. Nice!

Levine also briefly touches on how and why she wound up as a member of an Orthodox community, which is also interesting.

Oh, I wanted mention that she has written what promises to be a very interesting new book, titled “The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus”. This is one, I’m sure to be reading in the not too distant future.

Anyhow, I haven’t even touched on the interfaith dialogue stuff but trust me it’s worth checking out!

Zed and Steg, if you guys end up listening to the show let me know what you think.

Listen to this podcast

Last Shabbos, after services Tamara and I invited our friend Jonathan over for a late afternoon lunch. I’m not sure exactly when but at some point either before or after the food, Tamara pulled out this book about the Holocaust by Michael Berenbaum entitled “A Promise to Remember: The Holocaust in the Words and Voices of its Survivors “. It’s a brilliantly put together book that is highly interactive. The book is filled with a variety of things that can be pulled out and looked at, like photographs, letters and other documents from the era. It’s an interesting, albeit disturbing read which I highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance, because it does do an incredible job of connecting the reader to the subject matter.

The photograph above is one I took of a handout from the book. I came across it looking through a section discussing the Einsatzgruppen. I found this photo extremely disturbing actually the translation (which you can read by clicking on the image), is what kicked me in the balls. I’m fairly secure in my sense of Jewishness these days but still not when it comes to the Shoah because I can’t even begin to imagine what living through something like that would be like. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, if there’s one thing that makes me question my worthiness as a convert its the Holocaust. I guess that somewhere in the back of my mind I’m always wondering, if I ever come, anywhere close to living up to what it is these people died for.

Anyhow, this post really isn’t about me. I just found the subject matter extremely penetrating and thought that maybe some of the other Jews by Choice (or anyone I guess) who read my blog, might as well.

Listen to this podcast