The declaration was inspired by the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Nostra Aetate declaration calling for interfaith collaboration and renounced the claim that Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death
By Nira Dayanim
At a fraught moment for Jewish-Muslim relations globally, a delegation of Jewish and Muslim faith leaders signed a declaration of shared commitment to dialogue, collaboration and reconciliation in Washington earlier this month.
The signing ceremony, which took place on Feb. 6 on the sidelines of the International Religious Freedom Summit, was facilitated by Ohr Torah Stone’s Interfaith Center as part of its Jewish-Muslim Religious Fraternity Project. Signatories included representatives from the International Coalition for Peace and Reconciliation, Ohr Torah Interfaith Center’s Blickle Institute for Interfaith Dialogue, the American Muslim and Multifaith Women Empowerment Council, Abrahamic Reunion, Interfaith USA, Peace Center of USA and Muslim Women Speakers.
The initial signing — followed by a more detailed memorandum of understanding — was inspired by the 60th anniversary of the Catholic Church’s 1965 Nostra Aetate declaration, which called for collaboration between religions and shifted the relationship between the Church and Judaism by renouncing the claim that Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death.
Another, similar interfaith cooperation agreement was signed last week between Jewish and Muslim religious leaders in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, alongside the Scholar Center, an organization that works under the Emirati Ministry of Tolerance, according to Rabbi Aharon Lavi, Ohr Torah Interfaith Center’s managing director. There are plans in place to sign documents with Moroccan and Pakistani organizations in May, Lavi told eJewishPhilanthropy.
To Lavi, resources allocated towards combating rising antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the ensuing wars could be used more effectively on coalition building between religious communities.
“Yes, religion is part of the problem, but it can be part of the solution. And even more than that, without going through the religious aspects, there’s no way to resolve the conflict in the Middle East,” Lavi told eJP. “There’s no way to cultivate allies against antisemitism without having religious leaders on your side.”
According to Lavi, many interfaith dialogue projects fell apart or were put on hold after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s ensuing wars with Hezbollah and Hamas. Lavi hopes Ohr Torah Stone’s model, which he described as “interfaith diplomacy,” can establish a norm of deep learning, outward opposition to religious extremism and collaboration among religious leaders that can weather moments of strife.
“We have results on the ground. We have significant Muslim leaders, significant organizations, signing documents with us, talking openly about working with us, and many more talk to us confidentially,” he told eJP. “Let’s take this and grow this and invest in this and choose a different path.”
,- Source: ejewishphilanthropy.com
