From Seelisberg to Berlin and Beyond
A Workshop on Jewish-Christian Relations
With Prof Paul Morris, Religious Studies Department, Victoria University of Wellington

Tuesday 16 June, 7.30pm at
The Wellington Jewish Community Centre
80 Webb St, Wellington

Jews and Christians met at Seelisberg in 1947 in an attempt to forge Jewish Christian co-operation after the Shoah (Holocaust). The International Council for Christians and Jews was created at this meeting and a ten point document, the Ten Points of Seelisberg formed a basis of understanding between Christians and Jews.

Sixty two years later the ICCJ issued a further document, the Twelve Points of Berlin which acknowledges changes and reforms Christians have made in their attitudes to Jews. But in the light of increased anti-Semitic acts in Europe, and local actions at the beginning of the year, have Christians really reformed?

Prof. Paul Morris will begin the evening with an over view of the effect of the Seelisberg document and an analysis of the twelve points of Berlin and we’ll discuss in workshops whether the two documents have affected relationships between Christians and Jews in New Zealand, and what the future might hold for Christian Jewish relations.

For more information, contact the Secretary, Dave Moskovitz, on 027 220 2202 or contact us on the form below…

Programme:
Sunday July 5, 2009

13.00 Women’s seminar
18.00 Reception
18.30 Opening dinner
20.00 Opening session with presentation of the new ICCJ document
“A TIME FOR RECOMMITMENT:
BUILDING THE NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JEWS AND CHRISTIANS.”
including the ‘Twelve Points of Berlin’/’Zwölf Berliner Thesen’.
Guest: Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, German Minister for the Interior

Monday July 6, 2009

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session
Christian Key note speaker (to be invited)
Jewish Respondent: Dr. Edward Kessler, Cambridge
Theme: The necessity of developing theologies of Judaism that affirm its distinctive integrity.
11.00 Workshops (contributors and moderators to be invited) on theological themes
deriving from the Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points, such as:
- Paul and Judaism
- Mutual influencing of Jewish and Christian liturgy
- 21st century forms of supersessionism
- Reform of synagogue liturgy?
- How to work with the ‘Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points’ etc.
12.30 Lunch
14.00 Workshops (contributors and moderators to be invited)
on today’s issues in Jewish-Christian dialogue, such as:
- The Roman Catholic Church under Pope Benedict XVI
- The necessity of trilateral dialogue
- The political situation in the Middle East
- The input of Asia and Africa in dialogue. Etc.
15.30 Free evening in Berlin

Tuesday July 7, 2009.

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session
Jewish key note speaker: Prof. Ruth Langer, Boston College
Christian Respondent: Dr. Barbara Meyer, Jerusalem.
Theme: Re-examining Jewish texts and liturgy in the light of Jewish-Christian dialogue.
11.30 Outing by boat on the Spree river
15.30 Break at hotel
17.30 Celebration of the 60-th anniversary of the ‘Deutsche Koordinierungsrat’ at the
Französischer Dom. Special guest: Dr. Angela Merkel, Chancellor.
19.30 Reception and dinner

Wednesday July 8, 2009

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session.
A panel with a Jewish, a Christian and a Muslim speaker. (to be invited)
Theme: ‘The common commitment for justice in the global society’.
11.00 Workshops on the non-theological points from the ‘Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points’.
13.30 Visits in Berlin: The Holocaust Memorial, The Jewish Museum and other places.
18.00 Closing event and dinner.