Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Center for Theology and Ministry, Catholic Theological Union

Chicago, Illinois

Sunday, November 3 - Monday, November 4, 2024

The Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations was hosted by the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Center for Theology and Ministry at Catholic Theological Union on Sunday, November 3 and Monday, November 4, 2024. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 

Welcome  (1:45 p.m.) 

• Dr. Barbara Reid, OP, President, Catholic Theological Union [recording] 
• Dr. Adam Gregerman, CCJR Chair (Saint Joseph's University)
• Member Introductions 

Session 1:  Introduction to and discussion of The Documentary History of Jewish-Christian Relations, eds. Edward Kessler and Neil Wenborn (2:10-3:40 p.m.)

	Shapiro Lecturer, Dr. Marc Brettler

• Dr. Edward Kessler (Woolf Institute, co-editor) [virtually]
• Dr. Victoria Barnett (University of Virginia, contributor) [virtually]
• Dr. Mary Boys (Union Theological Seminary, contributor)
• Moderator: Dr. Isaac Oliver (Catholic Theological Union)

CTU Catholic-Jewish Studies Program Shapiro Lecture (4:00-5:30 p.m.) 

• Speaker: Dr. Marc Brettler (Duke University) 
• Topic: "What Bible, Whose Bible: Studying the Scripture of Others."  (Watch Dr. Brettler's Presentation Here.) 

	Celia Deutsch receives the 2024 Shevet Achim award

CCJR Dinner and Shevet Achim Award (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) 

• Honoree: Dr. Celia, Deutsch, NDS (Barnard University and the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion)
• Laudations by Rabbi Dr. David Sandmel (International Council of Christians and Jews) [Virtually] and Sr. Lucy Thorson (Sisters of Our Lady of Sion)
• Presenter of Shevet Achim Award: Dr. Adam Gregerman, CCJR Chair

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4

CCJR Board Meeting (8:00-9:00 a.m.) 

Session 2: Practicing Dialogue in Difficult Times 

• Rev. Dr. Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski (Boston College)
• Rabbi Dr. Ruth Langer (Boston College) 

[an interactive process adapted from one prepared by the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, Jerusalem]

CCJR Business Meeting (10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)

[Notes by Dr. Rebecca Carter-Chand, CCJR Vice-Chair (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum)]

Call to Order and Roll Call – Adam Gregerman, Chair

Executive Board members present: Adam Gregerman, Chair; Rebecca Carter-Chand, Vice-Chair; Bonnie Shafrin, Secretary-Treasurer

Regular (Voting) Member Organizations Present:

• Bernardin Center for Theology and Ministry
• Brueggemann Center for Dialogue
• Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, St Leo
• Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, Boston College
• Sisters of Zion, Toronto
• Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust, USHMM
• Driscoll Professorship in Jewish-Catholic Studies, Iona College
• Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies
• Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations, Saint Joseph’s University
• Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange, Providence College
• Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, Sacred Heart Seminary
• Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue, Jewish Theological Seminary
• Kraft-Hiatt Program for Jewish-Christian Understanding, College of the Holy Cross

A quorum was reached with representatives of 12 regular member institutions.

Treasurer’s Report – Bonnie Shafrin

Bonnie explained the need to upgrade the content management software of the CCJR website because of outdated technology. Philip Cunningham, the website webmaster, is working with GoDaddy, LLC (CCJR's tech partner) for a planned launch at the end of 2024. The website upgrade necessitated an increase in dues, the first since CCJR’s founding in 2002. Adam Gregerman noted that Saint Joseph’s University is covering half the cost of the website upgrade. 

There was a slight increase in individual members in the last year. Overall expenses were lower the past couple of years because the 2023 CCJR meeting was combined with the ICCJ conference in Boston and the 2022 CCJR meeting was held on zoom. The Treasurer’s Report was accepted by majority.  

Bonnie outlined the proposed budget. Ruth Langer pointed out that a correction needs to be made to reflect higher stipends for SCJR editors. Bonnie clarified that the new amounts will be reflected in the 2025-2026 budget. Dan Joslyn-Semiatkoski asked for clarification about balancing the CCJR budget. The Proposed Budget was accepted unanimously.

SCJR Report – Ruth Langer

Ruth reported on the journal’s recent publication activities. The publication rate went down to 14% of submissions. Adam Gregerman is stepping down as book review editor after serving for 14 years; Rachel Slutsky is becoming book review editor. Ruth is stepping down as co-editor, after serving for twnety years; Devorah Schoenfeld will be the new editor.

New Membership Applications – Rebecca Carter-Chand

Aubrey Taylor McClain presented Greenville University’s Jewish-Christian relations activities. The Jewish-Christian Studies program at Greenville University was unanimously accepted as a regular member.

Brendan Murphy presented the development of the Bearing Witness Institute at the Marist School in Atlanta. The Institute was unanimously accepted as a regular member.

ICCJ Report – Philip Cunningham 

The 2024 ICCJ conference and business meeting took place in Salzburg and a new executive board was elected. Longtime CCJR member, Rabbi Dr. David Sandmel is the newly elected President of the ICCJ Executive Board and CCJR member Dr. Benjamin Kamine (Jewish Theological Seminary) was elected as an at-large Executive Board member. A change to the rhythm of ICCJ conferences was decided: conferences will become biannual. The next conference will take place in Stuttgart in 2026. In alternating years, a smaller gathering will take place; each member organization will send 1-2 representatives. The next gathering will take place in Warsaw in June 2025. The Executive Board has been meeting twice a year, often at ICCJ headquarters in Heppenheim, Germany. Going forward, the Executive Board will meet once a year in Heppenheim and once in different locations, visiting various member organizations. 

In early 2025, the ICCJ will be asking people (including member organizations, individuals members, and beyond) to rededicate themselves to deepening interfaith relationships. Phil distributed a statement of recommitment which has been approved by the ICCJ Executive Board. 

Next CCJR Meeting

The next CCJR meeting will take place at Iona University in New Rochelle, N.Y. The meeting will correspond to the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. Looking forward beyond 2025, Tom Landy at the College of the Holy Cross has offered to host a CCJR meeting in the future. The meeting was adjourned without any further business.

Session 3: Listening to the Voices of Others after October 7 (1:00 - 2:30 p.m.) 

Part I: Catholic-Jewish Relations after October 7: Jewish Correspondence with the Holy See

• Dr. Karma Ben-Johanan (Hebrew University) [virtually]
• Rabbi Dr. David Meyer (Pontifical Gregorian University) [virtually]
• Dr. Malka Simkovich (Jewish Publication Society [virtually]
• Moderator: Dr. Elena Procario-Foley (Iona University) 

Part II: Trauma's Impact: A Factor in Different Jewish and Christian Responses to the Israel-Gaza Situation

• Rabbi Eric Greenberg (The Focus Project)
• Dr. Murray Watson (Relation and Encounter) 
• Moderator: Dr. Philip Cunningham

	B. Sax, H. Miller-Rubens. D. Maayan

Session 4: Best Practices for Campus and Community Prgramming in Tense Times (2:45 - 4:00 p.m.) 

• Rabbi David Maayan (Saint Leo University)
• Dr. Heather Miller-Rubens (Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies) 
• Rabbi Yehiel Poupko (Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago)
• Dr. Benjamin Sax (Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies) 
• Moderator: Dr. Rebecca Carter-Chand (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum) 

Closing and Departure (4:00 p.m.)