Ninety Catholic and Jewish educators learned from two inspiring Chicago-based speakers at a dinner at Yahvneh Academy on April 29. Their gathering, the largest to date for interreligious learning among Archdiocesan religious educators, had been planned for some 18 months by a committee of representatives from area temples, Yahvneh Day School, the Catholic Schools Office and the Offices for Religious Education and Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations.  Sr. Mary Ellen Coombe, Sister of Sion, associate director, Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of Chicago, addressed the paradigm shift induced by “one exceedingly important document,” Nostra Aetate,

Catholkic organizer Tanya Mansour, associate director, Religious Education, Congratulates Rabbi Edwords and AJC prisident, Dr. Kenneth Newmark on a successful workshop for Jewish and Catholic educatiors.

the Vatican II Declaration on Non-Christian Religions. Nostra Aetate, In Our Time, is a reflection “on what our relationship as Christians is with people of other religions. That document has led us to learn in front of each other, to learn looking over each other’s shoulders, as it were.” For those newly on board she addressed what the dominant Catholic teaching had been about Jews prior to Vatican II: “that the Catholic church had replaced the Jewish people in the Covenant. You probably never learned that directly. We didn’t always see where it was (in our teaching).  . . Nostrae Aetate says, We did not replace the Jewish people in that covenant. We are still plumbing the depths of what that will mean for us.” Sr. Mary Ellen quoted two powerful lines from the landmark document: God holds the Jews most dear. He does not repent of the gifts he makes.

“Documents are good for insomnia and nighttime reading,” she said, as educators laughed in agreement. “They’re not poetry,” she conceded, “but are very important because they mark our understanding.” For instance, Nostrae Aetate says the Church “draws” sustenance from the root. “Not drew,” she stressed, “but draws. Our relationship to Judaism continues to give us life.” Subsequent Guidelines (1974) to the document asked Catholics to learn directly from Jews what their traditions mean to them. “All of you are on the frontlines of this reflection.” Sr. Mary Ellen, who also serves as director of the Institute for Catholic-Jewish Education, believes that “educators are the really important people. We can’t do this work by ourselves. A critical way  we’re going to process this teaching is in a relationship in conversation.”  After a break in which educators discussed how to further  integrate teaching about the other religion into curriculum, Rabbi Laurence Edwards dealt immediately with a concern of Barbara Dragul, director of Education and Lifelong Learning at Isaac M. Wise Temple, “Why is this important on the Jewish agenda?” He admitted, “That’s not as immediately clear for Jews. Whatever time we have  needs to go into teaching Judaism. That’s part of the reality of Jewish life. But that’s my best argument for gatherings like ours. This kind of encounter sends me back to Judaism more deeply. That’s true for each side of the conversation.” The rabbi added, “In part, we need to have a clear grasp of history.  Jesus