A Set of Interfaith Events

Hello, friends!

After an extremely busy week at work, I find myself reflecting on what has actually been an extremely busy few...weeks? Months? Life? Just a busy time. However, two of the best parts of my life recently were two amazing interfaith events--Auburn Seminary's Lives of Commitment Awards breakfast on April 22 and a lecture by Cardinal Dolan at the Jewish Theological Seminary on May 6 for the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate.

I will begin with the first: the Auburn breakfast. Apparently this is an annual interfaith event that honors women doing incredible work in the area of interreligious understanding. Auburn itself is a type of multifaith seminary which I believe seeks to equip faith leaders with tools for an interfaith world (which sounds like a wonderful, lofty goal to me!). The breakfast took place in a lovely, huge hall right by Grand Central Terminal--and there were hundreds of people there, including a bunch of other people I know in the field who I had not expected to see! (Plus the food was delicious.)

It seemed like the venue might have previously been a bank--pretty neat

The reason I was invited to this event was because my boss was one of the honorees, receiving well-deserved recognition for the work she has begun with our organization (which is an interfaith group helping Syrian refugees). We learned about her story and the stories of the other women--all very different, but all very inspiring. They all gave short speeches, there were little interfaith elements throughout the event (including a part where people from Auburn told us to text our favorite inspirational song lyrics to them and they made a spoken word poetry, which they then performed), and afterward a smaller panel with the honorees where they answered relevant questions about their work, lives, and experience with interfaith.

Wow. I think there were 600 people in the room for the breakfast and just...wow. First of all, from purely a logistical perspective, let me just say that that event was excellently run. Kudos to Auburn and Cipriani for pulling it off so well. But even more important than the logistics of running a successful event for 600 people was that the event was meaningful without being cheesy, moving without being overly sentimental, and powerful without feeling fake. These were six women who genuinely spend their time seeking understanding, and seeking to help others understand, that religion can be a force for good and not just evil. Really--wow. I hope I can attend the breakfast again in future years.

The second meaningful event was a lecture given by New York's Catholic Cardinal Dolan at JTS (the Conservative rabbinical school). I was invited to a private dinner before the lecture by one of my professors from my time in Rome (himself a rabbi-teacher at JTS who works on interfaith issues). From almost the moment I walked up to this event (with my boss, who was also invited), there was just had a happy feeling in the atmosphere. Finally, New York's weather has mostly improved, and we started with wine out under a beautiful blue sky, everyone mingling. The dinner had about 90 people, and I had the opportunity to meet a few of the interesting individuals even before we sat down for the meal.

This lecture is another annual event, an interfaith lecture--the Pope John Paul II Annual Lecture on Interreligious Understanding. This one is run via the Russell Berrie Foundation, which some of you may know is that foundation that funded my year studying religion in Rome with the priests. So unexpectedly it turned out I also knew a few other people at the dinner--including two individuals who had been on my trip from Rome to Israel last February (both from the Russell Berrie Foundation, including the head of the foundation herself).

The dinner involved some small speeches by my professor, by the Cardinal, and by others. It became clear when they introduced some of the key people in the room (including my boss) that this room was filled with more important people than I initially realized. Leaders of different faith organizations (not just Catholic and Jewish, though this lecture would specifically relate to Catholic-Jewish relations), people associated with foundations, students in relevant fields, and more. I happened to sit down next to a gentleman from what is arguably the largest Anglican/Episcopal cathedral in the world--located right here in New York. We had a lovely conversation, which has actually led to plans for me to visit the cathedral and have lunch with him in two weeks. Such a great time! I also eventually realized that I was likely the youngest in the room...which I loved!

After the dinner, we moved into an auditorium for the Cardinal's speech. The Cardinal spoke on a very personal level about his experience with Jews, and really came across as an extremely personable gentleman. We also all had the opportunity to submit questions for him to answer at the end, and the moderators shared a version of the one I submitted: I had noted that while Nostra Aetate is a great document in theory, my experience is that most lay Catholics are not aware of it. So is it being put into practice at that micro level, and people just do not know the Church document that forms the foundation of their appreciation of Jews? Or is it just a nice theory? He explained (astutely, I thought) that especially in America, priests just take for granted the interfaith framework they have been given from the start, and they do not always realize that they need to work to maintain that.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Jewish Theological Seminary Chancellor Arnold Eisen spoke at the New York seminary about the legacy of the Nostra Aetate document, May 6, 2015. (Jewish Theological Seminary) from this article

Another poignant moment came from the chancellor of JTS, Arnold Eisen, when he explained in brief and direct form that having dialogue means we have to be able to disagree--or it is not really a dialogue. This was so meaningful to me on a personal level. I love listening to someone else's opinion, but if it differs from my own, I am not afraid to say it. I learn, I listen intently with the objective to understand, but I also feel comfortable making my (contrary) opinion known. I've noticed, though, that this frequently takes people aback--and I understand that a bit, but I think it is part of being an adult in this world that we will not agree fully really with anyone. Having dialogue makes the world more interesting, allows us to grow in our own opinions, and learn about others. I see no negative to this, though admittedly it is a skill that is tough to learn (and one with which I continue to struggle). But I felt reassured when Eisen said it so bluntly: dialogue means being able to disagree.

I had a moment at the end of the night as I left when I commented to my boss that I had not been in a room with so many priests in about nine months; she chuckled and noted that most people will never be in a room with that many priests. But I always find it so invigorating to be surrounded by interesting religious people, and this night was no exception.

Now to just find more events like these to continue to inspire my passion and dedication to this. I am sure more will come along!

Now go out and love one another.

<3,
Allyson