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Nostra Aetate Resources for Congregations
Prepared by the Commission on Interreligious Affairs of Reform Judaism
What is Nostra Aetate?
Forty years ago, on October 28, 1965, Vatican II issued a statement calling for increased relations with non-Christian religions. This document, Nostra Aetate, marked a huge transformation in the history of Jewish-Christian relations. Prior to this time, Jewish-Christian relations consisted of mutual ignorance and conflict; however, with this historic statement the situation has greatly changed. Nostra Aetate recognizes Israel as the chosen of God as well as Christianity’s connection to Judaism. It also says that the death of Jesus cannot be blamed on all the Jewish people of Jesus’ time or today. Since the document was issued, members of each faith community have begun to learn about one another’s practices, theology, and history. This includes recognizing the historical relationship between the two religions, educating about the tragic events of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, and establishing cooperative programs between Christian and Jewish agencies. Jews and Christians now study each other texts and traditions, work together in social justice programs, and can simply enjoy one another’s company as friends. Increased dialogue does not mean giving up one’s own identity and faith, but rather gaining a basic respect and understanding of the other. Nostra Aetate laid the groundwork for further advances in Jewish-Christian relations both in the Catholic Church and among Protestants.
Why is it important?
Interreligious dialogue and understanding continues to be increasingly important and necessary in today’s world. It is only through mutual understanding and respect of others that we are able to live peaceably with our neighbors. While Nostra Aetate and the many documents following it, have established better Jewish-Christian relations we still have much work to be done in this arena. The anniversary of Nostra Aetate provides for a great opportunity to build and strengthen your relationship with your local Catholic church. If you do not yet have such a relationship, now is an opportune time to create one. By establishing and continuing dialogue with our Christian neighbors we are able to not only learn so much about their religion and background, but also are able to gain deeper understanding of our own. The goals of such programs include education, personal relationship building, and creating a more open and tolerant attitude toward those that are different than us. Through our efforts we are able to move one step closer to creating a society based on acceptance, respect, and love.
What should you be doing?
Three Potential Program Ideas for your Congregation
- Pulpit exchanges with your local Catholic church
Congregants are used to hearing a weekly sermon from their Rabbi, but by making a slight change and instead having a local Catholic Priest give the sermon, congregants’ interest will be peaked. Such an action will make a strong statement to members that your congregation takes interreligious relations seriously and respects the voice of the Catholic Church. It will give them the opportunity to hear what Catholics are saying and doing in the field of interreligious relations and elsewhere. Rabbis should discuss with their local priests how the church can reciprocate such an invitation within the context of the parish (often there are guidelines about who may preach in a parish). Listed below are several possible sermon topics for a pulpit exchange:
“What does Nostra Aetate Mean to me?”
“Interreligious Relations in the 21 st Century”
“The Importance of Israel to Christians and Jews”
“A Shared Religious Commitment to Ending Poverty and Homelessness”
- Sharing religious holidays and rituals
One of the beautiful aspects of Judaism is its holidays and rituals. Especially at this time of the year, there are many opportunities to invite others into our community to share in the customs of our holidays. While any holiday would be appropriate for such an event, Sukkot falls just before the anniversary of Nostra Aetate and is traditionally a holiday emphasizing hachnasat orchim, the welcoming of guests. We are encouraged to share meals in the sukkah together, especially with those less fortunate or those who do not have an opportunity to eat in a sukkah. Each night of the holiday there is also a custom of inviting the Ushpizin, symbolic guests of the Bible, into our sukkah. In addition to the focus on hospitality on Sukkot, during the time of the Temple, seventy sacrifices were given for the seventy nations of the world. From this focus on hospitality and caring for the wellbeing of others, we are able to learn and share with others the need for open dialogue and communication between one another. Inviting members of the Catholic community into the sukkah also allows for the opportunity to share with them the many customs and rituals of the holiday. Just as our Catholic neighbors have much to learn from joining in our religious events, we also have much to learn from attending their Sunday services. Before attending such an event, it is always beneficial to learn more about the Eucharistic service.
A great way to begin discussion on interreligious affairs and understanding is to study text. One way to do this is to look at the documents Nostra Aetate and Dabru Emet. Conversation can focus on the effects of these documents throughout history or ways to apply these documents today. Another less traditional type of text that can be used to spark dialogue is film. There are several available films that can be used. “Walking God’s Path: Christians and Jews in Candid Conversation” is a set of six 15-minute videos dealing with issues ranging in issues from the common origins of Catholics and Jews to different approaches to reading the Bible. “I am Joseph Your Brother” is another film option, consisting of a sixty minute film discussing developments in Catholic-Jewish relations since Vatican II. User guides are available for reference when using these films and it is also helpful to have knowledgeable facilitators to orchestrate conversation following the films.
For more information on how to attain copies of these films contact the Commission on Interreligious Affairs Program Associate Naomi Greenspan at ngreenspan@rac.org .
- Community Service/ Social Action
One of the most powerful ways of engaging in interreligious dialogue is take part in community service projects together. Such involvement emphasizes the joint goals of the Catholic and Jewish communities. In addition, it allows individuals to engage in more informal, personal dialogue with one another. Projects should be chosen based on the interests of both communities and opportunities available in your area.
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