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In my tradition, and I know in yours as well, every moment is a critical moment. One of our most famous Rabbinic sayings implores us: If not now when? As if to say that we must seize every moment. But in our daily liturgy we pray that Creation be renewed each day, offering us the opportunity to mend the world again. So, if we have missed a critical moment, we can still find our way to respond.
I am not sure that this moment is more critical than ever before. I believe that interreligious dialogue is always critical. I could think of so many times throughout human history where intereligious was critical. Indeed, crucial to human development and understanding. And so many times we have missed this opportunity or more painful somehow the voices of dialogue were simply drowned out by the much more harsher tones of rejection, dismissal, and self-righteousness, and violence.
Our able hosts at WCC have determined, after years of this holy work of dialogue that we are at a critical juncture. Now, we are ready for reflection not on our stands, or our values but rather, and boldly, is time to reflect on this enterprise itself, known as dialogue.
I am a descendent of the tradition of dialogue. In many ways, my brother, Rabbi Levi Weiman Kelman who is here with me at this Conference, are second-generation dialoguers. We grew up in a home where our beloved and late father, Rabbi Wolfe Kelman was involved in the very very first steps of dialogue; beginning in the 1960's, first with the Catholic Church in Rome, and then with more local Protestant Churches. Pope John 23rd was a hero in our home. Rev Martin Luther King Jr. was beloved, first in life, and them deeply mourned in his death. These were the super heroes in my home, along with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who spearheaded Vatican II talks and marched arms linked with Dr. King. Dr. Heschel was an actual physical presence in my life and as a little girl, he seemed to fit my image of the Biblical prophet, Amos or Michah So much of this is relatively new, and we can ask ourselves, was the work of these great men worth something? Did we do what they demanded of us? Have we fulfilled their legacies?
I also like to think of myself as a descendent of a much longer tradition. Stretching back to the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible. I like to say that there, the first 2 women in recorded history moved from dialogue to action when Miriam, sister of Moses, reached out to the daughter of Pharaoh. In a joint effort to defy the royal decree and kill the baby boys of the Hebrew slaves, these 2 women, both Princesses, saved Moses, who grew up to become the liberator of the House of Israel.
There are many remarkable things about this Biblical story. Although I read it every year, this year an interesting parallel in the narrative struck me. When Pharaoh's daughter goes to bathe in the Nile, she hears the cries of the infant and is filled with compassion and seizes the moment to act. Some verses later, when Moses is already grown, and god reveals God's self to Moses, God uses the same words; I heard the cries of my people, and indeed it was time to act. So what we have here is not Imatio Dei.We humans imitate God, rather we have a story where God imitates us, a woman no less, and an Egyptian, daughter of the tyrant. This to me is the essence of dialogue, to be able to hear the cry of the other, to literally reached out, and act, intervene; to build a partnerships with someone who may actually even be your so-called sworn enemy, religiously and politically. And in the process, you may change the course of history!
In surveying my own involvement in Interfaith Dialogue, there have been many transformative experiences and many frustrating experiences. Lets start with the frustrating indeed agonizing.
I live in the Middle East, a place that is so volatile. There religion seems only able to fuel hatred, prejudice, violence. There the three monotheistic religions fight for the Messianic victory. 2 of them, Judaism and Islam are embroiled in a political territorial war. There religion is too often used to justify the struggle. There few religious voices preach tolerance, openness, and social justice. Most rabbis are viewed as extremists and fundamentalists. And unfortunately there are few on the other side that articulates moderate positions. A beloved Israeli Jewish poet Yehudah Amichai captured Jerusalem:
Sometimes Jerusalem is a city of knives
Even the hopes for peace are sharp, to cut through
The hard reality. After a while, they grow blunt or brittle.
Church bells keep trying to ring out a calm round tone
But the grow heavy, like a pestle in a mortar pounding
Artillery shells-muffled, leaded, trampling sounds.
The Cantor and the muezzin want to sweeten their tune
But in the end, a piercing wail cuts through the din:
The Lord God of us all, the Lord God is
One, one, one (Chad!)
There are days I wonder, is there one God? Can Dialogue do anything to alleviate this? The answer is both yes and no. In Dialogue, at its best we see the human face of our adversaries. If we listen we can recognize the others' faith and beliefs, without compromising our own. I have been in Dialogue where my partners talk about the healing love of Jesus Christ in their lives, and I can hear that indeed it has been a healing experience, although I do not accept Jesus Christ. I have been in Dialogue when a Catholic Priest was fascinated and moved by the use of Rabbinic interpretation in understanding Biblical texts, maybe even inspired, although that is not his way. I have been in Dialogue when I offered a modern feminist poem as a meditation, first to raised eyebrows, then to warm applause. Have we moved anything in the Peace Process? That, is ultimaltley in the hands of politicians, but we can help create the "groundswell" of support: community to community, clergy to clergy. Is it better that we have been speaking; I think so. Recently, my students participated in an encounter between Palestinians living in the West Bank (Palestine) and our group of American and Israeli Jews. It was a diffficult weekend, painful, frustrating. Many mentioned the respite when our students organized a Friday night Sabbath service. There a bridge was built when they prayed together for peace and understanding.
In other words, Interreligious Dialogue has been less affective than we hoped in solving the BIG problems.
This is true regarding even BIGGER problems. Has Interreligious Dialogue been able to stop worldwide poverty? Have Religious leaders done enough to stop the international trafficking of women? We feel totally helpless in the face of these global phenomena; wondering what can we possibly do. But without faith, without hope, the cornerstones of our respective religions, we would totally despair.
The God I believe in commands us to see every human being as created in the Image of God. The monstrous acts of many in the name of God makes this commandment difficult at times. Religion inspires us to highest human qualities. And in small ways and in little ways we act we set off a chain of events that indeed mend the world.
As a Reform rabbi living in Israel, I fight in many arenas: the arena of religious tolerance and pluralism among Jews. Those of us here who define ourselves in the liberal camp are increasingly helpless in the face of a younger generation adopting fundamentalist beliefs if they choose the religious path or empty consumer oriented secularism if they choose a non-religious one. I would like more of Dialogue to challenge us to reflect on our own traditions. Who is reaching young people and why? Who has empowered women? How have women changed our traditions? Where is worship being transformed into an exciting, inspiring, indeed electrifying experience? A few years ago, my family was on Sabbatical in New York City, we went synagogue hopping and church hopping. We were greatly enriched by this experience. What mindfulness practices can we learn about to help get us talking to one each other? I have grown spirituality by adopting yoga and mindfulness practices in my life. Who talks out of privilege and who talks out of survival? Could my Jewish tradition teach others something too? I think so.
Typical of my tradition, I am asking a lot of questions. There is one answer I am sure of, a world of Interreligious Dialogue is far richer than one without. Have we affected change in ways we hoped and prayed for, I am not sure.
My tradition teaches that we cannot finish the task, but we must not excuse ourselves from it. That is the task of tending to the world, mending it, and bending it too.
I am honored that Hans has asked me to reflect on Dialogue. I know that my religious life and professional life has been transformed by this work and I have tried to inspire my students to do the same. At my darkest hours when my faith has stumbled, I have been able to restore it knowing that throughout the world, people that I have met are passionately engaged in holy work.
*Rabbi Naamah Kelman is the first woman rabbi to be ordained in Israel. She is dean and director of educational initiatives at Hebrew Union College.
