The Center for
Christian-Jewish Dialogue
P.O. Box 10560
Colorado Springs, CO 80932
Phone: 719-570-7931
Rabbi Hirsch's Email: revdoc18@aol.com
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The Center for
Christian-Jewish Dialogue By David DuchenDifferences in religious beliefs often create a number of difficult conflicts, but The Center for Christian-Jewish Dialogue views religious differences as opportunities for people to learn about one another. Founded in 1995 by Rabbi Howard Hirsch, the center will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall at its annual dialogue dinner, which will be on Oct. 20 at the Doubletree Hotel. After a great deal of time and effort, the CCJD Board of Directors and Advisors formulated the following mission statement: “Our mission is to affirm what Christians and Jews have in common and encourage understanding and respect for each other’s faith, culture and history.” While discussing the CCJD’s founding, Hirsch described past issues within Colorado Springs’ religious communities. “It was 1991 and Jewish kids were being evangelized in the high schools; I was frustrated and offended by it,” he said. “I went to Father Maginnis at Regis University, and we went to meet with Bishop Richard Hanifen.” Hirsch and Hanifen then went to meet with Dr. Terry McGonigal, who was with Youth Life at the time. Hanifen recalled, “He [McGonigal] was so well balanced, and he reacted very favorably to our concerns.” Hirsch noted, “There was another very important issue at the time: it was Amendment 2. We pulled together some of the city’s religious leaders … we wanted the city to stop being torn apart. From there we formed the Community Concerns Group and we met for several years on a monthly basis. We had everyone, from extreme left wing to extreme right wing, and everywhere in between.” Hanifen also discussed the Community Concerns Group. “We had so many great people … we began to meet together to talk about issues,” he said. “It was working so well that Rabbi Hirsch thought that there could be something more formal, and he went on a mountain retreat to try to figure it out.” Hanifen also cited the influence of Pastor Jesse Brown of Payne Chapel. “He [Brown] was the only African-American in the group and a great contributor,” he said. “He helped us address racial and social issues; he was great, and he still is.” Discussing the influences leading toward the CCJD’s founding, Hirsch recalled, “There were negative attitudes toward Christians in the Jewish community, and there were negative attitudes about Jews in the Christian community. I began to think that we needed to do something to fix this. I went into the mountains and put all of my concerns before God, and when I returned from the long trip I decided to found the CCJD in 1995.” Hirsch stated, “I went to Bishop Richard Hanifen, Dr. James Dobson [chairman and founder of Focus on the Family], and Reverend Ted Haggard [senior pastor of New Life Church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals], to see if they would be willing to come together to form a new organization to discuss what we have in common and come to understand each other’s differences. Describing the formation of the CCJD, Hanifen commented, “We went through a really intense time of formulating a mission statement. It was a really good exercise … we learned a lot. We talked to each other about what the CCJD should do. We decided that it should encourage an environment in which we could talk together; we didn’t want to talk about each other, we wanted to talk to each other.” Hirsch described the CCJD when he said, “We basically see ourselves as an informational organization. We do not promote debate or argument; what we do promote is conversation and understanding.” Along with its annual dinner and a variety of other events, the CCJD supports “Living Room Dialogues,” which foster personal relationships and focus on disseminating knowledge of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Hirsch said, “There really have been a large number of successes, and I think the greatest thing we have done is contribute to a positive climate. And this is what makes the CCJD so attractive; we have come together to celebrate our common heritage.” Discussing the community’s support of the CCJD, Hanifen said, “There is a positive attitude in the city among civic and non-profit leaders. They are impressed that the CCJD even exists. They really love the concept of ordinary dialogue among people. They are very supportive.” Hirsch also cited an appropriate biblical image. “There is a great biblical image in Paul’s letter to the Romans, Chapter 11,” he said. “The image talks about Jews and Christians being part of the same olive tree. It is such a good image; it shows that rather than argue, we should come to understand each other.” Anyone interested in learning more about the Center for Christian-Jewish Dialogue is encouraged to contact its main office at 719-570-7931 or at its website, www.ccjd.us.
— Reprinted
with permission of the author from the September 9, 2005, edition of |
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