From the Desk of the President

The Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel

From the Desk of the President

This year 2024 the first lighting of Chanukah for the Jewish community of faith coincides with Christmas day for most Christian believers. After 15 months of fighting and many transformations happening rapidly all around us, the holiday commemorations bring with them harrowing challenges as well as strong hopes for a better future. With hostages still being held in Hamas dungeons, 70,000 refugees from the north displaced within Israel, regional instability encompassing Israel, and very troubling expressions of anti-Semitism and hate in the public square around the world, indeed the spiritual light of Chanukah shines in immense darkness.

Even so, tremendous achievements for total victory have overturned Iran’s capability to harm Israeli citizens. The victories and milestones which have been achieved through the heroic sacrifices of the IDF civilian armed forces, have brought with them the heartbreaking deaths of loved ones, injuries to soul and to body as well as tragic collateral damage and physical suffering. I pray for comfort to come for all who mourn in Zion and for healing to be experienced by so many who have been hurt and who are suffering.

A message inscribed on the back of a photograph taken in 1931 within Nazi Germany gives me inspiration and perspective for our time. The wife of Rabbi Akiva Posner took a photo of a Chanukah menorah positioned on the windowsill facing the city street in order to publicize the miracle of Chanukah. Across the street in the picture, a Nazi flag waved vigorously in the wind. The Chanukah Menorah stood in sharp contrast to the Swastika on the flag of Nazi Germany. The brave Rebbetzin wrote on the back of the photograph, “DEATH TO THE JEWS, thus says the flag; THE JEWS ARE ETERNAL, thus responds the light.” Yael Zoldan’s article about the photo appeared in the Aish Torah website (retrieved on Dec. 22, 2024). The light speaks in the darkness. The clash of civilizations continues today in the midst of light and darkness.

For Christians, the birth of Jesus was a time when light shined in the darkness and the angels sang a blessing, “Glory to God in the highest, Shalom on earth, Goodwill to all people.” While Chanukah and Christmas have very distinct meanings and applications for both the Jewish and Christian faithful, both communities share the yearning for peace and goodwill within the love of and the praise for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Midrash teaches that from the light that Moses ignited many disciples light their own lamps. Jesus taught his followers to let their light shine in action. Chanukah and Christmas remind us that love is stronger than hate and the joy of a living faith will guide us in a path seeking peace and goodwill. May we discover comfort and joy on the inside, even if on the outside we experience turmoil and pain. We will continue to hope for good news. May you find joy and comfort in this holiday season.

My Gratitude for ETRFI and My Excitement for
“Archaeology, Theology, and Bible”
by Brad H. Young, PhD

I feel supreme joy in my heart to have been given this opportunity to serve as President of the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel for this term. I have benefited directly from the activities of the Fraternity from the late seventies when I was working on my PhD in comparative religions at the Hebrew University until the present when I have heard lectures and given presentation. I treasure the friends I have made through the ETRFI and the learning experiences I have gained from my participation.

The Fraternity’s executive secretary the Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt has provided visionary leadership in maintaining and achieving the objectives and the traditions from the founding of the Fraternity in 1966. She has served the Fraternity since 1987. She and Malcolm Lowe observed, “During the Second Vatican Council…Pope Paul VI quoted the view of the Protestant theologian Karl Barth that ‘the only really important question” in the ecumenical sphere is the Christian relationship to the Jewish people” (Immanuel 22/23, p. 134). From 1966 to the present, the ETRFI has sought to foster greater interfaith understanding and reconciliation between the Christian and Jewish communities through scholarly engagement, active research, and relationship building. “Fraternity” is a term based upon “brotherhood” or the word “brother,” which in Greek means, “sharing the same womb.” Brothers and sisters in our faith-based communities not only “share the same womb,” but they have also joined hearts and minds to learn from each other’s traditions and experiences. The work here is ecumenical by celebrating diverse Christian communities of faith and learning to listen to each other’s stories. It is theological because it is our contemplation of God’s mysterious ways within our faith traditions that give us new insights and perceptions into the realities of our life together.

The Fraternity always must insist on research of the evidence and the reasonable analysis of primary sources. Proverbs 23:23 teaches us, “Buy truth, do not sell it, buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding” (ESV). The word, “buy” in Hebrew means “to acquire” which requires diligent effort in research, study, and learning. As a Fraternity we seek to build meaningful relationships. Zoom lectures make it easier for wider involvement and for maintaining relationships outside Israel. I meet people all over the world who have participated in the lecture series or made a friend because of the ETRFI’s activities.