HISTORY

The Catholic-Jewish Relations Council of Northeast Queens came into existence 41 years ago through the combined efforts of the bishops of Brooklyn, Rockville Centre, and the Archdiocese of New York in cooperation with prominent rabbis and Jewish laymen. A few of those who worked together were: Cardinal Terence Cooke, Bishop Walter P. Kellenberg, Bishop Francis J. Mugavero, Rabbi Ben Zion Bokser, Rabbi Balfour Brickner, Rabbi Bruce Cole, Rabbi Josiah Derby, Rabbi Israel Mowshowitz, Dr. Louis Finkelstein, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Dr. Joseph L. Lichten of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, and Mr. Harold Schiff, also of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. Thus, The Catholic-Jewish Relations Council has a long and distinguished pedigree.

 

The cooperative efforts of those just mentioned created a document signed on November 18, 1969 and called “Guidelines for the advancement of Catholic-Jewish Relations in the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and the Diocese of Brooklyn.” These guidelines established principles to govern Catholic-Jewish relations in the metropolitan area.  Foremost among these principles was that all programs involving Catholics and Jews should aim “to increase mutual understanding between Catholics and Jews,  to eliminate sources of misunderstanding and tension, and to promote that cooperation which reflects our common religious bonds by the initiation and development of inter-religious meetings at all levels.”

 

Among the inter-religious meetings to which the “Guidelines” referred were local councils that would bring the work of promoting mutual understanding and respect between Catholics and Jews to the grass-roots or community level. One of the first, if not the first, of these local councils was The Catholic-Jewish Relations Council of Northeast Queens. This council is the sponsor of today’s concert, and has through out its 41 year history sponsored a variety of programs, all of which have been true to the original aim of promoting mutual understanding and respect between Catholics and Jews.

 

For many years the method of promoting such understanding and respect was through dialogue, both in programs for the community and in the monthly membership meetings of the Council. At these meetings, Catholic and Jews came together to discuss a topic announced in advance. For example, Catholics and Jewish views on messiah, on the State of Israel, and on inter-marriage. These topics were discussed, not in the form of an argument, but in the form of education. At the end of a dialogue there were no winners or losers, but only those who were better informed. In addition to dialogue, visits were made to churches and synagogues, not for the purpose of proselytizing, but for learning. In the same manner, the Council also has sponsored several essay contests for school children.

 

In recent years, the Council has decided to make children and young people the focus of our programs because they are the next generation and the hope for the future. Accordingly, we have sponsored in churches and synagogues interfaith model Seders for young people in which a rabbi or cantor presides, and afterwards holds a discussion of the meaning of Passover, accompanied by an explanation of the parts of the Seder service. After this there is a brief comparison of the Seder and the Catholic Mass.

 

Each year in December the Council celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas by holding a party for young people in which the meaning of these holidays is explained, the Hanukkah Menorah and the Advent Wreath are lit, and holiday songs are sung. Additionally, from time to time we also hold a Holocaust Memorial Service to which young people are invited and often participate by playing roles representing the various victims.

 

Our various fundraising efforts have also involved young people, as when we have a theater party in which Catholic and Jewish school children attend based on tickets purchased by others but donated to the children. Today’s concert, produced by our member Bob Horn and featuring another member, international concert pianist Miriam Brickman, is an example of our fundraising, as were the Bishop Mugavero-Rabbi Tannenbaum Memorial Concerts in which the choirs of churches and synagogues performed. Since we are a free-standing, financially independent, 501 (c) 3 organization, our fundraising pays for the programs we run. One hundred percent of our profits go into programs for the community and especially for children. Not one cent from our fundraising pays for organizational expenses or overhead, which is covered by membership dues.

 

A summary of our history would not be complete without mentioning our publications and those who make these publications possible. Dialogue Today is our quarterly magazine of Catholic Jewish relations, and it is published and edited by Monsignor Leonard Badia, a member of the Council who received the title of Canon from a bishop in Poland for his efforts on behalf of Catholic-Jewish relations. The Forum is our monthly newsletter, founded by our member Ed Fox, whose wife was a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish and a catechist here until her death several years ago. Ed Fox still serves as publisher and editor of The Forum, researching and writing many of the major articles himself.

 

You may know some of our other members. You have already met our president, Patricia Curran of St. Andrew Avelino Parish, but in addition there are Bob Nuxoll formerly of  Sacred Heart Parish, who wrote our Holocaust Memorial Service, Bill Parrot our former president, also of Sacred Heart Parish; Rabbi Bruce Goldwasser and Cantor Hilda Abrevaya of Temple Beth Sholom, who have helped with some of our Interfaith Model Seders, and Rabbi Murray Stadtmauer, former spiritual leader of the Jewish Center of Bayside Hills, a long time member and the first of the local Jewish clergy in this area to support Catholic-Jewish relations..

 

Finally, in addition to those just mentioned, there are others over the 41 years of our existence who have helped us in various ways.  Rabbi Leon Klenicki, of blessed memory, to whom we gave an award for his efforts on behalf of Catholic-Jewish relations, was a source of inspiration and erudition. Msgrs. Michael Cantley and Guy Masssie, of the diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Commission were sure guides. And Msgr. Martin Geraghty, former pastor of St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor and current pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine, Bayside Hills, former member of the Rockaway Catholic-Jewish Relations Council and current member of the Catholic-Jewish Relations Council of Northeast Queens, where he sits on the Executive Committee, has been a source of practical wisdom, spiritual guidance, and keen understanding of issues. To all those named, and to our many unnamed supporters we are deeply indebted.

 

One last point. A question. Has it worked? Has the attempt to increase mutual understanding and respect between Catholics and Jews in our community succeeded? Those who know the status of Catholic-Jewish relations 40 or 50 years ago and know what it is today know the answer to that question. Yes, it has worked. And it has worked not only at the grass-roots level, but at the scholarly and the official level as well.