Rabbi Keren Gorban, Assistant Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Denver, CO, recently traveled to Berlin to attend the Catholic–Jewish Emerging Leadership Conference as a representative of the Anti-Defamation League.  The conference is sponsored by the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC) – a coalition of world Jewish organizations of which ADL is a member – and the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. The purpose of the conference is to bring together young men and women, under the age of 40, who have a commitment to interfaith relations and to provide them with background and expertise. Both the Vatican and the Jewish community hope this conference will expand the next generation of leaders dedicated to interfaith relations, help to reduce false stereotypes and prejudices, and build mutual understanding and trust. Conference participants came from all parts of the world and included students, clergy, and community members.

In writing about her experiences at the conference, Rabbi Gorban reflects:

“There’s something very special about a diverse group of people coming together in respect and openness to discover where our experiences—of our religions and of being people of faith in a secular world—differ and where they are surprisingly similar. Many of us disagreed about many things, from politics to theology to how our religions guide our everyday actions. And sometimes it was frustrating to encounter a strong belief that differed from mine. Yet we forged a bond of friendship and respect as we worked to understand each other rather than change each other’s minds. I pray that respect, openness and friendship continue to flourish among us and among all the many people in our world.

I learned a great deal during this conference through the topics addressed in the presentations, through the formal dialogue, and through informal conversations I had with many of the participants over meals or during late night conversations. I was honored to have been asked to co-moderate one of the formal dialogue sessions with a Catholic counterpart and appreciated experiencing that new aspect of leading interfaith dialogue.

Thank you to the Anti-Defamation League for making my participation in this important conference possible.”