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September 5, 2003/Elul 8 5763, Vol. 55, No. 54
Symposium seeks common ground
BARRY COHEN
Editor
In an effort to establish mutual religious under-standing and to oppose hatred and intolerance, Temple Chai of Phoenix and Paradise Valley United Methodist Church have formed the "Chai Paradise Project."
Its first symposium, "We Have More in Common than You'd Think!" was held at PVUMC Aug. 27 and featured Rabbi William Berk and Senior Pastor Kelly Bender. About 200 people attended, half from each house of worship.
"There was a tremendous energy and magic" in the room, said Berk.
A resolution passed by the United Methodist Church General Conference in May 2000 in response to the Holocaust precipitated the project, said Jon Katov, member of PVUMC. The resolution read in part, "the General Conference calls the United Methodist Church to contrition and repentance of its complicity in 'the long history of persecution of the Jewish people.' "
Responding to the resolution, Katov last winter contacted his neighbor, Jere Friedman, Temple Chai member, and said the congregations needed to get to know one another, explained Katov.
The symposium succeeded because of "the energy and the opportunity of people of both congregations coming together to learn more about one another's faiths," said Friedman.
Possible future Chai Paradise Project programs include symposia, clergy sacred text study, joint youth group events and collaboration between Temple Chai's Shalom Center and PVUMC's caring committee.
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