By: Archbishop Christian Lépine and Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl 

In December, even as the days grow shorter and the nights longer, Jews and Catholics celebrate the holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas. Advent candles and Hanukkah lamps are to be found throughout Canada, their respective symbolisms mirrored in other winter solstice festivals, both ancient and modern, that find spiritual meaning in the calendar’s gradual turn toward light. 

As leaders of the national Jewish-Catholic Dialogue, co-sponsored by the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops – which this year marks a decade of constructive consultation – we recognize that our histories are intertwined even as we have much still to learn from one another. For Jews, Hanukkah calls to mind the second-century (BCE) rededication of the Jerusalem Temple and the rebirth of the nation of Israel, under the Hasmoneans; for Christians, the present season prepares them to commemorate the salvific birth of Jesus. We can rejoice in the synchronicity of these celebrations, discrete as they may be in their origins and orientation. 

Our communities began their official rapprochement as an outgrowth of the 1965 declaration by the Second Vatican Council calling for mutual understanding, respect, and dialogue between Catholicism and Judaism, as well as in regard to other world religions. Nostra Aetate ("In Our Time") profoundly transformed Catholic-Jewish relations by recognizing, in the words of Canadian Dialogue member Dr. Norman Tobias, “that the living God whose great Name Israel is commanded to sanctify and whom Catholics believe to be triune, abides and has never ceased to abide” in a continuing, covenantal relationship with the Jewish people. 

We see ourselves as privileged participants in a historic development, as Catholics and Jews continue to move from conflict to cooperation, from disputation to discussion. As people of faith, we face common challenges vis-à-vis an increasingly secular society. As representatives of related religious traditions, we strive to model solicitude for others, our differences and divergences notwithstanding. 

Over the past ten years, Dialogue participants have met with a mandate “to exchange religious perspectives between our traditions…discuss matters of current relevance… and to identify opportunities for joint initiatives.” Impressively, the Jewish cohort has featured Orthodox, Conservative and Reform representation: along with the Catholics, they have involved lay members alongside clergy. 

Some of our conversations have been biblical and theological, while others have attended to contemporary concerns or matters of historical interest: on the one hand, for instance, the safety of the historic Christian communities of the Middle East; medical ethics, such as responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; and antisemitism and racism; on the other hand, the archaeology of ancient Israel, and the role of Pope Pius XII during WW II. 

We have met in parish churches and synagogues, on university campuses and in community halls, teaching each other and cultivating friendships. We have spoken in worship services, sponsored public events – films, concerts and panels – and published an online study resource on the interpretation of the Psalms. 

In particular, we have sought to nurture the multiple types of encounter identified by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue: 

• The Dialogue of Action – wherein we strive to live in an open and neighbourly spirit, sharing problems and preoccupations, and working together to improve our society;
• The Dialogue of Theological Exchange – wherein we deepen a complementary understanding of our traditions and better appreciate the spiritual values we each hold to be sacred; and
• The Dialogue of Spiritual Experience – wherein we share our manifold ways of searching for God.

We do all this in order to receive and reflect that divine fire which alone can enlighten a world often dark, clouded by mistrust and obscured by hatred.

Throughout the coming weeks, the quiet beauty of lights in private dwellings and public squares will evoke awe and reminiscence. Jews will recall miracles “in those days and during this season”. Christians will welcome “the light of the world” who is “the light of life”. Ponder your own seasonal memories, and the wisdom and hope they occasion.

All things considered, our Dialogue itself constitutes a miracle, however modest. After centuries of estrangement and alienation, division and danger, our colloquy provides an example, during a time of corrosive commentary and degrading discourse, of the possibility of reciprocal learning and shared efforts toward the common good.

On behalf of all of our Dialogue members, we wish you the blessings of peace: Hanukkah same’ah (“Happy Hanukkah”) and “Merry Christmas!”