American Christian Editors View Arab-israel Cultural-social Dialogue in Jerusalem

A Hebrew language course which has developed over the past two years into a cultural and social dialogue between Israelis and East Jerusalem Arabs was witnessed here by a group of American Christian editors of religious publications on a tour of the Middle East. The group is in Israel as guests of the American Jewish Committee. They attended a meeting at the Ecce Homo Convent of the Sisters of Zion Order in the Old City where more than 300 East Jerusalem Arabs are studying Hebrew under the auspices of the Hebrew University’s adult education center.

The group has visited Egypt and Lebanon and met with King Hussein, of Jordan in Amman last week. Its spokesman, the Rev. Charles P. Angell, editor of the Lamp, published by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in New York, said they had so far received “a confusing impression” of the Mideast situation and hoped that their visit might be of benefit to all people in the region. Dr. Yani Tleel, an East Jerusalem ophthalmologist who spoke on behalf of the Arab participants in the course, said that the students tried to get to know and understand one another despite different political convictions. A question and answer session was held with a panel comprised of two Jewish and two Israeli Arab journalists.

In addition to Rev. Angell, the visiting Christian editors are: the Rev. J. Martin Bailey, editor of the United Church Herald, United Church of Christ in New York; the Rev. Curtis A. Chambers, editor of Together, United Methodist Church of Illinois; Wayne Cowan, managing editor of Christianity and Crisis in New York; Ben R. Hartley, editor of the Presbyterian Survey, Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, Ga; Robert G. Hoyt, editor of the National Catholic Reporter, Kansas City; the Rev. Vincent S. Kearney, associate editor of the Jesuit Weekly America, New York; the Rev. Robert J. Leuver, editor of the U.S. Catholic World in Chicago; Arthur J. Moore, editor of World Outlook, the United Methodist Mission journal in New York; The Rev. Everett C. Parker, director of the office of communications of the United Church of Christ, New York; the Rev. John B. Sheerin, editor of Catholic World in New York; The Rev. Howard E. Short, editor of the Christian, St. Louis, Mo.; and the Rev. Carl T. Uehling, assistant editor of The Lutheran, Philadelphia, Pa.