Dr. Blake Calls for Increased Dialogue Between Wcc and Jewish Religious Leaders

A call for increased dialogue between the World Council of Churches and Jewish religious leaders was issued yesterday by the Rev. Dr. Eugene Carson Blake, general secretary of the Council, in a report to its 120-member central committee, which is meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. According to reports reaching here today, Dr. Blake told the committee that contacts with non-Christian religions are becoming increasingly important for Christian churches and ecumenical groups around the world. In such a situation he said. “The roots of Christianity in Judaism, the shameful history of Christian-Jewish relations over the centuries and the religious aspects of the continuing conflicts in the Middle East combine to require the World Council of Churches to give particular attention to dialogue with Judaism.” Dr. Blake noted that since the last central committee meeting 16 months ago, the Council had met twice with the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations. This is a new coalition of world Jewish groups, including the American Jewish Committee, Synagogue Council of America and the World Jewish Congress. In addition, an Israeli non-governmental civic group called the Israeli Jewish Committee for Interreligious Contacts is in the process of organizing to participate in the Committee. Dr. Blake urged the committee to approve a new structure in the Council to provide for “continuing dialogue with representatives of Judaism on the subject of faith in God,” and to encourage discussion and collaboration with major Jewish agencies in the fields of racial justice and world peace.