LBC student rabbis and Principal attend JCM Conference in Germany

The JCM conference exists to promote dialogue, understanding and solidarity among Jews, Christians and Muslims.

LBC Principal, Rabbi Professor Deborah Kahn-Harris and LBC rabbinical students also took part in a challah baking workshop.

This year, LBC rabbinical students and LBC’s Principal, Rabbi Professor Deborah Kahn-Harris, attended the JCM Conference in Vallendar, which was co-founded by Rabbi Lionel Blue, an LBC Alumnus.

Reflecting on the Conference, Rabbi Professor Deborah Kahn-Harris said:

“In our increasingly polarized world, it is ever more important that as religious leaders, and particularly future religious leader, find time and space to engage deeply with each other. That’s why I was so pleased to be able to attend the annual Jewish-Christian-Muslim (JCM) conference in Germany this summer with a contingent of LBC students. Although conference attendance was severely impacted by the Israel-Iraq conflict, which meant that many Israel-based participants either had to attend online or, in a very harrowing example, arrive late, the conference, nevertheless, provided a meaningful opportunity for dialogue across our traditions. We extend our thanks to the JCM organizing team for helping to support our group’s attendance and hope that we might have opportunities in the future for further dialogue.”

LBC’s student rabbis also found this experience very beneficial. Third-year rabbinical student, Rachel Berkson, reflected:

“I attended JCM a couple of times when I was a university student in the 1990s, so it was fascinating to return as a student rabbi this year. Some parts of what I loved about the conference are still present, such as the commitment to having honest conversations as individuals rather than representatives of our religions. The opportunity to learn Muslim texts was particularly valuable, and the approach to multi-faith services is unique and I think very successful. All participants are present for Muslim, Jewish and Christian prayers, as guests rather than spectators, while each service retains its own particular character and we were encouraged to be confident in our theological stance where there are serious differences between the three religions.

Other things are new; historically JCM used to avoid talking about Israel and Palestine, but this year it could hardly be avoided. The more so since the conference took place during the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, and many participants joined from Israel, most by Zoom but some in person, including Palestinian citizens of Israel. We had some fascinating discussions about, for example, reclaiming difficult texts, or the importance of feminism in rebuilding after the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

Another aspect that was meaningful to me is that I am now older than the younger contingent of Christian leadership, as opposed to being one of the younger participants myself. We had some fascinating conversations with young pastors and youth leaders just starting out on their journeys. It was also a wonderful opportunity to spend time with the LBC student body away from the bustle of normal term time. Even the travel disasters were a bonding experience!”

Finally, one of our most-recently ordained rabbis, Rabbi Dr Hannah Marije Altorf, spoke about her experience at the Conference in her last D’Var Torah written as an LBC rabbinical student, just weeks before her ordination. Read it here.