As interreligious conflict rages across the globe, ADL is working harder than ever to build bridges between religious communities. ADL brought together Catholic educators from across the Philadelphia region for Bearing Witness, a four-day program exploring historical and contemporary relations between Jews and Catholics. Bearing Witness aims to equip Catholic school teachers with the tools and knowledge to better teach about the history of anti-Semitism in the Catholic Church, the role of the Church during the Holocaust, and Catholic theology about Jews and Judaism.
This year marks the ninth annual Bearing Witness program in the Philadelphia region, developed in partnership with the National Catholic Educational Association, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and local dioceses. While this year’s participants teach a variety of subjects and grade levels, they were united in commitment to educating students about the atrocities of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.
Through lectures by renowned Catholic and Jewish scholars and clergy, participants were able to shed new light on well-known New Testament passages regarding Jews and Judaism. Father Dennis McManus, Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University and Director of the Jan Karski Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Rector and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the American Jewish University, explored the complex relationship between Christians and Jews throughout history. Participants learned about the history of anti-Semitism and the Catholic Church’s recent role in combating it. They also had the opportunity to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. to more deeply understand the consequences of leaving hate unchecked.
Bearing Witness inspired participants to educate future generations about the dangers of hate, and the responsibilities of all people to confront discrimination and bigotry whenever it may arise. As one participant said, “The program changed my life, as a teacher, and as an individual.”
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. Click to learn more about ADL’s Holocaust Education initiatives.