For more than a decade, ADL has 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.
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, this year marked the 13th annual Bearing Witness program in the Philadelphia region. Participants represented 22 schools from 7 dioceses throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Highlights of the program included a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and the opportunity to meet and hear testimony from Anneliese Nussbaum, a Holocaust survivor. Through lectures by renowned Catholic and Jewish scholars and clergy, participants dove deeper into the Holocaust and Jewish-Catholic relations. The speakers included Father Dennis McManus, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and the Delegate for Jewish Affairs at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Rabbi David Sandmel, ADL’s Director of Interreligious Engagement. For many of the educators in the program, it was the first time they’d witnessed Catholic-Jewish dialogue.
Another highlight for Bearing Witness participants was a visit to Congregation Beth Or in Ambler, PA, where they shared a model Shabbat dinner with Rabbi Greg Marx, his wife and members of the congregation.
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, “I have loved these four days…I feel like I am ready to be a much better version of myself and a better teacher.”