Recent Public Events

Under the Olive Tree
Concert for Unity by The Yuval Ron Ensemble
at Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater, on January 22, 2012

The Yuval Ron Ensemble, led by Oscar winning Israeli composer Yuval Ron (music for "West Bank Story"), includes Jewish, Christian, and Muslim musicians who endeavor to overcome national, racial, religious, and cultural divides by uniting the music and dance of the diverse peoples of the Middle East into a unique and inspiring mystical musical celebration. Accompanied by dancer Judith Brin Ingber, vocalist David Jordan Harris and singers from Jewish choirs of the Twin Cities, and several choirs of Trinity Lutheran Church, the ensemble gave an inspiring concert expressive of its mission to create musical bridges between people of various faiths and ethnic groups.  This event was jointly sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, Trinity Lutheran Church, Faith Inkubators Foundation, and the Sufi Center Minnesota.

Religious Identity and the Buddhist Doctrine of No Self
Christian and Jewish Perspectives by John P. Keenan and Harold Kasimow at SJU on Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Advancing different perspectives on the Buddhist doctrine of No Self in relation to Western philosophical views of religious identity, John P. Keenan, professor emeritus of religion at Middlebury College, and Harold Kasimow, professor emeritus of religious studies at Grinnell College, both suggested how Christians and Jews may be enriched through the study of Buddhism.  This program was jointly sponsored by the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research and the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning.

Why Interfaith Matters
Student panel at SJU on November 15, 2011

Representing diverse traditions and perspectives, Elizabeth Gleich, Tucker Mithuen, TaReema Sabir, and Tiffany Vang reflected on why interfaith engagement is important to them.  The panel was facilitated by Brenna Horn.

Waging Peace in the Context of Violent Conflict
Presentation by Rabbi Melissa Weintraub at SJU on October 31, 2011

Drawing on sixteen years of experience in Middle East face-to-face encounters, Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, cofounder and executive director emerita of Encounter, an organization dedicated to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict explored how such encounters build a culture of civil discourse and create human connections across lines of enmity.  The cofounder and executive director emerita of Encounter, an organization dedicated to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rabbi Weintraub focused on how face-to-face encounters in the context of violent conflict may promote reconciliation and peace. This presentation was part of the Jay Phillips Center's Rabbis-in-Residence program supported by a generous contribution from the Blythe Brenden Fund of the Ted and Dr. Roberta Mann Foundation.Responding to Contradictory Critiques of Contemporary Religion
Presentation by Rabbi David Wirtschafter at SJU on September 26, 2011 Responding to attacks on progressive approaches to religion from both staunch traditionalists and anti-religious secularists who stress the incompatibility of science and religion, Rabbi David Wirtschafter, rabbi of the Ames Jewish Congregation in Iowa, defended the view that religious teachings need to evolve and that religion and science can be complementary influences rather than competing ideologies.This presentation was part of the Jay Phillips Center's Rabbis-in-Residence program supported by a generous contribution from the Blythe Brenden Fund of the Ted and Dr. Roberta Mann Foundation.

CSB/SJU Interfaith Days, April 13-16, 2011 The Jay Phillips Center in cooperation with the CSB/SJU Cultural Affairs Board held four days of interfaith events, including the presentation by Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay (see description below)

Other events were a viewing and discussion of the film "Beyond Our Differences," a traditional Hmong dinner accompanied by presentations and conversation about Hmong cultural and religious practices, and a trip to the Hindu Temple in Maple Grove where participants had a tour of the temple, witnessed a religious festival, and enjoyed an Indian meal cooked by members of the temple.

Passover: From Liberation to Freedom
Presentation by Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay at SJU on April 13, 2011

The Jewish festival of Passover celebrates liberation from slavery and the formation of a covenant that yields true freedom and responsibility.  Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay, director of alumni and community engagement for AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps, explored how this festival and the biblical story on which it is based can inform our understanding of contemporary social justice issues and inspire people of different faith traditions to build strong and sustainable communities that foster freedom, justice, and peace.

Pursuing Social Justice in a Time of Economic Crisis
Presentation by Rabbi Jill Jacobs at SJU on February 9, 2011

Drawing on Jewish wisdom from biblical to contemporary times, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the director of Ma'aseh: The Center for Jewish Social Justice Education and the author of There Shall be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition (Jewish Lights, 2009), explored how we may ethically respond to some of today's most vexing social and economic issues to create a more just and sustainable American society.

Just Enough: Jewish Ruminations on Food, Faith, and Fairness
Presentation by Rabbi Jonathan K. Crane at SJU on November 15, 2010

By traversing biblical, rabbinical, medieval, and contemporary Jewish thought on eating too little, too much, and just enough, Rabbi Jonathan K. Crane, scholar of bioethics and Jewish thought at Emory University's Center for Ethics, showed how satisfying hunger is not merely a culinary feat but also a theological issue and a matter of justice.

Sin, Repentance, and Divine Forgiveness: A Jewish Approach
Presentation by Louis E. Newman at SJU on November 8, 2010

Drawing on research for his highly acclaimed book Repentance: The Meaning and Practice of Teshuvah (Jewish Lights, 2010), Louis E. Newman, Ph.D., professor of religious studies at Carleton College and one of North America's leading ethicists, explored classical Jewish sources dealing with sin, repentance, and divine forgiveness, and he engaged in an interfaith conversation about these issues.

Sustaining the World: Spirituality and Civic Service
Presentation by Rabbi Will Berkovitz at SJU on October 18, 2010

Rabbi Will Berkovitz, vice president of partnerships and rabbi-in-residence at a national Jewish service organization called Repair the World, explored how we may respond to the traditional Jewish mandate to assist God in sustaining and repairing the world, which, he said, "has taken on new meaning and urgency in our age of widespread environmental degradation and untold human suffering."