Interfaith Initiatives in Haifa
In Haifa, Israel, interfaith initiatives are underway, exemplified by events such as the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at St. Louis the King Cathedral. The Reverend Yousef Yacoub of the Maronite Catholic community invited Rabbi Na'ama Dafni of the Or Hadash Reform congregation to participate in the ceremony. During the event, Rabbi Dafni lit a blue-and-white braided candle and recited a nondenominational prayer, expressing wishes for peaceful holidays and good neighborliness. Reverend Yacoub stated his intention was to demonstrate a shared pursuit of "light and for peace and for happiness for people."
These local efforts occur amidst ongoing tensions between the Vatican and Israel, particularly concerning statements attributed to Pope Francis (and referenced as Pope Leo XIV in the article's later context) regarding Israel's military actions in Gaza. Israel has rejected characterizations of its actions as genocide.
Haifa's Diverse Population and Historical Context
Haifa, a city on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel, is characterized by its diverse population, which includes a Jewish majority, various Christian denominations (such as Maronite and Melkite Greek), and significant communities of Muslims, Druze, and BaháʼÃs.
The Maronite community has a recorded history of persecution spanning over 1,500 years under different rulers in the Middle East. St. Louis the King Cathedral, established in the late 19th century, received French protection due to Ottoman Empire restrictions on new church foundations for local populations. Reverend Yacoub noted that some Jewish individuals he encounters associate Christians with European antisemitism, such as the 1492 expulsion from Spain. He informed them that Middle Eastern Christians often have no direct connection to, or extensive awareness of, these specific European historical events.
Vatican Declarations and Contemporary Relevance
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a Vatican declaration proclaimed by Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965. This document disavowed centuries of antisemitic theology, including the notion that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ could be attributed to all Jews of that era or to contemporary Jews, and rejected the idea of Jews being "rejected or accursed by God."
Reverend Yacoub described Nostra Aetate as a significant development for Christian communities where Jewish people are minorities, particularly in Europe. However, he suggested its impact was less pronounced in the Middle East, where interreligious diversity was already established. Rabbi Dafni offered a different perspective, highlighting that many Israeli Jews, including her own family, have European ancestry and direct experience with the Holocaust and historical anti-Jewish sentiment in Europe, making the declaration relevant to their context.
Interreligious Initiatives and Education
Reverend Yacoub and Rabbi Dafni are members of an interfaith forum at Haifa University's Laboratory for Religious Studies. Following the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by Hamas, this forum covertly convened 20 religious leaders. The purpose of these meetings, according to Professor Uriel Simonsohn, cofounder of the laboratory and the Frieze Center for Shared Society, was to prevent a recurrence of intercommunal violence between Arabs and Jews that occurred in Haifa two years prior, which had been triggered by an earlier conflict in Gaza. The city has since largely maintained peace.
The Haifa Religious Studies Laboratory now offers a graduate course in interfaith dialogue, with 12 students from various religious backgrounds, including an imam, Druze women, Jewish individuals, and a Catholic priest. Reverend Munier Mazzawi, who leads the Greek Catholic Church in Maghar, is a student in this program. He expressed interest in learning about Jewish history, including antisemitism in Europe and historical discrimination faced by Jews in Arab countries.
Karen Levisohn, a secular Jew teaching a class on religious tourism in the program and pursuing a doctorate on Christian tourism in Israel, noted that her understanding of Christian sites in the Galilee developed after she became a tour guide. She also mentioned that Israeli reception of Pope Francis's earlier calls for an investigation into potential genocide in Gaza was viewed through the historical lens of events like the Crusades and the Holocaust. Yaron Sideman, Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, stated that Israel was exercising its right to self-defense in response to the October 7, 2023, attack, which he termed a "genocidal massacre."
The participation of religious leaders in joint celebrations and educational programs represents ongoing efforts in interfaith relations within the region.