Category: News

At the end of October, JPII Center Leader Prof. Claudia Leal Luna (Cohort III) and Russell Berrie Fellow Halil Avci (Cohort XV) engaged in a public dialogue around the role of the family and theology in contemporary civil societies. Hosted by Instituto Acton and its Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage, this event engaged Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, to address the question: Is the family still a locus theologicus in civil society? “Family is a universal experience shared by our respective religions,” shares Avci, “Our families share common challenges; it is important to understand this point in order to find common solutions.”

Leal Luna, who holds a PhD in Moral Theology from the Accademia Alfonsiana and began teaching this year at the Pontifical Institute of John Paul II for Studies on Marriage and Family at Rome’s Lateran University, served as the speaker; within the context of secular redefinitions family structures, she called into question “whether the family today is still perceived as a domestic church and can reflect the image of the Economic Trinity.” Avci, an MPhil candidate at the Divinity School at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and a Muslim theologian, served as the respondent: to offer possible forms of collaboration and cooperation between Islam and Christianity in the promotion of dignity for the institution of the family.

Avci reflects: “I found it fascinating to have shared the stage with Claudia and to truly have shared a conversation with her. I also was grateful for the spirit of the audience during the Q&A time. It was as if we were experiencing an ideal of what interreligious dialogue means, it was a respectful exchange and appreciation of different perspectives on a rather universal discussion topic such as the family.”

The intentional interreligious framing of this event offered an expansive space for conversation and contemplation around the multifaceted issue of family and theology. Avci says that he left the conversation with “a great deal of appreciation of the practice and reality of interreligious dialogue here in Rome.” 

This encounter was an opportunity to put theoretical education around interreligious dialogue into practice. The family-like atmosphere highlights the culture of the JPII Leaders Network, which has gathered together and trained more than 130 Leaders dedicated to interreligious dialogue from around the world. 

“This was a valuable event,” Avci concludes, “and I look forward to future events like this also including more non-Christian participants who are also eager for interreligious dialogue.” 

On Thursday, November 17, the Russell Berrie Fellows took their annual tour of Rome’s Jewish Quarter. Micaela Pavoncello, a member of the Jewish community in Rome with a degree in Art History, offered an amazing three-hour tour of the Jewish Quarter. 

The tour began near Porta Octavia outside the Jewish Museum and discussed the ancient history of the Jewish community in Rome; dating back to the 2nd century, it is one of the oldest Jewish communities outside of Israel. Beginning in 1555, Roman Jews were forced to live in an overcrowded area—the Jewish ghetto—between Teatro Marcello and Isola Tiberina prone to flooding. 

The Fellows learned more about the history of the Jewish Quarter at the Jewish Museum, which displays pieces of art, clothing, books, and religious artifacts. The clothing industry has been central for the Roman Jews since the Middle Ages. In fact, many of the liturgical objects were made from fabric taken from clothing. “We discovered that Queen Christina of Sweden, after her conversion to the Catholic faith in 1655, donated to a Jewish merchant two of her royal dresses which subsequently were reconditioned and transformed in liturgical covers,” shares Diana Marinescu, Graduate Administrative Assistant of the JPII Center. 

Next, the Fellows visited the Spanish Synagogue and the Great Synagogue, an elegant Art Nouveau-style building inaugurated in 1904. Ms. Pavoncello told the Fellows about the 1986 meeting of Rabbi Elio Toaff and Pope John Paul II: the first time in history that a pope entered a Jewish synagogue. 

“As a Catholic, learning about Judaism’s customs and traditions served as a reminder of our common ancestry,” shares Russell Berrie Fellow Fr. Jackson Johnson. “This gave me the chance to reinforce and recognize the need to maintain communication with our ‘elder brethren in faith,’ following in the footsteps of the three Popes who visited the synagogue.” 

The tour concluded with a guided walk around the Jewish Quarter. Ms. Pavoncello pointed out places that related to the Holocaust, such as a wooden door still marked by Nazis bayonets. On October 16, 1943, the Nazis rounded up and deported over 1000 Roman Jews to Auschwitz. During the Raid of the Ghetto of Rome, a young boy named Emanuele Di Porto managed to escape, hide for two days by a tramway ticket controller, and find his father. His mother was taken by the Nazis and never returned. “It was difficult and painful to hear the indescribable suffering that Jews had to go through as a diaspora community, particularly during the Second World War,” reflects Fr. Jackson. 
The Jewish Quarter in Rome is now one of the trendiest places in the city. “The practice of the Jewish community that still lives in the Jewish Ghetto area we visited surprised me the most as they still uphold their tradition as before and as always,” remarks Russell Berrie Fellow Rev. Karikoga Tawanda Hope. With its narrow streets, delicious kosher restaurants, and archaeological remains dating back to the Roman period, it is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

Photo Credit: ReStart Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has broken communities, forced millions from their homes, and taken the lives of thousands. With the support of grants from the JPII Center, Nataly Pavlik and Taras Dzyubanskyy have designed and implemented two fantastic projects to help promote interreligious literacy, dialogue, and peace in their home country of Ukraine.

JPII Leader Nataly Pavlik created and launched Interfaithing Humanity, an interfaith coloring book. During the Russell Berrie Fellows study trip to Israel in 2020, Nataly was inspired by a visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where there is a gallery of diverse depictions of the Holy Mother of God in various cultures around the world. Nataly discusses the impact of this encounter: “At that moment, it became clear that to see the profound beauty of diversity, one should first educate one’s own eyes to see it and heart to feel it.”

This experience motivated Nataly to pursue the Interfaithing Humanity Colouring Book project. “The driving idea of the Colouring Book,” Nataly continues, “was to create a unique project involving art and interreligious dialogue, which could bridge civil society, academia, and religious communities on the way to peace and reconciliation.” This coloring book contains images from a wide variety of faith and non-faith traditions. For Nataly, one of the main highlights of this project was “consulting with representatives of different religious communities about their vision of characters in the Colouring Book.”

This project not only incorporated interreligious dialogue into its creation but also sought to promote it in a new way. Nataly believes that “using art and operating the visual content brings a more efficient impact on the optimistic image of religious and non-religious communities in society, decreases social pressure, and unites believers and non-believers in the struggle with ongoing violence to maintain inner peace.” This philosophy is especially pertinent to the current situation in Ukraine since, as Nataly states, “the standard methods of talking about inter- and intra-faith dialogue are not effective in limited states of human life, such as war.”

Nataly’s project has received support and endorsements from faith leaders around the world. “It is a bright testimony of human fraternity between Christians, Jews, Muslims, and people of other faiths,” states Fr. Norbert Hofmann, SDB, Secretary to the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. “It courageously opens new horizons of interreligious dialogue in an artistic and creative way.” Guglielmo Doryu Cappelli, a Soto Zen Buddhist priest, shares: “I very much appreciated the interreligious Colouring Book ‘Interfaithing Humanity,’ fruit of a sincere commitment to the path of interreligious dialogue. I believe this initiative brings awareness of the possibility of the peaceful coexistence of different faiths and cultures.”

Nataly reflects on her own project in light of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine: “It is so empowering to receive the words of gratitude from a mother saying that the Colouring Book helped her child to overcome fear sitting in the bomb shelter and balancing between life and death; a girl who was forced to flee Ukraine as a refugee because her hometown was ruined; an old professor who admitted that by giving colours to the characters of the book, he felt young again; a young priest who confessed that he has never thought of having so much in common with our ‘spiritual neighbours.’”

Taras Dzyubanskyy, Senior Alumni Advisor of the JPII Center, also developed a project to support communities in his home country of Ukraine. In response to the mass violence and displacement, which affects families and individuals from all religious backgrounds, Taras created the Interfaith Rehabilitation Program ReStart in Ukraine to help young people from various faith communities become more resilient to the traumatic experience of the war. Cosponsored by the JPII Center and the Religions for Peace International, this program aims to help displaced people “deal with the loss that we all have in Ukraine […] through a series of creative, spiritual, and religious workshops, seminars, and trainings.” This project advocates for the psychological, spiritual, and mental support for these displaced families and individuals on top of the basic necessities of food and housing.

The Interfaith Rehabilitation Program ReStart in Ukraine offered 30 hours of intense group therapy and 10 hours of individual therapy to 40 participants. This included the staging of collective performances and the sharing of war stories. 20 trainers, speakers, lecturers, and religious leaders guided the participants; as Taras states: “We brought religious leaders, we brought speakers from different religious traditions to highlight the values from these religious traditions together to help our people to get through this trauma, from this experience of aggression, from this experience of loss and grief.”

Taras was invited to give a virtual presentation on this project and his experiences with the Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund in the Tokyo Peace Roundtable in September. Specifically, Taras discussed how ReStart in Ukraine “contributed to strengthening multi-religious collaboration, resilience, and social cohesion.” This was the first event in the series of Beyond War and Towards Reconciliation: Convening Multi-Religious Peace Roundtables to be held by Religions for Peace International and Religions for Peace Japan. In his presentation, Taras noted that the Interfaith Rehabilitation Program ReStart in Ukraine has already been replicated in some faith communities on a local level and smaller scale. With the goal of “mobiliz[ing] representatives from different faith communities to use their resources—both spiritual and material—to uplift the spirit of the common good and unity among the youth,” this project serves as a model and inspiration for other communities in need.

Click here to download and/or order a copy of the Interfaithing Humanity Colouring Book.

To learn more about the Interfaith Rehabilitation Program ReStart in Ukraine, see this video posted by the Libertas Center.

On September 19, university students from around the world came together at Georgetown University to partake in “Building Interreligious Solidarity.” This in-person conference was organized and moderated with the help of JPII Leader Emily Judd (Cohort XI, USA) who is now operating as Senior Communications Specialist at the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, an international interfaith organization supported by the Vatican, Al-Azhar, and the leadership of the United Arab Emirates. The conference was centered on human fraternity and interfaith dialogue and it was the product of a partnership between Georgetown University and the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity and Muslim Council of Elders.

Speakers included the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar His Eminence Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb (virtual), UAE Minister of State for Youth Her Excellency Shamma Al Mazrui, and US Ambassador At-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain (virtual). Student participants were from diverse religious backgrounds and countries including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Poland.

The goal of the conference was to build upon the Document on Human Fraternity, signed in 2019 by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and His Holiness Pope Francis. This monumental document looks toward human fraternity among all people as a means to promote peace and justice. The creation of the Higher Committee on Human Fraternity was inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity and seeks to implement and further the ideals of this interfaith document.

In 2021, three members of Cohort XIII of the Russell Berrie Fellowship, Gianluca Avanzato, Gloria Guisbert, and Sophie Palopoli, participated in an international youth Zoom meeting with the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity. In a group of 12 students from around the world, including the United States, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Morocco, Ghana, UAE, and Kuwait, these three JPII Leaders spoke about their visions of human fraternity and had the opportunity to hear from 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee. The JPII Center is grateful for Emily’s work with the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity and looks forward to being involved in future events too.

It’s with great joy that the John Paul II Center welcomes Cohort XV to Rome! This year’s cohort includes a range of fascinating Fellows from around the world: the USA, India, Pakistan, Russia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and Germany.

There is enthusiasm in this group about being at the Angelicum. “As the first member of my family to attend University, I have always considered knowledge-seeking an immense privilege,” shares Russell Berrie Fellow Hilal Avci (Germany). Liz Langan (USA) also sees this education a privilege for her own reasons: “Other than my personal faith, I have only studied religions in a secular context, so I’m looking forward to learning more about them in the Catholic educational setting of the Angelicum.”

“As a Buddhist Monk,” shares Ashin Mandalarlankara (Myanmar), “I am so excited to learn interreligious Dialogue in the Christian community, Christian University, with Christian Scholars and students.”

Beyond Christianity, the Diploma in Interreligious Dialogue at the Angelicum offers the opportunity to explore a variety of religious traditions, and Dr. Maria Petrova (Russia) hopes that these studies will broaden her “knowledge of Judaism and Islam as well as Catholicism and other Christian denominations.”

Fr. Jackson Johnson (India) writes: “From this Fellowship programme, I would like to know more about the theoretical and practical aspects of interreligious dialogue: theoretical aspects from the lectures and the seminars in Angelicum and practical aspects from the various events and programs organized by the John Paul II Center and the Fellowship.”

The Russell Berrie Fellowship and the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue offer learning even outside the Angelicum. During the Orientation week, the Fellows went to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to meet with Father Norbert Hofmann, Secretary to the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. They also went on a two-hour pilgrimage tour of the ancient necropolis underneath St. Peter’s Basilica, where, as Taras, JPII Leaders Coordinator, shares, “we visited 22 ancient Roman mausoleums and learnt how culture and religion coexisted and influenced each other in the Roman times.” This visit culminated in the Vatican crypts at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, where numerous popes are also buried.

With Orientation beginning at the end of September, Fellows are already feeling a sense of connection. Fellow Andrew Mixson (USA) is “already inspired” by his cohort: “we have had some fantastic discussions—and we have only completed orientation week!” Sr. Minh Sa (Vietnam) is excited by the prospect of getting to know others better in the coming year. “With this opportunity,” she continues “I will have more chances to build relationships, have more friends coming from different religions and varied cultures.”

As members of Cohort XV, these Russell Berrie Fellows join a rich network of over 100 alumni who have studied at the Angelicum, completed the program, and become JPII Leaders. “The aspect intrigues me the most,” writes Sr. Josmy Jose (India), “is the various opportunities during the year and the continuous network between the previous cohorts even after this year.”

The JPII Leaders Network is thrilled to get to know this year’s Fellows and connect with them on each one’s journeys—journeys that echo the goal that Halil Avci shares for his fellowship experience: “Rooted in the study of God and drawing from the world’s religious traditions, I am striving for personal and social transformation to seek peace and justice in a diverse and interconnected world.” May we find togetherness and support in our striving for transformation, peace, and justice.

Every year, Russell Berrie Fellows visit Israel for an intensive 11-day trip that combines an academic seminar at the Shalom Hartman Institute, practical workshops and visits to holy sites. Due to the pandemic, it was not possible for Cohort XIII to travel to Israel last year. Only this year, both Cohort XIII and Cohort XIV of Russell Berrie Fellows had the chance of travelling to Israel between from June 12 to June 22. The Israel study tour concluded their experience as Russell Berrie Fellows and introduced them to the Network of John Paul II Leaders for Interreligious Dialogue.

The time in Israel allows Fellows to learn more—among other things—about the lived experiences of dialogue in the Holy Land. This year the Fellows were part of two practical workshops offered by the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue and the second by Sia’h Shalom.

On Friday June 17th, a team of students and facilitators, both Israelis and Arabs, who usually run or attend programs organized by the Rossing Center at their universities joined the Russell Berrie Fellows. They introduced two projects: Healing Hatred and Meeting Place. These projects use different methods that enable participants to listen to one another empathetically and address different aspects shaping their personal and national identities, including faith, beliefs, tradition, culture and politics. Healing Hatred is an innovative model for interreligious dialogue based on the tools of spiritual counseling to allow space to communicate about core spiritual and moral dilemmas, while Meeting Place is a theme-based text study and discussion with Jewish, Christian and Muslim sources. The workshop offered the chance not only to experience the two dialogue practices developed by the Rossing Center but also to interact with young people who live in Jerusalem and who, despite the challenges, decide to walk the path of dialogue.”

On Sunday June 19th, the Fellows were active participants in the second workshop organised by Sia’h Shalom (Talking Peace), an organization dedicated to constructive engagement with, and inclusion of, religious communities and individuals in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. After an introduction about the philosophy of the organization, the leaders led the group through a text study of religious sources and then invited the Fellows to discuss conflicts in their own countries of origin and gave a practical demonstration of how they lead discussions about such sensitive issues.

The opportunity to see how different organizations experience and facilitate dialogue in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas is a great chance for the Russell Berrie Fellows who come from all over the world and who then implement their projects of dialogue in their own countries.

For the Russell Berrie Fellows of Cohort XIV, this academic year was full of interreligious engagement and scholarly discoveries. As their Fellowship is coming to an end, we invited them to share some final reflections. The Fellows reveal the main highlights of their studies at the Angelicum, reflect on how their stay in Rome has influenced their worldviews, and how they plan to apply this interfaith experience in the future.

Cohort XIV, 2021-22

Jan Janoszka, Poland/UK

In many ways, the blend of academic input (especially the lectures with Rabbi Jack Bemporad) combined with our various experiences in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth, confirmed one potential form of living out a calling to interreligious dialogue. I am referring to an intentional and free choice to be immersed in the lives of those who live on the margins of our societies, e.g., the displaced or stateless persons, refugees, and those forced to be “on the move.” I would like to transfer the wealth of knowledge gained during the Russell Berrie Fellowship and STL program at the Angelicum into the context of poor communities of diverse traditions and cultures. Hopefully, I will be able to communicate the gift of faith that does justice, heals our common wounds, and helps us grow together as one human family.

Fr. Van Thien Tran, Vietnam

As a Dominican, I understand that dialogue is the synodal process of seeking the truth. It is the hope to understand the mysterious dialogue between God and men in the line of human history. Moreover, it is an effort to discover the “seed of Logos” that the Holy Spirit puts in everyone and every religion. Once I told my friend that we do not dialogue only by language but also by heart. Synodality and an open heart are essential principles for dialogue. At the Angelicum, I feel being both a student and a family member. I do hope that the knowledge gained during this academic year will assist me in my mission.

Ms. Olena Komisarenko, Ukraine

The most memorable moments during the Fellowship year in Rome were related to Jewish culture, which I could observe and join. The Sabbath dinner explained by professor Noam Zion opened a new reality of the meaningfulness and holiness of time for me. I believe this new attitude would change my lifestyle as a Christian.

Ms. Meilia Irawan, Indonesia

As a Muslim woman in Rome, I have learned a lot from my colleagues during the Fellowship. Each of them respected different views and developed a culture of discussion. I took the example of practical dialogue between various denominations that can sit together despite fundamental differences. My learning journey was enriched by people who support each other even though they have a large ideological gap. Moreover, I was interested in studying the schism because the history of church divisions provides a glimpse of the complex history of Christian theology and its development. The extraordinary experience I gained at the Angelicum will certainly be helpful for interfaith dialogue in Indonesia and necessary for our interreligious maturity.

Mr. Evans Nyamadzawo, Zimbabwe

The Russell Berrie Fellowship has changed my worldview and broadened my understanding of co-existence, religious dialogue, and peacebuilding. I benefited greatly from the academic sessions at the Angelicum, extracurricular interreligious events, internal networking sessions, and the Jerusalem study tour. I was privileged to visit a mosque and a synagogue as well. My studies at the Angelicum broadened my understanding of the Catholic teachings and relationships with believers of other faiths, namely the Jews and Muslims. I was honored to be taught by prominent experts and professors, such as Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Gavin D’Costa, and others. The program allowed me to meet and learn from other people and organizations in the interfaith field, which is a key for future collaborations.

Rev. Humphrey Uche Udechukwu, Nigeria

My stay in Rome offered me an opportunity to study at the prestigious Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum. Within this academic year, two main areas were particularly significant to me. Firstly, the academic studies which exposed me to learn more about ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Secondly, the extracurricular activities that offered me a chance to meet with religious leaders from different faith traditions. Furthermore, my studies in Rome taught me to value and respect our common humanity and to treat people on the basis of love. Finally, I am eager to put into practice what I have learned in Rome. I plan to organize some interreligious conferences in my diocese in Nigeria to create a cordial relationship between Christians and Muslims in my country.

Fr. Norbert Lis, Poland

The topic I took up during my one-year Fellowship was human dignity seen from the perspective of Christian-Jewish dialogue. I wanted to look at my subject from many angles. But I could not separate one thought of human dignity from another, as if I were able to grasp pure Jewish thought and place it separately in one drawer, and put pure Christian thought in another, packing both of them in airtight foil. It is impossible to prove something independently, as if they have never touched each other. It would be a falsehood and a denial of the subject’s dignity. Hence, a more efficient tool in some parts became a phenomenological view of the topic from several sides after revision. I was familiar with Christian philosophy and theology, so I focused on learning about Judaism. The lectures of Rabbi J. Bemporad, Prof. A. Afterman, Prof. I. Knohl, and many others were beneficial for me. Human dignity is a topic that unites, not divides. Hence, Jewish thought walked hand in hand with Christian thought. Both traditions are and will be sewn like one garment of human dignity weaved by “two crochet knitting needles.” Such a common view will facilitate my future work on Christian-Jewish dialogue and make it more practical and active.
Another significant highlight of this year was our combined two Cohorts’ study trip to Israel. Most important for me was a wide range of possibilities to enter into dialogue in practice.

Ms. Bogdana Katarzhuk, Ukraine

Without exaggeration, a year spent at the Angelicum as a Russel Berrie Fellow changed me completely. I learned how to be open to different worldviews and revised my own. I also fought the fear of asking inconvenient questions, especially about my own faith. The year spent in Rome became for me a period of renewal in many senses. Undoubtedly, I will continue to apply the knowledge acquired during the Fellowship both in politics and art; now it gains additional importance for me as interreligious dialogue can also be applied as an additional basis for unity in my homecountry, Ukraine.

Ms. Diana Marinescu, Romania

As someone who spent all her life in universities and libraries and enjoyed several scholarships abroad, I can say that my year as a Russell Berrie Fellow at the Angelicum was the most fruitful experience as a student. From the very beginning, I was impressed by the general atmosphere: for a person with a lay scholar background, studying in a confessional and theological university with religious staff made me feel…home. It is so because we all believe in God and are sensitive to religious issues, because we all organize our lives around religious values and because we all try to find solutions to today’s world problems.

Then, entering in contact with outstanding professors, who are high-ranked Christian and Jewish scholars, and actively engaged in the field of interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, made me feel the actual pulse of this dialogue. Afterwards, encountering students at the Angelicum from all around the world (Chinese and Indians, Vietnamese and Argentinians, Poles and Russians, Irish and Hungarians, Americans, Nigerians, Congolese, Indonesians, Georgians and Peruvians etc.), belonging to such different cultural and religious backgrounds and traditions was enlightening for me since I come from a country which culturally and religiously is rather uniform. It is hard, if not impossible, to fully understand cultural and religious diversity unless you come in contact with it – and this was the greatest advantage of my studies at the Angelicum.

Another thing that really impressed me is the spirit of friendship and fraternity established between us, the Russell Berrie Fellows (and JPII Leaders). I felt we all were one, like a body with multiple brains but one heart. We studied, prayed, joked, ate and had a lot of coffee, museum and church visits together. I must confess that all these opened my taste for joint projects in the future, for I realized that power resides in unity and common witness.

The other event which was life-changing for me was the Israel study tour. Everything was so densely packed there that I will need many months from now on in order to digest what I witnessed and lived: the encounter with so many scholars and rabbis, their amazing stories, an extraordinary religious diversity (probably unique in the world), the sanctity surrounding the Holy Places (especially the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall), the warmth and the chromatic melisma of the muezzins’ call to prayer in the afternoon, the exquisite and unrealistic beauty of the Galilean landscapes which made me actually realize why these places were the Promised Land, the heart-breaking story behind Yad Vashem, the pulse of a vivid and genuine Jewish culture with tallits and tefillins, kippahs and payot, with its Sabbath men’s dancing and singing and its delicious kosher food, and finally the tragic avatars of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in one of the most political-sensitive places in the world.

We are proud of our Fellows and excited to welcome them to the network of JPII Leaders worldwide. Heartfelt blessings on your interfaith ministries and future achievements!

The Russell Berrie Fellows of Cohorts XIII and XIV spent some unforgettable 10 days of June 2022 in Israel. During their annual study tour to the Holy Land, Fellows had an excellent opportunity to experience in person the realities of the coexistence of the three Abrahamic religions. The program included academic studies in Judaism and interreligious dialogue, as well as educational visits to the Jewish and Christian sacred and memorial places.

One of the most touching moments of this journey was the visit to Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, which is a worldwide known place for the Shoah education and research. Built in 1953 on Mount Herzl, the Yad Vashem’s mission is not only to preserve the memory of the persecuted Jews but also to honour the non-Jews who, by risking their lives, chose to help their fellows escape the genocide.

“My heart sobbed painfully as I walked through the long walls of the Yad Vashem that shed light on the memory of the unfortunate Jewish people who lived in the most horrible Nazism and Fascism dictatorship periods in the 20th century,” shares Fr. Baiju Julian (Cohort XIII) from India. He adds, “My mind desperately threw some questions: How could humanity permit such atrocious systematic killing, totally negating the fundamental human right to life? Why were Jewish people haunted and treated in this way? Why did the German people tolerate inhuman actions in their country?”

Reflecting on the emotional appeal of the inner space of Yad Vashem, Olena Komisarenko (Cohort XIV) from Ukraine points out that the building is unique in the way it resembles the fear in the lives of people who experienced unprecedented genocide. “It is filled with cold gray cement on the hill in a position that seems unstable from a distance as if it would be about to fall into the abbess. It creates a sensation of danger and total absence of life control or security that is so evidently present all the time,” she notices.

Christopher Akongnwi (Cohort XIII) from Cameroon remembers the two places that brought out tears from his eyes during the visit, namely the Hall of Remembrance and the Children’s Memorial. “I could not withhold myself from anger seeing the modern cruelty of political leaders against their fellow human beings; how the sacredness of God’s most beautiful creature, the human person, is jeopardized for selfish interest,” Christopher says. “Some people would certainly ask me, ’Where is your God?’ and I would obviously answer with my humble faith, ‘Our God is in heaven, he does whatever pleases him’ (Psalm 115),” he concludes.

Inside the museum, the unbelievable quantity of informative materials is accompanied by visual symbols reflecting the hardship of the Jewish lifestyle in this sorrowful period of human history. The clothes and shoes of the victims, the stones from the Jewish ghetto in Poland, the 10-meter deep black well reflecting the photos of victims, and at the end of the visit, the candles in a totally dark and silent room in remembrance of the deaths of Jewish children. Olena Komisarenko emotionally states, “Everything in Yad Vashem quietly screams about the tragedy making us feel so deeply that human life and dignity are above all in any circumstances.”

At the end of the exhibition, Fellows reached a section with the names of victims killed without being identified. “When the whole group left,” says Evans Nyamadzawo (Cohort XIV) from Zimbabwe, “I remained there alone with my colleague. We were both staring at different pictures, but I believe that we shared the same feeling. I saw a little girl with a lovely smile in the photo. I could not take my eyes off her innocent and beautiful face. I saw a child whose future, dreams, and life were cruelly stolen.”

Evans admitted his feeling of perplexity about how a human being could do such an atrocity to another fellow being. He argues, “I must raise my kids and influence people in my community so that they will be among the Faithful Among the Nations (i.e., non-Jewish people who saved Jews from being persecuted and killed).” “I bow in front of people who risk their lives for others, who are ready to stand up for what is right even if it costs their own lives, and even though they might have such differences as nationalities, races, religions, languages and so on,” Evans comments.

Fr. Baiju concludes his reflection about the Yad Vashem visit with a powerful statement: “The fate of millions of Jewish people who became the victims of the horrors perpetrated by political policies must never be repeated again in the world. The Museum of Yad Vashem serves as a reminder to humanity.”

We pray to God for miracles to touch the hearts of people to strive for the common good and respect for the life and dignity of human beings. We stand with all people who suffered then and now.