Light of Torah offers educational resources for Christians, designed to foster a love for Torah and respect for the traditions of the Jewish people.

 

Christianity is grounded in Judaism as a plant is rooted in the earth. Christians cannot live apart from the soil in which they are planted. Further, Christians can recognise Judaism as a ‘living tradition’ to which they can turn as a deep well of knowledge, and Jewish communities as vital dialogue partners. This website models some of the fruits of that interfaith listening.  

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Light of Torah is the initiative of Teresa Pirola, ThD, a Sydney-based faith educator. She began this work in 2009, motivated by her experiences of Torah study under the guidance of Jewish and Christians teachers at Bat Kol Institute, Jerusalem. Since then, Light of Torah has created Torah-study resources, held workshops, networked small Torah groups, and co-facilitated five Holy Land tours for Australian Catholics.

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In 2021, a new chapter began for Light of Torah, with a focus on expanding its range of resources, as well as making accessible for general audiences the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the insights of subsequent ecclesial documents with respect to Jewish-Catholic relations. Whilst the material is pitched to Catholic audiences, much of its vision is shared by and relevant to other mainstream Christian Churches.

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This is a work-in-progress, with large sections of the site still under construction. Reader feedback welcome.

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Dedication

This work is dedicated to the memory of Br Dr John G. ('Jack') Driscoll cfc (1933-2010) of Jerusalem/New York and Rabbi Dr Pesach Schindler (1931-2017) of Jerusalem. Both were teachers and mentors who firmly believed in the importance of Light of Torah for the renewal of the Church, and who nurtured it through its early stages of development.

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'I will praise the Lord while I live; make music to my God while I have my being’ (Psalm 146:2).

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