Jewish Teachers at Catholic Forums

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Inviting a Jewish presenter to share Jewish perspectives on biblical and religious themes with Catholic teachers, catechists and clergy is increasingly a feature of Catholic forums of education. This is one concrete way to respond to the call of the Church for Christians to better understand Judaism and to learn from Jewish biblical perspectives.

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In recent years, joint initiatives of Light of Torah and the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay have offered opportunities for Catholic teachers and parishioners to engage directly with a local Rabbi as part of their biblical education.

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Rabbi Gad Krebs, of Kehillat Masada St Ives (NSW Australia), has a gift for leading Christian

audiences on a lively journey through the sacred text using rabbinic approaches. Familiar bible

stories are rediscovered in refreshing ways. Rabbi Krebs has presented in a range of forums,

from small groups to conference keynotes, in the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay and in the Diocese

of Rockhampton. He appears on interfaith and Abrahamic dialogue platforms, and has worked with

a number of Christian denominations. All this in addition to his teaching commitments within his own

Jewish community.

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If you would like to engage Rabbi Gad Krebs, in person or as an experienced zoom presenter,

more information can be found at this link.

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Seven Good Reasons

To Invite a Jewish Presenter to your Teacher/Clergy Formation Programs

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Second Vatican Council

"Since the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews is thus so great, this sacred synod wants to foster and recommend that mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies as well as of fraternal dialogues." (Nostra Aetate, no. 4)

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Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews

"Christians must strive to acquire a better knowledge of the basic components of the religious tradition of Judaism; they must strive to learn by what essential traits the Jews define themselves in the light of their own religious experience. ("Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the Conciliar Declaration, Nostra Aetate", 1974)

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Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews

"…the Jews and Judaism should not occupy an occasional and marginal place in catechesis. Their presence there is essential and should be organically integrated." ("Notes on the Correct Way to Present Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Catholic Church", 1985)

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Pontifical Biblical Commission

"What ought to emerge now is a new respect for the Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament... Christians can learn a great deal from a Jewish exegesis practised for more than 2000 years." ("The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible", 2001. From the Preface by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger; cf. no. 22)

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St Pope John Paul II

"May God allow Christians and Jews really to come together, to arrive at an exchange in depth, founded on their respective identities, but never blurring it on either side, truly searching the will of God the Revealer. . . . Our common spiritual patrimony is very large. To assess it carefully in itself and with due awareness of the faith and religious life of the Jewish people as they are professed and practiced still today can greatly help us to understand better certain aspects of the life of the Church." (6 March, 1982)

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Pope Benedict XVI

"For this reason the Synod Fathers stated that 'the Jewish understanding of the Bible can prove helpful to Christians for their own understanding and study of the Scriptures'."(Verbum Domini, n.41)

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"I wish to state once more how much the Church values her dialogue with the Jews. Wherever it seems appropriate, it would be good to create opportunities for encounter and exchange in public as well as in private, and thus to promote growth in reciprocal knowledge, in mutual esteem and cooperation, also in the study of the sacred Scriptures." (Verbum Domini, no. 43)

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Pope Francis

"God continues to work among the people of the Old Covenant and to bring forth treasures of wisdom which flow from their encounter with his word." (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 249)

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