Inter-Religious

Orthodox Churches

The dialogue between Judaism and Christian Orthodoxy started in the late 1970s in order to promote a better understanding between the international Jewish community and the Orthodox Church under the leadership of the World Jewish Congress and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Since then the World Jewish Congress and the Ecumenical Patriarchate have jointly organised and chaired a series of Jewish-Orthodox Consultations:

"The Notion of Law in Judaism and Christianity" in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1977;
"Role of Tradition in both Religions" in Bucharest in 1979;
"Continuity and Renewal" in Athens in 1993;
"The encounter of Christian Orthodoxy and Judaism with Modernity' at Ma'aleh HaChamisha, Israel in 1998
"Faithfulness to Our Sources: Our Common Commitment to Peace and Justice" the fifth was hosted in Thessaloniki in 2003.

These meetings addressed problems that the two religious communities continue to face today, such as nationalism and religious fundamentalism, as well as religious freedom, education, religious confrontation and peace.

Over the years, the Eastern Orthodox Patriarcates and International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Consultations (IJCIC) have increased their involvement in the dialogue and their participation at the meetings.

These meetings convinced the World Jewish Congress and the Ecumenical and the Eastern Orthodox Patriarcates that, despite the painful historical confrontations, it was necessary to pursue the relations between Judaism and Christian Orthodoxy for constructive dialogue in the interests of the faithful of both religions.

Both Judaism and Christian Orthodoxy contain within their teachings all the elements necessary in the modern world to promote not only mutual understanding and cooperation but also religious freedom, peace, social justice and human rights.

The purpose of this dialogue is to remove prejudice promoting a mutual understanding and cooperation.