• Jews and Christians: Working For Israel

   

  The South Florida Jewish community has good reason to take pride in the accomplishments of our congregations and institutions. We are one of the largest Jewish communities in America with leadership that often sets the standard for communities around the country. I recently sat down with Eric Stillman, President and CEO of Jewish Federation of Broward County to discuss an important project that he has supported both personally and professionally. I share this column with my readers to make them aware of important, ground-breaking work in Jewish- Christian dialogue that touches each of our lives and promotes the safety and security of Medinat Yisrael.

  Q: Eric, you have been involved in Jewish- Christian dialogue for the past two years. How did you get involved in this project?

  A: The then Israel Counsel  General, Ofer Bavly, suggested that Pastor Mario Bramnik and I work together  to explore ways in which the Christian community and the Broward Pastors Network could work with Federation to develop pro-Israel programming in Broward county. I then understood that this joint effort was very important to the government of Israel. It proved that we were all on the same page about Israel advocacy. Over the past two years I have come to understand that we have much in common and share many of the same goals. Having had the opportunity to get to know many pastors and leaders of organizations like Christians United For Israel, I have come to appreciate a very fundamental truth: this Christian community does not want to convert Jews to Christianity. They support the State of Israel and the Jewish people because they believe that it is time to make amends for historical acts of Christian Anti-Semitism. They believe that they should embrace the Jewish people and embrace Israel as the Jewish homeland.

  Q: After your meetings with Consul Bavly and your discovery that Jews and Christians could create a powerful platform to support Israel did you find the community accepting of this new partnership or suspicious? Did the community understand how important this partnership was to the Israeli government?

  A: Many members of the community and the Federation leadership immediately saw the potential this initiative had- they encouraged others to support the work. I believe the leadership of our community understands that the Christian community’s support for us and for Israel is sincere and unconditional. I am happy to say that one of the outgrowths of our joint work for Israel has been the breaking down of many walls of mistrust and created opportunities for Jews and Christians to be open with each other.

  Q: What have you personally come away with through the process of building this partnership for Israel?

  A: I have learned that there are many members of the Christian community who understand our fear and skepticism about working together. They understand that there is good reason that many Jews see the cross as a weapon that has been used against us for centuries. I have come to understand that they truly want to create a bond with the Jewish community and, if you will, to make amends for “the sins of the fathers.”

  Q: How do you think this new kind of dialogue will affect Jewish attitudes about Christian support for Israel and a new beginning in interfaith communication? Can the progress made of the institutional level be translated into something tangible in the broader Jewish community?

  A: It’s not just the large scale events that get the message out- when rabbis and pastors speak to their congregations they can bring the message of Jews and Christians working together for Israel to their congregants. I have tried to do so by speaking about the subject at meetings and making the dialogue the subject of my weekly articles to the community. By talking openly we bring the message that this is important to us. Many people have told me that our programs have opened their eyes to many new ideas. They never knew or understood that the Christian community could be so supportive in helping us advocate for Israel.

  Q: Do you think that the ground-breaking work that you and others have been doing here in Broward county will serve as a model for other communities?

  A: Our efforts have been noticed by other federations and national organizations and we have received many inquiries about ways in which our achievements can be duplicated. I believe that other communities will start to emulate what we are doing. Our work is being replicated already and all of us stand ready to help other communities embrace this opportunity.

  Q:  Having spent so much time in the building of these new bridges to help Israel, where do you think these bridges lead for the American-Jewish community?

  A: We are healing the wounds that are deeply felt in the Jewish community. If we have personally experienced Anti-Semitism or heard the experiences of others we can heal those wounds by sharing our feelings with Christians who are genuinely aware of that pain and want to share a new kind of future with the Jewish community. It is important to know that we have Christian neighbors who are on our side and have our back for our right to live as Jews and for Israel to exist as the Jewish homeland.