I can still remember the looks of confusion, consternation, and surprise on the faces of my colleagues at a simple phrase I uttered coming out of one of the first sessions of the Christian and Jewish Educators Study Group a few years ago. In my simple and frank way, I told a few of my new friends, "I need a Jew." Just like that.

After repeating myself at the request of those who thought they had misunderstood my statement, I went on to explain that I had no idea what basic Jewish thought was about my Roman Catholic faith. I wanted to sit down with someone of the Jewish faith to find out if Jews thought Christians were merely misguided, crazy, or just heretical nuisances.

I thought that if I knew what Jews thought about Christians, I would be better prepared to enter discussions with less trepidation.

That was about six years ago. Since I first participated in the Christian and Jewish Educators Study Group, my wish for true, open discussion has been granted many times over.

Perhaps the most poignant moment for me since that first meeting came after watching the film I Am Joseph Your Brother with an audience of mixed faiths at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. As we moved into the room where we were to view the film, we joined others who had arrived while our study group was meeting. In the crowd, I saw the faces of older people who had come to the film after years of dis-appointment in the quality of Jewish-Christian relations -- disappointment I thought I would never understand.

After viewing the film, I stepped outside for a break. Baltimore Hebrew's school was just letting out. I saw the smiling, laughing faces and heard the voices of the most beautiful group of children I had ever seen. They were getting into their mini-vans and family cars, chattering happily about who knows what -- probably the events of the day.

I nearly broke into tears on the spot, not just because of the beauty of the scene, but also because of my experience with I Am Joseph Your Brother earlier that afternoon.

The scene reminded me of how, during the Shoah, children like these were mercilessly hauled off to camps, torn from their families at what should have been the most wonderful, safest time of their lives. How could I possibly not feel a flood of emotion knowing that my church had done so little to help these, the smallest of God's best creation? In that moment I truly understood why God had called me to participate in the Christian and Jewish Educators Study Group.

The group provides me with an opportunity to learn about the "other" in an environment that is safe. We have built trust among ourselves. Many of us have been together since that first weekend and have built solid friendships. But more valu-able than these friendships (if that's possible) is the open atmosphere that allows me to learn about my own faith in light of other Christian denominations and the Jewish faith.

In our discussions, there are some issues on which we "agree to disagree." Yet, in this group, disagreement does not bring about a hardness of heart. There is enough respect for one another to allow the "other" the freedom to believe without trying to impose our own desire to be "right" upon them. We truly have the opportunity as educators to work together to bridge the gap of misunderstanding and distrust that separates our faiths.

Since viewing I Am Joseph Your Brother, I see our roles not only as educators and learners but also as builders. By building bridges of understanding, however tenuous, we may ensure that something as horrific as the Shoah will never, ever, hap-pen again.

The Christian and Jewish Educators Study Group does more than study the Word of God. We do more than study each other. Though we may not always be aware of it, I believe that we're really studying the future -- what the relationship between our faiths can become.