The 1998 Fall Event:
Hope and Resistance Among Jews
and African American Christians
The power of music to generate hope in the midst of despair became clear for the 600 people who attended the November public program at Beth El Congregation. Accompanied by the choirs of Beth El and Douglas Memorial Community Church, Rabbi Mark Loeb and Reverend Brad Braxton took turns ex-plaining and demonstrating the spiritual transformation that music can inspire. The evening provided a rare opportunity for Christians and Jews to enter into the experience of the other and at the same time stand on common ground. The program was made possible by the children and grandchildren of Gail and Charles Yumkas and Jeanette Blum in honor of Charles Yumkas' birthday.

Clergy Scripture Forums
Over the last five years, the ICJS has orchestrated educa-tional programs that bring together a remarkable cross-section of Jewish and Christian clergy to study the distinctive ways in which each of us reads, interprets, and tries to apply the wisdom of our respective traditions. This year's program entails a careful inquiry into the Ten Commandments. Dr. Walter Harrelson, Professor Emeritus at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and Rabbi Tzvi-Hersh Weinreb of Schomrei-Emunah Congregation, launched the project; Rabbi Gustav Buchdahl of Temple Emanuel, and Dr. Roger Gench of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church, moved the discussion forward. As a consequence of this venture, the ICJS will develop educational resources for use in congregations, schools, colleges, and seminaries.

The Genesis High School Project
The third annual High School Genesis Project was held in Feb-ruary and March. Sixty-four high school students from twenty area high schools participated in the program held at four local high schools. Led by trained facilitators, the students studied the stories of The Binding of Isaac, Cain and Abel, and Jacob and Esau. These stimulating discussions provided students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to engage in conversations about text material that elicited differing per-spectives and opinions. By learning to express their opinions and listen to others, students received a wonderful lesson in diversity, leadership, and the interpretation of well-known biblical texts.

Preaching Colloquia
Text study was the focus of the first half of the Advent Preaching Colloquium held in November. Led by Dr. Rosann Catalano and Rabbi David Sandmel, participants had the op-portunity to study the texts designated to be read on the first Sunday of Advent and develop strategies to eliminate their anti-Jewish polemic.

The latter part of the program featured Dr. Gary Vikan, Direc-tor of the Walters Art Gallery, who presented a slide review and discussion of the images of the Nativity that flood the public during the Christmas season. Reverend John Roberts, Pastor of Woodbrook Baptist Church, followed with a discus-sion of the representations of the shepherds who also predominate holiday imagery.

The Lenten preaching Colloquium, held in January, was led by Dr. Frances Gench, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. Dr. Gench provided biblical background and strategies for preaching the great cycle of Lenten readings: The Woman at the Well, The Man Born Blind, and The Raising of Lazarus.

The ICJS Mini-Course
One of ICJS's most popular programs was the five-part Fall Mini-Course, Biblical Israel, Rabbinic Judaism, and Christianity: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Exploration, taught by Dr. Rosann Catalano. Held during October and November at Wood-brook Baptist Church, over ninety people attended the sessions, which explored the common roots of Christianity and rabbinic Judaism and their points of divergence. So popular is the program that Dr. Catalano will offer another Mini-Course in the Spring.

Roman Catholic/Jewish Educators Program
Roman Catholic and Jewish educators met in November for the second part of a two-part program that focused on the prayers that are central to their respective traditions. Having studied the Jewish Amidah last Spring, the group, led by Dr. Rosann Catalano, chose the Roman Catholic Eucharistic Prayer for its Fall topic. This group is noteworthy for the honesty and intimacy that has evolved over the time it has been studying together and the consequent richness in its discussions.