In a time of upheaval and interreligious tensions, scholars and faith leaders from around the world gathered at the Open University of Israel in Ra’anana on June 11-12 to mark a landmark anniversary: Six decades since the Catholic Church’s adoption of Nostra Aetate (“In Our Time”), the 1965 declaration that transformed Jewish-Christian relations.
The international conference, “Nostra Aetate—The Declaration and Its Legacy: 60 Years of Jewish-Christian Dialogue,” included theologians, historians and public figures from Israel, Europe and North America. Together, they examined the historical impact and present relevance of the concise yet revolutionary Vatican II document that renounced the notion of collective Jewish guilt for the death of Jesus, as well as affirmed the enduring covenant between God and the Jewish people.
“We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of a document that truly revolutionized the way we Catholics speak about people of other faiths,” said conference participant Fr. David Neuhaus of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem. “The goal is not to convert, but to walk together—to repair the broken world in which we live.”
The conference’s panels explored the theological roots of Nostra Aetate, its reception within the Catholic Church, and its role in shaping Vatican-Israel relations. Discussions also addressed urgent contemporary challenges—from the rise in global antisemitism to the political and spiritual implications of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in addition to attacks by Iranian proxies from elsewhere.
“In the land of religions, we must dialogue with all of them,” stated interfaith scholar Yisca Harani of Israel. “Even if today we feel somewhat disappointed or frustrated, we cannot let the bridges collapse. If they do, it will be too late. We cannot allow that.”
Professor Denis Charbit, director of the Center for the Study of Relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims at the Open University, said “the first goal is to understand the intellectual and spiritual origins in the context of World War II and the Holocaust—to see how those early innovations emerged, which led to the Second Vatican Council, where Nostra Aetate was part of the great transformation of the church. But we also study how Nostra Aetate has been received in the Christian world.”
Six decades on, Nostra Aetate continues to serve as both a milestone and a mirror—reflecting hard-won progress while challenging Jewish and Christian communities to maintain and renew their commitment to dialogue.
