Tag: dialogue

Wellington Abrahamic Council Condemns Bondi Attack

Dave Moskovitz

The Wellington Abrahamic Council of Jews, Christians, and Muslims is deeply shocked by the horrific murder of Jewish people attending a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney on December 14. We express our profound sympathy for the families of all those directly affected and recognize the impact on all Jewish people living in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and all around the world.

This terrible event reflects a resurgence of public anti-Semitism in many countries in recent years, along with other forms of racism and religious discrimination. Our algorithmically driven communication systems are designed to spread ideologies of hate, disinformation and extremism overseas and here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Like similar events in other countries this mass murder appears to be an outcome of this trend. While our governments both have dedicated teams addressing this issue, this tragic event suggests the extent of this evil in our societies requires an increase in resources to maintain surveillance of groups that have the potential to engage in terrorist activities, and increased protection for vulnerable communities.

The Wellington Abrahamic Council affirms that all religious communities should be free to practice their particular religion and way of life without fear of discrimination or any interference. All three Abrahamic religions teach the inherent dignity of all human individuals and groups of any culture or religious affiliation. We recognize human diversity as a blessing from the divine Creator of all that is.

As a Council we continue to reject all ideologies of division and hatred directed towards any ethnic or religious group. We believe that increased understanding between religious communities will lead to deeper respect for all of those people who practice these religions. Ongoing dialogue with one another remains the only way forward for us all. We believe that dialogue leading to increased understanding between religious communities and others leads to deeper respect for all people.

Nick Polaschek Christian Co Chair
Rito Triumbarto Muslim Co Chair
Dave Moskovitz Jewish Co Chair

Upholding Religious Freedom and Respect for All

Dave Moskovitz

Joint Statement from New Zealand Faith Communities

As leaders and representatives of diverse religious communities across Aotearoa New Zealand, we are united in our concern about the messages promoted during the public protest held on June 21, 2025 by Brian Tamaki and his followers against immigration and the spread of non-Christian religions in New Zealand.

The right to protest is a cornerstone of democracy. However, we are saddened to see rhetoric that appeared to diminish the place of some faiths in New Zealand’s multicultural society. Our religious traditions may differ, but we all share a common commitment to compassion, dignity, and the peaceful coexistence of communities.

New Zealand’s strength lies in its diversity, including its religious diversity. The freedom to worship, or not to worship, is a value we all cherish. We believe that no one faith should be positioned as having greater legitimacy than others in the life of our nation.

We encourage dialogue rather than division, and understanding rather than suspicion. In times of tension, it is especially important that we come together in the spirit of unity and mutual respect.

We remain committed to working together across our faiths to uphold these values and to support the inclusive, respectful society that we all seek to build.

Endorsed by:

New Zealand Jewish Council
NZ Central Sikh Association
Hindu Foundation NZ
Somaliland Society in New Zealand Incorporated
Wellington Abrahamic Council

Sharing Our Scriptures 2018

Dave Moskovitz

Sharing our scriptures: an Abrahamic interfaith dialogue

When: 7.30PM Tuesday 27 February and monthly thereafter
Where:
 Nick Polaschek’s home at 12 Everest Street Khandallah

You are invited to an ongoing informal discussion sharing our perspectives of the Torah, New Testament, and Koran.

The Wellington Abrahamic Council is again sponsoring a series of evening meetings to help foster understanding and friendship between people from the three Abrahamic faith traditions in Wellington.

Last year a group met monthly to reflect together on a theme expressed in a selected passage from the sacred scriptures of each of the three Abrahamic faith traditions. During the meetings each of us listens to the other participants sharing their understanding of the selected scripture from their faith traditions, in turn sharing our understanding of the scriptures from our own tradition.

Participants last year found the experience enriching and were keen to continue in 2018.

Our shared aim is to understand more deeply the perspectives of the other Abrahamic faith traditions and, in this light, to understand more deeply our own faith tradition. From this we hope to better recognize our shared understandings and values and appreciate positively our differences as faith traditions that come from Abraham, our father in faith.

The evenings will once again use Scriptural Reasoning, a tool for interfaith dialogue developed by the Cambridge University Interfaith Programme and now used in a number of countries. We will use the guidelines and text packs, available at their website.

The theme for our first meeting of 2017 is Encountering God, which can be found in the Resources section of the Scriptural Reasoning website.

Our shared aim is to understand more deeply the perspectives of the other Abrahamic faith traditions and, in this light, to understand more deeply our own faith traditions. From this we hope to better recognize our shared understandings and values and appreciate positively our differences as faith traditions that come from Abraham, our father in faith.

For more information, contact Nick Polaschek, nandlpolaschek@gmail.com or (020) 479 7956

Sharing our scriptures – a series of informal meetings

Dave Moskovitz

Sharing our scriptures: an Abrahamic interfaith dialogue

When: 7.30PM Wednesday 29 March and monthly thereafter
Where:
 Nick Polaschek’s home at 12 Everest Street Khandallah
RSVP: http://bit.ly/sos-rsvp

The Wellington Abrahamic Council is sponsoring a series of evening meetings to help foster understanding and friendship between people from the three Abrahamic faith traditions in Wellington.

We will meet in each others’ homes to reflect together on a theme expressed in a selected passage from the sacred scriptures of each of the three Abrahamic faith traditions.

Each of us will listen to the other participants sharing their understanding of the selected scripture from their faith traditions, in turn sharing our understanding of the scriptures from our own tradition.

The evenings will use Scriptural Reasoning, a tool for interfaith dialogue developed by the Cambridge University Interfaith Programme and now used in a number of countries. We will use the guidelines and text packs, available at their website.

For the first meeting we will use the first text pack, Abraham’s hospitality, which can be found in the Resources section of the Scriptural Reasoning website.

Our shared aim is to understand more deeply the perspectives of the other Abrahamic faith traditions and, in this light, to understand more deeply our own faith traditions. From this we hope to better recognize our shared understandings and values and appreciate positively our differences as faith traditions that come from Abraham, our father in faith.

Do consider coming along on Wednesday 29 March 2017 at 7:30pm, and don’t forget to RSVP.

For more information, contact Nick Polaschek, nandlpolaschek@gmail.com or (020) 479 7956

ICCJ Conference Berlin 5-8 July

The International Council of Christians and Jews has announced its 2009 conference to be held 5-8 July 2009 in Berlin, with the theme “A Time for Recommitment: Jewish-Christian dialogue 70 years after the war and Holocaust”.

Programme:
Sunday July 5, 2009

13.00 Women’s seminar
18.00 Reception
18.30 Opening dinner
20.00 Opening session with presentation of the new ICCJ document
“A TIME FOR RECOMMITMENT:
BUILDING THE NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JEWS AND CHRISTIANS.”
including the ‘Twelve Points of Berlin’/’Zwölf Berliner Thesen’.
Guest: Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, German Minister for the Interior

Monday July 6, 2009

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session
Christian Key note speaker (to be invited)
Jewish Respondent: Dr. Edward Kessler, Cambridge
Theme: The necessity of developing theologies of Judaism that affirm its distinctive integrity.
11.00 Workshops (contributors and moderators to be invited) on theological themes
deriving from the Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points, such as:
– Paul and Judaism
– Mutual influencing of Jewish and Christian liturgy
– 21st century forms of supersessionism
– Reform of synagogue liturgy?
– How to work with the ‘Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points’ etc.
12.30 Lunch
14.00 Workshops (contributors and moderators to be invited)
on today’s issues in Jewish-Christian dialogue, such as:
– The Roman Catholic Church under Pope Benedict XVI
– The necessity of trilateral dialogue
– The political situation in the Middle East
– The input of Asia and Africa in dialogue. Etc.
15.30 Free evening in Berlin

Tuesday July 7, 2009.

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session
Jewish key note speaker: Prof. Ruth Langer, Boston College
Christian Respondent: Dr. Barbara Meyer, Jerusalem.
Theme: Re-examining Jewish texts and liturgy in the light of Jewish-Christian dialogue.
11.30 Outing by boat on the Spree river
15.30 Break at hotel
17.30 Celebration of the 60-th anniversary of the ‘Deutsche Koordinierungsrat’ at the
Französischer Dom. Special guest: Dr. Angela Merkel, Chancellor.
19.30 Reception and dinner

Wednesday July 8, 2009

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session.
A panel with a Jewish, a Christian and a Muslim speaker. (to be invited)
Theme: ‘The common commitment for justice in the global society’.
11.00 Workshops on the non-theological points from the ‘Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points’.
13.30 Visits in Berlin: The Holocaust Memorial, The Jewish Museum and other places.
18.00 Closing event and dinner.