Subject: AJC: Dr. Javier Orozco, St.

Louis Archdiocese Liaison, Begins

Judaism Seminar in Israe


July 16, 2014

Javier Orozco, Executive Director of Intercultural and Interreligious Affairs of the
St. Louis Archdiocese, Judaism Seminar with other .S. !hristian Leaders in
Israel

Eighteen American Christian leaders, from across the United States, representing
dierse religious institutions, hae !egun studying Judaism in the 1"#month Christian
$eadership %nitiatie &C$%' in %srael this (ee)* +he intensie educational program, co#
sponsored !y AJC and the Shalom ,artman %nstitute &S,%' is taught !y (orld#class S,%
faculty* +he seminar includes t(o stints in %srael, during consecutie summers*

+he group includes -r* Jaier .ro/co, E0ecutie -irector of %ntercultural and
%nterreligious Affairs of the St* $ouis Archdiocese, nominated !y the AJC St* $ouis
1egional .ffice* -r* .ro/co has !een an actie partner to AJC in the areas of $atino#
Je(ish relations, immigration reform and Catholic#Je(ish 1elations dating !ac) to his
tenure as ,ispanic liaison at the Archdiocese*

2C$% proides open space for Christian leaders and scholars to e0perience and study
Judaism and %srael from a Je(ish perspectie,3 said 1a!!i 4oam 5arans, AJC6s
director of %nterreligious and %ntergroup 1elations* 2%nterreligious understanding is
deepened (hen Christian influentials engage in Je(ish learning in (ays that ena!le
them to !etter understand Je(ish te0ts and traditions*3

2+he e0perience of Christian and Je(ish scholars studying te0ts together is
transformational* S,% faculty loo) for(ard to (elcoming the C$% group eery year,
!ecause as (e teach them, (e are pushed to consider deeper 7uestions and different
perspecties,3 said -r* 5arcie $en), Shalom ,artman %nstitute Co#-irector of 4e(
8aths9 Christians Engaging %srael*

+he theme of the opening seminar &July 1: #24', 2;od and Judaism,3 introduces the
multifaceted approaches of Je(ish doctrine, spirituality, and theology* After returning to
the U*S at the end of July, C$% fello(s (ill engage in monthly distance#learning
sessions* +hey (ill return to Jerusalem in July 201: for the concluding seminar on
Je(ish community* <ith generous support from the Allen ,* and Selma <* =er)man
Charita!le +rust, C$% has !een adancing professional deelopment for top leadership
of Christian seminaries, denominations, and theological schools since 200>* +o date, 41
leaders, representing the full spectrum of Christian denominations in the U*S*, hae
participated in C$% and maintain the connection (ith peers, faculty, and the institutions
through alumni programming*

?ello(s of -r* Jaier .ro/co in the 2014#201: C$% cohort are9
-r* =ogdan ;* =ucur, Associate 8rofessor, -u7uesne Uniersity, 8itts!urgh, 8A
1e* -r* ;ay $* =yron, Associate -ean for Academic Affairs and 8rofessor of 4e(
+estament, ,o(ard Uniersity School of -iinity, <ashington, -C
-r* 5ichael J* Chan, Assistant 8rofessor of .ld +estament, $uther Seminary, St* 8aul,
54
-r* Andre( 1* -ais, Assistant 8rofessor of .ld +estament, =oston College School of
+heology and 5inistry, Chestnut ,ill, 5A

1e* -r* @atie -ay, +he Charles A* Scheiren 8rofessor, Church and Society, $utheran
+heological Seminary at 8hiladelphia, 8A

+he 1e* $aura Eerett, E0ecutie -irector, 5assachusetts Council of Churches

1e* -r* -aid ;ar!er, Associate 8rofessor of .ld +estament and ,e!re(, 5cAfee
School of +heology, Atlanta, ;A

-r* +ommy ;iens, Assistant 8rofessor of 4e( +estament Studies, ?uller +heological
Seminary, 8asadena, CA

1e* -r* <allace S* ,artsfield, %%, 8rofessor, ?red* E* Aoung Chair of ,e!re( =i!le,
Central =aptist +heological Seminary, @ansas City, 5.

-r* Sally ,olt, 8rofessor of 1eligion, =elmont Uniersity, 4ashille, +4

+he 1e* -r* Christine ,ong, Associate for +heologyB%nterfaith, 8res!yterian 5ission
Agency, 8CUSA, $ouisille, @A

+he 1e* -r* -e!ora Jac)son, E0ecutie -irector, +he 5inisters Council C American
=aptist Church USA, Dalley ?orge, 8A

1e* =ela =ro(n Jordan, Associate -ean of Curriculum and AssessmentBAssociate
8rofessor 8ractice of 5inistry, Claremont School of +heology, Claremont, CA

-r* -aniel Joslyn#Siemiat)os)i, Associate 8rofessor of Church ,istory, Seminary of the
South(est, Austin, +E

-r* =rian 1ainey, Assistant 8rofessor of .ld +estament, 8rinceton +heological
Seminary, 8rinceton, 4J

+he 1e* -r* Jaier A* Diera, -ean and 8rofessor of Ecumenical and 8astoral +heology,
-re( Uniersity +heological School, 5adison, 4J

+he 1e* -r* ?ran) 5* Aamada, 8resident and Cyrus 5cCormic) 8rofessor of =i!le and
Culture, 5cCormic) +heological Seminary, Chicago, %$

A"out Shalom #artman Institute
Shalom ,artman %nstitute is a center of transformatie thin)ing and teaching that
addresses the maFor challenges facing the Je(ish people and eleates the 7uality of
Je(ish life in %srael and around the (orld* A leader in sophisticated, ideas#!ased Je(ish
education for community leaders and change agents, the %nstitute is committed to the
significance of Je(ish ideas, the po(er of applied scholarship, and the coniction that
great teaching contri!utes to the gro(th and continual reitali/ation of the Je(ish
people*

A"out AJ!
AJC &American Je(ish Committee' is the glo!al Je(ish adocacy organi/ation, (ith
head7uarters in 4e( Aor), 22 regional offices across the United States, and 10 offices
around the (orld, including one in Jerusalem* ?ounded in 1G06, AJC6s mission is to
enhance the (ell#!eing of the Je(ish people and %srael, and to adance human rights
and democratic alues in the United States and around the (orld*


$anc% Lis&er
-irector
AJC St* $ouis .ffice
"14*H21*>>66
lis)ernIaFc*org
(((*aFc*org
?ace!oo)*comBAJC;lo!al
+(itter*comBAJC;lo!al