"Sometimes you have to look reality in the eye and deny it."

    One inescapable reality into which Christians and Jews have stared and tried to deny is each other. We Christians have traditionally insisted that the world needs more people like "us" and fewer people like"them," and we have deployed all manner of evangelical initiatives to enlarge our churches at the expense of the synagogue. Jews have done their best to avoid the disputatious intrusions, and they have developed an array of strategies to fend off the church's missionary embrace. All the while they have hoped and prayed that their Christian neighbors would not come pounding on their doors with "noble" intentions of rescuing their souls. The religious identities of Christians and Jews have been forged in cramped enclaves where our ignorance of the other is rarely looked in the eye, much less remedied.

    In my lifetime Christians and Jews have begun to discover that they cannot deny or ignore each other's religious tradition without imperiling their own survival or undermining their own moral credibility. A possibility has emerged that would have been unthinkable even fifty years ago. Christians and Jews may learn to interact in ways that strengthen and enrich each tradition. Not only what we hold in common, but also what distinguishes us from each other may serve as a catalyst for soul-searching discoveries. Which of our ancestors could have imagined that the educational interplay of Christians and Jews could expand the horizons of both and bring honor to each of our traditions?

    Negatively stated, we were compelled to look this fact in the face: There is no way to disarm religious hate wihtout developing a deep understanding and appreciation of the wisdom and beauty that are embodied in the other's commu-nity. There is no way to contest the dysfunctional values and behaviors of the dominant culture without engaging each other in unflinchingly honest conversation. The radical reversal in Jewish-Christian relations amounts to the most dramatic revo-lution in the interplay of the world's major religions, and the reverberations from this transformation echo in every corner of our civilization.

    We easily forget that the achievements are young and tender, and far more nourishment is demanded before the accomplishments will stand firmly on their own feet. During the past several months, the ICJS board and staff along with some key community leaders embarked upon a strategic planning process that has prompted us to take a careful inventory of our own talents, to contend with the external challenges that are besetting our respective religious communities at home and abroad, and to assess the best deployment of our energies and expertise. With the guidance and occasional cajoling of two remarkably gifted consultants (Ann-Michele Gundlach and Greg Conderacci), we have wrestled with questions about the scope of the ICJS mission. We have begun to explore opportu-nities to forge new partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations and institutions. We are investigating new ways to use technology so that we can effectively extend the reach of the ICJS. To consolidate the gains of the past and to broaden the base of Jews and Christians who can navigate the boundaries of our traditions will require more ambitious educational outreach and an infusion of some additional talents on our staff. The prospects are greatly enhanced by the construction of our new home across the street from Goucher College. The planning has fortified the commitments of both the ICJS board and staff, and their generosity has enabled us to move ahead resolutely. Yet our stability continues to hinge on the involvement of the many folks in and beyond Maryland whose gifts expand our horizons and underscore the imperative to look reality in the eye with-out blinking.

Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher M. Leighton
Executive Director