Professor Nasaruddin Umar, the Grand Imam of Masjid Istiqlal – Indonesia's national mosque and the largest mosque in Southeast Asia – recently completed a six-week intensive fellowship with American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). The fellowship included academic study, meetings with civil society leaders and government officials, and participation in interreligious dialogues across the United States.
Press Releases and Statements
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Respected Indonesian Religious Leader Completes Six-week Fellowship in Interfaith Dialogue, Study of Judaism
AJC Welcomes White House Efforts to Combat Hate Against Muslims in America
American Jewish Committee today welcomed the White House’s announcement that the Biden administration will develop the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia, fulfilling the commitment it made in December 2022 as it launched the process to create the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
AJC Sponsors Historic Conference on Pope Pius XII Holocaust Documents
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, today announced its sponsorship of an historic international conference, New Documents from the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII and Their Meaning for Jewish-Christian Relations: A Dialogue Between Historians and Theologians. AJC is the only global Jewish organization among the sponsors.
Globally Respected Muslim Scholar Receives Human Dignity Award from American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee (AJC) has presented its prestigious Human Dignity Award to Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, one of the world’s most respected Islamic scholars and a champion of religious freedom, peace, and enhancing Muslim-Jewish relations.
American Jewish Committee Meets with Catholic Cardinal, Vocal Advocate Against Antisemitism, at Parliament of the World’s Religions
American Jewish Committee met with Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, a forceful advocate against antisemitism, at a conclave of many of the world’s religions and movements that is guided by a message that allyship and freedom to worship are needed more than ever.
American Jewish Committee's Rabbi Noam Marans Receives Prestigious Interfaith Award
Seton Hall University has honored Rabbi Noam Marans, Director of American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Interreligious and Intergroup Relations, with the Sister Rose Thering Award for Outstanding Service in Education for Interreligious Harmony.
American Jewish Committee Advances Catholic-Jewish Relations with Visit to Vatican, Prayers for Pope Francis Recovery and Presentation of Unique Gift
American Jewish Committee (AJC) President Michael Tichnor and CEO Ted Deutch led a leadership delegation to the Vatican. “We are so grateful for the transformation in Catholic-Jewish relations and for the privilege AJC has enjoyed and continues to enjoy as a central actor in this ongoing historic reconciliation, which Pope Francis has taken to even greater heights,” said Deutch. “Pope Francis’s love and care for the Jewish People is universally known. We are grateful for his strong voice condemning antisemitism.”
AJC Joins Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Restore Workplace Religious Accommodation Protection
American Jewish Committee (AJC) has joined with religious liberty scholars Asma T. Uddin and Steven Collis in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to support employee rights to seek religious accommodations to not work on the Sabbath.
AJC Abu Dhabi Joins in Celebration of UAE Abrahamic Family House Opening
American Jewish Committee (AJC) joined in the celebration of the Abrahamic Family House opening in Abu Dhabi. With a mosque, church, and synagogue, along with exhibition space and conference facilities, the new interfaith center drives home the message of interfaith respect and cooperation that has long been a feature of Emirati culture and life. Ambassador (ret.) Marc Sievers, Director of AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding; Rabbi David Rosen, Director, AJC International Interreligious Affairs; and Reva Gorelick, Program Director, AJC Abu Dhabi, attended the opening ceremony yesterday.
AJC Video for Arabic Speakers Dispels Myths About What Jews Think About People of Other Faiths
American Jewish Committee (AJC) today released “What Jews Think About Non-Jews” (kayfa yaraa al-yahud ghayr al-yahud), the 10th installment in the leading global Jewish advocacy organization’s Arabic language educational video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”). The video also is available in English.
American Jewish Committee Mourns Pope Benedict XVI
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, mourns the passing of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. A true friend of the Jewish people, Benedict continued the path of reconciliation and friendship with world Jewry blazed by his predecessor, John Paul II.
Pope Francis Honors Longtime AJC Interreligious Director Rabbi A. James Rudin
Rabbi A. James Rudin, who headed American Jewish Committee’s pioneering work with the Roman Catholic Church and other faiths for many years, was honored today by Pope Francis with one of the Vatican’s highest awards, the Knight of St. Gregory the Great.
AJC’s Rabbi David Rosen Addresses Global Interfaith Conclave in Bahrain
Rabbi David Rosen, American Jewish Committee (AJC) International Director of Interreligious Affairs, today addressed the Bahrain Dialogue Forum, a gathering of more than 200 interfaith leaders from around the world.
Oberammergau Passion Play Director Christian Stückl Receives American Jewish Committee Isaiah Award
American Jewish Committee (AJC) honored today Christian Stückl, director of the Oberammergau Passion Play, with its prestigious Isaiah Award for Exemplary Interreligious Leadership. The AJC award, honoring extraordinary achievement in interfaith endeavors, was presented to Stückl by Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC’s Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations. “Throughout his illustrious career as Oberammergau Passion Play director, Christian Stückl has demonstrated the power of one individual to make a tremendous difference," said Marans.
American Jewish Committee Advances Interreligious Understanding in Unprecedented Visit to Indonesia
An American Jewish Committee (AJC) leadership mission completed a week of consultations and public programs in Indonesia, a country with which the leading global Jewish advocacy organization has been engaged for two decades. The 17-member delegation included AJC CEO David Harris and professional and lay leadership of AJC’s Asia Pacific Institute (API) and Interreligious Affairs Department. “AJC knows the central importance of Indonesia to the Asia Pacific region and the Muslim world,” said API Director Shira Loewenberg. “We found a growing circle of friends and partners who want to engage with Jews along religious, political, cultural, and human dimensions.
American Jewish Committee ACCESS, Mimouna Association Pilot the Michael Sachs Muslim-Jewish Emerging Leaders Fellowship in Morocco and Israel
A group of Jewish and Muslim young professionals from Morocco, Israel, and the United States concluded ten days of consultations with senior government, civil society, and diplomatic officials in seven cities throughout Morocco and Israel. It was the capstone program of the Michael Sachs Fellowship for Emerging Leaders organized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Mimouna Association.
American Jewish Committee Leader Attends Historic Multifaith Gathering in Saudi Arabia
A historic gathering of faith leaders from across religious traditions took place this week in Saudi Arabia, and included 12 rabbis, among them Rabbi David Rosen, American Jewish Committee’s Director of International Interreligious Relations.
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff Celebrates America’s Religious Diversity at Iftar Hosted by Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council and Other Multifaith Groups
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff joined the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council (MJAC) and other multifaith groups for an Iftar, the evening meal following the daily fast for Muslims during the month of Ramadan. Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, was in conversation with Rashad Hussain, the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.
Arabic Video on American Jews Challenges Stereotypes, Tells Story of Diverse Community
American Jewish Committee has released an Arabic-language video about the American Jewish community, the seventh episode of the organization’s popular Arabic video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”).
Global Leader of Orthodox Christianity Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Receives American Jewish Committee Human Dignity Award
American Jewish Committee (AJC) today honored the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with the organization’s Human Dignity Award. The AJC honor recognizes Bartholomew’s singular care for humanity and the environment, exceptional commitment to interreligious coexistence, and indispensable advancement of Orthodox-Jewish relations.