A Bridge in the Younger Generation

This fall, the young adult department of Bridges for Peace, Zealous 8:2, received an unexpected call from a good friend, David Nekrutman. Director of the CJCUC (Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation), David has had a special place in his heart for Zealous. So, when he encountered an important and urgent need, he reached out for our help.

He needed the Christian volunteers in Zealous to participate in a faith-based conversation with the Hesder Machanaim Yeshiva students. Building an understanding relationship between the two communities was the goal. The importance of this opportunity was that these yeshiva (religious school) students and their Christian peers had never before had an official conversation about faith with such a goal. The urgency was due to the fact that timeframe for this discussion was only a few days away—in the middle of everyone’s tight schedules. Zealous made the commitment, and the result could not have been better.

When the groups arrived, CJCUC took time to brief the yeshiva students and Zealous participants separately. Then the two groups were brought together and for over an hour engaged in meaningful and sincere conversation about each community’s relationship with God and Israel. The fruit could be seen in the fellowship. When the official conversation ended, both sides continued talking, laughing and exchanging contact information.

This kind of gathering doesn’t happen often, but it seems it is becoming more common as a bridge is built between the younger Jewish and Christian communities.