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About The Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations

An association of centers and institutes in the United States and Canada 

Welcome

The Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations is an association of centers and institutes in the United States and Canada devoted to enhancing mutual understanding between Jews and Christians. It is dedicated to research, publication, educational programming, and interreligious dialogue that respect the religious integrity and self-understanding of the various strands of the Jewish and Christian traditions.

As its name suggests, the Council serves as a network for the sharing of information, research, and resources among academic and educational organizations. While most of these are centers or institutes are located in North America, there are also affiliate members from overseas. Representatives from major Christian and Jewish agencies and religious bodies in the United States are also members. The Council is also the national member organization for the United States of the International Council of Christians and Jews.

About the CCJR Logo

The CCJR logo was originally created for the 1981 National Workshop on Jewish-Christian Relations. It now represents the CCJR with the permission of the Catholic-Jewish Conference of Milwaukee. It was designed by the late Florence Bern, who was inspired by the words “we must build bridges between our faiths." The design includes the two most ancient symbols in Judaism and Christianity: the seven-branched candelabrum called the menorah, and the fish (the Greek word for fish, ICHTHYS, is an acrostic for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”) The arch between the menorah and the fish not only evokes the image of a bridge between us but recalls the sign of the rainbow given to Noah after the flood as a sign of God’s covenant and promises to all humankind.

CCJR Logo

The menorah’s three branches from which the fish emerges evoke the Jewish tradition and teaching of the prophets that the world rests upon three things: justice, righteousness and deeds of loving kindness. The four flames represent the bringing of God's light throughout the world. For Christians, it also indicates that Christianity emerged from Judaism but has neither exhausted the depths of Judaism nor superseded it. The artist explained that “the circle is not completed between Judaism and Christianity because there is yet work to be done to bring about the peace and justice of God’s rule to all the world.”

The Council of Centers has these types of memberships -

  • Regular members: centers, institutes, and similar entities in the United States and Canada with a major concern for Christian-Jewish studies and relations. Each regular member organization is entitled to one vote in Council deliberations.
  • Affiliate Members: centers, institutes, and similar entities outside the United States with a major concern for Christian-Jewish studies and relations. Affiliate Members have voice but not vote in the affairs of the Council.
  • Liaison Representatives: national ecclesiastical bodies or national Jewish religious or communal organizations. Liaison Representatives have voice but not vote in the affairs of the Council.
  • Individual Members: persons active in the field of Christian-Jewish relations whose membership entitles them to website privileges open only to members. Individual members are invited to annual CCJR meetings and to observe the annual business meeting without a vote, which is restricted to the organizational members that form the principal constituency of the CCJR.
  • Student Members: Graduate and undergraduate students studying Christian-Jewish relations or related fields may apply for membership with the same privileges as Individual Members.