Rabbi David Rosen Joins American Jewish Committee To Head International Interreligious Relations Activities

American Jewish Committee
Monday, 12 March 2001

The American Jewish Committee announced today that Rabbi David Rosen will head up the organization's worldwide pioneering initiatives and programming in interreligious affairs.

"Rabbi David Rosen is a true leader in the interreligious affairs world, and we are delighted to have him head AJC's efforts in this new century," said David A. Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. "Rabbi Rosen exemplifies the kind of visionary leadership that is essential to enhancing religion as a tool for bettering the human condition and for achieving the international peace and harmony we so much desire."

"Rabbi Rosen will advance AJC's distinguished efforts in the interreligious world, furthering the initiatives of Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum and Rabbi James Rudin, that have made the American Jewish Committee the leader in interreligious relations for half a century," said Mr. Harris.

"AJC is the preeminent organization within world Jewry in the field of interfaith relations," declared Rabbi Rosen. "I am therefore greatly honored and excited by the challenge and opportunities before me in this premier position of professional Jewish leadership in the arena of interreligious affairs."

Rabbi Rosen added, "Understanding and cooperation between religious communities and their leadership is more crucial then ever for the well-being of society. The Jewish community has an essential role to play as both contributor and beneficiary in this regard and I look forward to utilizing my experience and associations accordingly under the AJC banner."

"Based in Israel, Rabbi Rosen will be traveling extensively to enhance ties among religious communities," said Mr. Harris. Rabbi Rosen will continue his decades-long career of interaction with the various Christian and Muslim communities as well as with the Eastern religious communities.

Born and educated in Britain, Rabbi Rosen received his ordination – semichah – in Israel. In addition to military service in the armored corps of the Israel Defense Force, he served as Chaplain in the Western Sinai.

From 1975 to 1979, he was the Senior Rabbi of the largest Jewish congregation in South Africa, and founder of the Inter-Faith Forum, the Council of Jews, Christians and Muslims.

From 1979 to 1985, Rabbi Rosen was Chief Rabbi of Ireland where he founded, together with the Christian Primates of Ireland, the Irish Council of Christians and Jews.

He returned to Israel in 1985 to serve as Dean of the Sapir Center for Jewish Education and Culture in the Old City of Jerusalem, and subsequently became Professor of Jewish Studies at the Jerusalem Center of Near Eastern Studies.

In 1997, Rabbi Rosen was appointed director of the Anti-Defamation League's Israel Office, after serving for nine years as its director of Interfaith Relations.

Rabbi Rosen served on the Permanent Bilateral Commission of the State of Israel and the Holy See, which negotiated the normalization of relations between Israel and the Vatican. He serves as a member of the International Jewish Committee for Inter-Religious Consultations (IJCIC), which represents organized world Jewry in its relations with other world religious bodies. He is a founder and Vice-Chairman of the Inter-Religious Coordinating Council in Israel.

Since 1995, Rabbi Rosen has served as a President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, the all-encompassing world interfaith body. In August 1998, he was elected President of the International Council of Christians and Jews, the umbrella organization for some 30 national bodies devoted to promoting Jewish-Christian relations.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org