God Wants Me to Believe – The Day of Judaism at the Catholic University of Lublin

28 March, 2025

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Heschel Centre for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin

Analysis

23 January, 2025

3 min

God Wants Me to Believe – The Day of Judaism at the Catholic University of Lublin

The 28th annual Day of Judaism in the Archdiocese of Lublin was held at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL). Representatives from Catholic and Jewish communities, including participants from the United States, participated in the event. The university’s rector, Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, addressed them in a letter, stating: “Liberation, freedom, and […]

KUL

Fr. Prof. Kalinowski emphasized that as a space for dialogue and exchanging ideas, the university is especially obliged to support and promote understanding between religions and nations. “The fact that this gathering brings together representatives from different parts of the world highlights its international dimension and exceptional significance,” the rector underscored.

The event featured a guest lecture by Prof. Robert S. Schine, head of Jewish Studies at Middlebury College. “It is significant that these celebrations take place under the auspices of the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Center of the Archdiocese of Lublin and the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations, named in honor of Rabbi and Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel, whose family roots trace back to this region near Lublin. Heschel came from the Hasidic dynasty of the Apter Rav—Apter being the Yiddish name for the town of Opatów. Rabbi Heschel sought to open the doors of understanding between Christians and Jews,” Prof. Schine remarked.

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Lublin and KUL’s Grand Chancellor, Archbishop Stanisław Budzik, opened the meeting by highlighting the importance of interfaith dialogue.

This year’s message for the Day of Judaism was delivered by Prof. Susannah Heschel, daughter of the patron of the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations. “I am delighted to join you in this Jubilee Year—a time of particular spiritual awakening. It is a moment to set aside our daily struggles to nurture empathy for one another, ourselves, and the world around us,” she wrote.

Fr. Prof. Mirosław Wróbel, director of the Institute of Biblical Studies at KUL, reflected on the theme of this year’s 28th Day of Judaism: “Proclaim liberty in the land to all its inhabitants” (Leviticus 25:10a). He explained the connection of these words to the spiritual aspect of the Jubilee Year. “It is meant to be a time filled with grace and hope, lived with responsibility. External regulations and celebrations are meaningless without accompanying inner transformation,” Fr. Prof. Wróbel emphasized.

Sister Dr. Katarzyna Kowalska NDS (Notre Dame de Sion), Co-Chair of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews, spoke about signs of hope and the papal bull issued by Pope Francis before the start of the Jubilee Year. “Before the Jubilee Year begins, the pope traditionally issues a bull. On May 9, 2024, Pope Francis released a document entitled Spes Non Confundit, which means ‘Hope Does Not Disappoint.’ In this document, the pope highlights hope as the guiding theme of all Jubilee Year events. This year is to become a time of hope,” Sister Dr. Kowalska noted.

The Day of Judaism concluded with a prayer led by cantor Symcha Keller and the performance of an Akathist—a solemn hymn for strengthening the gifts of the Holy Spirit—sung by artists Ewa, Martyna Sykulska, and Marcin Ramfeld.

The event was organized by the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at KUL and the Archdiocesan Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Center in Lublin.

The Day of Judaism in the Catholic Church in Poland was established in 1997 by the Polish Bishops’ Conference. Its goal is to foster Christian-Jewish dialogue, prayer, and reflection on the connections between the two faiths. This year, the central celebrations took place in Wrocław.

Heschel Centre for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin

The Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations - a new scientific, educational, and cultural unit to deepen Catholic-Jewish relations internationally - began its activities at the Catholic University of Lublin on Monday. Scientific research, publishing activities, student exchanges, as well as international symposia, conferences, debates and cultural events are the main tasks of the institution.

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