One of the permanent regional working groups of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is the European commission “Church and Jewishness” (Lutherische Europäische Komission Kirche und Judentum – LEKKJ ). The European Membership Churches of the LWF including the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (ECAC) in Slovakia are represented in the commission. This year annual conference of European commission of the LWF “Church and Jewishness” took place in Bratislava on 23 – 27 May 2013.
The conference was opened on 23rd May and started with a reception where General Bishop Miloš Klátik welcomed all participants and guests. On behalf of all representatives of Jewishness in Slovakia Igor Rintel, the Chairman of the Head Office of Jewish Religious Commune, and the honourable Chairman Prof. Pavol Traubner greeted all participants. His Excellency Axel Hartmann, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany greeted them too. On behalf of the Evangelical Theological Faculty UK the Dean Ľubomír Batka had a speech, too.
The Chairman of LEKKJ Wolfgang Raupach-Rudnick expressed enjoyment in his speech that the conference could take place in Slovakia. Then he handed over accolades/awards to two longtime members who end their activity in this commission: Olav Myklebustov from Norway and Prof. Juraj Bándy, who represented our Church. Dávid Benka, the Vice-Dean of the Evangelical Theological Faculty UK will be a new representative of the ECAC in LEKKJ.
The theme of this year conference was charity. The main speech of Prof. Klaus Müller from Heidelberg was about the theological resources of charity in Jewishness and Christianity, about the differences and common items.
The representatives of other churches present at the meeting gave the reports about their activities in the field of Jewish and Christian cooperation.
Participants of the conference attended synagogical worship in Heydukova Street, the Evangelical worship at Veľký kostol in Panenská Street. They also visited Jewish remains in Bratislava and in western Slovakia.
i>Prof. Juraj Bándy, Dpt. for Old Testament, The Evangelical Theological Faculty UK, Bratislava
The Chairman of LEKKJ Wolfgang Raupach-Rudnick expressed enjoyment in his speech that the conference could take place in Slovakia. Then he handed over accolades/awards to two longtime members who end their activity in this commission: Olav Myklebustov from Norway and Prof. Juraj Bándy, who represented our Church. Dávid Benka, the Vice-Dean of the Evangelical Theological Faculty UK will be a new representative of the ECAC in LEKKJ.
The theme of this year conference was charity. The main speech of Prof. Klaus Müller from Heidelberg was about the theological resources of charity in Jewishness and Christianity, about the differences and common items.
The representatives of other churches present at the meeting gave the reports about their activities in the field of Jewish and Christian cooperation.
Participants of the conference attended synagogical worship in Heydukova Street, the Evangelical worship at Veľký kostol in Panenská Street. They also visited Jewish remains in Bratislava and in western Slovakia.
i>Prof. Juraj Bándy, Dpt. for Old Testament, The Evangelical Theological Faculty UK, Bratislava