Interfaith

The Leo Baeck Centre is at the forefront of Interfaith activities in Australia and Rabbi Jonathan was instrumental in the establishment of the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia (JCMA.org.au) in 2003, and organisation which runs conferences and school programs, and has received the Premier’s Award for Multiculturalism.  We also have close relationships with local churches and Islamic Centres, and our community members have attended and hosted a number of Iftar events during Ramadan, learning about the significance of fasting in the three faiths.

Of course the faith world extends far beyond the three main monotheistic ones, and Rabbi Jonathan was the Jewish speaker at an interfaith gathering at the ANU in Canberra to host the Dalai Lama some years ago.

Virtually all faiths share an understanding of our common responsibility for the environment, and so we are also involved with many other faiths in the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change  (ARRCC.org.au).

We welcome interested visitors from any or no faith to our services and activities – we celebrate an annual ‘Civic Service’ to which local residents, faith leaders and dignitaries are especially invited, and we regularly host Scouts who are often preparing for their Religious Awareness awards.

Finally, we have families with members of other faiths, who are always welcome and invited to attend and participate – for example in their children’s naming or Beit Mitzvah ceremonies.