Katherine E. Wolff, nds
I was born in the USA, child of a non-religious Jewish father from Berlin, Germany, and a Christian mother from North Dakota, USA; I grew up as a Christian. I am a Sister of Our Lady of Sion, a Roman-Catholic congregation at the heart of whose vocation is the relationship between Christians and Jews. After beginning my life in the USA, I lived in Germany for many years, as well as in England and Italy, and since January 1999 in Israel, first in our community in Jewish West-Jerusalem and now in Kiryat Yearim just above the Arab-Muslim village of Abu Ghosh. I studied theology and worked mainly in adult education in the biblical and Jewish-Christian areas. Since 2002 I have been living as a solitary contemplative in a life marked essentially by silence and solitude.
So what has been the impact of JCM on my life? Because of my background and later also because I am a Sister of Sion, the relationship with the Jewish people has always been part of my life. Jews never seemed like “the Other”; I felt “at home” with them, although encountering religious Jews was an intense learning experience; but always the learning also meant a deepening and strengthening of my own roots.
With time, I felt a growing need to encounter Muslims as well, to get to know members of the third monotheistic religion, many of whom lived in Germany, where I was. For such an encounter, JCM was ideal. There for the first time I got to know Muslims, and through JCM it was possible to hear them speak of their own life and convictions in an atmosphere of openness, of respect, and of friendship. In this encounter with “the Other”, I was able to experience the common ground on which we stand as believers in the One God, as people who adore the same God in different ways. JCM also gave the possibility of looking at topics that were difficult for all concerned and to discuss them in a controversial way, but one that was penetrated by a deeper peace.
I now live in Israel in a life that is essentially one of silence and solitude, so I am no longer directly involved in dialogue. But the encounter between Jews, Christians and Muslims is not only part of who I am; it belongs to daily life here. Thus it is at the center of my prayer, of my relationship with God. Israel's reality is extremely complex, not only politically. All three religions are present here, and that with the multiple currents that make them up. The religious and cultural complexity within the religions and in their relations with others are intertwined with the political complexity. This can be very enriching, but at the same time, it does not make life simple. When I experience difficulty in accepting another culture or religious practice, remembering my JCM experiences helps me to return to a more open and respectful attitude of encounter in Peace – Shalom - Salaam.
I want to thank JCM and to say how grateful I am that the conferences continue. I am happy to remain connected with JCM through the written translations I do for these conferences. I wish JCM God's abundant blessing, that these encounters might continue to contribute to understanding and peace in our world.
With time, I felt a growing need to encounter Muslims as well, to get to know members of the third monotheistic religion, many of whom lived in Germany, where I was. For such an encounter, JCM was ideal. There for the first time I got to know Muslims, and through JCM it was possible to hear them speak of their own life and convictions in an atmosphere of openness, of respect, and of friendship. In this encounter with “the Other”, I was able to experience the common ground on which we stand as believers in the One God, as people who adore the same God in different ways. JCM also gave the possibility of looking at topics that were difficult for all concerned and to discuss them in a controversial way, but one that was penetrated by a deeper peace.
I now live in Israel in a life that is essentially one of silence and solitude, so I am no longer directly involved in dialogue. But the encounter between Jews, Christians and Muslims is not only part of who I am; it belongs to daily life here. Thus it is at the center of my prayer, of my relationship with God. Israel's reality is extremely complex, not only politically. All three religions are present here, and that with the multiple currents that make them up. The religious and cultural complexity within the religions and in their relations with others are intertwined with the political complexity. This can be very enriching, but at the same time, it does not make life simple. When I experience difficulty in accepting another culture or religious practice, remembering my JCM experiences helps me to return to a more open and respectful attitude of encounter in Peace – Shalom - Salaam.
I want to thank JCM and to say how grateful I am that the conferences continue. I am happy to remain connected with JCM through the written translations I do for these conferences. I wish JCM God's abundant blessing, that these encounters might continue to contribute to understanding and peace in our world.
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