"Open Doors, Open Minds" Pairs Jews and Catholics in Suburban Chicago

June 20, 2005

Source: Chicago Daily Herald

http://www.dailyherald.com/news/lakestory.asp?id=63627

On June 20, 2005 the Chicago Daily Herald reported, "Every other week for seven sessions, about 25 members of the Am Echod Jewish Temple and about 25 members of the Prince of Peace Catholic Church met to discuss, well, just about anything. They chatted about serious topics such as anti-Semitism and abortion and lighthearted ones, such as Madonna's obsession with Kabbalah and Barbra Streisand's performance in the movie 'Yentl.' It's part of a new series called 'Open Doors, Open Minds,' and it's so popular, two different groups from Prince of Peace and Am Echod are going to do it again this fall. Three other Reform Jewish synagogues in the Chicago area have paired up with another Christian group for the new series. Nationally, about 50 synagogues are participating in the program. 'Open Doors, Open Minds' began in November 2003, when Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C., asked Reform Jews to pair up with Christians for the program."