Renowned author, professor, and feminist speaks at Tufts

While papers currently headline the controversy caused by Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ," conflict amongst people of different religions is nothing new. Neither, however, are the similarities between different religions, according to Dr. Susannah Herschel, who spoke at to approximately 45 students on Tuesday in a lecture entitled, "Inter-Religious Dialogue in the 21st Century."

"This is an important cultural moment [in history] for America between Jews and Christians," Heschel said.

Heschel, the daughter of a Rabbi and a professor of Jewish history, feminism, and religion at Dartmouth College, discussed Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and how each affects the others.

She stressed that it is important to talk about the different religious beliefs and experiences people have with their religions. According to Heschel, different people of the same religion can have different interpretations of that religion. A large part of this dispute is the difference between theology and history, she said.

According to Heschel, there is "no such thing" as Judaism as an entity by itself. "Judaism has been studied in isolation. But it's inappropriate to write about Christian thought without recognizing the role that Judaism played," Heschel said.

Keeping with the theme of inter-religious dialogue, Heschel also discussed Christianity and Jesus. According to Heschel, there are still people in the world who are shocked to discover that the faith of Jesus was Judaism.

According to Heschel, Jews cling to the notion that "Jesus is a Jew." This makes many Jews feel secure in a world where anti-Semitism is still prevalent. "It can be a way of building a bridge [among other religions]," Heschel said.

Heschel stressed that it is important for people of different faiths to come together. "It is important to talk about, not just the content of our beliefs, but we need to talk about how hard it is to be religious," she said. "We need people to help us in this struggle."

In line with her discourse, Herschel brought up "The Passion" and asked students not to concentrate solely on the controversy. When considering whether "The Passion" is anti-Semitic or not "everyone should look into the deeper meaning of the movie and ask why it was created in the first place, instead of just focusing on the controversy that the movie was presenting," she said.

Herschel finished her talk by asking the audience, "What is the purpose of inter-religious dialogue?"

According to Heschel, it shouldn't be to flatter or refute one another, but to help one another and share insights. "The purpose of inter-religious dialogue is about the people, helping one another," she said.

One student asked Heschel, as the conclusion of the lecture, if her talk would have been tailored differently if she was speaking with a different audience. Herschel's response was that her lecture would have been "the exact same" and that she enjoys lecturing to people of different religious backgrounds.

"It's important to talk about Judaism to other people because it is helpful to me because it keeps me on the right track. It is a good thing to speak to different religions," she said.

Students who were in attendance enjoyed listening to Heschel and her views. "I loved her lecture. She was empowering, inspiring, and honest," junior Molly Ritvo said. "I was particularly moved by her lovely balance of academic expertise on inter-religious issues as well as her personal narratives about facing opposition as a Jewish feminist. She was a pleasure to listen to."

Students cited previous knowledge of Heschel's work as reason to come and listen to her speak. "As a woman and feminist, I have been touched by her books; it has been relevant to my own experiences," sophomore and event co-organizer Marion Phillips said.

Heschel's lecture was sponsored by Tufts Hillel and co-sponsored by Judaic Studies, the Provost's Office, the President's Office, the History Dept., the University Chaplaincy, the Women's Center, and the Dean of Students Office.