The 38th General Council of The United Church of Canada has approved a "milestone" document on the church's relations with the Jewish community that acknowledges a history of anti-Semitism within Christianity.
Working in one of three decision-making commissions on August 13, Council received the final report of Bearing Faithful Witness, a study program the church has been engaged in since 1988, and approved a statement on United Church-Jewish relations today that says that anti-Semitism is an affront to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dow Marmur, Rabbi Emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, one of the interfaith guests at Council, called the document a "milestone" in Jewish-Christian relations. "The United Church of Canada is making a lasting contribution to Jewish-Christian dialogue," Marmur said.