Creating Dialogue in a Polarized World:
The Reverend and The Rabbi Talk with Teens

by Chrystie Munves

(December 15, 2004) The unique interfaith conversation that Reverend Bill Crawford of Larchmont Avenue Church and Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman of the

The Rev (r) and Rabbi at a Local Summit meeting.

Larchmont Temple have created over the past three years has been broadened to include nine area teenagers. "Reaching Across Religious Lines: With the Reverend, the Rabbi, and Teens" will be broadcast on LMC-TV Channel 75 starting this Friday night at 10 pm.

Expanding their dialogue beyond their popular "Faith and Eggs” show, the two clergymen invited teens from both congregations, ranging in age from 14 to 17, to participate in a one-hour taped conversation about such topical issues as religious prejudice and creationism vs. evolution. The youth spoke frankly about their concerns living in an increasingly polarized world where there seems to be less room for dialogue and more confrontation over religious and moral beliefs.

The two spiritual leaders spoke honestly with the youth about what it means to belong to their religious faiths and the need to respect each other while acknowledging and celebrating each other’s differences.

”We have to learn what other people know and we have to realize that there is no one way,” said Rabbi Sirkman. “In fact we can only be fully who we are supposed to be, I can only live fully as a Jew in Covenant, if I know that I don't have the whole truth."

While discussing topics like fundamentalism and what to make of the runway bestseller, The Da Vinci Code, an underlying theme emerged: there is a need for more dialogue in our world. As the Reverend and the Rabbi led the discussion about modern day issues, they wove in biblical passages from both religions, citing Latin and Hebrew texts. Their shared love of scholarship and theology was evident, but they did not shrink from making personal statements about how they viewed the world around them today.

" Not to engage with others … is at some point to suffer the consequences of then making assumptions without any understanding,” said Reverend Crawford. “We can do a lot of things in our minds by ourselves in a monologue that can be hurtful and harmful because of those assumptions."

"Reaching Across Religious Lines:
With the Reverend, the Rabbi and Teens”
LMC-TV (Ch 75)
Friday, Dec. 17 10 pm
Sat., Dec. 18, 10 am, 5 pm, 10 pm
Sun., Dec. 19, 10 am, 5 pm, 10 pm

Friday, Dec. 24 10 pm
Sat., Dec. 25, 10 am, 5 pm, 10 pm
Sun., Dec. 26, 10 am, 5 pm, 10 pm

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