Forum marks 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate

High school students from Jewish and Catholic schools in Sydney came together at a forum to mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, which reset Catholic-Jewish relations.

Held at Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) North Sydney Campus under the auspices of Catholic Education NSW and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, 125 students from 15 Catholic and Jewish secondary schools heard from two leading figures in Catholic-Jewish relations.

Students asked questions about issues related to antisemitism to a panel of Jewish and Catholic leaders including Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim, chief minister of the Great Synagogue Rabbi Benjamin Elton, prominent Catholic educator Dr Paul O’Shea, and Catholic Religious Australia Justice Research Officer Emma Carolan.

The students discussed questions including if it was possible to be pro-Jewish but anti-Israel, how to define anti-Zionism and antisemitism, the impact of social media on the rise of antisemitism, what elements of interfaith discourse have been avoided since 7 October, 2023, and the Catholic Church’s position on Israel.

The dialogue will inform the production of digital resources to help combat antisemitism in Catholic schools throughout NSW. The resources will be produced by ACU’s Ancient Israel Program, the only Australian university course dedicated to the archaeology and history of Ancient Israel.