Hindu and Jewish leaders sign Declaration

February 10, 2007

Hindu and Jewish religious leaders sign declaration

Madhur Tankha

It acknowledges the shared values of the two religious traditions

NEW DELHI: To propagate global harmony, the World Council of Religious

Leaders (WCORL) facilitated the signing of a `Protocol of Cooperation'

between Hindu and Jewish religious leaders here on Tuesday.

The declaration was signed by the chief rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yona

Metzger, and Swami Dayanand Saraswati, convenor of Hindu Dharma

Acharya Sabha, at the end of the two-day Hindu-Jewish Leadership

Summit here.

The summit agreed to constitute a standing committee of Hindu-Jewish

relations. The declaration primarily acknowledges the shared values of

the two of the oldest living religious traditions in the world and

condemns all forms of religious violence.

Benchmark

Speaking on the occasion, Swami Dayanand Saraswati said, "Hindu-Jewish

dialogue will act as a benchmark for others to follow and emulate,

resulting in a better environment for one and all. I have always

believed in peaceful co-existence in a multi-religion environment. All

religious traditions should respect common values and insist on

compassion. Religious leaders have great responsibilities in leading

people of their respective faiths to a peaceful path so that the

planet is safe for us to live."

Lauding the efforts of the WCORL, Rabbi Yona Metzger said though their

religious dialogues have increased recently, the Hindu-Jewish

declaration is a significant move that highlights the necessity of

expanding interfaith community.

"For thousands of years we have marched on parallel causes and now

built bridges of cooperation between the two religions. Jews have

lived in India for 2,000 years and have never been discriminated

against. This is something unparalleled in human history," added Rabbi

Yona Metzger.

WCORL will also organise a discussion here on Wednesday with leaders

of Buddhist and Islamic faiths.

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