New Hampshire Council of Churches: Christians and Jews must stand together against anti-Semitism

To The Daily Sun,

The New Hampshire Council of Churches is an ecumenical Christian body of nine diverse denominations, including Protestant, Unitarian Universalist and Orthodox traditions.

On the eve of Hanukkah, state Rep. Dawn Johnson posted an anti-Semitic caricature on social media, originally posted on a neo-Nazi website. During the holiday, an attacker with a pellet gun vandalized a menorah at Dartmouth College.

As followers of Jesus, “born under the law” of Israel in Bethlehem (Galatians 4:4), we condemn anti-Semitic words and acts and stand with our Jewish neighbors whenever they are attacked.

As church leaders, we affirm that anti-Semitism has no place in our civil discourse, our elected bodies or in our churches. Our denominational bodies have each condemned antisemitism as an ideology. Many of our denominations also have taken steps to undo Christian anti-Semitism where ever it endures within our structures.

At the statewide level, the NH Council of Churches works together with the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire and the Jewish Clergy Association. This year, the council worked alongside Jewish leaders to advocate passage of bill HB1135 (formerly SB727) in requiring Holocaust and genocide education in our schools. At the invitation of Gov. Chris Sununu, the council has appointed a representative to the newly-formed Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education.

We encourage witnesses of hate crimes of any kind to report them to local law enforcement and the Civil Rights Unit of the NH Department of Justice at doj.nh.gov/civil-rights.

Locally, many of our member congregations have fruitful relationships with their neighbor synagogues through participation in local interfaith councils. These relationships have deepened mutual understanding, love and community service together.

The council on its own sponsored educational programs on Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran leader who gave his life in opposition to the Nazi regime. These programs help Christians to understand the deadly role of the silence and complicity that allow the hateful message of antisemitism to spread.

Finally, we affirm the unique relationship between Judaism and Christianity, like a tree and its branches (Romans 11). When others threaten the well-being of Jews, the well-being of Christians is also threatened. In the spirit of our shared well-being, we encourage all our congregations to express love, support and solidarity with their Jewish neighbors in their words and actions.

Rev. Jason Wells, Executive Director

Bishop James Hazelwood, New England Synod - ELCA Lutheran

Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld, The Episcopal Church of New Hampshire

The Rev. Taesung Kang, Granite District Superintendent, New England Conference, The United Methodist Church

Rev. Gordon Rankin, Conference Minister, New Hampshire Conference, United Church of Christ