Presenting the 16th Anniversary Dinner & Dialogue

Reverend Dr. Leanne Hadley, Dove Peace Award 2011

More than 400 people participated in the recent celebrations marking the sixteenth anniversary of the founding of The Center for Christian-Jewish Dialogue (CCJD). The theme this year was : “REEL SPIRITUALITY: A Jewish and Christian Perspective on Faith and Film.”

On Tuesday, November 8, at Vanguard Church, there was a public showing of the powerful film “Amazing Grace,” the story of how slavery was abolished in England through the efforts of William Wilberforce. Pastor Bob Beltz, writer, speaker, film producer and special advisor to the Chairman of the Anschutz Corporation, moderated a dialogue discussion of the film and its message. The following evening, at Temple Shalom, the provocative film, “To Die in Jerusalem,” an introspective view of how the lack of genuine communication impacts the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was screened. Peabody Award winning producer-director Hilla Medalia, a native of the State of Israel, moderated a spirited dialogue with the members of the audience.

On Thursday evening, both Dr. Beltz and Ms. Medalia participated in a moving and frank dialogue which  was moderated by Will Stoller-Lee, Director of Fuller Seminary in Colorado. Mr. Stoller-Lee also introduced the showing of both films. The three evenings were critically acclaimed by those in attendance.

CCJD was founded in 1995 by a group of religious leaders and spirited lay people to explore our different faith traditions and promote mutual respect for them. It is the largest organization devoted to Christian-Jewish dialogue in the Pikes Peak region and is a member of the Council of Christian-Jewish Relations, a national consortium of forty similar organizations.