November 2, 2015 — New York, New York
AJC presented its Isaiah Award for Exemplary Interreligious Leadership to Cardinal Timothy Dolan in recognition of his “steadfast contribution and ongoing commitment to the relationship between our respective faiths.”
The award, honoring extraordinary achievement in interfaith endeavors, was presented to Cardinal Dolan at the AJC Board of Governors meeting today.
“Nostra Aetate established a new era of friendship in Catholic-Jewish relations, and nowhere is that more evident than here in New York. My thanks to AJC for this honor, and, even more, for the spirit of brotherhood that they do so much to promote,” said Cardinal Dolan.
As Archbishop of New York, and in his tenures as President and Moderator of Jewish Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cardinal Dolan has been a leading voice for Catholic-Jewish relations in the United States and beyond.
“Cardinal Dolan is a leader of those who have built a lasting structure on the foundation of Nostra Aetate. He is a cherished good friend of AJC and the Jewish people,” said David Inlander, chair of AJC’s Interreligious Affairs Commission, who presented the tribute to Cardinal Dolan.
AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, is a pioneer in advancing Catholic-Jewish relations over many decades. In May, Cardinal Dolan and Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC’s director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations, addressed the official Catholic commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, co-sponsored by the USCCB and Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Nostra Aetate, the landmark Vatican document that transformed Catholic-Jewish relations, emerged from the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in October 1965. It affirmed the ongoing and eternal validity of the Divine Covenant with the Jewish people, and has been the inspiration for 50 years of ongoing, ever expanding interactions by Christians and Jews.
Past recipients of AJC’s Isaiah Award include: Dr. Billy Graham, Dr. Martin E. Marty, Cardinal John O’Connor, Professor Thomas E. Bird, Cardinal Edward Cassidy, Rev. Dr. William Harter, Archbishop Demetrios and Cardinal Walter Kasper.
