Amitié judéo-chrétienne de France

The Amitié judéo-chrétienne de France (AJCF) is a French national federation of local associations dedicated to dialogue between Judaism and Christianity. According to its statutes, its essential task is to ensure that between Judaism and Christianity, knowledge, understanding, respect and friendship replace age-old misunderstandings and traditions of hostility. It works to eradicate ancestral anti-Judaism and to combat antisemitism, racism and all hatred of other cultures and religions. The AJCF explicitly excludes any tendency toward syncretism or proselytism; it does not aim for a fusion of religions or churches and does not require anyone to renounce their beliefs. Founded on 26 February 1948, the AJCF emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War and the Shoah, following the 1947 Seelisberg conference which called on Christian churches to revise their presentation of the Jewish people. Its first team included a small group of Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox and Jews, among them Henri Marrou, pastor Jacques Martin, Samy Lattès, Fadiey Lovsky, Henri Bédarida, Maurice Vanikoff, Léon Algazi, Père Daniélou, Edmond Fleg, Père Florowsky, Jules Isaac, Grand Rabbi Jacob Kaplan, Jacques Madaule, Maurice Vaussard and Léon Zander. The AJCF is affiliated with the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ). The association organizes conferences, meetings and trips to promote interreligious dialogue while respecting confessional differences. It publishes the bimonthly journal Sens, directed by Yves Chevalier, and awards an annual prize to a personality committed to Jewish-Christian rapprochement. The AJCF is active across France through its local associations and maintains a website at ajcf.fr. Its current president is Professor Jean-Dominique Durand, who became the 9th president in November 2020.

The Amitié judéo-chrétienne de France (AJCF) was founded on 26 February 1948, in the aftermath of the Second World War and the Shoah. Its creation followed the international conference held in Seelisberg, Switzerland, from 30 July to 5 August 1947, convened by the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) as an 'Extraordinary International Conference to Combat Antisemitism.' That conference called on Christian churches to revise their teaching and theological conceptions regarding the Jewish people, and produced the 'Ten Points of Seelisberg,' which deplored the Christian sources of antisemitism and set out necessary reforms for Jewish-Christian reconciliation. The first team of the AJCF brought together a small group of Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox and Jews: Henri Marrou, pastor Jacques Martin, Samy Lattès, Fadiey Lovsky, Henri Bédarida, Maurice Vanikoff, Léon Algazi, Père Daniélou, Edmond Fleg, Père Florowsky, Jules Isaac, Grand Rabbi Jacob Kaplan, Jacques Madaule, Maurice Vaussard and Léon Zander. The AJCF became affiliated with the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ). The Paris section published a quarterly printed bulletin (21 × 27 cm), edited by Jacques Martin. In the same year, Jules Isaac published Jésus et Israël (Albin Michel), proposing a new look at the Jewishness of Jesus. In 1955 the bulletin was relaunched; three mimeographed issues were produced until 1956, and three more printed issues appeared in 1957. In 1960, Jules Isaac met Pope John XXIII, who committed to having the Second Vatican Council (which began on 11 October 1962) address relations between Catholics and Jews. On 15 October 1965, the declaration Nostra Ætate was adopted. It affirmed that the Catholic Church rejects nothing that is 'true and holy' in non-Christian religions and sincerely respects their rules and doctrines, which 'often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men' (§ 2). The Council rejected any responsibility of the Jewish people for the death of Christ (the 'deicide people' myth) and condemned antisemitic persecutions, recommending the elimination of all anti-Judaism from catechesis and preaching (§ 4). From January 1963 to December 1974, a new printed bulletin (12.5 × 21 cm) was regularly published. In 1975 the quarterly was transformed into a monthly review (10 issues per year, 15 × 21 cm) under the name Sens. From 1975 to 1982 its editor-in-chief was Paul Nothomb, succeeded by Yves Chevalier. The review grew from 24 or 48 pages to more than 800 pages per year by 2010. From 2015, publication frequency changed to 6 issues per year and about 600 pages. The review covers AJCF events and those of its partner associations, publishes conference texts, and offers in-depth articles on historical, theological and exegetical questions concerning Jewish-Christian dialogue, along with book reviews. From 2008 to 2014, the Reformed pastor Florence Taubmann served as president, succeeded by Jacqueline Cuche. In November 2020, Professor Jean-Dominique Durand became the 9th president of the AJCF. The statutes were modified at the general assembly in Paris on 27 May 2007. Article 2 states that the federation's essential task is to ensure that between Judaism and Christianity, knowledge, understanding, respect and friendship replace age-old misunderstandings and traditions of hostility; it works to eradicate ancestral anti-Judaism and to help Jews and Christians guide modern society through civic and spiritual presence. It seeks to repair the iniquities suffered by Jews and Judaism over centuries and to prevent their return, combating antisemitism, racism and all hatred of other cultures and religions. It excludes any tendency toward syncretism or proselytism, does not aim for a fusion of religions or churches, and does not require anyone to renounce their beliefs, but expects full goodwill, loyalty of spirit and rigorous effort toward truth in the study of respective texts and traditions. Since 1988, the AJCF has awarded an annual prize to a Jewish or Christian personality working for Jewish-Christian dialogue. Early recipients include Père Marcel Dubois (1988), Sr Bénédicte of Notre-Dame de Sion (SIDIC) and Grand Rabbi Jacob Kaplan (1989), Colette Kessler (1990), and André Frossard (1991).

• 2020

  Jean-Dominique Durand becomes 9th president in November.

• 2015

  Sens publication frequency changes to 6 issues per year.

• 2008

  Florence Taubmann becomes president (until 2014).

• 2007

  Statutes modified at general assembly in Paris on 27 May.

• 1988

  First AJCF Prize awarded to Père Marcel Dubois.

• 1975

  Quarterly bulletin transformed into monthly review Sens.

• 1965

  Declaration Nostra Ætate adopted on 15 October, rejecting deicide myth and condemning antisemitism.

• 1962

  Second Vatican Council begins on 11 October.

• 1960

  Jules Isaac meets Pope John XXIII, who commits to addressing Jewish-Catholic relations at Vatican II.

• 1957

  Three new printed issues of the bulletin.

• 1955

  Bulletin relaunched; three mimeographed issues until 1956.

• 1948

  Amitié judéo-chrétienne de France founded on 26 February.

• 1947

  International conference in Seelisberg, Switzerland, produces the 'Ten Points of Seelisberg' calling for Christian reform.

A non-proselytizing, non-syncretistic federation promoting mutual knowledge, respect and friendship between Jews and Christians in France.

• Revue Sens

  Bimonthly journal (formerly monthly) publishing conference texts and articles on Jewish-Christian dialogue.

• Prix de l'AJCF

  Annual prize awarded since 1988 to a Jewish or Christian personality working for Jewish-Christian dialogue.

1. 1Amitié Judéo-chrétienne de France - AJCFajcf.fr
2. 2Amitié Judéo-chrétienne de France - AJCF (Histoire)ajcf.fr
3. 3Histoire d’Israëlajcf.fr
4. 4Histoire du SIDICajcf.fr
5. 5Amitié judéo-chrétienne de Francewikidata.org
6. 6Amitié judéo-chrétienne de Francefr.wikipedia.org