In this fragile period of ceasefire, the first cessation of hostilities in Gaza in more than a year, we pray that this moment lays the groundwork for a deep and abiding peace. May we soon know a time of justice and compassion in the Holy Land for people of all faiths and cultures, rooted in a recognition of the dignity and sanctity of every human life.

(L-R): Rabbi Or Rose, Chaplain Najiba Akbar, Dr. Amelia Hall, Rev. Rob Schenck, Rabbinic Intern Rafi Ellenson

Last month Hebrew College Rabbinical School kicked off 2025 with the annual January Intensives, a week of interreligious learning programmed and hosted by the Miller Center. This powerful week of exploration, connection, and growth is designed to prepare students for meaningful interreligious engagement in their future careers. First year students participated in a seminar entitled “From Diversity to Pluralism”, while later classes dove deep into interreligious study of a single faith tradition–Islam or Buddhism–with visiting scholars.

Beacons of Hope: Our Interreligious S/Heroes

Each month, we honor an individual or group whose commitments align with the bridge-building efforts of the Miller Center of Hebrew College. This February we highlight the outstanding work of Professor Amelia Hall, Associate Professor of Wisdom Traditions at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Hall and her colleague Dr. Judith Simmer-Brown visited Hebrew College last month for a week of intensive learning with our shanah dalet (fourth year) rabbinical students. We sat down for a Q&A about Buddhism, pedagogy, interreligious engagement and the Miller Center's growing connection with Naropa. 

What is the focus of your research, and what drew you to this field?

I am a scholar of Tibetan and Himalayan studies. I did my master's and my doctorate in the field of Tibetan Himalayan studies, which interacts with Buddhism, and I'm a Buddhist practitioner. My interest in that field came from relating to Buddhism, and specifically Tibetan Buddhism, which started more than 25 years ago. I got a job at Naropa University and I wasn’t particularly religious. I was definitely spiritual, but not religious. We didn’t even have that term at the time. 

Professor Amelia Hall

Could you unpack that term a little bit, “spiritual but not relgious”, and how it relates to your work at Naropa?

What I’ve noticed at Naropa, in the younger generations, is a distrust, and sometimes even a dislike, of what we might categorize as formal religion. But within that is the recognition that human beings are innately spiritual. We have spiritual needs. What I hear from my students is that many of them don't necessarily identify with one particular religion, but they identify as spiritual beings and practitioners.

We consider Naropa a Buddhist inspired university, not a Buddhist university. We're not training Buddhists. It's not a seminary, it's not a theological institute, but Buddhism is the host. Buddhism is the inspiration behind our founding. And what would normally be a religious studies department in a university, we call “Wisdom Traditions”. The idea is to have scholar-practitioners teach their wisdom traditions in a way that is both theoretical-intellectual and experiential-embodied.

Last October, Interfaith America published a feature about Jewish-Muslim dialogue marking the one year anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks on southern Israel and the ensuing war. The story included a profile of the work of Miller Center Director Rabbi Or Rose and frequent collaborator and dialogue partner, Dr. Celene Ibrahim, whose long-held friendship has created space for courageous conversation and collaborative educational ventures:

Longtime dialogue partners Celene Ibrahim, who is Muslim, and Or Rose, Jewish, believe the frictions in the wake of last year’s attack and ongoing war can be generative.   

“It’s been a dizzying eleven months,” said Ibrahim, “and we could always do more, but I’m proud of our conversations and the constructive, honest dialogues we are convening.” 

“We grow from each interaction, every encounter,” she said.   

From their base in Boston, Massachusetts, the pair has been working together on thorny topics in Jewish-Muslim dialogue for the last fifteen years. But none as complex as this. “These last months have been incredibly painful for untold numbers of people,” said Rose, “and as we’ve navigated this together on an ongoing basis, our relationship has evolved because of it.”   

The long-term relationship that existed before the crisis has made productive conversations possible. Not only have they been able to talk with and learn from one another, but Rose and Ibrahim have also been called on to help others navigate uncertain tensions in communities across the northeastern United States.   

Join us on Monday, February 24 at 7 p.m. to celebrate the launch of the book by Interfaith Photovoice founder and author Dr. Roman Williams, Dr. Catherine Holtmann, and Dr. William L. Sachs, Sacred Snaps: Photovoice for Interfaith Engagement. During this interactive session, you will learn how to use the photos on your phone as a tool for interreligious and intercultural engagement. Miller Center's fellowships and activities are significantly enriched by Interfaith Photovoice's visual storytelling tool: "This powerful approach fosters cross-cultural understanding by empowering individuals to share experiences rooted in diverse faiths and cultures," says Marilyn Stern, Miller Center Director of Special Projects. "We are thrilled that Roman will demonstrate how to harness the power of photography to bridge differences."

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Celebrate the 2024-2025 Dignity Project Fellows (high school) on February 27 at Hebrew College in Newton, MA. Fellows will share their photo exhibit "Seeing Through Our Eyes: Belief and Belonging in Boston," articulating their vision of pluralism in Greater Boston in this moment in time, as well as insights and reflections from their interreligious and cross-cultural journey.

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Just two days away! Hebrew College will host the first Soul Sounds concert of 2025 on February 6: “Beat Midrash” featuring Neta & Stav. Neta Weiner, musician-actor-director, and Stav Marin, choreographer-dancer-performer, will present their signature blend of narrative-driven and accordion-powered hip hop, dance, and multicultural Israeli musicality.

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