While 2020 touched every nook and cranny across the globe with unprecedented horrific events and losses, Dr. Rabbi Albert I. Slomovitz, known in the Jewish community for his Jewish-Christian Discovery Center and “J-Star Project,” knew his mission was just in the genesis of educating minds, mending hearts and connecting people back together.
“Since I’ve started this, the world seems to be clamoring; that there is a need for it,” he said. “Just look at the news. It seems that any segment of our society is so divided.
“Jesus is asked often, ‘Tell us, what is sort of the bottom line.’ He goes back to Leviticus ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ We are literally being told what to do, but we just don’t have a good track record.”
His 20 years in the U.S. Navy as chaplain and academics at Loyola University (Chicago) gave birth to the historian’s third book: “A New Look at Rabbi Jesus: Jews and Christians Finally Reconnected.” The feedback from the book planted the seed for something sustainable.
Slomovitz founded the JCDC, an education-based platform to show what we (Jews and Christians) have in common in a respectful and comfortable environment while reducing anti-Semitism.
“What we are trying to do is share with our Christian friends the (interfaith) connections we have but we don’t know. That we have the same parents or if you want to look at a tree, we have the same root system.
“There are differences, like there are among Christians, we know, but I just focus on the similarities,” Slomovitz said.
The teacher noted that the world has become more polarized and at one time thought if left alone, people would draw the correct conclusions about good, bad and life in general.
“Now I’m thinking, particularly with the internet that we have to be more proactive, create situations and teach children,” he said.
“I obviously want to work with everybody, but I particularly want to focus on children because they are born pure and wonderfully innocent.”
This year, Slomovitz hopes to reintroduce his book, have model Seders, continue making animated videos that he hopes will be used in Sunday school classes and plans on taking the “J-Star Project” beyond the Atlanta area.
“The world really needs to hear these voices that say ‘Let’s get it together.’ “Let’s reach out and just converse with people, without prejudging,” he said. “There is so much we could learn and appreciate.”
For more information, visit https://therabbijesus.com/
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