Sixty Years of Challenge and Hope: Catholicism and the Future of Jewish-Catholic Relations
2025-11-05 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | University of St. Thomas’ Anderson Student Center, 2115 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN, United States
Nostra Aetate, the “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” was issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Written in the shadow of the Shoah, this brief but groundbreaking document marked a historic shift in the Catholic Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. It calls for a renewed and respectful dialogue in the wake of nearly two thousand years of Christian misunderstanding, marginalization, and persecution of the Jewish people. In this lecture, Rabbi Abraham Skorka reflects on Nostra Aetate as both a profound response to tragedy and a beacon of hope grounded in biblical values. Drawing on his lifelong commitment to interfaith dialogue – and his close friendship and theological partnership with Pope Francis – Rabbi Skorka invites us to consider how the beauty of authentic encounter continues to reveal deeper truths and possibilities for hope. He also considers the challenges that remain, inviting us to reflect on how these obstacles might be overcome through the continued work of those who seek to build bridges between faith communities.

Scholar-in-Residence: Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Khaled Abu Awwad
2025-11-07 - 2025-11-08 | Adath Jeshurun Congregation, 10500 Hillside Lane West, Minnetonka, MN, 55305, United States
“Two Truths in One Heart, Two Peoples in One Land”
We will welcome Roots leadership, Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger (Co-Founder and Director of International Relations) and Khaled Abu Awwad (Palestinian Co-Director) to teach and share at Adath throughout Shabbat. We will hear from them on Friday during services and over dinner and Shabbat Morning during services and over kiddush lunch. Roots is an organization focused on fostering a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence, and transformation among Israelis and Palestinians.
SCHEDULE
​​Friday, November 7
6:00 – 7:00 PM | We hear D’var Torah from Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger during Friday Evening services.
7:00 PM | Shabbat Dinner with learning led by Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger. RSVP Required.
Saturday, November 8
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Shabbat Speaker: Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger
12:00 PM | Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Khaled Abu Awwad lead Lunch & Learn and a conversational Q&A.

Co-Sponsored by JCRC

Israel Study Tour
2025-11-10 - 2025-11-20
Israel Study Tour for Legislators, Educators, Community and Business Leaders
Next trip: November 10 – November 20, 2025
From $3750 + airfare
Sign up by August 31st and receive $250 off the final payment for the trip!
A firsthand encounter with Israel’s past, present, and future. From meetings with members of Israel’s government to walking the ancient streets of Jerusalem’s Old City and visiting Israeli border communities, participants will hear powerful stories of resilience and coexistence, bear witness to post–October 7 realities, experience Tel Aviv’s vibrancy, and engage directly with Israeli leaders and innovators.
Price per person sharing a double room: $3,750 | Single supplement: $1,350
Please note: Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas is a registered lobbyist principal under Minnesota law. Costs associated with the trip applicable to public officials may not be paid for or subsidized by JCRC in any manner.
Resources exist to help fund this trip. Click here to learn more. Third party funding resources are not in any way affiliated with JCRC and are not provided at the direction or suggestion of JCRC.

ITINERARY & BOOKING
Since 2016, JCRC has led 3 Israel trips for state legislators and community leaders and educators with the purpose of experiencing the importance of a strong partnership with Israel and building trusted relationships between participants and JCRC. Our previous trip in November 2019 was our largest and most bipartisan delegation to date.

HIGHLIGHTS & REVIEWS
Questions? Contact us at info@minndakjcrc.org

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - A Life and Legacy
2025-11-18 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-11-25 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-12-02 18:30 - 20:00 | St Paul College, 235 Marshall Ave, St Paul, MN, 55102, United States
Join us for a three-part evening series exploring the extraordinary life, faith, and moral courage of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A Lutheran, German pastor and theologian, Dietrich was executed by the Nazis in April 1945, just two weeks before Allied forces liberated the Flossenbürg concentration camp where he spent his final hours.
What could lead a young, conservative Lutheran from an erudite, influential Berlin family to join a plot against Adolf Hitler? Why do Bonhoeffer’s writings continue to challenge and inspire people across political, theological, and cultural divides today? And how might his story help us wrestle with questions of conscience, community, and courage in our own time?
Led by Rev. John Matthews, past president of the International Bonhoeffer Society (English Language Section) and retired ELCA pastor and religion instructor at Augsburg University, this series will trace Bonhoeffer’s remarkable journey and the enduring impact of his thought. Rev. Matthews knew members of Bonhoeffer’s family and colleagues from the Confessing Church, offering rare personal insight into his life and legacy.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Session I – Ambiguous Inspiration (Nov. 18)
We begin with Bonhoeffer’s biography: his family roots, early education, theological formation, and work within the Confessing Church. His eventual involvement in military counterintelligence and his death by hanging in April 1945 reveals a life full of conviction and contradiction. His story offers what Rev. Matthews calls it “ambiguous inspiration.”
Session II – A Tapestry of Opposites (Nov. 25)
This session delves into the personal and theological tensions that defined Bonhoeffer’s life and the conflicting experiences within his family, friendships, education, vocation and theology, examining Bonhoeffer as a “tapestry of opposites.
Session III – Enlightened Patriot or Misguided Traitor? (Dec. 2)
In his final years, Bonhoeffer moved from pacifist theologian to active participant in the resistance. His choice to cooperate with military intelligence opens up the question for us to ask: Was Bonhoeffer an enlightened patriot or a misguided traitor? Together, we’ll explore the complexity of his final act of conscience and its continuing relevance for today.

Addressing Antisemitism in a Post-October 7th World
2025-12-14 10:00 - 11:30 | Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55105, United States
A Panel Presentation (45 minutes) with Mount Zion members David Kristal, co-founder of Emissary; Laura Zelle, director of Emissary; and JCRC’s Steve Hunegs (Executive Director) and Sami Rahamim (Director of Communications and Community Affairs). Large group Q & A (30 minutes).
Faced with rising antisemitism, increasing misunderstanding about Jewish culture and Israel, and justified and unjustified reactions to Israel’s conduct since October 7th, we are reeling from the onslaught online and in person. Some are choosing to act, seeking innovation over isolation. The future of Jewish engagement is being written right now—not in boardrooms or synagogues, but in apps, algorithms, and digital communities that reach millions, and in new curricula and methods for telling our story. But it isn’t clear how to succeed in these efforts.
Emissary – a mobile app platform designed to address the dramatic rise in antisemitism, combat hate speech, and shift social opinion in a more positive direction – has tried different approaches and recently created partnerships with national organizations. JCRC, meanwhile, has experimented with new ways to counter antisemitism in partnership with author Dara Horn. Join us on December 14 to learn what they have learned works and for an open conversation about what we each can do practically in our online communities and in our relationships at home, work, and school.
REGISTER

Annual Hanukkah Party
2025-12-18 18:00 - 20:00
Come celebrate Hanukkah with JCRC with festive food, thoughtful programming and warm community.
RSVP to attend
The event is free, open to all ages, and welcomes everyone in the spirit of Hanukkah. The West Metro venue will be announced prior to the event.
We look forward to celebrating with you!

Legal & Community Impact of Operation Metro Surge
2026-01-29 14:00 - 15:00
At this critical and uncertain time, please join us for a panel discussion with local experts on the legal and community impact of Operation Metro Surge.

Panelists:

Bob Aronson, Past Board Chair of HIAS, JCRC board member, and retired immigration attorney

Norm Pentelovitch, President-Elect, Hennepin County Bar Association

Amy Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota

Presented by the Twin Cities Cardozo Society, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas

Moderated by Ethan Roberts, JCRC Deputy Executive Director and member of the Twin Cities Cardozo Society Program Committee
Introduction D’var Torah by Rabbi Jill Avrin, JCRC Director of Campus Affairs

At the conclusion of the program, we will also provide a list of resources and information for how you can help.

VIEW RECORDING

Lessons From Holocaust Perpetrators & Rwanda Peacekeepers: Why should people entrusted with using deadly force study the Holocaust and genocides?
2026-02-11 12:00 - 18:30 | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
Drawing from his research and books on the leadership and ethics of Nazi soldiers and Rwanda peacekeepers, Dr. David Frey will explore decisions made by German officers serving in occupied Soviet lands in 1941 as well as choices made by Major General Roméo Dallaire, who was Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Free! Members of the public welcome at either talk on Wednesday, February 11:
University of St. Thomas
Noon – 1 PM
McNeely Hall, Room 100 (St. Paul Campus)
Register here

St. Cloud University
5:30 – 6:30 PM
Atwood Theatre (Atwood Memorial Center)
Register Here

Bio
Dr. David Frey is Professor of History at the US Military Academy at West Point. He earned his Ph.D. in Central European History at Columbia University in 2003, taught there for a year, and then began what is now a 22-year tenure at West Point.
He is the author of Jews, Nazis, and the Cinema of Hungary: The Tragedy of Success, 1929-44 (IB Tauris, 2017), which won the 2019 biennial Hungarian Studies Association Book Award; co-author of Least-Worst Decisions: The Leadership of LGen Roméo Dallaire during the Genocide in Rwanda (forthcoming); and co-author of Ordinary Soldiers: A Study in Law, Ethics and Leadership (USHMM, 2014).
His current research focuses on Jewish refugees who joined the US Army military intelligence during World War II and contributed to reshaping concepts of American citizenship and belonging. In 2020 he won West Point’s highest award for teaching and scholarship, the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society Peter L. Zhu Scholastic Achievement Award.
Dr. Frey founded and from 2010-25, directed the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies (RCHGS). Through the Center, he spearheaded efforts to increase Defense Department understanding of, research into, and efforts to mitigate mass atrocity. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, testified in the Senate, and advised multiple government agencies on matters related to mass atrocities, human rights, and more.
In 2018, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum honored him as one of eight international agents of change and in 2023 the Museum named the Resnick Center and other global partners winners of its prestigious Elie Wiesel Award.

The End of Operation Metro Surge?
2026-02-19 14:00 - 15:00
What have we learned from the past two months of extraordinary federal actions in Minnesota? What are our rights and responsibilities when rule of law is threatened? And where do things stand now?
REGISTER FOR WEBINAR

Panelists:

Bob Aronson, Past Board Chair of HIAS, JCRC board member, and retired immigration attorney

Norm Pentelovitch, President-Elect, Hennepin County Bar Association

Rabbi Jill Avrin, JCRC Director of Campus Affairs

Presented by JCRC and the Twin Cities Cardozo Society of Minneapolis and St. Paul Jewish Federations

Moderated by Ethan Roberts, JCRC Deputy Executive Director and member of the Twin Cities Cardozo Society Steering and Program Committees

Conversation with Jack El-Hai, author of The Nazi and The Psychiatrist
2026-03-01 14:00 - 15:30 | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
NEW DATE & CAMPUS VENUE:
Sunday, March 1, 2:00-3:30 PM at the University of St. Thomas, Anderson Student Center
2115 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105 USA
Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, and the University of St. Thomas: College of Arts and Sciences, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies.
Free and open to the public, registration required.
REGISTER
Registration link will become available when event is rescheduled
Questions? Contact JCRC at info@minndakjcrc.org or 612.338.7816

Webinar: The Persian-Jewish Story – Past, Present, and Future
2026-03-13 13:00 - 14:00
To help us make sense of this pivotal moment—what brought us here, and where we might go—we turn to Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, a Los Angeles-based Persian Jewish leader, and Ali Alizadeh, a local Iranian American entrepreneur and advocate for a free Iran.
Moderated by JCRC’s Sami Rahamim, whose grandparents left Iran for Israel in 1949, this conversation will take us beyond the headlines to the deeper stories of our peoples as we hope and pray for a new chapter in this remarkable story.
VIEW RECORDING

Yom Hashoah Film Screening: For the Living
2026-04-12 15:00 - 17:00 | Capp Center St. Paul, 1375 St. Paul Ave, St. Paul, 55116
In January 1945, ten-year-old Holocaust survivor Marcel Zielinski made a treacherous 60-mile journey on foot from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Kraków, Poland, in search of his family. Decades later, 250 cyclists from 12 countries retraced his path in an empathetic mission called Ride for the Living, created and run by JCC Krakow. This powerful documentary draws parallels between Marcel’s harrowing experience and the cyclists’ journey, sparking an urgent conversation about our ongoing struggle between dehumanization and empathy.
This special screening will include the attendance of Co-Director Tim Roper and Producer Lisa Effress who will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A after the screening.
COST: $14 GENERAL ADMISSION • $12 STUDENTS/SENIORS
TICKETS
Presented in partnership by the Minnesota JCC and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC).

Minnesota and the Dakotas Yom HaShoah Commemoration
2026-04-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55105, United States
Minnesota and the Dakotas Yom HaShoah Commemoration
Monday, April 13, 2026 | 26 Nisan 5786 | 7:00 PM
Minnesota and the Dakotas Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration at Mount Zion Temple, St. Paul, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105.
Immigration and the American refugee experience are deeply intertwined with the Jewish values of freedom and welcoming the stranger. This theme is particularly poignant during Yom HaShoah, as it reflects on the historical context of welcoming refugees and the ongoing challenges faced by immigrants today.

The impact of these experiences and the challenges faced by Holocaust survivors who immigrated only a generation or two ago are part of the fabric of the local survivor and descendant community. This year’s keynote speakers, Adela Peskorz and Ben Cohen will reflect on their family members’ memories of survival and immigration.

The community commemoration will include the presentation of the Leo Weiss Courage to Teach Award to Monica David, English teacher at Breck Middle School.
All are welcome to this free and public service. Registration is required. Please leave bags at home and arrive early for entry and check-in.
REGISTER TO ATTEND
The Yom HaShoah Commemoration is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Children of Holocaust Survivors Association in Minnesota (CHAIM), Mount Zion Temple, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, Generations After MNDAK, and the Micki and Mort Naiman Holocaust Education Fund.

Holocaust Testimony in the Age of AI: History, Memory, and Ethics
2026-04-16 12:00 - 13:15 | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
What happens to Holocaust memory when the last survivors are gone? As the generation of firsthand witnesses passes, new technologies, including AI-powered interactive testimony, are transforming how we preserve, access, and engage with survivor stories. In this lecture, Dr. Todd Presner will trace the history of preserving survivor testimony from earlier technologies to today’s AI-driven platforms, exploring both the possibilities and ethical challenges of Holocaust memory in the digital age, including what it means to use technology to “speak” for the dead.
Owens Science Hall, 3M Auditorium (room 150) – click here for campus map
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul campus
Free and open to the public – click here for registration (optional)
click here for visitor parking information
Todd Presner, Ph.D., is Chair and Professor of European Languages and Transcultural Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he holds the Michael and Irene Ross Chair in the Humanities. A scholar of European intellectual history, Holocaust studies, and digital humanities, he explores how computational tools can expand how we see, read, and listen to Holocaust testimonies. He is the author of Ethics of the Algorithm: Digital Humanities and Holocaust Memory (Princeton University Press, 2024) and HyperCities: Thick Mapping in the Digital Humanities (Harvard University Press, 2014), among other books. He co-edited Probing the Ethics of Holocaust Culture (Harvard University Press, 2016) and received one of the first digital media prizes from the MacArthur Foundation. His current work investigates the ethical challenges and possibilities of preserving Holocaust memory in the age of AI.

Organized and sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies, Museum Studies, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the College of Arts and Sciences, in coordination with the Faculty and Staff Innovations Fellows program.

Twin Cities Erev Yom HaZikaron Commemoration: If You Are Reading This...
2026-04-20 19:00 - 21:00
The community is invited to a meaningful Yom HaZikaron Commemoration centered on the messages left behind—letters, texts, voice notes, thoughts, and unsent words from those we have lost to war and terror. Through these personal voices, we honor their memory and presence, reflecting on the enduring impact of their words and the lives they continue to shape.

Twin Cities Yom Ha'atzmaut Family Celebration
2026-04-26 14:00 - 17:00
Join us for this family-friendly community event celebrating Israel Independence Day. Featuring: a shuk (market) with food (for purchase), Heritage Judaica, Kona Ice Truck, crafts, music, bounce house, and more! Location details will be shared prior to event!
Registration is required for entry.
CLICK HERE to register!
Interested in volunteering? CLICK HERE to sign up.
Proudly presented in partnership with the Minnesota JCC, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, and the St. Paul Jewish Federation
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Russian–American Jews in Minnesota (RAJMN), and Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota & the Dakotas (JCRC).

Twin Cities Yom Ha'atzmaut Adult Night with Joel Chasnoff
2026-04-26 19:00 - 22:00 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center (Minneapolis), 4330 Cedar Lake Rd S Minneapolis, MN 55416 United States, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
Get Ready for a night of laughs and good vibes. Enjoy Stand-up comedian Joel Chasnoff, a DJ just for adults with music and games, drinks, light snacks, and plenty of ways to celebrate Israel with your 21+ friends!
COST:
$25 / PERSON • $180 / TABLE FOR 10 (after 3/27/26)
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets!

One Day Trip to the Washington D.C. US Holocaust Memorial Museum
2026-04-28
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
REGISTER
Since 1996, the JCRC’s annual trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. has educated participants about the atrocities of the Holocaust.
College and High School students, teachers, police and law enforcement personnel, National Guard members, as well as unaffiliated community members, join us each year to visit the museum, spending an immersive day learning about the Holocaust and the dangers of unchecked hatred.
Participants must be 12 years and older. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost includes airline ticket, transportation in Washington, DC, and admission to the museum.
Please contact Susie Greenberg for more info.

Shanghailanders presented by Shen Pei Arts Alliance
2026-05-30 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-31 18:30 - 20:30 | Fridley High School Performance Center, 6000 West Moore Lake Drive, Fridley, MN, 55432, United States
One year ago, the Twin Cities Chinese and Jewish communities came together for a historic milestone: the world premiere performance of the first act of Shanghailanders by Master Shen Pei, Artistic Director of Shen Pei Arts Alliance, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Center for Jewish Studies. Now the wait is over. The complete two-act dance drama is coming to the stage, and the two communities are again invited to come together as music and dance evoke a shared history.
During World War II, Shanghai stood as a global sanctuary—it was the only city to keep its doors open to those with nowhere else to go, ultimately saving over 20,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. This dance drama, inspired by real historical figures, breathes life into a narrative of cooperation and resilience across very different communities, an example of coexistence and harmony in the darkest of times.

JCRC Annual Event: Reclaiming Our Story
2026-06-07 17:30 - 21:00
PURCHASE TICKETS
Become a Sponsor
We encourage you to purchase your tickets early as space is limited. All tickets include a light dairy dinner, open bar, a seat for the program, and complimentary parking. A kosher meal is available upon request. $500.00 tickets include premium seating and breakfast with keynote speaker Sarah Hurwitz on Monday, June 8, 2026. If you are unable to join us this year, please consider making a contribution.

2026 JCRC Annual Event | Sunday, June 7, 5:30-9:00 PM | Downtown Minneapolis

Featuring Sarah Hurwitz, author of As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Shame, Blame, and Try To Erase Us, an urgent exploration of how antisemitism has shaped Jewish identity and how Jews can reclaim their tradition; celebrated White House speechwriter; and author of the widely acclaimed Here All Along.
“Beautifully written and brilliantly argued, As a Jew is that rare book that defines an historical moment. The American Jewish awakening is upon us, and Sarah Hurwitz is its prophet.” – Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author of New York Times bestseller Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, and 2018 JCRC Annual Event keynote speaker
PURCHASE TICKETS
Become a Sponsor

We thank our current sponsors
Platinum ($10,000+): Bob & Bobbi Aronson; Bryan & Nina Badzin; Amy & Stan Baratz; Holly & Jon Brod Farber; Elmar Family Foundation; Mark & Debbie Glotter; Jacy & Jason Grais; Jim Jacobson & Andrea Kaufman; Stan & Jeanne Kagin; Mort & Merle Kane; Barbara & Gary Krupp; Hart & Susan Kuller; Steve Lear; Lerner Publishing Group; Gail & Steve Machov; Danny Mann & Emily Silber; Minnesota Vikings Football; Kevin & Nancy Rhein; Sheraton Minneapolis Downtown Convention Center; Wendy Lovell-Smith & Colin Smith

Gold ($5,000+): Allianz; Judy & Richard Cook; Cozen O’Connor; Linda & Mike Fiterman; Fredrikson & Byron PA; Lynn Golberstein; Bonnie & Steve Heller; Hunegs, LeNeave & Kvas, P.A.; Wendy & Nissim Khabie; Madeira Partners; Don & Rhoda Mains; Gil & Debbie Mann; Maslon LLP; Jon & Robin Parritz; Mark & Beth Robbins; Steve & Wendy Rubin; Allen & Linda Saeks; Sharron Steinfeldt; Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

Silver ($3,000+): Marilyn Levi-Baumgarten & Allan Baumgarten; CBIZ; Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Bruce Fink & Caren Page and Nancy & Neil Fink; Raleigh & Rich Fromstein; Alan Gilbert & Laura Thorne; Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota; Mall of America; Milavetz Law; Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation; Jeff Oberman & Kathy Conner; Sholom & Sholom Foundation; Stinson LLP

Also proudly supported by

Contact us at events@minndakjcrc.org or 612.338.7816 to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
