Parsha and Humanity: Joseph and his Brothers and Jewish-Christian Relations

One of the most dramatic moments in the Tanach occurs when Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers. This story inspires hope, teaching us that people can change. Judah, who once sold his brother into slavery, later demonstrates profound change: when Benjamin’s freedom is at risk, he offers to sacrifice himself to save his brother. Joseph, despite enduring pain and trauma at the hands of his siblings, forgives them and chooses to move forward.

In the 20th century, this story was invoked in the context of a profound transformation that unfolded in the relationship between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church through a process known as Nostra Aetate (Latin for “In Our Times”). This landmark declaration, issued in 1965, redefined the Church’s stance toward Judaism and repudiated centuries-old doctrines that had fueled antisemitism.

The story begins with Jules Isaac, a French Jew whose wife and daughter were murdered in the Holocaust. Isaac wrote a book demonstrating how centuries of Church-fueled antisemitism had contributed to the horrors of the Holocaust. Moved by Isaac’s work, Pope John XXIII invited him for a meeting. At the end of their conversation, Isaac asked if there was any room for hope. The Pope replied, “There is room for more than that.” This exchange set the stage for Nostra Aetate, which marked a turning point in Jewish-Catholic relations by rejecting the prejudices that had caused so much Jewish suffering.

Nostra Aetate was not an instant transformation but a process. Early drafts included a vision of a future unification of the Church and Synagogue, which could be interpreted as a call for Jewish conversion. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, upon learning of this, traveled to Rome and met with the Pope on the night of Yom Kippur. In a bold declaration, Rabbi Heschel stated that if forced to choose between dying in the gas chambers as a Jew or abandoning his Jewish identity, he would choose to die as a Jew. This unwavering commitment influenced the Pope to amend the text. Over the next fifty years, the Church continued to improve its relationship with the Jewish people, recognizing the State of Israel and, in 2015, issuing a document affirming that Jews could achieve salvation through their own faith and rejecting the mission to convert them.

There are profoundly moving stories of Pope John Paul II, who further strengthened this reconciliation. At an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, one of the rabbis mentioned to the Pope that his father was, as was the Pope, Polish. “What did your father tell you about the Poles?” asked the pope. The rabbi responded, “He told me that they are antisemites” In response, Pope John Paul II recounted his own poignant experience: “I was 15 years old when the Nazis came to my school, rounded up the Jewish teachers, and murdered them. I prayed to God that if I were ever in a position of influence, I would use it to help the Jewish people.”

True to his word, Pope John Paul II became the first Polish Pope, recognized the State of Israel, and visited the Jewish homeland. At the Western Wall, he placed a note, now preserved at Yad Vashem, which read:

“God of our fathers, You chose Abraham and his descendants to bring Your Name to the nations. We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who, in the course of history, have caused Your children to suffer. We ask Your forgiveness. We commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the People of the Covenant.”

While much progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. As Jews and Christians, we must continue to ask ourselves how we can further heal this relationship. Let us conclude with a vision from Rabbi Eliyahu Benamozegh: The closing verse of Malachi speaks of Elijah the Prophet reuniting the hearts of fathers and sons. Rabbi Benamozegh interprets this as a metaphor for the reconciliation of Judaism—the ancient faith—with the religions that emerged from it: Christianity and Islam. One day, we will mend these relationships and move forward together.