On Jan. 11, Rabbi Irwin Kula was invited by Kazakhstan Ambassador Erlan Idrissov to Kazakhstan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, to give remarks on “Religion as an Instrument of Peace” at an Interfaith Dinner & Dialogue. The talk was in light of an upcoming trip of religious leaders to Kazakhstan on May 30-31, 2012, which Rabbi Kula will attend.

The meeting in Kazakhastan, the 4th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, will address issues of inter-religious misunderstandings and seek practical solutions to situations with Kazakhstan’s neighbors in Central Asia, e.g., Afghanistan’s transition from military to civil governance with a stable economy and inter-religious harmony. This is part of the New Silk Road initiative that Ambassador Idrissov is working on, which aims to restore the ancient bridges between south and central Asia with a stable Afghanistan at the center. The Jan. 11th discussion looked at what a delegation of inter-faith religious leaders might accomplish in the May visit.

This international recognition is another example of Clal’s mission to take Jewish wisdom public. It demonstrates Clal’s ability to engage Jewish tradition with the critical issues of today, providing new approaches and foundations with a variety of partners on a global level.

By Judy Epstein from Clal