Recognized for his work as global teacher and religious leader with a deep commitment to pluralism, Rabbi Irwin Kula was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to promote the legacy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Through its many programs, the Foundation supports a culture of world peace and sustainability, offering a global vision for building harmony and justice by reconciliation, forgiveness, and ethical leadership, and to be included in its work is a great honor. For a brief description of Archbishop Tutu’s humanist philosophy, or "Ubuntu," in which he talks about how as a society we do not function alone—we are always in relation to each other, view:

"Mosab Yousef says that he ‘crossed all the red lines in (his) society’. While that may be true, the real story of this son of Hamas leader Sheik Hassan Yousef, who spent years spying for Israel’s internal security service, the Shin Bet, is far more complex...."

"...According to a Twitter feed from the Jewish Council on Public Affairs’ national meeting being held in Dallas, ADL head Abe Foxman lashed out at journalist and blogger Andrew Sullivan, calling him a good example of an educated anti-Semite...."

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, characterized as a self–confessed "radical pluralist" is interviewed by Rachael Kohn at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

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From ABC Radio National–Australia, The Spirit of Things, aired 12/21/2010

"Rabbi Irwin Kula ... suggested that both sides need to look in a mirror. ‘They are just doing politics in religious drag’ ... meaning that both sides have existing political positions and they’re using religion to ‘prove’ that God is literally on their side... ‘All that this assures is that the other side will be offended. And people who are trying to figure out how to what to do with their lives in a moment of transition are turned away.’.."

"‘People think listening [to the beliefs of others] dilutes faith, when actually it strengthens it,’ said Rev. Kyle Reese...‘It doesn’t matter how long your beard is or how Orthodox you are ... even the most conservative Jewish denomination doesn’t claim a monopoly on salvation,’ said [Brad] Hirschfield,..."
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"...‘Voodoo is one more spiritual mechanism for both bridging worlds, between life and death; for people to feel empowered in their relationship with God,’ says [Rabbi Brad Hirschfield}. ‘We shouldn’t confuse the rituals we reject, and the theology we reject for the underlying human impulses that are part of all of us.’...Rabbi Irwin Kula...adds, ‘Does Voodoo help people get through the night? Does it give them hope?...’"

"…far more important than what I could or couldn’t eat, was who could’ve imagined…a rabbi from America to travel thousands of miles as a guest of his own government and government of Indonesia to sit…with a bunch of wonderful young people and answer all their questions about what was a Jew, what was kosher, and how we could talk more than we ever expected. For me that…is far more nourishing…than whether or not they made me lunch...."

Listen to the edited interview which was voiced over in Indonesian...

From Voice Of America Indonesian Service

"...religion is a very potent motivator, yet no religious group has truly succeeded to be the one, according to Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, one of the U.S. delegates speaking at the Indonesia-US Interfaith Cooperation, especially regarding good governance ..."

"Pope Benedict’s visit Jan. 17 to the Great Synagogue of Rome caused quite a stir in some quarters...Hirschfield comments...‘... it’s remarkable hubris on our part to assume that the leader of more than 1 billion Catholics is primarily concerned with us!’..."

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By Dennis Coday from his blog onNational Catholic Reporter