Round Table: John Paul II Catholic University
                            Lublin, Poland

   SCHEDULE   AGM Assistance

The Round Table meets simultaneously with
Continuing Seminars and Task Forces on 
Sunday and Monday from 8:45 - 10:45 AM EDT

(There is a 1/2 hour coffee break at 9:30 AM)

Sunday, July 19

8:45-10:45 am

• Biblical Studies and the Development of Jewish-Christian Dialogue in Poland and
  Eastern Europe.
  Biblical studies at the Institute of Biblical Studies of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) represent one of the most significant academic pillars shaping contemporary Catholic-Jewish dialogue. Through a distinct approach that integrates rigorous exegesis with an openness to Jewish tradition, Lublin has emerged as a “bridge” for interreligious engagement. The “Aramaic Bible” project, hosted by the Institute, is an impressive undertaking involving the critical edition and Polish translation of the Targums. Complementing this scholarly work, the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at KUL, founded through the commitment of the Institute’s faculty, translates theoretical knowledge into concrete social, educational, and religious action. Operating as a “laboratory of dialogue,” the Center organizes youth exchanges involving the USA, Israel, and Poland, alongside academic conferences such as the major symposium on peace in the Holy Land, “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6): The Divine-Human, Messianic, and Eschatological Gift of Peace.” The Center’s work further includes cultural events like the IMAGINE: Culture Without Borders International Festival, introductory lectures on Judaism for students and the Polish diaspora, educational outreach to schools, workshops for religious communities and seminarians, debates with rabbis such as Joe Charnes, and even Hanukkah celebrations on campus.
  
  Prof. Miroslaw Wróbel and Prof. Marcin Kowalski, directors of the Heschel Center, are available to discuss the social and religious contexts and challenges of Christian-Jewish dialogue in Poland and Eastern Europe, including perspectives from the Vatican, while Amy-Jill Levine and other participants recommended by the CBA may also be invited to join the conversation.

• War Trauma, Identity Crisis, and Community Fractures: Integrating Biblical Studies and Psychology to Heal Communities in Poland and Eastern Europe
  In recent years, Central and Eastern Europe has become a theater of war following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Refugees fleeing the conflict have been warmly received in Poland by both state institutions and private families, sparking an extraordinary wave of solidarity and kindness. This mobilization of compassion and ongoing support is deeply rooted in Polish historical memory and our own national trauma of war, with the Church in Poland also being
  intensively involved in aid efforts. The Institute of Biblical Studies at KUL, in collaboration with the university’s Department of Psychology, has launched an initiative providing spiritual and psychological support for refugees and all social groups affected by war trauma, social shifts, and civilizational changes. Through a university-established Support Center, biblical scholars offer spiritual guidance and counsel, while working with the Department of Philosophy and
  Social Sciences to develop programs and workshops based on biblical texts. We jointly conduct research and grant projects focused on existential crises, identity issues, exclusion, disability, emotions, and community building. Together with psychologists, we examine the role of religious and spiritual resources in navigating crises and fostering resilience, as well as the impact of resentment on Polish-German and Polish-Ukrainian relations. The Institute is deeply committed to this interdisciplinary cooperation, providing practical analyses of biblical narratives that are uniquely suited to accompanying those experiencing suffering or identity struggles. These narratives also serve to heal the deepening divisions within our social and religious communities.

Prof. Marcin Kowalski, Dr. Piotr Kot, and Dr. Tomasz Mazurek, who lead these collaborations with the Department of Psychology, can discuss this research at the intersection of psychology, social sciences, and biblical studies. We also welcome the participation of colleagues from the University of Notre Dame, with whom we are establishing closer cooperation in this field, along with other persons recommended by the CBA.

Monday, July 20

8:45-10:45 am

New Biblical Translation Projects in Poland and Eastern Europe
Since 2016, Poland has been working on the sixth revision of the Biblia Tysiaclecia (Millennium Bible), the primary biblical text used for education and liturgy in the Polish Church. This project, involving the entire community of Polish biblical scholars, maintains an international character through collaborations with the Pontifical Urbaniana University and the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship—originally founded by the American Bible Society and part of the United Bible Societies as of January 1, 2025. A key result of this partnership was a series of four
translation seminars held in Rome between 2017 and 2019, which focused on biblical translation theory and provided a forum for sharing experiences from global projects overseen by the Nida Institute. The new translation aims to adapt the language to the needs of contemporary audiences while preserving phrasings deeply rooted in culture and liturgy. We strive to convey the biblical message through language sensitive to social issues and Christian-Jewish dialogue, while incorporating modern research and exegetical developments into the text, introductions, and paratexts. This initiative, led by scholars from the KUL Institute of Biblical Studies, also
prepares us for future collaborations with Eastern European colleagues to promote and support new translations of the Old and New Testaments into Belarusian and Ukrainian, where there is a significant need for new editions.

Prof. Miroslaw Wróbel and Prof. Marcin Kowalski can discuss the challenges and perspectives of these projects, and we welcome the participation of translation experts from the USCCB and the CBA, as well as Eastern European colleagues attending the meeting in Baltimore.