Annual Conference of Council of Religious Community Leaders in Israel
On Thursday, 25 November 2010, the Council of Religious Community Leaders in Israel will hold its annual convention at the Domus Galilaeae International Center, near the Mount of Beatitudes in the lower Galilee. The Council is comprised of the heads of the various religious communities in Israel: the chief rabbis of Israel, heads of churches, the head of the Druze community, the head of the Islamic Appeals Court, and heads of other communities such as the Baha'i, Ahmadiyya, Lutherans, Anglicans, Samaritans, Copts, Ethiopians, and Assyrians. This year's conference is particularly significant considering the meeting of the council members with Pope Benedict XVI, scheduled to take place at the Vatican on 13 January 2011. This historic meeting constitutes official recognition by the Vatican and the pope of this forum and its importance in conducting the dialogue and relations among the various religions in Israel. The theme of this, the Council's fourth, convention, is freedom of religion and worship in Israel. During the convention, the film "Faith", which deals with religious freedom in Israel, will be shown, with a discussion afterwards about the role of religious leaders.