Jewish Theological Seminary's Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue Welcomes His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch to Inaugural Luncheon

NEW YORK, Nov 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --The Jewish Theological Seminary's new Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue (MCID) welcomed His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch to an inaugural luncheon this week.

Cardinal Koch was visiting from the Vatican, where he is the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, which includes the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.

The Monday luncheon was the inaugural event for the new Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue (MCID), which was established in September with a $2 million gift from New York philanthropist Howard Milstein and the Paul Milstein family. The Milsteins have a long history of engagement with JTS. Irma Milstein chaired the Davidson School of Jewish Education and served on the JTS Board of Trustees.

"We welcome His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch to his sacred task," said Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky, director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue and Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at JTS. "It seems that, more than ever, good relations among the world's religions is essential for our survival. At JTS, we look forward to keeping the best possible relations between the Church and the Jewish people, while working together to address the manifold needs of God's creatures. We hope to be able to move past a 'dialogue of grievances' and toward constructive work among religions for the betterment of humanity."

Howard P. Milstein said: "We are honored His Eminence could join us to launch what we believe will be an important new platform for mutual understanding, reconciliation, and respect."

This is Cardinal Koch's first visit to New York City in his capacity as the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Cardinal Koch has served in this role since 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him. Cardinal Koch is also the bishop emeritus of Basel, Switzerland, having served from 1995 until 2010.

Following the luncheon, the Cardinal and other guests were treated to a tour of the JTS Library's Rare Books and Manuscripts Room—a precious legacy of the Jewish people. The tour was led by Dr. David Kraemer, the Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian of The Library and professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at JTS.

Howard P. Milstein is President and CEO of New York Private Bank & Trust and its operating bank, Emigrant Bank. Emigrant, which the Milstein family saved from insolvency in 1986, was founded in 1850 by the Catholic Church and Irish immigrants. Through the efforts of Archbishop John Hughes, Emigrant financed the building of St. Patrick's Cathedral and most of the churches in the New York Archdiocese.

"We have always sought to honor Emigrant Savings Bank's long history, to ensure the bank's historic relationship with the Archdiocese remained a central part of its legacy," Mr. Milstein said. In deference to that legacy, in 2008, Emigrant Bank was lead corporate sponsor for the Catholics in New York exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York.

In addition to NYPB&T and Emigrant, Mr. Milstein is also chairman of his family's real-estate holdings, including Milstein Properties, and is founding chairman of the merchant bank, Friedberg-Milstein.

Among his many philanthropic activities, Howard Milstein serves on the board of directors of the UJA-Federation, Cornell University, and the National September 11th Memorial & Museum. He is chair of the New York Blood Center and the American Skin Association, and has funded a major archive project at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research at the Center for Jewish History. He is a founding Leadership Council member at the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding and has received the organization's Corporate Bridge Builder Award. He supports a broad range of Catholic charities and served as an Advisor to Edward Cardinal Egan, immediate past Archbishop of New York. Milstein has been honored by many Jewish and Catholic organizations for his staunch support of their work.

In August, Emigrant Bank, which is owned by the Milstein family, became lead corporate sponsor of Prepare New York, a multifaith initiative designed to encourage interreligious understanding as our nation approached the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

About the Jewish Theological Seminary

The Jewish Theological Seminary, one of the world's leading centers of Jewish learning for the past 125 years, integrates rigorous academic scholarship and teaching with a commitment to strengthening Jewish tradition, Jewish lives and communities. JTS articulates and transmits a vision of Judaism that is learned and passionate, pluralist and authentic, traditional and egalitarian; one that is thoroughly grounded in Jewish texts, history, and practices. The leaders trained by JTS—rabbis, cantors, scholars, educators, communal professionals, and lay activists—serve Conservative Judaism, the vital religious center for North American Jewry, and our society as a whole.

SOURCE Emigrant Savings Bank