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Biblical Hebrew Sessions
Sr. M. Despina

The Biblical Hebrew Sessions came into being after a Bible session in 1958, and are due to the initiative of Fr. Maigret, O.M.I., who continues to organize and direct them dynamically. The first Hebrew session (which was immediately followed by a second) took place at Chartres during the Easter holidays of 1959 with only scant publicity. To the great astonishment of the sceptical who, on the one hand, doubted whether anyone outside seminaries, Jewish organizations or the National School for Oriental languages would want to learn this language, and, on the other hand, thought that it would not be possible to do any worth-while work in so short a time, the results, if not spectacular, were very encouraging. 116 persons attended these two first sessions. From the outset there was a very friendly ecumenical spirit, and the progress in Hebrew was an incentive to the participants not only to come again but also to make the project known. Thus, at the two sessions held the following year — again at Chartres —the number of participants increased to over 200. As the premises at Chartres had by now become inadequate, more spacious quarters had to be found. So Easter 1961 saw a session in Paris and another at P.,krbresle near Lyons. Since then there is an annual session in Paris and in Strasbourg. Others, lasting from three days to three weeks, have taken place in various parts of France, and even in neighbouring countries.

In addition to these regular sessions, there are monthly Hebrew week-ends in and around Paris, as well as weekly courses and study circles for sessionists who wish to continue studying during the year.

The interest of these sessions and meetings lies not only in the fact that they propagate knowledge which is useful for those engaged in biblical studies outside the narrow circle of exegetical specialists, but still more because they promote ecumenical dialogue between Jews, Protestants and Catholics: Jewish professors (among whom the late Mr. M. Horowitz) are among the regular 'participants.

The sessions which began in Brussels in 1965 take place within the Jewish community of this town by agreement with Mr. A. Schragai, professor of Hebrew in the Tribune Menorah centre.

Protestant pastors and Scripture professors, in particular Professor Frank Michaeli, have collaborated with Catholics and Jews in organizing the sessions.

Most recently, Fr. Maigret's dynamism animated the first international session, held in Turin, Italy, during the Christmas holidays. Over sixty Christians and Jews from more than twelve countries of the Americas and Europe shared the warm hospitality extended by the Major Seminary of Turin. The cordial 'atmosphere as well as the Hebrew studies together contributed not a little towards dispelling preconceived notions founded most often on hear-say.

Besides the courses themselves, there are usually visits during the sessions to public monuments, cathedral or synagogue, museums or exhibitions of biblical interest as well as attendance at conferences which throw light on how Catholics, Protestants and Jews could dialogue on religious subjects, fully respecting common values and whatever differentiates one group from another. Springing from a desire to diffuse a better knowledge of the original text of the Bible, they have thus become, in addition, an interconfessional meeting in the spirit of the directives of the Secretariat for Unity; as a veritable school of ecumenical dialogue it is a happy complementation of the ecumenical training undertaken by other organizations.