Breaking challah, building bridges: Elder Stevenson meets with Jewish leaders

A 13-person delegation from the American Jewish Committee visited Salt Lake City during Aug. 11-13, to strengthen ties with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The three-day visit was filled with dialogue, service and shared meals. As part of the visit, AJC leaders met with Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Building bridges through service

A highlight of the visit came on Tuesday, Aug. 12, when AJC members joined Latter-day Saint volunteers at the Church’s Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City. Side by side, they assembled cleaning kits destined for communities affected by natural disasters, reported ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

For members of the AJC delegation, this hands-on service was eye-opening. Joyce Silberstang, a member of the AJC Executive Council, said she was “totally blown away” by the scale of the Church’s humanitarian work.

“It is evident that we share many faith-based values and that these values inform how we live and what we do,” Silberstang said.

The group also visited Brigham Young University and Welfare Square. Every year, millions of people of many faiths and backgrounds benefit from relief projects coordinated by the Church in locations like these.

A meal shared, a friendship strengthened

Later that evening, the delegation joined Elder Stevenson and Elder Matthew S. Holland, a General Authority Seventy, for a kosher dinner marked with shared scripture.

The AJC delegation presented challah bread, a traditional Jewish bread often associated with the Sabbath, to their Latter-day Saint hosts. The gesture was received as a sign of hospitality and mutual respect. Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC’s director of interreligious affairs, compared the moment to the spirit of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18, who are remembered in Jewish tradition for welcoming strangers with generosity.

“[You made] us feel like there was nothing else in the world you had to do,” Rabbi Marans said. “We don’t know how to thank you. The Jewish people needs its loyal friends at this moment in a way that has no parallel in my lifetime.”

Silberstang echoed his words. “You have welcomed our AJC delegation not as strangers but as fellow children of God,” she said. “You have shown us, all of us, what hospitality truly means. Your openness, your sincerity, your warm embrace has touched us all. Thank you.”

A history of mutual respect

The friendship between the Church and the AJC has been built over many years. AJC leaders joined then-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at the Brigham City Utah Temple open house in 2012 and Elder D. Todd Christofferson at the Washington D.C. Temple open house in 2022. In February 2014, Elder L. Tom Perry and Elder Christofferson visited AJC headquarters in New York City, New York. In 2018, Elder Quentin L. Cook went to New York to meet with AJC leaders as well.

For Elder Stevenson, the evening’s dialogue rekin­dled personal memories and emotion. Before his call as an Apos­tle, beginning in his early professional career he formed numerous treasured relationships with colleagues, associates and friends of the Jewish faith and culture.

“They became such dear friends. Many of them were mentors for me in my business career. We attended their children’s bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah celebrations and weddings,” he said. “Tonight, I find myself overwhelmed with warm memories and emotion triggered by this interaction. This brings a rush of love and appreciation for each of you, who you are and what you represent.”

Elder Matthew S. Holland, who studied in Jerusalem as a Raoul Wallenberg Scholar, brought a scholarly and scriptural perspective to the evening. He cited two Old Testament passages — Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:17-18 — that teach the principles of loving God and loving one’s neighbor.

“These are fundamental ideals for us that prompt us to reach out across divides and to receive people with as much hospitality and kindness and generosity as we can,” Elder Holland said. “Our doctrine stands opposed to violence and hatred and anti-Semitism. Those are anathema to the things that we believe in and cherish, and that runs as deep as anything we have in our tradition.”

A broader context

The visit comes at a time when interfaith cooperation is increasingly recognized as essential to addressing global challenges. For decades, the AJC has promoted dialogue between religious groups, governments and civic organizations.

Similarly, the Church has made humanitarian and interfaith engagement a hallmark of its global initiatives. Whether through disaster relief, refugee assistance or local community service, the Church frequently collaborates with faith-based and nonprofit organizations around the world.

Silberstang pointed to values found in Jewish scripture that she feels exemplify the Church.

“Tzedek, which is justice. Hesed, lovingkindness. Kavod habriyot, human dignity. Tikkun olam, repairing the world. It is my hope that, moving forward, we deepen our friendship and find new ways to work together to make the world a better place,” she said.

Church President Russell M. Nelson turned to the word “hesed” in an October 2022 Liahona article. He explained that “hesed is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.”

He further stated that “every benevolent act of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members is an expression of God’s hesed.”

Looking to the future

Both AJC leaders and Latter-day Saint leaders expressed hope that the visit would be a springboard for further collaboration. Elder Stevenson summed up the spirit of the gathering by emphasizing both unity and diversity.

“We are brothers and sisters with the heavy responsibility to build dignity and humanity and understand the things that bring us together and appreciate the differences that we have,” he said.