History and Practice of Fasting

Theologian Leonhard Organised a Workshop on Fasting in Christianity and Judaism

Fasting in Christianity and Judaism was the focus of the international workshop “Fasting and Identity in Jewish and Christian Liturgy” in Jerusalem which was organised by liturgist Prof. Dr. Clemens Leonhard from the Cluster of Excellence and Prof. Dr. Dalia Marx from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Jerusalem. Jewish and Christian liturgists examined jointly texts of the Jewish and Christian liturgical history of the 1st until the 21st century on questions regarding fasting, its interpretation and its practical organisation in both religions.

In a public evening lecture in the auditorium of the HUC-JIR library, the Jewish historian Prof. Dr. Ruth Langer from Boston College, USA, musicologist Prof. Dr. Eli Schleifer from the School of Sacred Music at the HUC-JIR as well as historian Prof. Dr. Israel Yuval from HUC-JIR and Prof. Dr. Harald Buchinger, liturgist at the Universität of Regensburg talked on “Fasting and Identity”. The Protestant theologian Prof. Dr. Michael Krupp spoke as respondent. The workshop was funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and supported by HUC-JIR. (exc/maz/ill)