Building Bridges of Faith: The Emouna Programme
- dianakanter
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The second edition of the Flemish Emouna Programme started on October 8 with Peter DB and myself as Jewish participants alongside a strong contingent of Muslim, Buddhist, Baha’i, Catholic, Protestant and Humanist representatives. This visionary project was launched in Paris in 2016 and continues to inspire communities of faith across Europe. Founded at Sciences Po by Rabbi Pauline Bebe, among others, the programme grew out of a shared dream among leaders of France’s Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the fabric of society through learning, dialogue, and trust. The programme’s success spread beyond France, inspiring similar initiatives in Belgium (French and Flemish) and the Netherlands.
The name Emouna – from Hebrew word for ‘faith’ or ‘trust’ – beautifully captures the programme’s essence. At its heart, Emouna teaches that faith is not only about belief, but also about relationship: between individuals, between communities, and between religion and the wider world. Emouna brings together clergy, community leaders, and laypeople from diverse traditions to study, explore, and engage with the challenges of living faith in a secular society.
Participants attend 15 full days of courses and workshops on religion, culture, and public life, visiting places of worship, parliament buildings, and cultural centres. They learn how to speak from their own convictions while listening deeply to others – a true embodiment of machloket l’shem shamayim, a sacred disagreement for the sake of heaven. One of those days will be hosted at Beth Hillel.
For us as Jews, Emouna reminds us that our own faith tradition calls us to be rodef shalom – pursuers of peace – and builders of understanding in an often-fractured world. It is a hopeful vision of what interfaith learning can be: grounded, courageous, and filled with mutual trust.
Rabbi Brian
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