History of Paths to Understanding

Paths to Understanding’s roots go back to 1960 when Rabbi Raphael Levine recognized the similarities between the antisemitism he experienced and the anti-Catholic sentiment that grew during John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Levine wanted to encourage people to build relationships across faith traditions and to counter dehumanization. Working with William Warren from KOMO TV, Rabbi…

The Seattle area became an unlikely place of leadership in interfaith dialogue in the early 1960’s. It was founded on the belief that dialogue could erase distrust and could lead people of very different faith and ethnic backgrounds to build and cross the bridge to their common humanity. The original leaders were a Rabbi born in Lithuania,…

The Rev. Terry Kyllo was serving Lutheran and Episcopal churches in Western Washington. He initiated some interfaith conversation between Christians, Buddhists and Muslims in Marysville, WA. In 2014 some residents of Oak Harbor, WA invited him and Jeff Siddiqui to counter anti-Muslim bigotry there. This led to four other events being held around Western Washington.…

As the Challenge program was nearing its end Rabbi Levine and Father Treacy began to encourage local forms of interfaith relationships – they knew people would be strengthened in their own faith by interaction with others. They realized, however, that the larger culture was not conducive and that many faith leaders did not see it…

In 1960 two religious leaders began a journey to understand and know one another. One was a Rabbi and one a Roman Catholic Priest. Rabbi Raphael Levine, serving Temple De Hirsh Sinai, and Father William Treacy, serving the Archdiocese of Seattle, began a warm friendship that enabled them to see each other as a part…