Elijah Interfaith Institute

Elijah Interfaith Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in Jerusalem in 1997 by Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein. Its work is centered on sustained engagement among religious leaders, scholars, students, and faith communities from different traditions. The institute’s stated purpose is not limited to occasional dialogue or formal declarations; it seeks to cultivate relationships, shared learning, spiritual exchange, and practical cooperation across religious boundaries. The organization works across Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and the religions of India. Its most prominent leadership platform is the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders, a network of approximately 70 senior religious figures. The board includes representatives from several major traditions and has provided a setting for conversations on religious leadership, friendship, peace, global crises, and social responsibility. It convenes in person periodically in different parts of the world, while smaller groups work on particular initiatives between meetings. Elijah’s public initiatives have included Make Friends, a broad call for friendship across faiths; Coronaspection, which brought spiritual reflection from religious leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic; Faith In Ukraine, described by the institute as an interfaith solidarity delegation to a war zone; and Climate Repentance, an interreligious ritual and public initiative connected with climate responsibility and the COP27 period. These projects illustrate the institute’s effort to combine theological reflection with visible public action. A second major component is the Elijah Interfaith Academy, where scholars help prepare and moderate encounters among religious leaders and develop research on religion in contemporary society, interreligious learning, religious leadership, and the conceptual foundations of interfaith relations. The academy’s work has resulted in books and edited volumes, including the Interreligious Reflections series published by Wipf and Stock. Topics have included friendship across religions, forgiveness and healing, the future of religious leadership, the religious other, interreligious heroes, and the benefits and limits of learning from other traditions. Related scholarship has also examined the idea of religious genius and Jewish theology of religions. The institute grew out of the Elijah School for the Study of Wisdom in World Religions. The earlier school brought together a consortium of twelve Jerusalem-based Jewish, Christian, and Muslim institutions and created an academic environment in which Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews could meet alongside other religious communities. Its summer-school model combined academic study with lived exposure to religious practice and interfaith community. Programs have been held in Israel, Canada, the United States, and Italy. Prayer is another continuing area of activity. Since 2014, Elijah has helped lead Praying Together in Jerusalem, a recurring interfaith gathering for study and prayer for peace. The initiative draws participants from religious communities, educational institutions, and the institute’s wider network of leaders and scholars. During the pandemic, it helped sustain an international community online. Later gatherings addressed human dignity amid the Gaza war and the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. The organization’s international development is expected to enter a new phase with the planned 2026 opening of the Global House of Friendship and Hope in Assisi, Italy. Assisi is intended to become a further center for Elijah’s global activities, linking the institute’s emphasis on friendship with its programs for religious leaders, scholars, students, and spiritual communities. Elijah is therefore best understood as a nonprofit interfaith platform and network rather than a conventional commercial brand.

Elijah Interfaith Institute was founded in Jerusalem in 1997 by Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein. Its early institutional form was the Elijah School for the Study of Wisdom in World Religions, an academic consortium that connected twelve Jerusalem-based Jewish, Christian, and Muslim institutions. The school sought to make the study of religion inseparable from encounter with religious communities and lived spirituality. Its summer-school model combined classroom learning, interfaith dialogue, and direct engagement with different traditions. It also created a setting in which Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews could participate together without the divisions that often marked religious and institutional life in Israel. As the organization developed, it expanded from an educational school into a broader network linking religious leaders and scholars. The Elijah Interfaith Academy became the scholarly and conceptual arm of this work. Scholars prepare and moderate meetings of religious leaders and conduct research on contemporary religion, interreligious learning, religious leadership, theology of religions, and the conditions required for constructive relations among communities. The academy has produced a substantial body of edited and authored work, including the Interreligious Reflections series issued by Wipf and Stock. Its subjects include friendship, forgiveness, memory, hope, religious leadership, the religious other, interreligious heroes, and the crisis and transformation of the holy. The Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders was established in the early 2000s and first convened in Seville in 2003. The board developed into a network of roughly 70 religious leaders from Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and the religions of India. Its membership has included prominent figures such as the Dalai Lama, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Mustafa Cerić, and Mata Amritanandamayi. The board’s meetings have been held in different locations around the world, with smaller working groups continuing particular projects between larger gatherings. Although the board has issued statements on global concerns, the institute presents the cultivation of friendship among its members as one of its most important long-term achievements. Elijah has used this network to develop public initiatives that connect interfaith relationships with urgent global issues. Make Friends promoted friendship across religious boundaries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Coronaspection offered spiritual direction and reflection through religious leaders. Faith In Ukraine organized an interfaith solidarity mission to Ukraine after the outbreak of war and was broadcast to audiences there. Climate Repentance used an interreligious ceremony to express responsibility for climate action, with heightened visibility around COP27. Since 2014, the institute has also helped convene Praying Together in Jerusalem, a monthly or more frequent gathering for shared study and prayer for peace. The project brings together members of different religious communities, educational institutions, and Elijah’s international network of leaders and scholars. Online activity during the pandemic broadened the initiative’s reach and helped form an international community of participants. Following the October 7 attacks and during the Gaza war, prayer and study gatherings placed particular emphasis on human dignity. The institute’s educational work has continued through summer schools and related programs held in Israel, Canada, the United States, and Italy. These programs emphasize learning within an interfaith community rather than treating religions as purely abstract academic subjects. A new institutional chapter is associated with the planned 2026 opening of the Global House of Friendship and Hope in Assisi. The project is intended to make Assisi a center of Elijah’s global activities and to give physical expression to the organization’s emphasis on friendship and hope among religious communities.

• 2026

  Planned opening of the Global House of Friendship and Hope

  [1]Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  The planned Assisi opening is expected to establish a new center for Elijah’s international activities.

• 2021

  Interreligious Heroes published

  [1]Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  A volume examined religious role models and spiritual exemplars as resources for interfaith practice.

• 2018

  Interreligious Reflections series expands

  [1]Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Several academy-related volumes were published on religious leadership, friendship, memory, wisdom, the holy, and the religious other.

• 2017

  Religious Genius published

  [1]Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Alon Goshen-Gottstein’s work on religious genius developed the idea of recognizing inspiring individuals across religious traditions.

• 2014

  Praying Together in Jerusalem begins

  [1]Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Elijah became a primary driver of a recurring interfaith study and prayer gathering for peace in Jerusalem.

• 2003

  First Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders meeting

  [1]Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  The board held its inaugural meeting in Seville, beginning a continuing international forum for religious leaders.

• 1997

  Elijah Interfaith Institute founded

  [1]Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein founded the organization in Jerusalem to advance interfaith learning and engagement.

A relationship-centered, scholarly, and spiritually engaged platform for sustained cooperation among religious leaders and communities. Elijah positions interfaith work as friendship, shared learning, public responsibility, and practical solidarity rather than solely as institutional diplomacy.

• Interfaith leadership network · 2003

  Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders

  An international network of approximately 70 religious leaders from Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and the religions of India. The board convenes periodically in different locations, while smaller groups pursue projects between meetings. Its work combines private relationship-building with public statements and initiatives addressing friendship, war, climate responsibility, and spiritual guidance.

• Research and scholarly program

  Elijah Interfaith Academy

  The academy brings scholars into direct relationship with religious leaders. It develops research and moderated encounters concerning contemporary religion, interfaith theory, religious leadership, theology of religions, and interreligious learning. Its publications include the Interreligious Reflections series and studies of religious figures who can serve as exemplars across traditions.

• Interfaith education

  Elijah School for the Study of Wisdom in World Religions

  The institute’s earlier educational framework connected twelve Jerusalem-based Jewish, Christian, and Muslim institutions. Its summer schools integrated academic study with interfaith community life and exposure to lived religious spirituality. Programs have taken place in Israel, Canada, the United States, and Italy.

• Prayer and dialogue program · 2014

  Praying Together in Jerusalem

  A recurring interfaith study and prayer gathering for peace, organized with local and international partners. Participants come from diverse religious communities and educational institutions. The initiative expanded online during the pandemic and later addressed human dignity amid war and communal crisis.

• Interfaith center · 2026

  Global House of Friendship and Hope

  A planned center in Assisi, Italy, intended to support Elijah’s global activities and provide a physical setting for friendship, hope, religious leadership, learning, and interfaith encounter.

• 2022Climate Repentance

  International

  An interreligious repentance ceremony designed to deepen religious responsibility for climate action and to connect spiritual practice with environmental concern.

  Outcome. The initiative received high visibility during COP27 and continued afterward.

  Source
• 2014Praying Together in Jerusalem

  Israel · International · Online

  A continuing local and international gathering for interfaith study and prayer for peace.

  Outcome. The initiative developed an international following during the pandemic and later focused on human dignity during the Gaza war.

  Source
• Make Friends

  International

  A public call associated with leading religious figures that encouraged friendship across faith boundaries as a practical form of interreligious engagement.

  Outcome. The initiative was reported as reaching an estimated 200 million people.

  Source
• Coronaspection

  International · Online

  A pandemic-era initiative through which religious leaders offered spiritual direction and reflection during the COVID-19 crisis.

  Outcome. It provided a public spiritual-response format during the pandemic, although a precise audience figure is not specified.

  Source
• Faith In Ukraine

  Ukraine · International

  An interfaith solidarity delegation of religious leaders to Ukraine after the outbreak of war.

  Outcome. The institute describes it as the first interfaith solidarity mission of religious leaders to a war zone; the event was broadcast throughout Ukraine.

  Source

• 2026

  Establish Assisi as a new center of global activityStrategy

  Background

  The institute’s international programs and its emphasis on friendship created a rationale for developing a dedicated center beyond its Jerusalem base.

  Action taken

  Elijah planned the opening of the Global House of Friendship and Hope in Assisi, Italy.

  Aftermath

  The opening is expected to begin a new phase in the organization’s international history, but its completed operational results are not yet documented.

  Source

1. 1Elijah Interfaith Instituteen.wikipedia.org
2. 2About Elijah Interfaith Instituteelijah-interfaith.org