ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: Where in Europe is Religions for Peace based, and what does the organization do?

Dr. Marcel Israel is a Sephardic Jew who was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and now lives in Spain. He is the former President of the Jewish Community of Bulgaria, and currently Advisor to the President of Religions for Peace-Europe and Secretary and Coordinator of International Relations for the National Council of Religious Communities in Bulgaria. On May 24 he participated in a Delegation of the Bulgarian Government to visit Rome on the occasion of the National Day of Culture in Bulgaria. On this day–on which Christians were celebrating Pentecost and Jews Shavuot–Jews, Catholics, Muslims and Armenians were invited to take part in the Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Cathedral.

Last week Dr. Israel spoke with us about the history, culture and language of the Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria. This week he is speaking with us about the two organizations in which he is active: the National Council of Religious Communities in Bulgaria and Religions for Peace.