The contribution of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik towards Nostra Aetate: A lonely relationship of love

This article explores Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s extensive efforts to foster a constructive dialogue between Judaism and Christianity. Specifically, it examines how his approach to Jewish-Christian relations developed in parallel with the Catholic Church’s theological shifts during the 1960s. By analyzing his speeches from the 1950s and 1960s, this study identifies key analytical concepts—such as loneliness and coincidentia oppositorum—that also reflect his profound engagement with mathematics. Chronologically, this reconstruction demonstrates that the Rav began shaping his views on interreligious dialogue in the 1950s, well before the publication of Confrontation (1964), which is traditionally considered his sole contribution to the topic. Furthermore, the article shows that his commitment to interreligious engagement persisted until at least 1970. To underscore the theological depth of this dialogue, the paper illustrates the Rav’s use of the marriage metaphor—grounded in Genesis 1:27 and 2:21–23—and his symbolic invitation to kiss the Torah. Finally, his encounter with Cardinal Richard Cushing in Boston and his exploration of Jesus’s Jewish roots reveal how deep immersion in the Torah serves as a powerful catalyst for authentic interreligious dialogue.