Christian-Jewish meeting in Verona promotes 'learning for the sake of learning'

To begin Monday morning's Christian-Jewish Dialogue at Congregation Beth Ahm in Verona, the Rev. Laurin McArthur of Roseland Presbyterian Church read aloud two verses from the Gospel of St. Luke.

"If we get through this, we'll set a record," the reverend prefaced, chuckling.

Such is the nature of weekly round table discussions in which McArthur, the Rev. Lucy Ann Dure of The Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Rabbi Aaron Kriegel of Beth Ahm and laymen participants pore over the Bible in intimate detail.

In the confines of Beth Ahm's library, digression is not only accepted - it is welcome.