The annual meeting of the European Council of Religious Leaders (ECRL) took place in Thessaloniki on Monday, 29 September, and Tuesday, 30 September, graciously hosted by the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki.
ECRL Statement Thessaloniki 2025
A statement from the meeting can be downloaded from the link above.
A highlight of the programme was the gala dinner following the meeting, where the Community Choir performed a beautiful selection of traditional songs in Ladino, Greek, and Hebrew—an artistic tribute to the rich cultural heritage of Thessaloniki’s Jewish community and a fitting reminder of the city’s plural histories.
Reflecting on the spirit in the room, Chief Rabbi Izhak Dayan noted:
“Despite the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the meeting was conducted in a spirit of calm, mutual respect, and sincere dialogue—reaffirming participants’ shared commitment to peace, understanding, and cooperation among religions.”
Imam Senaid Kobilica echoed this emphasis on responsibility and hope:
“Religious leaders must offer hope in difficult times. The doors of dialogue must never be closed, even if they cannot always stand wide open. For the sake of future generations, we have no right to shut them. We have a duty before God and before our people to show the way and to give hope. We must be present, not withdraw, and we must point to what is right. This is exactly what we, members of the European Council of Religious Leaders, have demonstrated and done in Thessaloniki.”
The Thessaloniki meeting reaffirmed the vital role of interfaith dialogue in building bridges of understanding and cooperation across European communities, demonstrating that even in times of global tension, religious leaders can come together in the spirit of peace and mutual respect.
