
Israel Supreme Court Justice Salim Joubran (middle) with JCRC Assistant Vice President Steve Dishler (left) and Chicago Board of Rabbis Executive Vice President Rabbi Michael Balinsky.
Israeli Supreme Court Justice Salim Joubran, the only Arab-Israeli who currently serves on the high court, joined Chicago faith and community leaders on Sept. 16 for a luncheon discussion about interfaith relations in Israel and the role of the justice system.
Jewish Community Relations Council Chair David T. Brown, JUF Board Member Alan Solow, Chicago Board of Rabbis Executive Vice President Rabbi Michael Balinsky, JUF Judaic Scholar Rabbi Yehiel Poupko, and JCRC staff participated in the conversation with Joubran, along with Rev. Dominic Barrington, dean of St. James Cathedral; Rev. Richard Blackburn of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center; Professor Jay Phelan of North Park Theological Seminary; and Hendrik R. Pieterse, associate professor of Global Christianity and World Religions at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
The justice, who works alongside 14 Jewish colleagues, explained that Israel's Supreme Court has a caseload of about 10,000 cases per year, which is largely because there is no intermediate court of appeals between the district and supreme courts in Israel. The Israeli justices have to hear all the cases that are presented to them rather than picking cases as their U.S. counterparts do. Every citizen of Israel has the right to apply directly to the Supreme Court.
Joubran sees it as his duty to ensure that all citizens are heard.
"Because Israel does not have a written constitution, the role of the Supreme Court is vital in protecting democracy and human rights in Israel," he said.
Joubran also noted how his Maronite Christian tradition informs his outlook on life. Like many of his Jewish colleagues, Joubran augments opinions with statements from the religious traditions of those involved in the case. He says that his "legal opinions are strengthened by quoting the holy books" and that he was the first justice to quote from the Qur'an in Hebrew.
Joubran, who lives in Haifa, also spoke about the inclusive spirit of his city where Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Baha'i and others live side-by-side.
"We enjoy living together in Haifa," he said. "In December, we celebrate Chanukah, Christmas and the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed."
The Maronite community is a Christian denomination with roots in Lebanon. In Israel, Maronite Christians number about 7,000 people, while a diaspora of 10 million resides in South America. Brazil's new president, Michel Temer, for example, has Maronite roots. So does Mexican businessman Carlos Slim.
In addition to meeting with JUF partners, Joubran was honored last week by the Decalogue Society with the Decalogue Merit Award, the society's highest honor given to people of special distinction. He also spoke at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and attended the
JUF Annual Meeting
.