User:Emschoneveld/Jacobus (Coos) Schoneveld

Jacobus (Coos) Schoneveld (January 27th, 1934 - March 12th, 2015) is a theologian and pioneer in the field of Jewish-Christian dialogue, known for his interfaith work as theological adviser in Jerusalem and for his International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) general secretaryship.

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Early life

Jacobus (Coos) Schoneveld was born on January 27th, 1934 in Alphen aan den Rijn (The Nethelands). He was the third of thirteen children and is the son of a Dutch reformed pastor, also named Jacobus Schoneveld (1904-1974) and Margareta Schoneveld-Corts (DATES). Coos spent his youth in Den Haag and went to school there, graduating from gymnasium in 1952.

Career

1952–1959: Study of Theology

In 1952 he went to study of theology at the State University of Leiden. He earned his first degree (Candidate) of Theology in 1955 and passed the Church examination for admission to the ministry in the Netherlands Reformed Church in 1958. From 1957 – 1959 he was assistant to the Chair of Phenomenology of Religion at the State University of Leiden He was deeply interested in Judaism and the state of Jewish-Christian relations after the Holoaust in the second world war. In 1959 – 1960 he went to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel for one year on an exchange program scholarship of the Dutch and Israeli Ministries of Education. While in Jerusalem he was able to shortly meet and interview his great role model, Jewish philosopher Martin Buber. 1960, after returning from Jerusalem and getting married, he underwent practical preparation for the ministry in the Netherlands Reformed Church

1961–1967: Parish minister of the Netherlands Reformed Church

From 1961 – 1963 Coos Schoneveld was an assistant minister (vicar) in Zeist. From 1963- 1967 he was minister of the church in Staveren , he also taught Biblical Hebrew at the Gymnasium of Sneek at this time. In 1966 he earned a second degree (Doctorandus) of Theology at the State University of Leiden majoring in philosophy of religion (concentration on modern Jewish philopsophy). Subsidiary subjects included phenomenology of religion (concentration on Jewish mysticism) and Old Testament.

1967–1980: Theological adviser in Jerusalem to the Netherlands Reformed Church

In 1967 he was appointed by the Netherlands Reformed Church as theological adviser in Jerusalem. His assignment (in the context of its re-orientation on its relationship towards the Jewish people) was to study the present spiritual situation of the Jewish people in Israel and to develop and improve Jewish-Christian understanding, communication and tolerance.

Activities undertaken to implement that assignment:

• Research at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem resulting in the conferment in 1976 of the degree of Doctor of Theology by the State University of Leiden, in cooperation with the School of Education of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, on the doctoral thesis: “The Bible in Israeli Education: A Study of Approaches to the Hebrew Bible and its Teaching in Israeli Educational Literature” (published in 1976 by Van Gorcum, Assen/Amsterdam. A German translation appeared in 1987).
• 1977: appointment as visiting research associate in the Hebrew University’s Department of Jewish Thought and the School of Education.
• 1971-1980: Founder and Editor of “Immanuel, a Bulletin of Religious Thought and Research in Israel”, published to make Hebrew publications in Israel in the fields of religious studies and theology available in English translations and summaries to academic and Christian circles outside Israel.
• 1971-1980: Executive Secretary of the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel, a group of Christian scholars living in Israel and engaged in Jewish studies and Christian-Jewish relations.
• 1972-1980: Secretary of the “Rainbow Group”, a dialogue group of Jewish and Christian academicians in Jerusalem.
• 1973-1978: Ecumenical chaplain of St. George’s Cathedral of the Episcopal Churcn of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and member of the Board of St. George’s College.
• 1975-1996: Member of the World Council of Churches’ Consultaton on the Church and the Jewish People.

1980–1996: General Secretary of the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ)

The ICCJ with its headquarters at the Martin Buber House in Heppenheim, Germany (Martin Buber’s former residence from 1916 to 1938) is the umbrella organization of associations in around 30 countries, in which Christians, Jews and in some of them also Muslims, cooperate towards better mutual understanding and respect and strive to overcome prejudices and stereotyping. Coos Schoneveld was general secretary of the ICCJ from 1980-1996, his work involved:

• designing and organizing international conferences and seminars in many parts of the world on a wide variety of religious, educational, cultural, social political themes in an inter-religious ambiance
• maintaining a broad network of international contacts with member organizations, religious and cultural bodies in many countries
• initiation of the “Abrahamic Forum” which focuses on tri-lateral dialogue between Jews, Christians and Muslims

1997–2005: Research associate of the Truman Institute in Jerusalem

From January 1997 scholar-in-residence at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies in Jerusalem, and Research Associate of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: working in the framework of its Peace Education Program with a team of Jewish and Palestinian educational experts on a project to develop educational materials on the “Religion of the Other” in the context of Jewish-Palestinian relations. From 1999: Academic Advisor to the Project: “Living in the Holy Land: Respecting Differences – a Program Promoting Communication Between Israelis and Palestinians” conducted by the Center for Educational Technology in Tel Aviv and the Noor Information and Research Center

Personal life

In 1958 Coos met Pieternella (Ellen) Tuyt (born November 9th, 1935), the daughter of a Scheveningen ship owner. They became engaged in 1959 and as an engaged couple went to Israel together, where Coos studied at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Ellen worked as librarian at the Scotch Hospice in Tiberias. They returned to The Netherlands in 1960 and were married shortly after on September 16th, 1960. They have lived in The Netherlands, Israel and Germany.

Coos and Ellen have 9 children, 4 of whom are adopted and have one child who tragically died at the age of 7:

• Jochanan Jacob – born 1961 in Zeist (Netherlands), died in in 1969 at Hadassah hospital Ein Kerem (Jerusalem, Israel) after an accident at the age of 7;
• Rachel Corine – born 1962 in Zeist (Netherlands)
• David Arjé – born 1964 in Stavoren (Netherlands);
• Joel Azaria – born 1966 in Stavoren (Netherlands);
• Esther Margalith – born 1970 in Jerusalem (Israel);
• Rebecca Amal – of Palestinian descent, born 1973 in Nazareth, came to the family at the age of 6 weeks and was adopted;
• Jonathan Michail – of Palestinian descent, born 1973 in Nazareth, came to the family at the age of 3 weeks and was adopted;
• Sergout Wondimou, born 1961 in Ethiopia, of Ethiopian descent, came to the family and was adopted in 1977 at the age of 16;
• Daniel Getachew, also of Ethiopian descent, born 1966 in Ethiopia, came to the family and was adopted in 1979 at the age of 13.

Coos and Ellen now live in retirement in Rijswijk near Den Haag (The Netherlands).

Recognition

J. (Coos) Schoneveld has been widely respected for his contribution to Jewish-Christian dialogue and his tireless efforts to bring people of different religions closer together. He was awarded the following honours:

• 1994 Recipient of Golden Interfaith medallion "Peace through Dialogue"
• 1995 Recipient of the Federal German Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande) by the State of Germany
• 2003 Appointed as Officer in the Orde van Orange-Nassau 2003 by the State of The Netherlands

External links

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