Behold How Good It Is: Jews and Catholics in Rochester

Joe Kelly

Behold How Good It Is traces how Jewish and Catholic communities in Rochester, New York developed a unique culture of cooperation, mutual respect, and dialogue — often ahead of national trends. The book highlights both the painful legacy of Christian antisemitism and the remarkable progress that followed the Catholic Church’s 1965 declaration Nostra Aetate, which reshaped official Catholic teaching toward Jews and opened the door to new forms of partnership and understanding. 

Kelly shows that, even before Vatican II, Rochester’s Jews and Catholics had built relationships marked by unusual civility. After the Council, these relationships deepened into intentional collaboration, educational initiatives, and shared public commitments to interfaith learning. 

A major theme of the book is the shift from historical suspicion to genuine dialogue. Kelly describes how clergy, scholars, and lay leaders worked together to confront past prejudices, promote religious literacy, and create structures for ongoing partnership — including landmark local agreements and community initiatives that became models nationally. 

Rather than presenting a purely academic history, the book emphasizes lived experience: stories of personal encounters, institutional cooperation, and the challenges of translating theological change into everyday relationships “in the pews.” It explores how dialogue moved from formal declarations to grassroots engagement, shaping education, public conversations, and interfaith leadership in Rochester. Brennan Goldman Institute is proud to be the publisher of this book.

Joe Kelly is a member of BGI’s Board of Directors.