The purpose of this grant proposal is to for research and writing in order to complete a book. I was originally planning a book about pastoral ministry in the urban, multicultural congregation I serve. Having recently discovered my Jewish roots and the death of my grandfather and other relatives in a concentration camp, the scope of my writing interest has expanded. I now plan to tell both stories such that each will hopefully serve to illuminate the other. We live in a multi-faith, multi-cultural environment where religion and race are often sources of conflict and violence. Nazi Germany is one of history’s most horrific examples of this. Unchecked prejudices sustained over centuries helped to fuel eventual acts of genocide. Ordinary people and churches are called to do whatever we can to resist forces that dehumanize others, to name and to reject prejudices that marginalize, diminish and ultimately destroy life together as God intended for us. The world cried out “Never again!” and yet dehumanizing patterns repeat themselves over and over. We need to re-examine and learn from this past to help us see how churches can be true to their own Biblically-based, theologically-informed identity while honoring those who are different and promoting mutual understanding and respect.