The National Council of Synagogues (NCS) was created in (1999) as a successor to an earlier organization, the Synagogue Council of America, which until 1998 had been the common table for intra-Jewish dialogue in the United States. The NCS includes organizational representation from the synagogue and rabbinical associations of the Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform movements in Judaism, collectively representing over 2500 rabbis and 1500 synagogues.

Since its creation, the NCS has been a significant voice and increasingly a recognized address in the Jewish community for engagement in interfaith dialogue, collaborative social and public policy initiatives, and the advancement of intergroup relations through the sharing of the legacy of Jewish tradition and its contribution to the evolution of America society.

The NCS has engaged in many dialogue programs including with the Presbyterian Church (USA) culminating in the issuance of a new document, “Christians and Jews: People of God” and with the Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, with whom we meet twice yearly and have also jointly issued an important study document, “Covenant and Mission.”