Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations
"Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our Time" by Joshua Koffman depicts the Institute's mission as Church and Synagogue enjoying the study of their sacred texts together. Pope Francis visited the SJU campus in 2015 to bless the sculpture and that mission. [Learn More]
The Story of the Institute
Deepening understanding between Jews and Catholics through shared study since 1967
In 1965, the Second Vatican Council in its declaration Nostra Aetate ("In Our Time") called—for the first time in history—upon Catholics and Jews to join in “biblical and theological inquiry … and friendly discussions.” Believing that rapprochement between Jews and Catholics was integral to the Catholic and Jesuit identity of Saint Joseph's, the Jesuit community founded the Institute, the first such American response to the Council. They defined the Institute's mission as increasing knowledge and deepening understanding between the two communities. The Institute today is directed by a Jewish professor and a Catholic professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. They regularly team-teach and partner nationally and globally to research Jewish and Christian reconciliation and reform. They promote opportunities for Christians and Jews to be study partners, teaching and learning about themselves and each other by studying and experiencing together texts, rituals, events, and places.
LATEST VIDEOS
Videos
The Historical Significance of Nostra Aetate and its Reception
The Historical Significance of Nostra Aetate and its Reception
Institute co-director Prof. Adam Gregerman on a Georgetown University panel on Nostra Aetate at 60 with Dr. John Borelli, Rabbi Judith Schindler, and Prof. Robin Darling Young.
The Presence of the Holy in the Other
The Presence of the Holy in the Other
Institute co-director Philip Cunningham speaks on a spirituality of Christian-Jewish relations in our polarized times for the 13th annual John Paul II lecture at Boston College.
The Impact on Christian-Jewish Relations of the Israel-Hamas War and Rising Antisemitism
The Impact on Christian-Jewish Relations of the Israel-Hamas War and Rising Antisemitism
A panel co-sponsored by the IJCR and the Woolf Institute in Cambridge, UK, featuring Rabbi Dr. Jehoshua Ahrens, Rabbi Ron Kronish, Dr. Ruth Langer, and Dr. Ben Sax.
Videos
Jewish-Catholic Relations after October 7th
Jewish-Catholic Relations after October 7th
Organized by the Center for Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University, this panel features Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Archbishop Flavio Pace, Rabbi Dr. David Sandmel, and Prof. Philip Cunningham.
The Pontificate of Pope Francis and Catholic-Jewish Relations
The Pontificate of Pope Francis and Catholic-Jewish Relations
Three internationally known experts, Karma Ben Johanan, Massimo Faggioli, and Abraham Skorka, discuss the achievements and difficulties in Jewish-Catholic relations during Pope Francis' papacy.
Jerusalem—How Christians Made a Small Pilgrimage Site the World's Most Disputed City
Jerusalem—How Christians Made a Small Pilgrimage Site the World's Most Disputed City
Andrew Lawler explores how 19th-century European Christians, by unearthing biblical sites, began a chain of events that made Jerusalem the world's most disputed city.
INSTITUTE NEWS
IJCR NEWS
Detailed academic article published on IJCR's survey of US Catholics on Jews and Judaism
Detailed academic article published on IJCR's survey of US Catholics on Jews and Judaism
A detailed article on a first-ever survey of U.S. Catholics about Jews and Judaism and its implications for Catholic religious education is now available in Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations.
Resource: IJCR Norms for Middle East Programming
Resource: IJCR Norms for Middle East Programming
In 2011, the IJCR Board of Directors approved these principles based on the missions of SJU and the IJCR when treating subjects about conflicts in the Middle East.
Directors' Recent Publications
Directors' Recent Publications
- Dr. Gregerman: Unfulfilled Promise: Pope Francis and the Israel-Hamas War
- Dr. Cunningham: Reflections on Catholic-Jewish Relations in Light of the Israel-Hamas War
.
International Collaborations
International Collaborations
Encyclopedia of Jewish-Christian Relations
Encyclopedia of Jewish-Christian Relations
Dr. Cunningham is an advisory board member for this project. He and Dr. Gregerman have been interviewed about authoring articles in it HERE
Enabling Dialogue about the Land
Enabling Dialogue about the Land
The IJCR was a university sponsor of a research project of the International Council of Christians and Jews, leading to a resource book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Paulist Press
The Importance of Jesus' Jewish Identity for Christians and for Jews Today
The Importance of Jesus' Jewish Identity for Christians and for Jews Today
IJCR is a cosponsor of the research project, "Christ Jesus the Jew: The Importance of His Jewish Identity for Christians and for Jews Today." (Image: R. Neave: reconstruction of a 1st-century Jewish face.)
Collaborative Resources
-
The Institute is a founding member of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations (CCJR), a network of centers and institutes in the United States and Canada. The Council publishes the peer-reviewed, open-access online journal Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations.
-
The Institute cosponsors with the CCJR a library of resources in Catholic-Jewish relations called Dialogika ("things of dialogue"). The library provides documents from Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and interfaith bodies, educational resources and texts from the history of Catholic-Jewish relations.