Remembering Pope Francis: His Legacy and Impact on Global Jewry

Thursday, May 8, 2025
12:00pm - 12:45pm PDT

Join author and scholar Fredric Brandfon in conversation with AJU President Jeffrey Herbst as they explore the life, legacy, and complexities of Pope Francis—a pontiff who left an indelible mark on Catholic-Jewish relations. From his early admiration for Judaism in Argentina to his unprecedented visits to Holocaust memorials and his calls for peace in the Holy Land, Pope Francis forged historic ties with Jewish leaders and communities. Yet, his response to the atrocities of October 7 drew significant criticism. As we reflect on the pope’s passing, we will also consider how the next pope might respond to Francis’s legacy.

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Can’t make it live? Register anyway! All participants will receive the recording to free webinars. But join us in real time to engage with the speaker, ask questions, and be part of the conversation!

Fredric Brandfon was privileged to have an audience with Pope Francis in 2023 after his book, Intimate Strangers: A History of Jews and Catholics in the City of Rome was published and won first prize for History from the Catholic Media Association. He is a regular contributor to Tablet Magazine and his latest article “The Jews and the Pope, Looking at the Ambiguous, Still Evolving Jewish Relationship with the Vatican” was co-authored with Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, Chief Rabbi of Rome.  

Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, the fourth president of American Jewish University (AJU), is an advocate for academic innovation. His leadership at AJU includes fostering growth in the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, expanding the Maven digital platform, and improving the Brandeis-Bardin Campus. Formerly, he served as president and CEO of the Newseum and the Newseum Institute in Washington, DC. Notable achievements include successfully overseeing a half billion-dollar fundraising campaign, implementing a university-wide strategic plan, and enhancing educational programming at Colgate University, where he was president from 2010 to 2015. Dr. Herbst holds a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, as well as a master’s and doctorate in political science from Yale University. He is the author of the award-winning “States and Power in Africa” and, with several co-authors, the just-published “Making Africa Work.” In addition to many books and articles, he has been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other digital and print publications around the world.