Date
Event Time
12:00 PM
Cost
FREE
Location
ONLINE
Event Details
Thursday, May 8, 2025
12:00pm - 12:45pm PDT
Join author and scholar Fredric Brandfon in conversation with AJU's Alyssa Craft 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.
Alyssa Craft is the Programming Manager for the Office of Innovation at American Jewish University whose passion is to reimagine and implement what Jewish community looks like by bringing a unique perspective on what is engaging and inspiring Jewish communities today. Prior to arriving at AJU, she was the Assistant Executive Director of Houston Hillel, the Programming and Operations Associate at Maryland Hillel, and is a proud Moishe House DC alumni. Alyssa has a Master’s Degree in Jewish Nonprofit Management from The Zelikow School, a BA in Religious Studies from The University of Arizona, and a certificate in Jewish Experiential Education from The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.