Amy-Jill Levine (“AJ”) is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford University for Religion and Peace, and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. An internationally renowned scholar and teacher, she is the author of numerous books including The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings. She is also, with Marc Zvi Brettler, the coeditor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament and the co-author of The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently.  AJ is the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute. In 2021 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. AJ describes herself as an unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue and a Yankee Jewish feminist. 

As we follow the Narrative Lectionary and make our way through John's Gospel, it is important to examine and better understand John's portrayal of Jesus' Jewish context. Given increasing levels of antisemitism in our country, we must honestly and critically face our sacred text.

With a better understanding of some of the scriptural and theological mistakes we make about Jews and Judaism, we will shift our focus to how we might do justice together as Community. We will welcome Sarah Markowitz and the Jewish Community Relations Bureau to Community on Sunday, April 3 at 9 AM for a program on contemporary antisemitism and what to do about it.