The Catholic Biblical Association of America’s election of Amy-Jill Levine, a Jewish scholar, as its first Jewish president has sparked an antisemitic backlash on social media, according to the article. Critics have labeled Levine “anti-Christian,” accused her of attempting to “hijack” Catholicism, and made anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist remarks. The association’s executive board chair and executive director responded by emphasizing that Levine was elected for her exceptional scholarship and her significant role in Catholic-Jewish dialogue, not because of her Jewish identity. They also highlighted the need to address the rise in antisemitism, stating that the criticisms “are not indicative of the best of the Church.”

Levine, an Orthodox Jewish professor emerita at Vanderbilt University, has dedicated her career to improving Christian and Jewish understanding of each other. She has spoken at churches, taught about the Jewish context of Jesus’ life, and collaborated with Christian scholars on numerous publications. Despite not accepting the Christian belief in Jesus’ divinity, Levine admires Jesus as an early rabbinic teacher and believes that Jews and Christians can learn from one another. She attributes the spread of antisemitic views to various factors, including family and peer influences, internet content, and problematic interpretations of scripture or sermons. Levine aims to use her new role to promote excellence in biblical studies, support scholars, and work with Catholic bishops to ensure that educational materials and preaching do not promote antisemitic messages, while continuing to foster better Jewish-Catholic relations. Source

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