Dear Dr. Levine, I write to offer my warmest congratulations on your election as the first Jewish president of the Catholic Biblical Association. This is a historic moment for the Association, and I am grateful for the opportunity to recognize your many years of dedicated service to the CBA, including your important work as an editor of The Catholic Biblical Quarterly.
Your election is a fitting celebration of the genuinely interfaith character of biblical scholarship and of the many years of faithful Jewish-Catholic collaboration in the study of Scripture. This spirit of collaboration reflects the vision articulated in Nostra Aetate, which called Catholics to deeper understanding and mutual respect with the Jewish people.
I am confident that the Catholic Biblical Association will continue to be enriched by your leadership, scholarship, and longstanding commitment to Jewish-Catholic dialogue.
Please accept my sincere congratulations and my prayerful best wishes as you begin your term as president.
With every good wish and prayer,
Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera
Bishop of Scranton
Chair, Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
