Media & Webinars

November 2, 2022
The Lux Center held a lecture on Wednesday, November 2 at Sacred Heart. The lecture was led by Bishop Stowe, Diocese of Lexington. The topic was “Pope Francis’s Encyclical, ‘Fratelli Tutti’: A Response to Rising Antisemitism.” Sacred Heart thanks Bishop Stowe for taking time out of his busy schedule to join the Sacred Heart community!

February 16, 2021
In Preparation for Lent: A WEBINAR A Conversation about the Book: Jesus Wasn’t Killed by the Jews With Book Contributors: Mary Boys, SNJM Robert Ellsberg Greg Garrett And Jon M. Sweeney, Editor of the Book and Moderator.
Presenter:Dr. Rebecca Carter-Chand is the Acting Director, Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
With Rabbi Burton Visotzky, Ph.D.

You may know Dr. Richard Lux as a colleague, a professor, an author, a community activist, the Founding Director of the Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, or an internationally known scholar of Christian and Hebrew Scriptures and the Holocaust. As a life-long Catholic, he has always dedicated himself to his faith. But as someone who also studied and understands the history of anti-Jewish teachings within Christian institutions, he also dedicated himself to opposing all forms of prejudice and discrimination. He spent much of his 47 years in the Milwaukee area dedicated to informing minds and transforming hearts in order to build a more just world for all.

On Wednesday, January 26, The Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies invited Malka Z. Simkovich, Ph.D to speak on the topic "Jews, Jesus and the Jerusalem Temple" at the second session of the winter webinar series. Dr. Simkovich is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and the director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

On Wednesday, January 19, The Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies invited Tim Crain, Ph.D. to speak on the topic “Why Catholics Need to Know about the Holocaust: Implications for Today’s World” at the first session of the winter webinar series. Dr. Crain is a well-known historian and speaker and was a professor and director of the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education at Seton Hill University.

On Wednesday, December 01, The Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies invited Rabbi Noah Chertkoff to speak on the topic “Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel: Visions of the Hebrew Prophets” at the second session of the fall webinar series.

Featured Speaker Rev. Dennis McManus, Ph.D.
In 2021, Fr. Dennis McManus was appointed Senior Research Fellow at Georgetown University to investigate the Vatican Archives and the question of Pius XII and the Holocaust. He has served as the delegate for Jewish Affairs for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops since 2010.

Featured Speaker Rev. Dennis McManus, Ph.D.
In 2021, Fr. Dennis McManus was appointed Senior Research Fellow at Georgetown University to investigate the Vatican Archives and the question of Pius XII and the Holocaust. He has served as the delegate for Jewish Affairs for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops since 2010.He has also served as Associate Director of the Secretariat for the Liturgy at the USCCB. He currently teaches at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, CA, and is a delegate for Jewish Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Fr. McManus has written widely on liturgical topics but specialized in the application of liturgical translation theory, the development of the Rites of Exorcism, and Judaism in the Roman Rite. Fr. McManus holds a bachelor’s degree in classical languages and philosophy from St. Mary’s College of California; a master’s degree in ethics from Georgetown University and a doctorate in historical theology from Drew University. Fr. Dennis McManus is a priest of the Archdiocese of Mobile in Alabama.

February 10, 2021

Presenter: Dr. Rebecca Carter-Chand is the Acting Director, Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

February 3, 2021

Presenters: Dr. Philip Cunningham and Dr. Ruth Langer

Dr. Philip Cunningham is Professor of Theology (specializing in Christian-Jewish Relations) and director of the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. and the past president of the International Council of Christians and Jews.

Dr. Ruth Langer is Professor of Jewish Studies in the Theology Department at Boston College in Boston, MA., interim director of its Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, and past chair of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations.

January 21, 2021

Presenter: Rabbi Scott Shafrin

Rabbi Scott Shafrin is the Associate Rabbi and Religious School Director at Congregation Kol Rinah, a Conservative Jewish synagogue in St. Louis, Missouri.

On Wednesday, November 17, The Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies invited Rabbi Scott Shafrin to speak on the topic “What Jews Do When They Pray” at the first session of the fall webinar series. Rabbi Scott introduced Jewish prayer and Jewish blessings distinguishing the differences between the two. He gave examples of the different Jewish prayer services that happen throughout the day and additional prayers for special occasions. Rabbi Scott is currently the Associate Rabbi and Religious School Director at Kol Rinah, a Jewish Conservative congregation in St. Louis, MO

March 22, 2021
Judaism & Christianity’s First Five Centuries: Parting of the Ways? with Rabbi Burton Visotzky, Ph.D.

March 21, 2021
Blood Brothers: Jews and Christians as Sibling Rivals
With Rabbi Burton Visotzky, Ph.D.

December 2, 2020 Presenter: Rabbi Rachel Kaplan Marks

Rabbi Rachel Kaplan Marks is the Associate Rabbi and Director of Congregational Learning at Congregation Shalom in Fox Point, Wisconsin.

November 18, 2020 Presenters: Rabbi Steven Adams and Bishop Richard J. Sklba

Rabbi Steven Adams is the director of Pastoral Care for Ovation Senior Communities in Milwaukee. Previously, he served as the rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha for 16 years.

Bishop Richard J. Sklba served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee from 1979-2010. He has been active in the Catholic Church’s ecumenical and interreligious relationships on the local and national level.

November 11, 2020 Presenter: Rabbi Evan Moffic

Rabbi Evan Moffic is a rabbi at Makom Solel Lakeside Congregation in Highland Park, Illinois and author of several books including What Every Christian Needs to know about the Jewishness of Jesus.

Guided by their own religious convictions, Rabbi Skorka and Pope Francis spent years conversing about their understanding of God and of each other. Today they are friends. Rabbi Skorka is a biophysicist, rabbi, seminary rector, and author.

Photos from Rabbi Skorka’s visit

Rabbi Skorka chats with WTMJ Radio’s Mark Siegrist: