As people everywhere continue to pray for the 200 plus girls kidnapped on April 15^th in northern Nigeria and now for the three teenage Israeli boys snatched from a street in Gush Etzion area in the West Bank, we acknowledge the vulnerability of young people caught in the polarized communities of Africa and the Middle East.

Another danger for the Jewish people in European countries has become more pronounced in recent months. The Wall Street Journal published a somber report this month by the Offices of the American Jewish Committee in Paris and Brussels: http://bit.ly/WSJFuture.

Prayer of ordinary folks must be complemented by the work of respected leaders and educators in every community.

Thanks for stopping by my new website and blog, where I will be writing about various aspects of my work and topics that interest me in the areas of biblical research, scholarship and archaeology; Jewish-Christian studies and relations; ecumenical studies and issues; Catholic liturgy, prayer and ethics; and medieval and renaissance religious art.

I’ll be updating my website and blog fairly regularly so be sure to drop by often or keep up to date by using the RSS feed or by subscribing by email. I look forward to connecting with you in the blogosphere!