POSTPONED: CHRISTCHURCH: “IT’S COMPLICATED – JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN THE FIRST CENTURIES OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA”

Prof. Michal Bar-Asher Siegel

POSTPONED. UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO THE RISK TO CIVIL AVIATION IN THE REGION, OUR PROFESSOR HAS RECEIVED ADVICE TO POSTPONE OR CANCEL ALL UNNECESSARY AIR TRAVEL. WE WILL ADVISE A NEW DATE AS SOON AS ONE CAN BE ARRANGED.  NOT EVERYBODY CONNECTS TO NZFOI VIA EMAIL OR ON THE WEB.  IF YOU ARE AWARE THAT SOMEONE WAS PLANNING ON COMING, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET THEM KNOW.

We are delighted to invite you to an evening with Prof. Michal Bar‑Asher Siegal, one of Israel’s leading scholars of Jewish–Christian relations in Late Antiquity and the Vice President for Global Engagement at Ben‑Gurion University of the Negev.

Prof. Bar‑Asher Siegal plays a central role in shaping BGU’s international partnerships and global academic strategy, while also ensuring a vibrant, supportive environment for the University’s international students and scholars. Her home city of Beersheva sits just 23 km from the sites attacked on October 7, bringing a deeply personal dimension to her reflections on Jewish history, resilience, and identity.

A professor in the Goldstein‑Goren Department of Jewish Thought, her research focuses on the complex interactions between early Christians and rabbinic Jews, using comparative readings of foundational texts to illuminate how these communities shaped — and challenged — one another. She has held prestigious visiting professorships at Harvard Law School, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and is a member of the Israel Young Academy of Sciences.

Her acclaimed books include:

• Early Christian Monastic Literature and the Babylonian Talmud (CUP, 2013), winner of the 2014 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award
• Jewish‑Christian Dialogues on Scripture in Late Antiquity (CUP, 2019), a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award

Join us for what promises to be a fascinating and timely exploration of the earliest encounters between Jews and Christians — encounters that continue to shape religious identity and interfaith understanding today.

Date: Saturday, 31 January 2026
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Mary Potter Community Centre
442 Durham St North, St Albans, Christchurch 8014

Please bring a plate of finger food to share for supper afterwards.
No pork or seafood products, thank you for your understanding.

We look forward to seeing you there.