'Jewish Annotated New Testament' Author Speaks in West Bloomfield

The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit’s SAJE (Seminars for Adult Jewish Enrichment) hosts Amy-Jill Levine, speaking on The Jewish Annotated New Testament: Why Jews (and Christians) Should Read this Book, at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts.

Levine’s fascination with Catholicism began at a very young age most of her friends were Catholic, and she often tagged along to mass. 

“I found it inspiring and a tad mysterious,” she said. “I was very attracted to some of the rituals. I always knew they weren’t mine, but I thought they were beautiful anyway.” 

One afternoon, one of Levine’s classmates approached her on the school bus and said, “You killed our Lord. My priest said so.”  

“I announced to my parents that I would go to catechism, Catholic religious education class, and I was going to find out where this hateful teaching came from, and I was going to stop it,” Levine recalled. 

She will discuss the New Testament and Jewish history, the relationship between Jesus’ followers and the Jewish community, and what all of this means for relations between Jews and Christians.

Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies and Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and College of Arts and Science.

A dessert reception, book sale and signing will follow the program. The cost is $10 for Jewish Community Center members and $12 for non-members. To purchase tickets or learn more, visit theberman.org or call 248-661-1900.