The Jewish/Catholic Studies Institute will host a special evening of reflection and conversation on God and the Holocaust led by Walsh’s third President Brother Francis Blouin, FIC, on Monday, September 10, in the Barrette Business and Community Center. Brother Francis will be introduced by his longtime friend, Barbara Turkeltaub, child Holocaust survivor. The event will begin at 7 pm and is free and open to the public. This program is also eligible for credit in the Walsh University Lifelong Learning Academy. For further information, contact Rabbi John Spitzer at jspitzer@walsh.edu.
During his visit, Brother Francis will also personally welcome and meet with the 15 students of the first class of the Br. Francis Blouin Global Scholars Program on Tuesday, September 4. The Blouin Scholars Program was announced in December 2011 and will provide students with a unique opportunity to become part of a community of students and faculty dedicated to using scholarship and service to address major global issues.
Monday evening’s program will be an intimate opportunity to engage with Brother Francis on the subject of God and the Holocaust. Br. Francis will confront the question of whether it is possible to reconsider the Almighty with the evils of the death camps and ask, can we take literally Scripture’s stories of punishment by God.
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Brother Francis served as the third president of Walsh from 1978 thru 1992. During this period of visionary growth for Walsh, Brother Francis also cemented a close and meaningful relationship with the Stark County Jewish community, joining Rabbi John Spitzer as a co-leader of Stark County’s first interfaith tour of Israel in the 1980s. Following Br. Francis’ retirement from Walsh, he traveled to Uganda to consult with the Kisubi Brothers of Christian Instruction on the formation of their University Centre in central Uganda. His plan was to stay six months. Eight years later Brother Francis returned to the United States after directing the Kisubi Brothers University Centre, moving it towards sustainability and excellence.
The Walsh Institute of Jewish-Catholic Studies is headed by Rabbi John Spitzer. The Jewish-Catholic Studies Institute of Walsh University promotes dialog and study of Jewish and Christian history, thought and belief. The Institute sponsors scholars, courses, conferences, and inter-faith dialogues designed to promote understanding, morality and good will.