4 February, 2026
We are delighted to welcome you to the first Edward K. Kaplan Interfaith Lecture.
Edward K Kaplan. Photo by Richard Lindzen.
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The Inaugural Lecturer: Rabbi Prof Michael Marmur, Professor of Jewish Theology at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and a member of the board of Rabbis for Human Rights. He is the author of Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Sources of Wonder (University of Toronto Press, 2016). See more details below.
Chair: Professor Anna Sapir Abulafia, FBA, FRHistS, Professor Emerita in the Study of the Abrahamic Religions at the University of Oxford.
Professor Abulafia’s research focuses on the interaction between medieval Christianity and Judaism within the broader context of twelfth- and thirteenth-century theological and ecclesiastical developments. Her recent book is Christian–Jewish Relations 1000–1300: Jews in the Service of Medieval Christendom (Routledge, 2025).
⚫⚫ The Oxford Interfaith Forum Community is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Prof David Abulafia (Z”L), Professor Anna Sapir Abulafia’s beloved husband, a few days before the Edward K. Kaplan Interfaith Lecture.
🕯️May David’s memory be a blessing 🕯️
We extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the family, friends, colleagues, and students.
Our heartfelt gratitude to Prof Mary C. Boys for stepping in to moderate the discussion.
Topic: Reading Heschel Today: Resonances and Dissonances
Abstract: Professor Edward K. Kaplan (Z”L) did much to promote an appreciation of the life and work of Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), one of the most influential Jewish voices of the twentieth century. In this lecture, Rabbi Prof Michael Marmur will set out some of the major aspects of Heschel’s contribution, and consider how social, cultural and political changes might alter the way we read and understand his legacy. The lecture will include references to fields as diverse as interreligious dialogue, the role of the State of Israel in contemporary Jewish life, and the relationship between religion and the public square.
Speaker’s Biography: Rabbi Prof Michael Marmur is Professor of Jewish Theology at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and previously served as Dean of the Jerusalem School and Provost of the College across its four campuses. Among his publications are Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Sources of Wonder (University of Toronto Press, 2016), American Jewish Thought Since 1934, co-edited with David Ellenson (Brandeis University Press, 2020), and most recently Living the Letters: An Alphabet of Emerging Jewish Thought (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025).
Date: 4 February, 2026
Time: 18:00-19:00 GMT | 10:00-11:00 PST | 13:00-14:00 EST
Recording of the Lecture
