The Nostra Aetate Award, established by Seton Hill University in 1991, is named for the first of the Vatican II documents to address the Catholic Church’s relationship with non-Christian religions. The award acknowledges distinguished and scholarly work done by an individual in the field of Catholic-Jewish relations. In particular, the award recognizes work which has resulted in interfaith understanding and has promoted an increased awareness of the ways in which religious values are brought to bear on contemporary society.
Recipients of Seton Hill's Nostra Aetate Award and links to some of their speeches are as follows:
Reverend Edward H. Flannery, 1991 Recipient - Roman Catholic priest whose book, The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism, was hailed by Christian and Jewish scholars alike as a groundbreaking work and major contribution toward the exposition of historical antisemitism.
Dr. Jan Karski, 1995 Recipient- Polish diplomat and soldier during World War II, who, having escaped from Nazi torture, began a campaign to tell the world about the atrocities occurring in Europe.
Dr. Eva Fleischner, 1997 Recipient - Catholic theologian, author and teacher who has taught, lectured and written extensively on the Holocaust and is deeply involved in Christian-Jewish dialogue.
Judith Banki, 2000 Recipient - Writer, lecturer and expert in interreligious affairs, who has focused her efforts on the images of Jews in Christian teaching and preaching and Christian church attitudes toward the state of Israel.
Reverend. John T. Pawlowski, O.S.M., Ph.D., 2005 Recipient - Servite priest, scholar, educator, lecturer, and writer who has spent his entire professional life studying the Holocaust and furthering Christian-Jewish relations.
