Program for Jewish Civilization

We are privileged to present the work of Ambassador Max M. Kampelman. Ambassador Kampelman’s relationship with the Program for Jewish Civilization is preceded by years of involvement with Georgetown University and by a sincere desire to facilitate a deeper awareness of Judaism—by Jews and non-Jews— on its campus.

Initiated by his friendship with Father Timothy Healy, SJ, Max Kampelman was invited to join the University’s Board of Directors in 1978, on which he served until 1984 when he left for the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Upon his departure, President Healy awarded Ambassador Kampelman an honorary Doctor of Human Letters for “his extraordinary contributions to public life, educational affairs, and civic virtue.”

Ambassador Kampelman, along with Lawrence Goldmuntz, Marver Bernstein, Jeane Kirkpatrick, and Father Healy, was instrumental in the 1976 establishment of the annual Goldman Visiting Israeli Professorship. Since its time of inception, nineteen scholars have served as an intellectual bridge between our two countries.

In 1983, Max Kampelman, in collaboration with the University’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics, helped to establish the Max M. and Marjorie B. Kampelman Collection of Jewish Ethics for the Institutes library holdings. This collection has grown to over 1,400 books and audiovisual materials covering Jewish ethics and related subjects and is available for use by scholars, students and the general public. In the following two articles, Ambassador Kampelman shares his views on religion, politics, and world affairs through his multidimensional perspective as an educator, lawyer, and diplomat—a perspective that is deeply connected to his own Jewish heritage. Ambassador Kampelman’s years of experience help make his approach to these subjects valuable to all, but especially to the younger generations, whom he takes great effort to remind about the lessons of the past. His views provide insight into not only the history of Georgetown University, but also the place of Judaism on the world’s stage. His words hold hope for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, and encourage us to adopt the attitude that diplomacy that respects all people is the route to democracy.\

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