JTS Professor Robert Harris is Appointed the 2027 JTS—Rome Fellow

Professor Robert A. Harris, JTS Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages, has been selected by an international committee as the 2027 JTS–Rome Fellow. This fully funded fellowship will support his teaching at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (PUST) in Rome during the Spring 2027 semester. An internationally recognized scholar of medieval Jewish biblical exegesis, Professor Harris will work closely with Professor Gavin D’Costa of PUST, contributing to interfaith dialogue and scholarly exchange. 

The JTS–Rome Fellowship is funded by the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue and reflects the Center’s ongoing commitment to advancing Jewish-Christian understanding through sustained academic collaboration. This will be the first of a three-year commitment to the fellowship. 

Rabbi Burt Visotzky, director of the Milstein Center and JTS Nathan and Janet Appleman Professor Emeritus of Midrash and Interreligious Studies, praised the appointment, saying, “I have known Professor Harris for many years as both a scholar and a colleague. His work in this field, and his presence in Rome, will be beneficial in so many ways. I very much look forward to the scholarship he will produce during this fellowship.”

Professor Harris expressed gratitude for the opportunity, noting, “It is a great honor to serve as the JTS–Rome Fellow. While I will miss my JTS students, I am excited to serve the field and deepen interreligious engagement in this new capacity.”