Students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Georgetown University participating in the Middle Meets program met this week with Pope Francis and senior Vatican officials to discuss dialogue and reconciliation amid war. The initiative, founded by the Hebrew University’s Entrepreneurship Club, unites Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze students in open discussions about conflict and coexistence. The meeting, held in collaboration with Scholas Occurrentes, highlighted the students’ shared commitment to building trust and hope across divides
This week, young participants from Middle Meets—an academic and cultural dialogue initiative founded by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Entrepreneurship Club—met with Pope Francis and Cardinal George Jacob Kovakad, Head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
The delegation included Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze students from Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and Georgetown University. During their meetings at the Vatican, the students shared personal reflections on the complexities of life during wartime, as well as their shared commitment to fostering a language of hope, reconciliation, and mutual responsibility.
Middle Meets brings together Jewish and Arab students from Israel and across the world for in-depth discussions on conflict, dialogue, and peacebuilding. The current seminar, held in collaboration with Scholas Occurrentes, a Vatican global education network, focuses on the question of how to build trust, hope, and cooperation in the aftermath of war.
The visit reaffirmed Middle Meets’ mission to continue building bridges between communities—even, and perhaps especially, in the most difficult times.
Photos credit: Scholas Occurrentes
For a century, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been a beacon for visionary minds who challenge convention and shape the future. Founded by luminaries like Albert Einstein, who entrusted his intellectual legacy to the university, it is dedicated to advancing knowledge, cultivating leadership, and promoting diversity. Home to over 23,000 students from 90 countries, the Hebrew University drives much of Israel’s civilian scientific research and the commercialization of technologies through Yissum, its tech transfer company. Hebrew University’s groundbreaking contributions have been recognized with major international awards, including ten Nobel Prizes, two Turing Awards, and a Fields Medal. Ranked 88th globally by the Shanghai Ranking (2025), Hebrew University marks a century of excellence in research, education, and innovation. To learn more about the university’s academic programs, research, and achievements, visit the official website at http://new.huji.ac.il/en.