Noted Economist and Jewish Law Expert to Speak at Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. – Aaron Levine, the Samson and Halina Bitensky Professor of Economics at Yeshiva University and a noted authority on Jewish commercial law, will give a lecture titled “How to Prevent the Next Great Depression: A Jewish Law Perspective” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12 in Rehm Library, Smith Hall, at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture, part of the yearlong economic series “After the Fall: Capitalism and a just way forward,” sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, is free and open to the public.

The series explores the lessons learned from the credit crisis that began in 2007 and offers diverse perspectives on how to construct a new economy that is sustainable and just. Guest speakers address the economic policies of healthcare, climate change, the banking system and more. The series also includes lectures that approach economics from the perspective of Muslim, Jewish and Catholic law.

Levine’s research focuses on the interface between economics and Halakhah, or Jewish religious law, especially as it relates to public policy and modern business practices. He has published widely on these issues, including five books and numerous monographs. He recently published "The Global Recession and Jewish Law" in American Economist and is the editor of the forthcoming publication "Judaism and Economics."

Levine is an associate editor of the Journal Tradition, a member of the advisory council for the International Center for Jewish Business Ethics, and a nominee for the World Jewish Academy of Science.

Lectures in the series are recorded for podcast and available at www.holycross.edu/crec. A corresponding Web forum encourages feedback and dialogue to continue online. Additional events will be planned for the spring 2010 semester.

To learn more about this series and to sign up for email updates from the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, visit www.holycross.edu/crec.

About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College's commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.