A. James Rudin is an American rabbi noted for his work in inter-religious affairs.

He was born in Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...

. He is a 1957 graduate of Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...

. Rudin was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1960.

He joined the staff of the American Jewish Committee

American Jewish Committee

The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...

 in 1968 and retired in 2000 after serving for many years as 2000 National Interreligious Affairs Director.

He was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religion and Judaica at Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa. The University is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery...

in 2002.

Awards

• "Person of Reconciliation" Award from the Polish Council of Christians and Jews in Warsaw, 1997
• Joseph Award given by the Villa Nazareth, a Pontifical Institution, 1997
• International Council of Christians and Jews awarded him its Interfaith Medallion, 1999
• Eternal LIght Award, St. Leo University, 2007