Finding connectionDel Duca serves as a bridge with the Jewish community

Sister Gemma Del Duca honored for lifetime of work by Congregation Emanu-El Israel

Del Duca co-founded the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education at Seton Hill.

By Octavia Liku August 11, 2026, 11:26 am 0 Edit

Del Duca has dedicated her life to fostering dialogue between the Christian and Jewish communities. (Photo courtesy of Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill)

At 94 years old, Sister Gemma Del Duca has spent nearly a century forging connections between the Christian and Jewish communities. On July 17, Congregation Emanu-El Israel honored her with its Tree of Life Golden Leaf of Remembrance during a Friday Shabbat service.

“She really acts as a bridge between us and much of the Christian community — we do programs together, study together, learn together,” Rabbi Leonard Sarko said. “She has done so much for the community over the years that we really wanted to take a minute and let her — and other people — know how important she has been to the Jewish community.”

Rabbi Lenny Sarkol and Sister Gemma Del Duca. (Photo courtesy of Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill)

Born and raised in Greensburg to a Catholic family, Del Duca knew from an early age that she wanted to devote herself to religious life. In 1950, she joined the Sisters of Charity before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Seton Hill University, and later a doctorate in Ibero-American studies from the University of New Mexico.

Inspired by the Second Vatican Council’s emphasis on condemning antisemitism and recognizing the shared spiritual patrimony between Christians and Jews, she then spent nearly three decades in Israel. There, she worked with Pittsburgh native Father Isaac Jacob at Tel Gamaliel, a small Christian community in Beit Shemesh, to promote interfaith dialogue. She also worked extensively with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.

(Photo courtesy of Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill)

In 1987, she co-founded the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education at Seton Hill. Today, the center continues to produce scholarship on genocide and Holocaust studies accessible to educators across the country.

For CEI congregants, the decision to honor Del Duca was simple.

“Sister Gemma has always been present in the Greensburg Jewish community,” said Jamie Kaufer, vice president of the CEI board. “She really dedicated her whole life to helping to educate about Jewish people and trying to promote love amongst our communities … I feel like that’s definitely something we need in modern times.” PJC

Octavia Liku can be reached at oliku@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Del Duca has dedicated her life to fostering dialogue between the Christian and Jewish communities.