The American Jewish Committee's Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious and intergroup relations. Photo: AJC.

Prominent Christian leaders from across the denominational spectrum are gathering in Los Angeles from Feb. 8-10 for the inaugural Christian Leadership Initiative (CLI) Alumni Study Retreat.

The CLI was launched in 2008 as a partnership between the Shalom Hartman Institute (SHI) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) with the goal of providing Christian leaders the opportunity to gain a more profound understanding of Judaism and the Jewish people, according to its website.

“CLI gathers a unique core group of Christian scholars and introduces them to classical Jewish text study in the context of modern Israel,” Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC’s director of interreligious and intergroup relations, said in a statement.

The Alumni Study Retreat is covering advanced topics, including themes of God, ethics and community in Judaism. It is also introducing a new curriculum on Israel called “New Paths: Christians Engaging Israel.” More than 28 Christian leaders were expected to attend.

“The Alumni Study Retreat is another step toward realizing our dream of a multi-cohort CLI community that will have an indelible positive impact on Christian-Jewish relations,” Marans added.