DR Tony O'Reilly has given $250,000 towards funding a Chair of Jewish Studies at Trinity College Dublin. It is the biggest single contribution to a campaign by the Ireland Fund to raise $1.6 million (£1 million) to fund a permanent chair at the college.
The director of the Ireland Fund, Mr Ciaran Fitzgerald, said yesterday the Jewish influence on early Christianity was "profound" and the fund's directors believed it was appropriate to support scholarly research into the connections between the two. "An understanding of Judaism is necessary to understand Christianity," Mr Fitzgerald added.
So far, $1 million has been raised and Mr Fitzgerald said he was confident the rest of the money would be in place by the end of the year.
The idea of a Chair of Jewish Studies also has the vigorous support of Mr Al Lippert and his wife, Felice, who is a director of the Ireland Fund. Mr Lippert founded Weightwatchers which was bought 20 years ago by the Heinz Corporation.