(Judy Siegel-Itzkovich/jpost.com) For the first time, the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy—whose aim is to develop multidisciplinary discussions in the mirror of Christian ethics—has named an Israeli rabbi to its advisory committee.

Pediatric neurologist and Jewish medical ethics expert Rabbi Prof. Abraham Steinberg—director of the medical ethics unit at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center and the recipient of the Israel Prize for Torah Literature—has been appointed by Pope Francis to the important body, which until recently had been a “closed club” that did not include non-Catholic scientists.

Last week, the Vatican published the names of 45 “ordinary” members and five other members of the advisory committee of the Pontifical Academy of Life Sciences. Its members include scientists, professors and experts in religious and secular medicine and ethics from 27 countries.

Surprisingly, for the first time in history, two rabbis—Steinberg and Argentinean Prof. Fernando Szlajen—were invited to join.