ans ▁for ▁hiding ▁their ▁Jewish ▁neighb ors . ▁ ▁Abraham ▁Sk ork a , ▁the ▁re ctor ▁of ▁the ▁Latin - American ▁Rab bin ical ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁and ▁Berg og lio ▁published ▁their ▁convers ations ▁on ▁religious ▁and ▁philosoph ical ▁subjects ▁as ▁S obre ▁el ▁ciel o ▁y ▁la ▁tierra ▁( On ▁Heaven ▁and ▁Earth ). ▁An ▁editor ial ▁in ▁Israel ' s ▁Jerusalem ▁Post ▁notes ▁that ▁" Un like ▁John ▁Paul ▁II , ▁who ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁had ▁positive ▁mem ories ▁of ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁his ▁native ▁Poland ▁but ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Hol oca ust ▁had ▁no ▁Jewish ▁community ▁to ▁interact ▁with ▁in ▁Poland ▁as ▁an ▁adult , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁has ▁maintained ▁a ▁sust ained ▁and ▁very ▁positive ▁relationship ▁with ▁a ▁living , ▁breath ing ▁[ J ew ish ] ▁community ▁in ▁Buenos ▁Aires ." ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁po pe ' s ▁first ▁official ▁actions ▁was ▁writing ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Rab bi ▁Ric c ardo ▁Di ▁Seg ni , ▁the ▁Chief ▁Rab bi ▁of ▁Rome , ▁inv iting ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁pap al ▁installation ▁and ▁sharing ▁his ▁hope ▁of ▁collaboration ▁between ▁the ▁Catholic ▁and ▁Jewish ▁communities . ▁Address ing ▁represent atives ▁of ▁Jewish ▁organizations ▁and ▁communities , ▁Francis ▁said ▁that , ▁" due ▁to ▁our ▁common ▁roots ▁[ a ] ▁Christian ▁cannot ▁be ▁anti - S emit ic !" ▁ ▁Francis ▁had ▁a ▁warm ▁relationship ▁with ▁Isra eli ▁President ▁Sh imon ▁Per es , ▁who ▁visited ▁the ▁po pe ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁and