Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, passed away on Monday, following a prolonged illness. Jewish leaders also expressed their condolences today, including the heads of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog. “I send my deepest condolences to the Christian world and especially the Christian communities in Israel – the Holy Land – on the loss of their great spiritual father, His Holiness Pope Francis,” said President Herzog. May the memory of Pope Francis be for a blessing.”Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the President of the Union for Reform Judaism, released a statement saying, “The relationship between the Catholic and Jewish communities flourished under Pope Francis’ guidance. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from Latin America, and the first non-European pontiff in over a millennium.