The President of the Board of Deputies and the Pope have held a landmark meeting at the Vatican to strengthen “the bridge of understanding” between Jews and Roman Catholics.

The President, Marie van der Zyl, told the JC that she and His Holiness Pope Francis I promised to pray for each other and for peace, both in Europe and the wider world, while His Holiness presented her with a special gold medallion. She gave him a rare signed copy of the history of Rome’s Great Synagogue by the British historian Cecil Roth.

She revealed that as a sign of the importance the Church attached to the meeting – the first time that a Board president has met a pope other than as a member of a larger, international delegation – it was arranged at unusual speed.

Realising she was due to travel to Italy for a holiday, she wrote by letter to Vatican officials asking if it might be possible to meet just 10 days before the event took place on Thursday – and received a swift and positive reply.

“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “He was warm, charming and gracious. It is good to remember that we as Jews have friends.” She was joined at the Vatican by Michael Wegier, the Board’s chief executive.

Dr Edward Kessler, the founding president of Cambridge University’s Woolf Institute, which is dedicated to interfaith studies and dialogue, described the meeting as “another example of Pope Francis taking seriously the relationship with Jews and Judaism”.

He pointed out that as Cardinal Bergoglio, he befriended Jews in his homeland, Argentina, “and this has continued since he was elected Pontiff.  His meetings cross denominational boundaries and he is, in my view, one of the Lamed Vavniks [one of the world’s 36 righteous ones]. I am delighted he has met the President and Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies and I expect the experience will remain etched in their hearts for the rest of their lives.”

Pope Francis won plaudits from Jews when he travelled to Slovakia shortly before last Yom Kippur and honoured its victims of the Holocaust, while also offering atonement for the Church’s complicity in the Nazi era’s crimes.

Ms van der Zyl said she thanked Pope Francis for his help with Holocaust remembrance in general and in speaking out against antisemitism worldwide.

She added: “As two historic religious communities, the relationship between the Jewish and Catholic communities is of great significance and has grown from strength to strength. As faith communities, we will continue to build on this relationship and work together to further combat bigotry, protect religious freedoms and create bridges of understanding between our communities.”

The meeting took place inside the Vatican’s huge audience hall, with about 1,000 people present. Ms van der Zyl and Mr Wegier were standing in the front row as the Pope gave an address to those present, and afterwards, he made immediately for them, and they conversed and exchanged gifts. She was later interviewed by the Vatican radio station.

Mr Wegier said: “I was very surprised to be granted an audience meeting so quickly, but so glad Marie reached out. It was a wonderful experience. He was truly interested in what we had to say. Pope Francis sees the Jews as Catholics’ brothers and sisters.”