Mother Aline Batut, superior of the Order of Notre Dame de Sion in Jerusalem and co-founder of Hebrew-Arab Language School of Hebrew University, spoke Thursday at the Cathedral Center.

She was co-sponsored by the Atlanta Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the Archdiocesan Commission for Religious Unity.

Born in France, she holds four degrees, including three from the Sorbonne. She has served as a teacher and Headmistress in France, Jerusalem and Istanbul. From 1965 to 1967, she served as Superior of the Generalate of the Order of Notre Dame de Sion, in Rome. In 1967, she was assigned to her current position at the EcceHome Convent. The convent, located on the Via Dolorosa in Old Jerusalem, has become a center for Arab-Israeli friendship and understanding since 1967.

In September of that year, together with Dr. Kalman Yaron, Director of Adult Education at Hebrew University, Mother Aline established an ulpan (language school) at the convent, to teach Hebrew to Arabs, Arabic to Israelis, and both languages to Christians. In the three years since, the ulpan has been attended by more than 1,000 students. Last year, Hebrew University granted 200 diplomas to students who had successfully completed its course.

Mother Aline, who is on a year's sabbatical leave from her position at the Ecce Home Convent, plans to spend the next 12 months touring the United States and Canada.