who we are

About the founders: Phyllis Katz and Fran Kane

ONE: The Digital Dialog is the manifestation of a lifetime's ambition for both Phyllis Katz and Fran Kane.

With more than 65 years of publishing experience between them, Katz and Kane are uniquely qualified to embark on this ambitious project.

Phyllis Katz graduated from Cornell University with a major in philosophy and classics, and she studied classical archaeology at the graduate level at the University of Pennsylvania and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Among Katz's professional accomplishments are serving as editor and later publisher for Archaeology magazine.

Fran Kane hails from a "traditional" religious background. As early as she can remember, she was immersed in sacred scripture as well as the oral tradition. She went on to do extensive graduate work in business and to study the Bible and Torah in the Holy Land. She worked at Audubon Magazine, Hearst and Condé Nast. She was an integral part of the team that launched Sassy magazine and the children's magazine DIG. She also served as Circulation Director for Archaeology Magazine.

The two met while at Archaeology magazine. They worked together there for 16 years, and they perfected the art of taking difficult-to-understand information and making it accessible and enjoyable to the general public.

But what truly unites them is their singular vision to provide an online community for spiritually minded people who wish to explore the three main western faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Kane believes that the end result of ONE is opening people's minds to the idea that we are much more similar as people. She says: "Faith leads to the universal understanding of mankind" and this is an overall message of ONE. Without being didactic, we intend to present knowledge as an important tool, going back to the universal source."

Katz contends that an essential component of ONE is that it "puts sacred texts in front of people so they can see the crossover between religions. We have lost the classical education in this country." Katz adds that she is very "humbled" to be bringing original texts to people.

Both Katz and Kane have now dedicated their professional lives to the sharing of vital information that bridges faiths and provides readers with thoughtful and useful spiritual communications.

Their goal is to foster tolerance and understanding by reviewing religious teachings throughout history and helping people apply it for modern use. They publish information that is socially responsible and forwards no specific religious agenda.

About the writers

Nelkin writes the Jewish perspective for ONE: The Digital Dialog (http://www.onedialog.com). Nelkin received his PhD from the University of Virginia where he studied Jewish philosophy and focused on medical ethics and comparative religious ethics. He is a founding board member of the Society of Jewish Ethics and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics. Nelkin has been involved in the Society of Scriptural Reasoning, an academic organization devoted to the shared study of scripture by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim academics. In fall of 2007, he will be teaching a course in Jewish Medical Ethics at Rutgers University.

Robert V. Huber contributes to the Christian perspective for ONE: The Digital Dialog (http://www.onedialog.com). He spent 22 years as an editor for the Readers Digest General Books Division and 5 years for the Encyclopedia Americana. He co-authored The Bible: A History, an award-winning volume that has been translated into six languages. Huber holds a M.Phil. in American and English Literature and an M.A. and a post-Master’s certificate in biblical studies. He also teaches graduate courses in Scripture at the Institute of Religious Studies in Yonkers, NY.

Miller contributes the Christian perspective for ONE: The Digital Dialog (http://www.onedialog.com). Miller is a seminary-educated journalist with a vast background in Christian publishing, having worked with companies such as Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Lion, Barbour, and Reader’s Digest. He received his BA from Kent State University and his master’s degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary.

Sultan writes the Islamic perspective for ONE: The Digital Dialog (http://www.onedialog.com). Sultan has studied traditional Islam for several years, while living in both the Middle East and the United States. He has studied – formally and informally – with esteemed scholars of Islamic theology and Islamic law. He is the author of The Koran for Dummies and The Qur’an and Sayings of Prophet Muhammad. He currently lives in Connecticut, where he serves as full-time chaplain at Trinity College and Wesleyan University, while pursuing a Master's degree in Islamic Studies & Christian-Muslim Relations.

Rev. Steven Blackburn contributes to the Islamic and essay sections of ONE: The Digital Dialog (http://www.onedialog.com) . He is currently Library Director at the Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, where he has previously taught Semitic Scriptures. He has also taught religion at Trinity College and served as pastor at various Congregational Churches. He received a MS in Arabic from Georgetown University, a BD (Honours) in Old Testament Languages and Literature and a PhD in Religion from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.