VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI held his first meeting with an international Jewish group Thursday, assuring them he will continue his predecessors' efforts to improve relations between Catholics and Jews.

Meeting in the Vatican with the group of 25 Jewish leaders, Benedict acknowledged that the history of their relations has been "complex and often painful" but added his conviction that their "spiritual patrimony" could guide them toward a "future of hope."

The chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Rabbi Israel Singer, expressed satisfaction after the meeting, saying Benedict promised to be "a very special kind of partner, a mixture of intellectual depth, understanding, curiosity and openness."

The group presented the pope with a mother of pearl box called a "charity box," depicting the city of Jerusalem and symbolizing joint efforts for justice.

Since his April 19 election as pope, the German-born Benedict has reached out to Jews while denouncing crimes by the Nazis. He served in the Hitler Youth organization as a teen and later deserted from the German army in the waning days of World War II.

"Anyone who had any fear or concern, didn't know who Cardinal (Joseph) Ratzinger was," Rabbi David Rosen said, referring to the many years Benedict worked in the Vatican before becoming pope.

Benedict noted that this year is the 40th anniversary of a declaration by the Second Vatican Council that shaped Roman Catholic teaching toward Jews, deploring anti-Semitism and persecution.

"At the very beginning of my pontificate, I wish to assure you that the church remains firmly committed ... to implementing this decisive teaching," the pope said.

He also pledged to "continue on the path" of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II in improving Catholic-Jewish relations.

Rosen said the warmth of the meeting, with the pope greeting each member of the delegation, was possible "because of the strides made by John Paul."

Benedict said it was important that neither side forget the past, stressing the need for a "continued reflection on the profound historical, moral and theological questions" raised by the Holocaust.

World Jewish Congress president Edgar Bronfman said in a statement after the meeting he was confident that under Benedict's leadership "the Catholic Church will continue to build upon its growing relations with the Jewish community."

Singer said Benedict, in his previous post as head of the Vatican's doctrinal office, provided the theological framework for the steps forward in relations taken during the papacy of John Paul II.

Singer gave the pope a personal gift, a family edition of a book of Jewish blessings, in honor of the pope's chosen name Benedict, which comes from the Latin for "blessed."