Jan 30, 2024
Heschel marching with Martin Luther King is one of the most iconic and inspirational moments of modern Jewish history and his activism accorded him immeasurable prominence in the world of American Judaism. Equally significant is how Heschel expanded the boundaries of Jewish tradition, opening Hasidic theology to readers and followers around the world. David Ellenson will explore both features of Heschel’s legacy and the complex implications of his legacy today.
Philosophical Legacies of American Judaism: A “Conversation” with Three Iconic Thinkers
Rabbis Abraham Joshua Heschel, Mordechai Kaplan, and Joseph Dov Soloveitchik, three of the 20th century’s greatest representatives of American rabbinic leadership, left behind influential works and scores of students. In this three-part series, David Ellenson guides us through the rich thinking of these scholars and the ways that each shaped the intellectual and spiritual contours of American Judaism. We will interrogate the models that these figures offer modern Jews for staying authentic to the roots of Jewish existence while applying the tradition in novel, and even unpredictable ways.
This program is part of Ideas for Today, curated courses by Hartman Institute scholars on the big Jewish ideas we need to think better and do better.
Other sessions in this series:
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