Feb 06, 2024
As the architect of an intellectual modern Orthodoxy in America, Soloveitchik also endowed the latter (and specifically Yeshiva University) with the authenticity of the Lithuanian Yeshiva. How did Soloveitchik shape contemporary Orthodoxy and did his influence extend beyond that sphere? David Ellenson will investigate the existential and political consequences of Soloveitchik’s thought, focusing on his positions around interreligious and interdenominational dialogue.
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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