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The Challenge of Engaging Secular Culture Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • YU Center for the Jewish Future THE BENJAMIN AND ROSE BERGER TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld • December 2018 • Kislev 5779 The Challenge of Engaging Secular Culture Dedicated by Dr. David and Barbara Hurwitz in honor of their children and grandchildren We thank the following synagogues which have pledged to be Pillars of the Torah To-Go® project Beth David Synagogue Cong. Ohab Zedek Young Israel of West Hartford, CT New York, NY Lawrence-Cedarhurst Cedarhurst, NY Beth Jacob Congregation Cong. Shaarei Tefillah Beverly Hills, CA Newton Centre, MA Young Israel of New Hyde Park Beth Jacob Congregation Green Road Synagogue New Hyde Park, NY Oakland, CA Beachwood, OH Young Israel of Bnai Israel – Ohev Zedek The Jewish Center Philadelphia, PA New York, NY Scarsdale Scarsdale, NY Boca Raton Synagogue Jewish Center of Young Israel of Boca Raton, FL Brighton Beach Brooklyn, NY Toco Hills Cong. Ahavas Achim Atlanta, GA Highland Park, NJ Koenig Family Young Israel of Foundation Cong. Ahavath Torah Brooklyn, NY West Hartford Englewood, NJ West Hartford, CT Young Israel of Cong. Beth Sholom Young Israel of Providence, RI Century City Los Angeles, CA West Hempstead Cong. Bnai Yeshurun West Hempstead, NY Teaneck, NJ Young Israel of Hollywood Ft Lauderdale Hollywood, FL Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President, Yeshiva University Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, David Mitzner Dean, Center for the Jewish Future Rabbi Menachem Penner, Max and Marion Grill Dean, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Robert Shur, Series Editor Rabbi Joshua Flug, General Editor Rabbi Michael Dubitsky, Content Editor Andrea Kahn, Copy Editor Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved by Yeshiva University Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future 500 West 185th Street, Suite 419, New York, NY 10033 • [email protected] • 212.960.0074 This publication contains words of Torah. Please treat it with appropriate respect. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rabbi David Eckstein at 212.960.0162 or [email protected] 2 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Chanukah 5779 Table of Contents Chanukah 5779 Dedicated by Dr. David and Barbara Hurwitz in honor of their children and grandchildren 6 Rabbi Yaakov Glasser: Torah, Culture and the Communal Havdalah Introduction Engaging Secular 7 Rabbi Joshua Flug: Preface— Greek Culture: A Study Guide Culture 11 Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman and Rabbi Yaakov Glasser: The Role of Pop Culture in Torah Growth and Education: A Conversation 19 Rabbi Moshe Benovitz and Rabbi Larry Rothwachs: Maccabees, Warriors, Giants, and Braves: Sports and Religious Attention 23 Mrs. Chaya Batya Neugroschl: Contemporary Digital Culture: A Challenge To Our Community, Our Culture And Our Teens 27 Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff: Discovering Chanukah in the Torah Insights into Chanukah 30 Ms. Eliana Sohn: The Jewish Hero’s Journey 33 Rabbi Ari Sytner, PhD, LMSW: Igniting a Marriage Through the Lights of Chanukah and Shabbos Dedicate this space in memory or in honor of a loved one. For more information, please contact Rabbi David Eckstein at 212.960.0162 or [email protected] 3 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Chanukah 5779 Find more Chanukah Insights on the Marcos and Adina Katz www.yutorah.org This issue is sponsored in memory of Elaine Bienenfeld Silver z”l By her children Evelyn and Larry Kraut, Ruthie Cohen, and Sharon and Morris Silver And grandchildren Shlomo Cohen, Chani (z”l) and Guy Nussbaum, Avi Cohen, Sheri and Eli Brazil, Terri and Yitzi Karasick, Jennifer and Benjamin Hooper, Michelle and Steven Farbman, Dalia and Evan Silver, and Alison Silver and great grandchildren Introduction Rabbi Yaakov Glasser David Mitzner Dean, Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future Rabbi, Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton TORAH, CULTURE AND THE COMMUNAL HAVDALAH habbos Chanukah lives in the nissah. For this reason, we have a our personal religious goals, and the familial religious experience custom to light the menorah in shul approach to societal engagement that as an emotional, inspirational, between Mincha and Maariv, when is right for us. But these decisions Sand highly stressful weekend. Often, the congregation is in the middle are not only personal. Engaging with as families prepare for Shabbos, they of its “gathering” for services. On contemporary culture and its values leave themselves very little time Motzaei Shabbos, we obviously must impacts the community around on Friday to light the candles, sing wait until the conclusion of Maariv us. It isn’t exclusively a personal or Maoz Tzur, distribute the presents, to light the candles, because we familial decision, and it influences and then make their way to shul for cannot light on Shabbos. But after the tone and identity of our larger Mincha. Yet once the harried onset Havdalah, no further prayers are community. Parents are familiar of Shabbos passes, the combination recited by the congregation. Once with what happens when the first of Chanukah—which profoundly Havdalah is recited, on a halachic member of the class procures some celebrates our communal identity— level, the congregation disbands new technological device — it affects and the sacred atmosphere of the into a collection of individuals, no the way many others will now address Shabbos home, creates a spiritually longer comprising a larger entity. these challenges. saturated day of rich family tradition. Yet while anticipating Havdalah, the Part of what defines our community is At the conclusion of Shabbos, the congregation retains the status of Havdalah — the degree to which we competing priorities of Chanukah community. Therefore, explains Rav preserve and nurture our uniqueness candles and Havdalah are often Moshe, we light the candles before from the world around us. This addressed differently in the home and the formal Havdalah in order to do so issue of Torah To Go explores the in the shul. TheShulchan Aruch, Orach while the congregation has the status relationship between our community Chaim 681:2, writes that in shul, of a halachic community. and our surrounding culture. While the Chanukah candles are lit before This interpretation conveys a each individual and family must Havdalah. At home, the Mishnah fundamental principle regarding the consider their personal approach, we Berurah 681:3 writes that many have idea of community in Jewish life. The must also recognize that our collective the practice to recite Havdalah first. community is not simply a common identity is impacted greatly by those R Moshe Soloveitchik (cited in Nefesh space for individuals to gather in their personal decisions. The discussions Harav pp. 222-223) accounts for this own service to G-d. The community in this volume are intended to discrepancy by explaining the nature is a living entity that is defined by its address these issues substantively of pirsumei nissah (publicizing the shared values and shared pursuits. and honestly. May we each find the miracle) in the synagogue. In our Only while we are bound by our strength to navigate these complex homes, the kindling takes place within shared obligation in Havdalah are we issues with courage and conviction, the confines of our private space, classified as a singular unit regarding and may our individual choices help and the pirsumei nissah is reflected the lighting of the menorah. Our shape a community of nuance and on those outside the home who view common goals, ambitions, and depth. the candles. In shul, the congregation immediate engagement ultimately itself forms a community worthy defines us as a community. As of its own experience of pirsumei individuals, we each have a sense of 6 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Chanukah 5779 Engaging Secular Rabbi Joshua Flug Culture Director of Torah Research Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future PREFACE— GREEK CULTURE: A STUDY GUIDE av Shamshon Refael Hirsch, B’Ma’aglei Shanah, first time in the days of Mattathias. Hellenism and Judaism: Chanukah no. 1, has a very poignant description of when examined in depth they are the two leading forces which the underlying struggle in the Chanukah story: today again are struggling for mastery in the Jewish world. R (Translation: Collected Writings, Vol. 3 pg. 200) היתה אז ההתנגשות הראשונה בין שתי השקפות חיים, שתי תרבויות R. Hirsch’s observation that this culture clash existed in his שונות אשר עד היום הזה הן מתחרות ביניהן על השלטון בעולם: time still rings true today. In surveying rabbinic literature היוונות והיהדות. אלו שני היסודות הרוחניים אשר תרבויותיהם on this topic, much of the focus is on the intellectual ומפעליהם מהווים את תולדות ההתפתחות של האנושות כולה בפעם .aspects of Greek culture, such as philosophy and literature הראשונה הם נפגשו בימי מתתיהו בארץ יהודה, ומאז ועד היום נטוש These discussions include questions such as whether it is המאבק בין שתי ההשקפות הללו המתחרות על השלטון הרוחני בקרב ,appropriate to take time from Torah study to study Homer ישראל. Chanukah represents the clash of two doctrines, two views, or whether we should be concerned that reading Aristotle two civilizations, capable of molding opinions, training will lead us off the path of Torah. Yet there is another and educating those who until this very day compete for the area in this culture clash that also deserves our attention mastery of the world. Hellenism and Judaism: These are the — popular culture. We are probably more familiar with two forces whose effect upon the nations mark the historical stories of people who dropped out of the Thursday night development of mankind, and which surfaced in Judea for the Talmud class to watch Thursday Night Football than we 7 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Chanukah 5779 are of people who dropped it to study literature.
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