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A Year of Change a Year of Impact

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A Year of Change a Year of Impact The Covenant & Conversation trust A yeAr of chAnge A yeAr of ImpAct AnnuAl Review 5774 • 2013 – 2014 “The challenge of our time is to go out The CovenanT & ConversaTIon TrusT to Jews with a Judaism that relates to the world – their world – with intellectual integrity, ethical passion and spiritual power, a Judaism Since its establishment in July 2013, the covenant & conversation trust has neither intimidated by the world sought to advance the vision, mission and nor dismissive of it, a Judaism fully teachings of rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. expressive of the broad horizons and high ideals of our heritage. There is these are based on the articulation and promotion of a Judaism of both Torah v’Chokhmah (torah and Wisdom), no contradiction, not even a conflict, one that is connected to its rich heritage and engaged between contributing to humanity with the challenges and opportunities presented by the and affirming our distinctive identity. modern world. To the contrary: by being what only we are, we contribute to the world what only we can give. Over the past year, The Covenant & Conversation To make Judaism’s classical texts more accessible Trust has focused its work 1 and engaging – Rabbi Sacks as a Teacher of Torah “In the twenty-first century, Jews will and Rabbi Sacks’ activities need the world, and the world will around three broad aims: need the Jews. We will not win the respect of the world if we ourselves To demonstrate the contribution of Jewish thought do not respect the world: if we look 2 and ethical values to wider society, including down on non-Jews and on Jews less academia – Rabbi Sacks as a Moral voice religious than ourselves. Nor will we win the respect of the world if we do not respect ourselves and our To embed the values of Torah v’Chokhmah in the hearts 3 and minds of future generations of Jewish leaders own distinctive identity. Now more Taken from ‘A Judaism Engaged with the World’ , a short worldwide – Rabbi Sacks as a Leader of Leaders than ever the time has come for us to pamphlet written by Rabbi Sacks in June 2013 sought to set out the engage with the world as Jews, and we global challenges facing Judaism will find that our own world of mind and the Jewish people, and what he believed needed to be done to help and spirit will be enlarged. address them. annual review 5774 • 2013 – 2014 a renoWneD TeaCher oF Torah in conversation with professor Fania Oz-Salzberger Receiving bar ilan university’s Guardian of zion and yonatan ariel, Jerusalem award from mrs ingeborg Rennert, Jerusalem Teaching students at yeshiva university, new york Internationally renowned as one of the pre-eminent teachers of torah and faith, rabbi Sacks continues to demonstrate an ability to articulate Judaism in a way that successfully holds in balance the universal demands of the modern, multicultural world with the particularism associated with it. With lady elaine Sacks meeting president Shimon peres, Jerusalem TeaChIng America (across the new council’s modern Jewish this year, for the first york area, new Jersey, Los thought and experience time, rabbi Sacks’ Angeles, Dallas), Israel Dorot foundation Award. “your Torah opens minds weekly CovenanT & (Jerusalem, herzliya, and hearts in ways that i find deeply inspiring.” ConversaTIon series, tel Aviv, ra’anana, Beit this year has also seen JeFF SWaRTz, FOunDeR OF The read by communities Shemesh) and elsewhere rabbi Sacks awarded TimbeRlanD COmpany and thousands of email (madrid). he has also The kaTz PrIze for subscribers in over 100 maintained a prominent “contributions to the countries, has been profile within the Jewish practical analysis and translated into hebrew media, including feature application of halakha and portuguese opening interviews in: in modern life” and “There are many faiths, many religions in the world and we admire them all. up new audience to his The TIMes oF IsraeL , The guarDIan oF zIon Aval zeh shelanu. But this is ours. Let us be strong in our faith, walk tall as Jews, teachings. his formal TabLeT MagazIne , AwarD for “contributions feel joy as Jews, and go forth from this gathering and bring pride to the Jewish people academic teaching as the The JerusaLeM PosT , to Diaspora Jewish life”. and blessings to the world.” Rabbi SaCkS aT aJC GlObal FORum, WaShinGTOn D.C., may 2014 Kressel and ephrat family The n.J. JeWIsh sTanDarD , University professor of The L.a. JeWIsh JournaL . Jewish thought at YeshIva Receiving The katz award, Jerusalem unIversITY has also WrITIng allowed him to engage In partnership with Koren with one of the world’s publishers and to much Learn More foremost Jewish academic acclaim, his most recent reaD: Covenant & institutions. book The greaT ParTnershIP: Conversation 5774 on goD, sCIenCe anD The Leadership CLICk For More addressing the pardes community in the Singing with The Shabbaton Choir at sPeakIng searCh For MeanIng was pardes beit midrash, Jerusalem harkham hillel academy, los angeles rabbi Sacks continues translated into Ivrit, and WaTCh: kiddush hashem addressing high school students, Dallas to be a popular public the koren-saCks PesaCh in a Complicated World speaker and Shabbat MaChzor was named CLICk For More “i, an atheist (not by choice), find your Divrei Torah very scholar-in-residence, the 2013 winner of the grounding. They’re literally my last connection to religious LIsTen: The seven Principles Judaism ... your Divrei Torah are clear, to the point, aren’t and has taught torah in American Jewish Book to Inner happiness shrouded in unnecessary mysticism, and offer lessons that even CLICk For More a lowly atheist can appreciate.” email FROm a uS baSeD SubSCRibeR annual review 5774 • 2013 – 2014 a resPeCTeD MoraL voICe Delivering The erasmus lecture for in conversation with new york university’s vice provost for First Things, new york Global Student leadership initiatives melody barnes, new york As a respected religious leader, public intellectual, academic scholar and popular communicator, rabbi Sacks’ voice is one that resonates beyond the Jewish community, demonstrating the positive impact that Judaism, the Judeo-christian ethic, and faith in general can have on individuals and the global society. broadcasting on being interviewed by Cnn international’s Chief international Receiving The becket Fund’s Canterbury medal bbC Radio, london Correspondent, Christiane amanpour, london from professor Robert George, new york keYnoTe LeCTures Judeo christian ethic in in the house oF LorDs , over the past year rabbi the 21st century’ and ‘to most recently speaking on “Deep down in this Judeo-Christian heritage is the astonishing idea that the free God Sacks has delivered heal a fractured World: a debate about reLIgIous seeks the free worship of free human beings. The fact that God asks us to create, sustain, several major lectures the challenge of faith in FreeDoM . about Judaism and faith to the 21st century’. and celebrate freedom tells us something very deep indeed. It tells us that more than we predominantly non-Jewish In may 2014, and in have faith in God, God has faith in us. And let us honour that faith.” audiences. these have aCaDeMIC TeaChIng recognition of his many Rabbi SaCkS On ReCeivinG The CanTeRbuRy meDal, neW yORk, may 2014 included: on the subject In late 2013 rabbi Sacks years of work as a voice of interfaith dialogue was appointed the Ira and of faith in the public at the Universidad Ingeborg rennert global square, rabbi Sacks was “no one has articulated the francisco de Vitoria, a Distinguished professor awarded The CanTerburY Judeo-Christian proposition of catholic university in of Judaic thought at MeDaL by the Becket the bible more clearly, more ably, more forcefully, or more madrid; the prestigious neW York unIversITY , and fund for religious Liberty, persuasively than Rabbi lord erasMus LeCTure for professor of Law, ethics America’s leading religious Sacks.” pROFeSSOR RObeRT first things, America’s and the Bible at kIng’s law firm, at a gala dinner GeORGe, pRinCeTOn univeRSiTy most influential journal CoLLege LonDon . those in new york. of religion and public life, academic appointments on what christianity can included teaching and learn from Judaism about other public engagements Learn More being a creative minority; on campus in new york reaD: In Defence of religious an address on ‘reLIgIon anD and London respectively. Liberty The CoMMon gooD’ at the CLICk For More Agora Institute for civic PubLIC voICe addressing students at The agora institute for Virtue and the common rabbi Sacks continues to WaTCh: Dignifying Difference: Civic virtue and the Common Good, philadelphia The next generation of good at eastern University; broadcast widely, including Multifaith Leadership and as the eugene on bbC raDIo and other CLICk For More “he is not only a scholar, whose scholarly credentials are MCDerMoTT LeCTurer at media outlets such as Cnn impeccable, and also a leading public intellectual, who has LIsTen: The relevance of the the University of Dallas on InTernaTIonaL . he has transcended the distinction between a scholar on the one bible for Law and ethics in ‘the future of faith: the also maintained a presence hand and a public communicator on the other. he is faithful to society Today CLICk For More scholarship and specialised knowledge at the same time.” With his eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, pROFeSSOR SiR RiCk TRainOR, pRinCipal OF kinG’S COlleGe lOnDOn the archbishop of new york, new york annual review 5774 • 2013 – 2014 “There is no more important a message, nor one that resonates so deeply for a younger generation, than one which frames a vital expression of Jewish identity and practice as one that is deeply a gLobaL JeWIsh LeaDer engaged with the world and in building bridges amongst its peoples.
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