SCHOLARSHIPS Seven Win Engineering Scholarships

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

SCHOLARSHIPS Seven Win Engineering Scholarships TWENTY RAMAZ SENIORS WIN STATE SCHOLARSHIPS Seven Win Engineering Scholarships The New York State Board of Re¬ gents this week published the names of all winners of State Scholarships. Wealth and Wisdom Mark Eastern European "Greats' Included among them are twenty se¬ Dr. niors of Ramaz School. They are: Agus Cites Combination of Qualities Rena Benathan At the fourth lecture in his series Europe, the outstanding trait sought Miriam Bokser "One Thousand in Years the Develop¬ by all was scholarship. Every man James Cleeman ment of Judaism," Dr. Irving Agus learned at his own level. Adult edu¬ Rochelle Dyckman described an interesting combination cation was not optional equipment Lionel Etra of qualities which marked the great for the esoteric few but rather a daily Suzanne Friedman scholars of East European Jewry. affair in which every Jew was in¬ Barbara Frisch Speaking before another beautiful volved and around which his life Martin Kasofsky centered. turnout wFiich filled every seat in the It, therefore, followed that Naomi Lebowitz social hall, Dr. Agus indicated that the most honored, respected, and ad¬ Judith Lefkowitz the great Jewish minds of 17th cen¬ mired individual in the community Manuel 'Lerman tury Poland not only were possessed was the "Talmid Chacham" — the Carmi Margolis of wisdom but were also character¬ scholar of Law and Lore. Nat Mayer ized by unusual physical wealth. Solomon Mowshowitz The Vilna Gaon was the end pro¬ In his lecture, "Rabbinism — A Charlotte Pearlberg duct of this frame of values. He was Jewish Response to the Age of Rea¬ Yvette Rotenberg the acme of perfection by Jewish son," Professor Agus described such Eugene Rothman standards. The Jewish as Rabbi Moses Isserles and Rabbi community Michael Schwartz lived to be able to produce such a Solomon Luria as extremely wealthy Jerrold Silverstein giant of the spirit. In many cases they men by every standard. He traced Samuel Sokolik even died for this ideal as well. this wealth to their fathers-in-law. In In addition to those listed, seven Poland, a wealthy man would search The final lecture in this series will seniors have been announced as win¬ far and wide for an up and coming be delivered by Dr. Agus on Wednes¬ ners of Engineering scholar who would Scholarships. marry his daught¬ day evening, March 9 at 9:00. His They are: er. The father-in-law would then sup¬ topic will be: "Chasidism — The Jews' James Cleeman port his son-in-law in ihe most gen¬ Response to the Romantic Period." Lionel Etra erous fashion. All who are "Chasidim" of Dr. Agus Martin Kasofsky Our lecturer gave a clear reason will no doubt be present. All others Judith Lefkowitz for this. He asserted that, in Eastern are invited to join the throng. Manuel Lerman Solomon Mowshowitz Jerrold Silverstein themselves as winners. We are in¬ National Merit Scholarship test. This formed that this is the highest per¬ test was administered to 550,000 stu¬ It is extremely gratifying to report centage of any school in the State of dents throughout the nation, that two Ramaz seniors, James Clee¬ repre¬ New York. senting 14,500 high schools. man and Martin Kasofsky, are in a This We offer our second-place tie amongst all the win¬ report does not complete the congratulations to all honors of the the winners and to their families. All ners of scholarships in New York present senior class. We those associated with County. Two students, Ronald Han¬ just received word that three stu¬ this great edu¬ dents, James cational over and Rachel Shimkin are alter¬ Cleeman, Martin Kasof¬ enterprise, have reason to feel nates for State Scholarships. sky and Judith Lefkowitz have ach¬ proud of this year's scholastic ieved the grade of Finalists in the achievements. This scholastic achievement is re¬ markable and is a tribute to the win¬ ners and to their school. In all, thirty one students took the examination. Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein will preach this Sabbath at 11:00 A.M. It means, therefore, that close to sev¬ enty per cent have distinguished "A NON-JEW WHO WROTE A PORTION INTO THE BIBLE" 2 KEHILATH JESHURUN BULLETIN SJSTERHOOD TO HEAR Teen Agers Discuss Anti-Semitism SECOND LECTURE ON The K. J. Teen Age Group, a club for MUSIC AT MEETING COLLEGE CLASS STUDIES boys (14-18) and girls (13-16) held its second regular meeting last The next meeting of the Sisterhood TALMUD AND BIBLE Sunday afternoon in the synagogue will be held on Monday, February house auditorium. Over In a very quiet and unobtrusive twenty five 29th in the Synagogue Social Hall. manner, a group of young men have young people attended. At the meeting, Mr. Stanley Wolfe been meeting with Rabbi Haskel will present the second lecture on The main portion of the meeting 'Lookstein every Thursday evening, Music. The is Short Survey was devoted to a film "All the Way topic "A week in and week out since Novem¬ of the Opera and the Symphony." Home" and a discussion of antisemi- ber for a study session. The session, of tism and racial prejudice which were The members the Sisterhood which lasts two and a half hours, is the who were on hand at the first lec¬ subjects of the film. devoted to the study of Talmud and ture, were so impressed by Mr. Bible. The group, with Marshal Etra serv¬ Wolfe and the informative material ing as moderator, some of The boys began by studying The explored he presented, that they will certainly the basic causes of antisemitism. Introduction to Maimonides' Commen¬ be at this forthcoming meeting. There seemed to be some agreement tary on the Mishna. In this work the Others who were not at the last that the underlying force which main¬ great medieval philosopher and le¬ meeting will certainly want to be tained this seed of hatred was a re¬ galist discusses the fundamental con¬ present at this one on February 29th. ligious one and that the first place cepts of the Oral Law. He also treats Luncheon will be served at 12:00. in which to begin eradicating anti¬ the organization of the Talmud into semitism was in the Houses of Wor¬ "Orders" and Tractates. Besides hav¬ ship. Religious leaders of other faiths YOUNG MARRIEDS ing learned the contents of this basic would have to begin to counter ac¬ work thoroughly, the boys have also MEET THIS SATURDAY tively the inu.endos and imputations learned by heart the names of the The which have been directed at the Jew Young Marrieds of Kehilath sixty three Tractates and the order in Jeshurun will hold a meeting this during the past eighteen hundred which they are found in the Talmud. Saturday night, February 20th at years. 8:30, in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Through this study, the students have Norman Javitt, 19 East 98th Street. acquired the keys by which the doors of the Talmud may be opened Excursion and Theatre Party The subject under discussion will to greater understanding of Judaism be the During the business portion of the pros and cons of a Day School and Jewish Law. education as opposed to public school meeting the group made definite and Talmud Torah training. Twelve The class has recently begun the plans for a number of functions dur¬ couples have informed the hostess study of Berachot, the first of the six¬ ing the next few weeks. to be of their intention present at ty three Tractates. They are learning On Sunday afternoon, February what the text promises to be educationally together with Rashi, Tosafot, 28th, the teen agers will visit the and a very interesting Maimonides, and other important socially, meet¬ Statue of Liberty as a group. They commentaries. The ing. disputations in the will meet at the synagogue at 2:00 Talmud are also traced through the and WITHIN OUR FAMILY proceed from there to South legal codes in order to determine Ferry for the boat ride to the Statue Birth — precisely how they are distilled into of Liberty. law. Our heartiest congratulations to our On Saturday night, April 2nd, the members Mr. and Mrs. Herbert S. In Bible, the students have been group will attend a play at the Bronx Lightstone on the birth of a son. studying Deuteronomy with the com¬ High School of Science. The play, mentaries of Rashi and Nachmanides. Birthdays — "You Can't Take It With You," is a Many happy returns of the day to They are presently engaged in ana¬ former Pulitzer Prize winner and was Alexander A. Bernstein, Bernard D. lyzing the Ten Commandments in written by George S. Kaufman and detail. Fischman, Dr. Frank Goodman, Louis Moss Hart. We have obtained a very limited number of tickets Olshan, Mrs. Gilbert Portnoy, Joseph Five of these students are gradu¬ (at $1.00 Schlang, Julius I. Silver, Albert Wald, ates of Ramaz High School, the others each), most of which have been re¬ Harry Zaifert, and Albert A. Zuch. have been graduated from the Ye- served already. Those interested in reserving are Anniversaries — shiva of Flatbush and the Manhattan the remaining tickets High School of Yeshiva University. urged to inform the Synagogue Office Greetings to Mr. and Mrs. Samson immediately. Gordon, and Dr. and Mrs. Jack We are extremely proud of the ac¬ Lieberman. complishments of these boys, and we urge all, who are qualified, to be¬ Welcome Back — WOMEN'S CLASS RECESS come part of this group of budding We were very happy to see our scholars. The Women's Class in Prayer, devoted member Reuben Westerman which meets regularly on Monday at services last Saturday.
Recommended publications
  • "When a Man Explicitly Vows to the Lord (To Donate) the Equivalent Worth of a Human Being..." --- Lev
    "When a man explicitly vows to the Lord (to donate) the equivalent worth of a human being..." --- Lev. 27:2 There is no religious duty more meritorious than the ransoming of captives… --- Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, "Laws of Gifts to the Poor," 8:10 Captives may not be ransomed for more than their value, for the sake of tikkun olam, the welfare of the community. --- Mishnah, Gittin 4:6 What does the Mishnah mean by tikkun olam? Is it because of the burden which may be imposed upon the community, or because we may stimulate kidnappers to further activity? Come and hear: Levi ben Darga ransomed his daughter for the huge sum of thirteen thousand gold denarii. (Thus, he was not concerned about the second reason given here, and since he did this privately and not from community funds, it was acceptable.) Abaye said: Perhaps he acted against the will of the Sages. (And perhaps he should have been concerned for this.) --- Talmud, Gittin 45a When a captive is in mortal danger, we are to offer ransom even more than his value. --- Tosafot, the "additional" commentators on the Talmud, on Gittin 58a. Captives may not be ransomed for more than their value, for the sake of tikkun olam, so that the kidnappers will not be encouraged to kidnap others. But one may ransom himself using all possible means, and one may offer a large ransom for a Torah scholar, or even a sharp student with the potential for greatness. --- Rabbi Yosef Caro, Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 252:4 Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg (13th c.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rama Earned Him His Doctorate from Yeshiva University
    GIANTS OF TRADITION Asher Siev The second subject of our series on the "Giants of Tradition" is presented by Rabbi Asher Siev, whose thesis on the Rama earned him his doctorate from Yeshiva University. Rabbi Siev is spiritual leader of Congo Kehilath Israel in the Bronx, and is assistant professor of Bible and instructor in Hebrew grammar and literature at Yeshiva College. His book, The Rama, was published by Mosad Harav Kook in 1957. THE RAMA According to popular legend, Rabbi Mosheh Isserles lived thir thee years, durg which tie he composed thity three important works, died on the thi thrd day of the Orner (Lag B'Omer) in the year five thousand three hundred th thee, and in euogizg him thir thee outstanding praises were emphasized. Of these only the day of his passing is historically correct. The legend points neverteless to the fact that Rabbi Isserles captued the imagination of his people, and that many legends were woven around his life as they usually are around the lives and activities of all beloved and revered personalities. We are indebted to Rabbi Mosheh Isserles for having stadardized the German-Polish decisions and Mínhagim (custom) in matters of Jewish law and stamping them with the impress of authority. Moreover, by supplementing his Mapah ("Table Cloth") to the Shulchan Arukh ("Prepared Table," the standard code of Jewish law) of Rabbi Joseph Karo, he helped unite Sephardic and Ashkena- zic Jewry in the use of a single Code of Law, which was gradually accepted as the final authority in renderig legal decisions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dying Person in Jewish Law and Ethics Philip J
    Loyola University Chicago Law Journal Volume 37 Article 7 Issue 2 Winter 2006 2006 The hS attered Vessel: The Dying Person in Jewish Law and Ethics Philip J. Bentley Agudas Israel Synagogue Follow this and additional works at: http://lawecommons.luc.edu/luclj Part of the Medical Jurisprudence Commons, and the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation Philip J. Bentley, The Shattered Vessel: The Dying Person in Jewish Law and Ethics, 37 Loy. U. Chi. L. J. 433 (2006). Available at: http://lawecommons.luc.edu/luclj/vol37/iss2/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by LAW eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loyola University Chicago Law Journal by an authorized administrator of LAW eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Shattered Vessel: The Dying Person in Jewish Law and Ethics Philip J. Bentley, DD* I. INTRODUCTION On the day when Rabbi died the Rabbis decreed a public fast and offered prayers for heavenly mercy. They furthermore announced that whoever said that Rabbi was dead would be stabbed with a sword. Rabbi's handmaid ascended the roof and prayed: 'The immortals desire Rabbi [to join them] and the mortals desire Rabbi [to remain with them]; may it be the will [of God] that the mortals may overpower the immortals.' When, however, she saw how often he resorted to the privy, painfully taking off his tefillin and putting them on again, she prayed: 'May it be the will [of the Almighty] that the immortals may overpower the mortals.' As the Rabbis incessantly continued their prayers for [heavenly] mercy she took up a jar and threw it down from the roof to the ground.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reception of Rashi's Commentary On
    T HE J EWISH Q UARTERLY R EVIEW, Vol. 97, No. 1 (Winter 2007) 33–66 The Reception of Rashi’s Commentary on the Torah inSpain:TheCaseofAdam’s Mating with the Animals ERIC LAWEE WHILE R ASHI’S BIBLICAL COMMENTARY has profited from extensive and more or less uninterrupted scholarly inquiry,1 considerably less atten- tion has been devoted to the varied reactions over the ages to his scrip- tural exegesis.2 The sorts of questions rightly posed with respect to Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah should also be asked about Rashi’s Commen- tary on the Torah: ‘‘Where and when did the book penetrate first? Who were its sponsors and opponents? What were the initial steps, or stages, in its adoption everywhere?’’3 This essay seeks to illumine an aspect of the Research for this article was made possible by a UCLA Center for Jewish Studies Maurice Amado Foundation Research Grant in Sephardic Studies and by grants from the Faculty of Arts of York University, Toronto. It was written while I enjoyed a Visiting Fellowship from the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. Ephraim Kanarfogel, Martin Lockshin, and B. Barry Levy helpfully commented on a draft, while JQR’s anonymous readers significantly improved a later version. I wish to express my thanks to these individuals and institutions for their aid. 1. For bibliographic orientation, see Avraham Grossman, ‘‘The School of Lit- eral Jewish Exegesis in Northern France,’’ Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, vol. 1, pt. 2, From the Beginnings to the Middle Ages: The Middle Ages, ed. M. Sæbø (Go¨ttingen, 2000), 321–22.
    [Show full text]
  • Law: Continuity and Change in the Early Modern Period, 2008, Yeshiva University, New York, NY
    EMW - Workshops EMW 2008 EARLY MODERN WORKSHOP: Jewish History Resources Volume 5: Law: Continuity and Change in the Early Modern Period, 2008, Yeshiva University, New York, NY Table of Contents Expanding Legal Horizons? · Edward Fram, Ben-Gurion University, Israel Shulhan `arukh Siftei Kohen-The Priest's Lips Turei Zahab-The Golden Columns The Legal Status of the Wife in Ashkenazi Jewish Legal Tradition: Continuity and Change in the Sixteenth Century · Elimelech (Melech) Westreich, Tel Aviv University Law School, Israel Responsa Maharshal Responsa Maharshal Shulkhan Arukh, Glosses by Moses Isserles Takkanot Kahal and the origin of communal structures in a Franconian village community in the 17th century · Stefan Litt, Bar Ilan University, Israel / Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Austria , Community Statutes of Ühlfeld Challenging Herem in Hamburg, 1732 · David Horowitz, Columbia University, USA Decree of the Hamburg Senate in Response to Josel Joseph Jonas' Petition Letter of Josel Joseph Jonas to the Senate in Hamburg Petition of the Jewish Elders of the Ashkenazi Synagogue in Hamburg Supplication of Josel Josef Jonas of Hamburg The Herem as the Source of Authority of the Lay Governing Council 1 EMW - Workshops EMW 2008 · Anne Oravetz Albert, University of Pennsylvania, USA Exhortation to those who fear the Lord, not to fall into sin due to lack of understanding of the precepts of his Holy Law. Evasion as a Legal Tactic: The 1616 Amsterdam Regulations Concerning the Jews · Miriam Bodian, University of Texas at Austin, USA The Regulations for the Jews of Amsterdam (1616) Under imperial Protection? Jewish Presence on the Imperial Aulic Court in the 16th and 17th Centuries · Barbara Staudinger, Institute for Jewish History in Austria, Austria Supplication of Samuel Ullman to Emperor Ferdinand II in case of restitution ct.
    [Show full text]
  • Brothers of Evreux” (Moses and Samuel B
    SAMPLE (c) Wayne AFAR - NOT B ROfrom T H E R S State FOR UniversityDISTRIBUTION Press SAMPLE (c) Wayne - NOT State FOR UniversityDISTRIBUTION Press SAMPLE (c) Wayne AFAR - NOT B ROfrom T H E R S State FOR Rabbinic Approaches to Apostasy and Reversion in Medieval Europe UniversityDISTRIBUTION EPHRAIM KANARFOGEL Detroit Press Wayne State University Press SAMPLE (c) Wayne - NOT State FOR © 2020 by Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan 48201. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be Universityreproduced withoutDISTRIBUTION formal permission. Manufactured in the United States of America. ISBN 978- 0- 8143- 4028- 8 (hardback); ISBN 978- 0- 8143- 4029- 5 (ebook) Library of Congress Control Number:{~?~TK: LCCN} Wayne State University Press Leonard N. Simons Building Press 4809 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48201- 1309 Visit us online at wsupress .wayne .edu לז״נ SAMPLE אבי מורי ואמי מורתי ע״ה (c) ומרת הינדא לאה ע״ה בת ר׳ מנחם מענדל הי״ו Wayne - NOT State FOR UniversityDISTRIBUTION Press SAMPLE (c) Wayne - NOT State FOR UniversityDISTRIBUTION Press CONTENTS SAMPLE (c) Preface and Acknowledgments ix Wayne1. Assessing the Ashkenazic Context 1 - 2. EstablishingNOT Boundaries: Immersion, Repentance, Verification 000 3. The Effectiveness of Marriage and Participation in Ḥaliẓah 000 4. EconomicState Issues and theFOR Implications for Other Areas of Jewish Law: Money- Lending at Interest 000 5. Between Jews and Christians:University DoctrinalDISTRIBUTION and Societal Changes 000 6. Reverting Apostates in Christian Spain: Sources
    [Show full text]
  • The Justification for Controversy Under Jewish Law
    The Justification for Controversy Under Jewish Law Jeffrey I. Roth TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Introduction ................................................... 338 I. A Case Study in Controversy and Dissent: Release from Combat Duty ............................................. 340 II. Explanations for Controversy that Undermine the Value of D issent ................................................... 351 A. The Minimizing Approach ........................... 352 B. Faults in the Chain of Transmission ................... 355 1. Blaming Weak Links in the Chain for Inadvertent Errors ............................................ 355 2. Shortcomings of the Weak Link Theory ........... 358 C. Controversy as a Historical Phenomenon .............. 362 D. Controversy as Inevitable but Regrettable ............. 367 III. The Justification for Controversy in Jewish Law: Controversy as Inherent and Desirable .................... 370 A. The Choice Among Options .......................... 372 B. The Continuing Revelation ........................... 373 C. The Complex Reality ................................. 374 D. Hallmarks of a Satisfactory Explanation for Halakhic Controversy .......................................... 376 IV. The Functions of Dissent in Jewish Law ................... 377 A. Issue-Sharpening ..................................... 378 B. Meeting the Needs of Hard Cases ..................... 379 C. Responding to the Challenge of Hard Times ........... 380 D. Providing Partial Self-Justification for Noncomforming Conduct ............................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Poetic Superstructure of the Babylonian Talmud and the Reader It Fashions
    The Poetic Superstructure of the Babylonian Talmud and the Reader It Fashions by Zvi Septimus A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Joint Doctor of Philosophy with Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley in Jewish Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Daniel Boyarin, Chair Professor David Henkin Professor Naomi Seidman Spring 2011 The Poetic Superstructure of the Babylonian Talmud and the Reader It Fashions Copyright 2011 All rights reserved by Zvi Septimus Abstract The Poetic Superstructure of the Babylonian Talmud and the Reader It Fashions by Zvi Septimus Doctor of Philosophy in Jewish Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel Boyarin, Chair This dissertation proposes a poetics and semiotics of the Bavli (Babylonian Talmud)—how the Bavli, through a complex network of linguistic signs, acts on its implied reader's attempt to find meaning in the text. In doing so, I advance a new understanding of how the Bavli was composed, namely as a book written by its own readers in the act of transmission. In the latter half of the twentieth century, Bavli scholarship focused on the role of the Stam (the collective term for those people responsible for the anonymous voice of the Bavli) in the construction of individual Bavli passages (sugyot). Stam theory details how sugyot were crafted out of pre-existing sources and how the Stam works to control those sources in the service of a particular worldview. This dissertation locates a different force at work in the construction of the Bavli as a single unified book, an authorship that is above and against the work of the Stam—a Superstam.
    [Show full text]
  • Contraception Rabbis Miriam Berkowitz and Mark Popovsky EH 5:12.2010
    Contraception Rabbis Miriam Berkowitz and Mark Popovsky EH 5:12.2010 This responsum was unanimously approved by the CJLS on December 14, 2010. (17-0-0) Members voting in favor: Rabbis Kassel Abelson, Pamela Barmash, Miriam Berkowitz, Elliot Dorff, Robert Fine, Susan Grossman, Reuven Hammer, Joshua Heller, Adam Kligfeld, Gail Labovitz, Daniel Nevins, Paul Plotkin, Avram Reisner, Elie Spitz, Barry Starr, Jay Stein, and Steven Wernick. When is contraception permitted within Jewish law and what classical teachings—שאלה should guide the decision to employ it? When contraception is permitted, does Jewish law determine which contraceptive method is preferable? Does Jewish law distinguish between contraceptive methods initiated prior to intercourse and ―emergency‖ or other contraception introduced only after intercourse? What does Jewish tradition teach about an adolescent obtaining contraception without a parent’s consent? —תשובה Overview: Judaism has always promoted marriage and raising children as mitzvot in themselves, as well as the foundation that enables the fulfillment and transmission of many other mitzvot. The relevant sources start in the very beginning of Genesis, with all humans being enjoined to follow the lead of Adam and Eve: ―Thus shall a man leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, so that they become one flesh‖ (Genesis 2: 24). The tradition recognizes the value of the marital bond, including its physical component, separate from the issue of procreation. Additionally, rabbinic texts discuss how many children a couple should have and when their obligation to ―be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and master it‖ (Genesis 1:28) had been completed. Finally, the obligation to protect one’s physical and mental health is a cornerstone of Biblical and rabbinic law.
    [Show full text]
  • The Codification of Jewish Law and an Introduction to the Jurisprudence of the Mishna Berura
    THE CODIFICATION OF JEWISH LAW AND AN INTRODUCTION TO THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE MISHNA BERURA THE CODIFICATION OF JEWISH LAW AND AN INTRODUCTION TO THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE MISHNA BERURA Michael J. Broyde and Ira Bedzow Boston 2014 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: A catalog record for this book as available from the Library of Congress. Copyright © 2014 Academic Studies Press All rights reserved Effective August 22, 2016, this book will be subject to a CC-BY-NC license. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Other than as provided by these licenses, no part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or displayed by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the publisher or as permitted by law. Open Access publication is supported by OpenEmory. Cover design by Ivan Grave ISBN 978-1-61811-278-1 (hardback) ISBN 978-1-61811-279-8 (ebook) Published by Academic Studies Press in 2014 28 Montfern Avenue Brighton, MA 02135, USA [email protected] www.academicstudiespress.com ACKNOWLEDGMENTS any people have contributed in different ways to the writing of this book and we would like to thank them: M Thank you to the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, the Law School and the Tam Institute of Jewish studies, all at Emory University, who supported us in writing this work, and the editors at Hamline Law Review for reviewing and publishing an earlier version of portions of this book as an article. We particularly also want to thank Jerry and Chaya Weinberger, who supported our work in dedication to their son’s, Shmuel’s, bar mitzvah.
    [Show full text]
  • Kabbalah: Divine Catastrophe and Human Redemption
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE Chuo Journal of Policy Sciences and Cultural Studies Vol. 23 (March 2015) 21 Kabbalah: Divine Catastrophe And Human Redemption Mark N. ZION Synopsis Kabbalah, the culmination of mystical and esoteric traditions that stretch back thousands of years, has recently taken a more central place internationally as a source of spiritual inspiration. Kabbalah is seen today as Judaism’s most impor- tant gift to world culture. This may show that people, in an age impatient with more difficult material, still want to en- counter works that are spiritually and imaginatively on the heights. Kabbalah accepts catastrophe as a fundamental re- ality of life, not exactly a vision that fosters positive thinking. It also concentrates on the absolute need for human re- sponsibility, not a very comforting message for those looking for easy answers (and Kabbalah does not yield its secrets easily). Kabbalah as we know it today formed from opposing forces within Judaism, between the rational (represented by Aristotle) and the intuitive (represented by Plato), a dialectic that I will touch on. Kabbalistic teachings, however, werenot well-known until very recently and in fact went through a two hundred year exile (exile being one of Kab- balah’s great themes), banished by rationalists of the Enlightenment, only to be resuscitated by people searching for their traditional roots and by some of the world’s most gifted scholars. Here I will give an overview of a few basic teach- ings from the central works of Kabbalah, with a focus on catastrophe and redemption.
    [Show full text]
  • Ronit Irshai
    fertility and jewish law brandeis series on gender, culture, religion, and law Lisa Fishbayn Jo√e and Sylvia Neil, Series Editors This series focuses on the conflict between women’s claims to gender equality and legal norms justified in terms of religious and cultural traditions. It seeks work that develops new theoretical tools for conceptualizing feminist projects for transforming the interpretation and justification of religious law, examines the interaction or application of civil law or remedies to gender issues in a religious context, and engages in analysis of conflicts over gender and culture/religion in a particular religious legal tradition, cultural community, or nation. Created under the auspices of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute in conjunction with its Project on Gender, Culture, Religion, and the Law, this series emphasizes cross-cultural and interdisciplinary scholarship concerning Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and other religious traditions. For a complete list of books that are available in the series, visit www.upne.com Ronit Irshai, Fertility and Jewish Law: Feminist Perspectives on Orthodox Responsa Literature Janet Bennion, Polygamy in Primetime: Media, Gender, and Politics in Mormon Fundamentalism Jan Feldman, Citizenship, Faith, and Feminism: Jewish and Muslim Women Reclaim Their Rights hbi series on jewish women Shulamit Reinharz, General Editor Sylvia Barack Fishman, Associate Editor The HBI Series on Jewish Women, created by the Hadassah- Brandeis Institute, publishes a wide range of books by and about Jewish women in diverse contexts and time periods. Of interest to scholars and the educated public, the HBI Series on Jewish Women fills major gaps in Jewish Studies and in Women and Gender Studies as well as their intersection.
    [Show full text]