LOUIS FINKELSTEIN

Three Meetings With Heschel

When I first met Professor Abraham whom both of us greatly revered, the young scholar, neither our faculty nor Joshua Heschel, he had just arrived famous Talmudist, tbe late Dr. Chay- our board of directors had any hesita- from abroad, at the invitation of Pres- yini Heller. Dr. Heller had for a time tion in asking Professor Heschel to ident Julian Morgenstern, to join the headed an academy in Berlin, intended come to tbe seminary. faculty of Hebrew Union College. to develop modern scientific scholars At dinner, during our preliminary World War II had begun, but the in rabbinics and related fields, and was conversation on the subject, he spoke, in 1940 was still neutral. trying to attract especially those who to my astonishment, in faultless, fluent, Every effort was being made by re- had studied in Eastern European poetic English. I boldly asked how he sponsible Jewish institutions of learn- yeshirot and required introduction to had mastered the new language so ing, as well as many other public in- Western critical thought and critical thoroughly in so short a time. He told stitutions, to bring to America the few scholarship. Professor Heschel had me: "I can tell tbe date when I learned Jewish scholars who were in Germany studied with him, but mainly at the each English word I now use." What or had sought temporary refuge else- University of Berlin (from wbich he a fantastic achievement! had received his doctorate). Professor where. Professor Heschel at that time Soon afterward. Professor Heschel Hescbel, although still in his early thir- spoke English somewhat haltingly, as became a member of the seminary ties, had profound knowledge of both I recall, and so our conversation when family, exerting a profound influence kabbalistic literature and general phi- on students and alumni alike, and he visited me in New York on his way losophy—a combination as rare then gradually developing into the great to Cincinnati was largely in Hebrew. as it is now. He was, of course, extremely grate- leader, eloquent orator and prolific ful to the institution which had en- Of my subsequent meetings and dis- writer universally recognized as the abled him to come to America, and cussions with bim, two remain par- years passed by. to President Morgenstern in particular. ticularly vivid, although I could men- One day in the 196O's, he asked to In the course of conversation with Pro- tion many others. In 1944, when he fessor Heschel, we discovered many accepted a dinner invitation to my friends in common, although he de- home, our seminary was expecting to rived from one of tbe most famous invite him to join our faculty. Profes- Hasidic families in Europe, and I sor Louis Ginzberg, who was fasci- could trace my ancestry no further nated by him, as well as Professor Saul back than my greatgrandfathers. It Lieberman and Professor Mordecai M. was an inspiration to see in my own Kaplan (who differ from each other so home a lineal descendant of the famous greatly in their outlook on ), Maggid of Mezeritch eight generations all joined in recommending him un- back and (on his mother's side) from stintingly. Professor Harry A. Wolfson the equally famous "Compassionate of Harvard, the master in the field of One," Levi Yitzhak. He was re- Jewish as well as general philosophy, lated by blood-kinship or marriage to whom I had consulted, recommended almost every important Hasidic "dy- three people, but Professor Heschel nasty" in Europe. was preeminent. With such wide agree- He was acquainted with a scholar ment regarding the potentialities of the

America / March 10, 1973 203 sponsible for much of Jewish learning and scholarship in our time, as well .,. We also knew that not every Christian as for Jewish piety and devotion. It would be difficult, indeed, to rebuild was aware of the pagan roots of anti- the Temple of Eastern and Central European Judaism which had been Semitism, and that at least some were so ruthlessly destroyed. But for our effort to have some measure of suc- deluded into thinking it is an article of cess, two things were indispensable: protection and understanding for the Christian faith invented by the Apostles men and women whose tireless labors and amazing genius were being con- (forgetting that they, too, were Jews) centrated on the state of Israel; and cessation of the effort to lure Jews away from their natural spiritual talk over a very important matter with our age as was Professor Heschel. habitat in Judaism. Jews had already me. He had been invited to visit Doubtless, too, he sufi'ered pain at the been reduced from 18 million to 11 Pope Paul VI, to discuss some prob- injustices he saw prevailing in many million. They could not afford the loss lems of Catholic-Jewish relations, par- places, as did Professor Heschel. As of even one more . ticularly as they might bear on the the Pope looked back over the history How strongly to urge the request? Second Vatican Council. Professor of the past two thousand years, and It seemed to me that in the danger in Heschel wanted my advice about especially of the past thirty years, he, which the Jewish people stood, and whether to accept the invitation and, like all of us, must have been hor- because of that danger, the peril to if he did, what he was to urge, and rified that a group of gangsters led so much that (in our opinion) de- how strongly to urge it. by a mad genius seized control of pended on the survival and advance- I had no hesitation in advising him one of the most culturally advanced nations in the world, hoodwinked its ment of its faith, no words, gestures or certainly to accept the invitation, which expressions sincerely felt could be ex- opened such vistas for good in the people and then others into a sense of security, and finally launched a world travagant. Obviously, there was no world, not only for the betterment place for anger or vehemence or of relations between Roman Catholics war which, but for some basic Prov- idential errors of judgment on his part, recrimination or blame, for Professor and Jews, but for the influence of both Heschel would be talking to a friend, religious groups on the affairs of men. might have made him master of Europe. Doubtless, in retrospect, the who had generously invited him for He told me that that was how he, Pope, like everyone in this generation, friendly discussion of a common prob- too, felt; but he was glad to know that was wondering how he could live at lem in the spiritual world. I agreed with him. peace with himself after the frightful When Professor Heschel returned As to what specifically to seek, and events in Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen from Rome, he thoughtfully spent sev- how strongly to urge it, I was at first and where not. And doubtless, the eral hours with me, describing in de- hesitant to offer any suggestion. Each Pope, like teachers of religion every- tail what had occurred, and how much person, it has always seemed to me, where, was asking himself, as all of he thought he had achieved. But he does best what comes most naturally to us in this generation must ask our- had achieved more at that time than him. In communications with the great selves, where we had failed in our task. one could know, for when, some years and the powerful, which are general- later, he was in Italy again on a lec- ly brief, it has always been my belief Therefore, the moment had come ture tour, he was once more invited that all one could really achieve was for Professor Heschel candidly to de- for an audience by Pope Paul—this to implant some understanding of one's scribe to the Pope how Jews felt about time as a well-known friend with own general approach to the world. the past. Of course, we all knew that whom the Pope could discuss some Detailed conversations that might anti-Semitism was pagan in origin. of his problems in great confidence. affect the decisions of the Vatican But we also knew that not every The Jewish people, and indeed the Council would have to be held by Pro- Christian was aware of the pagan whole world, are poorer because of fessor Heschel with others who could origins of anti-Semitism, and that at Professor Heschel's death. But one give him more time. But this occasion least some were deluded into thinking must think of his life with gratitude, that it is an article of Christian faith, might. I thought, be difi"erent. He was, for he was a unique product of a invented by the Apostles (forgetting indeed, going to meet the head of the tumultuous and changing time; he had Roman Catholic Church. But, after that they, too, were Jews). been Providentially given it, to serve all, the Pope was also a fellow-ciergy- There also was the problem of it while he could. man, and not an administrator or proselytization. The Jewish people had [RABBI . Chancel- politician. There was a community of lost one-third of its small number, a concern between them, to begin with. lor Emeritus of the Jewish Theological third that included many whom Pro- Seminary, continues as a professor of Doubtless, the Pope was as concerned fessor Heschel had known, loved and with the increasing secularisation of theology in that institution, a post he revered; a third that had been re- has held since 1931.] •

204 America / March 70, ¡973