Delve Deeper: Tikkun Olam in the Kingdom of God: Abraham Joshua Heschel as a Relevant Prophet
Presented by Dr. Dror Bondi via Zoom
Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907 – 1972) was one of the greatest religious philosophers and social activists of American Jewry. When he came back home after the famous march in Selma, Alabama, alongside Martin Luther King Jr., he told to his family: “I felt my legs were praying.”
In this course we will focus on the question of the connection between Heschel’s religious thought and his social involvement. How did he manage to combine the worship of God with social justice: the fight against racism with belonging to the Chosen People, his cry against the war in Vietnam with his support of Israel?
The course will begin from the political and will end with the spiritual. Each class will include an opening presentation, a time for small-group discussion (in Zoom break-out rooms), and a concluding presentation and discussion. Below one can find the main sources, which will form the basis for class discussions. Additional readings are also suggested for those who want to explore alternative perspectives on each week’s topic.
All readings will be supplied on the course website. Students who wish to purchase a book might be interested in the wonderful small book Abraham Joshua Heschel: Essential Writings (as a great summary of the course). Additionally, Heschel’s key book God in Search of Man (the main source of the readings for the second half of the course – weeks 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10) makes a valuable resource for further study.
September 19 - November 24 | No class October 13
Please do not let cost be a barrier! For tuition assistance, contact Morty Miller mortymiller1945@gmail.com or the rabbi at a sponsoring synagogue.
Delve Deeper programs are presented in cooperation with the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island; area synagogues, including: Congregation Beth Sholom, Congregation Jeshuat Israel, Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Habonim, Temple Sinai, and Temple Torat Yisrael; and the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island.
