What can we do to repair, rewind and reset
Jewish time to
ensure a thriving existence in the future?
The generation of the late twentieth
century experienced a rupture in Jewish time. As a result of
our confrontation with Modernity, the integration of Jews into
the American mainstream, the shattering tragedy of the
Holocaust, and the miraculous rebirth of a Jewish State in the
Land of Israel, we can no longer look easily to the past for
lessons of faith and models of Jewish meaning. No longer do we
confidently project ourselves into the future. So much of what
was taken for granted in earlier times is now open to question.
In this thought-provoking book, five
celebrated leaders in Judaism, representing a broad spectrum of
contemporary Jewish experience, reinterpret Jewish life,
re-envision its institutions, and re-imagine its future in the
shadow of the events of the twentieth century.
Reflecting on the unique events of this
century, these eminent scholars assert a shared recognition of
human responsibility as the quintessence of God’s
presence in the world. They imagine a new stage in the
development of the ancient Covenant, a stage in which human
beings take responsibility for shaping the Jewish historical
experience. They explore how that new stage will find
expression in the rhythms of Jewish personal and communal
life—its implications for halachah, prayer, spirituality,
the synagogue, and our relations with the world.
Contributors include:
Rabbi David Ellenson
Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg
Rabbi David Hartman
Rabbi Harold Kushner
Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis
“Reminds us that Jewish debate
across denominational lines can be compelling, respectful, and
worthwhile; Jewish theology, so often neglected, is both
fascinating and important to our Jewish lives; and serious
Jewish learning always leads to activism and engagement with
the world. Buy this book; it will, in these difficult days,
restore your faith in the Jewish future.”
—Rabbi
Eric H. Yoffie, president, Union
for Reform Judaism
“A treasure house…. The five
most illustrious Jewish thinkers of our day discuss the eleven
most pressing issues now facing the Jewish community. Sit back,
read, learn and enjoy.”
—Rabbi
Neil Gillman, Aaron Rabinowitz and
Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy, The Jewish
Theological Seminary of America; author,
Traces of God: Seeing God in Torah, History and
Everyday Life
“Stimulating and challenging. It
will make you realize how far we have come and how far we yet
have to go. Anyone who takes Jewish life seriously will be
intrigued by this book.”
—Prof.
Deborah E. Lipstadt, PhD,
director, Tam Institute for Jewish Studies,
Emory
University
“Powerful … speaks personally
and passionately about why being Jewish matters today.
Poignant, private experiences as well as brilliant, insightful
understandings of historical texts and events illuminate
Judaism’s capacity to empower our lives with meaning,
direction—and hope.”
—Sylvia
Barack Fishman, professor of
contemporary Jewish life, Brandeis University; author of The Way Into the Varieties of Jewishness
“Thoroughly captivating….
Confronts the most sobering and depressing realities of our
time and recent history; yet their thoughts leave us with hope
and inspiration for the Jewish future.”
—Prof.
Steven M. Cohen, research professor
of Jewish social policy, Hebrew Union College–Jewish
Institute of Religion
Paula E. Hyman is
the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Modern Jewish History at Yale
University.
