Overview

"Why be Jewish? A fascinating dialogue across denominations of the High Holy Days and their message of Jewish purpose beyond mere survival. Almost forty contributors from three continents-men and women, scholars and poets, rabbis and theologians, representing all Jewish denominations and perspectives-examine the tension between Israel as a particular People called by God, and that very calling as intended for a universalist end, furthering God's vision for all the world, not just for Jews alone. This balance of views arises naturally out of the prayers in the High Holy Day liturgy, coupled with insights from philosophy, literature, theology and ethics. This fifth volume in the Prayers of Awe series provides the relevant traditional prayers in the original Hebrew, alongside a new and annotated translation. It explores the question ""Why be Jewish?"" in a time when universalist commitment to our planet and its people has only grown in importance, even as particularist questions of Jewish continuity have become ever more urgent."

Full Product Details

Author:   Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman (Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman) ,  Rabbi Lawrence A Hoffman, Rabbi, PhD
Publisher:   Jewish Lights Publishing
Imprint:   Jewish Lights Publishing
Edition:   Annotated edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.531kg
ISBN:  

9781580237833

ISBN 10:   1580237835
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   18 September 2014
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

"Acknowledgments ix Introduction: In General and in Particular, the Moral and Theological Dilemma of Our Time 1 Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD Part I Universalism and Particularism: Speaking Generally Why Be Jewish? The Universalist Message of the High Holy Days 11 Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD Monotheism, Mission, and Multiculturalism: Universalism Then and Now 30 Dr. Annette M. Boeckler A Sage among the Gentiles? A Halakhic Lesson on Moral Universalism 40 Rabbi Daniel Landes Universalism, Transnationalism, and the Challenge of Triumphalism 45 Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD The Prayer for the State of Israel: Universalism and Particularism 49 Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD The Music of V'ye'etayu—""All the World"" 77 Dr. Mark L. Kligman Part II Views from Philosophy and Literature For a Judaism of Human Concerns 85 Rabbi Walter Homolka, PhD, DHL All Peoples Will Break into Song, but the Song Will Be Hebrew 91 Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL Is Judaism Too Important to Be Left Just to Jews? The Sh'ma and the Alenu 98 Rabbi Reuven Kimelman, PhD ""We"" and ""They"" in Jewish Liturgy 107 Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, PhD All Shall Come to Serve (My Version of) Thee 112 Dr. Wendy Zierler Part III “All the World” Remembered: Its Impact on Generations Two Kinds of Universalism 123 Rabbi Marc Saperstein, PhD The Missing Hymn: “All the World Shall Come to Serve Thee” 128 Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, PhD Part IV The Liturgy Translation of the Liturgy and Commentary 135 Dr. Joel M. Hoffman “All the World,” by Israel Zangwill 151 From Union Prayer Book, Newly Revised Version Part V Interpretations from the Field Worshiping in Technicolor; Seeing Others in Black and White 155 Rabbi Tony Bayfield, CBE, DD “I Didn’t Do It!”: A Rosh Hashanah Nightmare 160 Rabbi Will Berkovitz An Open Door 164 Dr. Erica Brown Our Jewish Golden Rule 168 Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander, CM, DHL, DD A “Light unto the Nations” or a “People Who Dwell Alone”? 173 Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand A Snowball That Cannot Melt 178 Rabbi Laura Geller Laughing Islands, Dancing Prayer Books 183 Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, DHL “One True Religion” or “Any Number Can Play”? 188 Dr. Joel M. Hoffman Crowning “the Un-king” King 192 Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, DHL They Are Us: Uv’khen and T’shuvah 197 Rabbi Noa Kushner Iftar in the Synagogue: Jewish-Muslim Relations, from the Pages of the Machzor 200 Rabbi Asher Lopatin The Acidic Masters 204 Catherine Madsen Word and World: From Faith to Action 209 Ruth Messinger and Lisa Exler “So Loud Your Praise Shall Sing” 213 Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, PhD A Synthesis of Hope 217 Rabbi Jay Henry Moses Melekh al Kol Ha’aretz: Just How Jewish Is Rosh Hashanah, Anyway? 221 Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum Let It Be! Let It Be! Let It Be! 226 Rabbi Jack Riemer What We Can All Believe 230 Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, DMin The Dance of the One and the Many 235 Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, DMin, and Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso, DMin In God, Even the Infinite Becomes One 240 Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMin Yoga Poses for the Mind: Wrapping Our Minds around It All 244 Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DD Universal in Vision, Particular by Necessity 248 Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel Notes 252 Glossary 263"

Reviews

Almost forty contributors from three continents men and women, scholars and poets, rabbis and theologians, representing all Jewish denominations and perspectives examine the tension between Israel as a particular People called by God, and that very calling as intended for a universalist end, furthering God's vision for all the world, not just for Jews alone. This balance of views arises naturally out of the prayers in the High Holy Day liturgy, coupled with insights from philosophy, literature, theology and ethics. This fifth volume in the Prayers of Awe series provides the relevant traditional prayers in the original Hebrew, alongside a new and annotated translation. It explores the question Why be Jewish? in a time when universalist commitment to our planet and its people has only grown in importance, even as particularist questions of Jewish continuity have become ever more urgent. Another superb collection from Jewish Lights to help worshippers be inspired during the High Holy Days. Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, has served for more than three decades as professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He is a world-renowned liturgist and holder of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in Liturgy, Worship and Ritual. His work combines research in Jewish ritual, worship and spirituality with a passion for the spiritual renewal of contemporary Judaism.--Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins Jewish Media Review

Author Information

Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, has served for more than three decades as professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He is a world-renowned liturgist and holder of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in Liturgy, Worship and Ritual. His work combines research in Jewish ritual, worship and spirituality with a passion for the spiritual renewal of contemporary Judaism. His many books, written and edited, include seven volumes in the Prayers of Awe series: Who by Fire, Who by Water—Un'taneh Tokef; All These Vows—Kol Nidre; We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism—Ashamnu and Al Chet; May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism—Yizkor; All the World: Universalism, Particularism and the High Holy Days; Naming God: Avinu Malkeinu—Our Father, Our King; and Encountering God: El Rachum V'chanun—God Merciful and Gracious. Hoffman also edited the ten-volume series My People’s Prayer Book: Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; and coedited My People’s Passover Haggadah: Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award (all Jewish Lights). Rabbi Hoffman cofounded and developed Synagogue 2/3000, a transdenominational project to envision and implement the ideal synagogue of the spirit for the twenty-first century. In that capacity, he wrote Rethinking Synagogues: A New Vocabulary for Congregational Life (Jewish Lights).

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