For the Love of Zion: Jewish Ethics and the Question of Zionism
Micha’el Rosenberg
It is easy to forget that the question of Zionism and its religious acceptability was one of the most heated questions in Jewish life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In this course, we will study the writings of two writers, both of whom were products of the Lithuanian yeshiva world, and who came to very different perspectives on the question of Zionism. Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaKohein Kook advocated for a Zionism based on prophetic principles, while Rav Elazar Menahem Man Shach claimed that Zionism and the ethics demanded of a Jew were incompatible. We will aim to understand both thinkers, and see not only where they differ, but also what they may have had in common.
Micha’el Rosenberg is the rabbi of the Fort Tryon Jewish Center. A doctoral candidate in Talmud and Rabbinic Literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary, he received his rabbinical ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He has taught Talmud and halakhah in a variety of settings, including Drisha, JTS, and the Northwoods Kollel.
Categories
- Contemporary Issues
- Spiritual and Religious Life
- Text for Everyone
- Afternoon Course
