Our Jewish World

What is the purpose of our life? And how can we best fulfill that purpose? Those were among the ruminations that a Jewish sage and mystic from a century ago—Rav Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935)—would ponder in the wee hours of the morning. He wrote down those thoughts in private diaries, never intended for publication, but they were eventually published.

Emil Fackenheim was considered the leading Jewish philosopher, theologian and thinker of the 20th century. In a three-part series, titled “The Life, Times, Philosophy and Theology of Emil Fackenheim, Rabbi David Nesson, spiritual leader of Morristown Jewish Center–Beit Yisrael, will delve into Fackenheim’s approach to life and faith. The series, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursdays, May 4, 11 and 18, via Zoom.

Watch this fascinating talk by Rabbi Moshe Rudin, spiritual leader of Adath Shalom synagogue, offered through NCJW, West Morris Section’s Our Jewish World program.

Here is a link to Rabbi Mark Biller’s second Our Jewish World session about Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, the Chief Rabbi of Palestine before there was a state of Israel, a Jewish legal authority, and a mystic.

Watch Rabbi Mark Biller’s first Our Jewish World session about Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, the Chief Rabbi of Palestine before there was a state of Israel, a Jewish legal authority, and a mystic.

There is a famous slogan concerning the Jewish community that states, “We are one.”  However, historically, we have never been just “one.”  More often than not we have been “many” incompatible positions and contradictory beliefs, which served to disunite and disjoin our community over time. Rabbi Steven Bayar, rabbi emeritus of Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn and interim rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim in San Antonio, will lead an insightful three-part series, titled “That Which Unites Us, That Which Divides Us,” at 1 p.m. on Thursdays, Dec. 1, 8, and 15, via Zoom.