From: mike@math.nwu.edu (Michael R. Stein)
Subject: Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits
Organization: Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 14:46:05 GMT

Adapted from the Chicago Tribune, 8/28/92: 

Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits, 83, an author and theologian, was 
chairman of the department of Jewish Philosophy at the Hebrew 
Theological College [the Skokie Yeshiva] in Skokie from 1958 
until his retirement in 1975. 

A resident of Jerusalem in recent years, he died there August 
20. 

Rabbi Berkovits, an Orthodox theologian and an ardent Zionist, 
was concerned about the tensions between secular Jewish 
nationalism and Jewish religious tradition.  He explored this 
in a 1943 book, "Toward an Historic Judaism". He also wrote 
"Was ist der Talmud" in 1938 and "God, Man and History" in 
1959. 

Rabbi Berkovits, a native of Transylvania, received a Ph. D. at 
the University of Berlin in 1933.  He was ordained the next 
year in the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin and 
served as a rabbi in that city.  He immigrated to Leeds, 
England in 1939 and was a rabbi there from 1940 to 1946.  He 
then moved to Sydney, Australia and officiated in that city for 
four years.  He came to the United States in 1950. 

Survivors include his wife, Soli; three sons, Avraham, 
Shimshon, and Rabbi Bernard and many grandchildren. 

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Some additional comments: 

I first came to know Rabbi Berkovits in 1970 as the "founding 
rabbi" of my shul, Or Torah, in Skokie.  He insisted that he 
was just an ordinary member and insisted on taking his turn at 
sweeping the floor and arranging the chairs with everyone else 
in the early years when we had a bare minyan and everything was 
done by volunteers. 

Nevertheless he paskened for us, taught shi'urim, and spoke 
whenever called upon.  He could consistently find something 
interesting and profound to say no matter what the time 
limitations were, whether 10 minutes before ma'ariv or a long 
lecture. 

Rabbi Berkovits was the talmid muvhak of Rav Yehiel Weinberg 
ZT"L and was a distinguished and original halachic thinker.  
Among his halachic works were "T'nai b'get uv'kiddushin"  and 
"Hahalacha: kochah v'tafkidah".  The latter work was condensed 
and excerpted in English as "Not in Heaven".  He also wrote 
extensively about the Holocaust from a theological viewpoint, 
and was a vehement critic of the role of the Church in 
preparing the way for that tragedy. 

He was the Rav of the largest Orthodox synagogue in Berlin 
under the Nazis and lived through Kristallnacht and other 
persecutions before escaping to England. 

Here in Chicago he was also known for his cordial ongoing 
dialogue with his Conservative and Reform colleagues. He stood 
very much in the tradition of "torah umada" and "kol yisrael 
arevim zeh lazeh".  

Rabbi Berkovits made aliya in 1975.  He was active in Israeli 
intellectual life and was a member of the commission which 
investigated the Arlosoroff case. 

A memorial service for Rabbi Berkovits will he held at 7:30 pm 
on September 22 at Congregation Or Torah, 3740 Dempster Street, 
Skokie (jointly sponsored by the Yeshiva).  Those in the 
Chicago area may wish to attend. 

TNTB"H.

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Michael R. Stein					  mike@math.nwu.edu
Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-2730