Jews and Judaism in the 21st Century
Subtitle: Human Responsibility, the Presence of God and the Future of the Covenant
Contributors: Paula E. Hyman (Foreword)
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Published: March 2007
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 169
ISBN-13: 9781580233156
Subjects: Judaism; Judaism - History; Judaism - Theology; Judaism - General; Religion; Religion - Judaism; 21st century; Civilization; Identity; Jews
Description: 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.