An Encounter with Heschel
Heschel is not only remembered for his remarkable writings but also for the active role he played in the civil rights and anti war movements in the 1960s and in his inter-faith dialogues.
I had the opportunity to study Rabbi Heschel when I was at Grinnell College. He immediately became a favorite resource and led to a deeper connection to my Jewishness and my sense if awe and wonder. He is true treasure of insight and passion for a relationship with God.
Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Prophet's Prophet
From MyJewishLearning.com
By Robert M. Seltzer
"Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), a descendant of two important Hasidic dynasties, was born in Warsaw. After receiving a thorough Jewish education in Poland, Heschel entered the University of Berlin, where in 1934 he received his doctorate for a study of the biblical prophets.... "
"In 1945 Heschel became Professor of Ethics and Mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and began to publish a series of works, ranging from studies on the piety of East European Jewry and the inward character of Jewish observance, to religious symbolism, Jewish views of humanity, and contemporary moral and political issues..."
"Before his untimely death, Heschel had become highly respected among American religionists of many faiths not only for his writings but also for his active role in the civil rights and peace movements of the 1960s and in the Jewish-Christian dialogue..."
"Heschel's literary style is unique among modern Jewish religious authors. Remarkable juxtapositions of the concrete and the abstract, suggestive similes and metaphors, striking aphorisms and extended images, concepts from classical and existentialist philosophy, are all used to evoke the numinous quality of the divine and the capacity for human self-transcendence. Heschel's aim is to shock modern man out of his complacency and awaken him to that spiritual dimension fading from the contemporary consciousness...."
"In Heschel's view, the basic intuition of reality takes place on a "preconceptual" level; a disparity always remains between what we encounter and how we can express our encounter in words...."
"For Heschel, it is the Bible-particularly the prophets-that provides a primary model for authentic spirituality...."
"Heschel stands in that stream of modern Jewish thought which emphasizes the limitations of reason to grasp the full significance of the religious life...."
Read this complete article on Heschel
Rabbi Abraham Heschel Interview Clips
Abraham J. Heschel quotes
From thinkexist.com
"Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge."
"A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair."
"Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason."
"In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for truth and have begun striving for ourselves."
"Just to be is a blessing; just to live is holy."
"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself."

In 1965 Heschel walked with Dr. King in the Selma to Montgomery civil-rights march
Books About Heschel
Radio Programs on Heschel
- The Spiritual Audacity of Abraham Joshua Heschel
- From Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippet - June 5, 2008 - American Public Media
Abraham Joshua Heschel insisted that the opposite of good is not evil, it is indifference. Born into an esteemed Hasidic family in Poland in 1907, he was a mystic who wrote transcendent, poetic words about God. At the same time, he marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and organized religious leadership against the war in Vietnam, embodying the social activism of the biblical prophets he studied. We explore Heschel's teachings and his prophetic legacy - his "spiritual audacity" - for people in our time. - Cornel West Commentary: Heschel and King
- The Tavis Smiley Show, January 14, 2004 - NPR
Commentator Cornel West pays homage to Abraham Joshua Heschel, former professor of Jewish ethics and mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Heschel had a major impact on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s thinking on non-violence, race and human rights.West discusses the friendship and alliance between Heschel and King with NPR's Tavis Smiley.
Articles from The Centenary of Abraham Joshua Heschel
60th Anniversary of Seelisberg Conference
- Heschel's View of Religious Diversity
- By Harold Kasimow, Grinnell College
"....Much like the Dalai Lama's perspective on Buddhism vis-à-vis other religions, Heschel's distinctive Jewish approach to religious diversity transcended the categories created by Christian scholars."
Professor Kasimov introduced me to Rabbi Heschel - Abraham Joshua Heschel: Witness to God in Word and Deed
- By John C. Merkle, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University, Minnesota
"There are no proofs for the existence of the God of Abraham," said Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972). "There are only witnesses." For countless Jews and Christians, Heschel was, in both his words and his deeds, one of the preeminent witnesses to God in the twentieth century...." - Abraham Heschel and the Catholic Heart
- By Padraic O'Hare, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA
"This essay associates the deep abiding influence of Rabbi Heschel on Christians with his unique expression of an incarnational religious imagination, appealing to all Christians with a "Catholic heart..." - Heschel's Monotheism vis-à-vis Pantheism and Panentheism
- By John C. Merkle, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University, Minnesota
"The foundation of Abraham Joshua Heschel's theology is the most hallowed claim about God in the Jewish tradition: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Dt. 6:4). Heschel echoes the tradition in claiming that this means not simply that there is only one true God, but also that God possesses inner unity, which is the necessary precondition for unity in the world. Pantheism is one way of explaining unity in the world, and though there a few passages in Heschel's writings that have a pantheistic ring to them, this article shows that Heschel clearly espouses a monotheistic perspective as opposed to a pantheistic one...."
Heschel on DVD
ABC News Classics Rabbi Heschel
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 11/28/2009)![]()
In 1971, ABC News anchor, Frank Reynolds, talks to prominent Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel about faith and spirituality in our modern world. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was considered by many to be one of the most significant Jewish theologians of the 20th century.
Books By Heschel
More Links on Heschel
- Abraham Joshua Heschel: Our Generation's Teacher
- From Cross Currents
"Our teacher, Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), served as Professor of Jewish Ethics and Mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from 1945 to 1972. No title could be more fitting. He was Professor of Ethics and Mysticism not only by lecturing on the principles of ethics and mysticism but also by professing ethics and highlighting the mystery of being. - A Rabbi of His Time, With a Charisma That Transcends It
- From the New York Times
By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN Published: December 24, 2007
"...This year's centennial of Heschel's birth, commemorated by the new biography and a conference this month at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan, takes place in a very different world. Surely no one today could write, as he did in his landmark 1955 book, "God in Search of Man," that there is an "eclipse of religion in modern society." If anything, there is no escape from talk about faith. Nor is the relationship between religious convictions and political activism as simple as it might have once seemed." - Praying with their Feet: Remembering Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King
- By Susannah Heschel
"The photograph of Abraham Joshua Heschel walking arm in arm with Martin Luther King, Jr., in the front row of marchers at Selma has become an icon of American Jewish life, and of Black-Jewish relations. Reprinted in Jewish textbooks, synagogue bulletins, and studies of ecumenical relations, the picture has come to symbolize the great moment of symbiosis of the two communities, Black and Jewish, which today seems shattered." - A commentary on Abraham Joshua Heschel's book 'Who is man?'
- From 1000 Ways to the Real You
"Having thought about human nature and about spiritualization and about perennial philosophy teachings in undisciplined ways for forty years, and having thought about Holistic Education for some five or ten years, in a somewhat more disciplined way, I found that Who is Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel was like having a great poet-seer at your shoulder who had captured essential vision and set it down, in powerful, profound simplicity."
Heschel's work with Roman Catholic Officials
Great Jews series: Abraham Joshua Heschel
A Talk by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
Great Jews series Abraham Joshua Heschel 100 years JEwU 117 Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
ONLINE CONVERSION PROGRAM www.jewu.info Great Jews series Abraham Joshua Heschel 100 years What were his contributions www.jonathanginsburg.net www.rabbireflects.blogpot.com www.esynagogue.org www.jewishconversionchicago.com
Runtime: 231
1604 views
Comments:
curated content from YouTube
More Books By Heschel
Rabbi Goldberg: On Heschel
Blog Posts on Heschel
- Louie
- ... the world intimations of the divine, to sense in small things the beginning of infinite significance, to sense the ultimate in the common and simple, to feel in the rush of the passing the stillness of the eternal. Abraham Heschel ...
- Is it moral for America to support Israel... - Christian Forums
- When faith is replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion -- its message becomes meaningless. - Abraham Heschel ...
- The Gathering Storm « perfectly belief consolidation
- (Abraham Heschel, p. The be deficient in of dedicated voices that signify power to power, truly to fiction, transparency to obfuscation, is sorely felt in a state of affairs inebriated on the magniloquence of self-exaltation. ...
- Man In Search Of Heschel – Rabbi Barry Gelman « Morethodoxy ...
- I wonder why the Modern Orthodox community does pay more attention to and study the works of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Aside from his book The Sabbath, much of his work goes unnoticed and certainly unstudied in our community. ...

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Jewish Journal "Shofar" Devoted an Entire Issue on Heschel in 2007.
Shofar Shofar Fall 2007 Vol. 26, No. 1
Special Issue
A Jewish Life: Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Centenary Tribute
Special Issue Editor: Harold Kasimow, Grinnell College
CONTENTS INCLUDE:
Editor's Introduction
Melech Ravitch's Two Encounters with Abraham Joshua Heschel by Morris M. Faierstein, translator
In Search of Heschel by Michael Marmur
God's Omnipotence and Presence in Abraham Joshua Heschel's Philosophy by Alexander Even
No Religion Is an Island: Following the Trail Blazer by Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Heschel on Israel by Donald J. Moore, S.J
I Am What I Do: Abraham Joshua Heschel Seen fromTwo Perspectives: Secular Jewish and Christian by Shoshana Ronen and Stanislaw Obirek
Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Declaration Dabru Emet by Stanislaw Krajewski
The Meaning of Suffering in the Thought of Abraham Joshua Heschel by Víctor M. Pérez Valera, S.J.
PLUS: Reviews of Books by Abraham Joshua Heschel and about Heschel.
Additional Books About Heschel
Lenses that Encounter the Mystery
-
Kabbalah as Science
-
Mankind is constantly searching for a logical substantiation of their existence. To this end, man has been studying the laws of nature for many thousands of years. Despite this, modern scientists are finding that the more they advance in their scient...
-
Learn About Family Constellations
-
They create a living model of the family that discloses the deeper forces that unknowingly influence our thoughts, behaviors and emotional experiences. Constellations can provide healing for self, family and ancestors. Developed by Bert Hellinger, C...
-
Thich Nhat Hanh: Peace and Zen Buddhism
-
Monk and Vietnamese peace activist turned Zen Meditation teacher. Thich Nhat Hanh is an Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk. He is a teacher, author, and peace activist, born in central Vietnam in 1926. He coined the term Engaged Buddhism in his book Vietna...
-
Man and His Symbols by Carl G. Jung
-
"Man and His Symbols" came about as the result of one of the great psychologist's dreams in which he imagined that his work was appreciated not only by psychiatrists, but a greater public. He agreed therefore to write and edit this amazing work. In...
Do You Have Any Comments?
-
Reply
- Sergiu S. Simmel Sergiu S. Simmel Nov 28, 2009 @ 8:45 pm
- As one of his prominent students, Brandeis Professor Reuven Kimelman, recently wrote in his article on Heschel's unifying theology, "Our inclination to understand Judaism or to approach the Divine through only one of the poles leaves us, according to Heschel, with partial understandings of Judaism and fragmentary visions of the divine." -- To gain access to the entire article (we obtained permission from its publisher):
http://www.MoralBible.com/KimelmanOnHeschel/SJ
Enjoy!
-
Reply
- Sergiu S. Simmel Sergiu S. Simmel Nov 28, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
- As one of his prominent students, Brandeis Professor Reuven Kimelman, recently wrote in his article on Heschel's unifying theology, "Our inclination to understand Judaism or to approach the Divine through only one of the poles leaves us, according to Heschel, with partial understandings of Judaism and fragmentary visions of the divine." -- To gain access to the entire article (we obtained permission from its publisher):
http://www.MoralBible.com/KimelmanOnHeschel/SJ
Enjoy!
-
Reply
- ChapelHillFiddler ChapelHillFiddler Nov 28, 2009 @ 6:41 am
- I've added this to my "Best Jewish Lenses" lens, which is serving for a group now. I love Heschel's Sabbath - thanks for exposing folks to this great thinker and writer.
-
Reply
- spirituality spirituality Nov 23, 2009 @ 3:51 am
- Great lens, but you knew that :) Just wanted to remind you that this is featured on Interfaith - religious dialogue Headquarters
http://www.squidoo.com/groups/interfaith
It's now transformed into a lensography and I would love it if you could show your appreciation by featuring it here, or lensrolling it or something.
-
Reply
- harlank harlank Apr 20, 2009 @ 10:13 am
- This is an incredible lens. Thank you for offering people this knowledge on one of the last great teachers in Judaism-one of the last of the great Rabbi's of all time.
His wisdom lies up there with Hillel and the others who wrote the Talmud thousands of years ago.
Everyone should read Heschel's writings. Not just to learn to be a better jew, but to be a better human.
Thanks again!
-
Reply
- lakeerieartists lakeerieartists Feb 22, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
- This is an excellent lens. I met Heschel's daughter years ago, because she had a job in Cleveland. She was also a very admirable person.
Some of My Other Lenses
-
Do You Love Chocolate Eclairs?
-
I love Chocolate Eclairs! They are my favorite dessert. Whenever I travel, I'm always on the lookout for a great eclair. The best one I've eaten was in Madison, Wisconsin about 12 years ago. There was one in Boulder, Colorado that was also impressive...
-
Learn About Family Constellations
-
They create a living model of the family that discloses the deeper forces that unknowingly influence our thoughts, behaviors and emotional experiences. Constellations can provide healing for self, family and ancestors. Developed by Bert Hellinger, C...
-
Learn About Ortho-Bionomy
-
Ortho-Bionomy® is a very effective bodywork therapy and energy healing system. Ortho-Bionomy can quickly reduce pain and restore a more functional relationship between muscles, bones and joints with specific body positions. It can promote a more...
-
The Psoas Muscle Causes Low Back Pain
-
The Psoas muscle may be the most important muscle in the body. The psoas is a key factor in back pain, hip pain, hip replacements and restless leg syndrome. Psoas contractions can also causes upper back and neck pain and affect posture. This lens pr...
-
Secrets of the Pelvis
-
This is a lens on the anatomy and function of the pelvis with interesting and surprising facts! The pelvis, or pelvic girdle, is a muscle, bone, and connective tissue structure that provides a foundation for the lower extremities, the legs and also...
Links to Other Barry Krost Web Activities
Some other things I'm doing on the web.
- Healing Family Constellations
- I am now offering individual sessions and workshops in Family Constellations, a powerful form of energy healing that discovers the sources of suffering. Family Constellations reveal the hidden dynamics in family systems. They create a living model of the family that begins an exploration of the deeper reasons for emotional distress, trauma, illnesses and spiritual confusion. Sessions available in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Antonio.
- Krost Therapy
- Learn about Ortho-Bionomy®, Lymph Drainage technique and Family Constellations. My biggest specialty is working with the Psoas muscle.
by BarryKrost
I c... (more)




