Forum on Contemporary Values
Rabbi Harold Kushner: Do Jews Still Have Something to Say to the World?
Rabbi David Woznica speaks with Rabbi Harold Kushner about his new book, To Life! A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking (1993). Rabbi Kushner reflects on what he believes are the most important messages of Jewish thought. Kushner discusses the strict distinction that Judaism makes between humans and animals, arguing that controlling and saying “no” to instinct is a uniquely human trait. He emphasizes the value of ritual and “the dimension of the human being to transcend the rational,” and comments on inter-marriage, converting to Judaism, and the importance of teaching others to “encounter God” in everyday life.
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