Forum on Contemporary Values
Why Be Jewish?
Paul Radensky, Assistant Director of the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at the 92nd Street Y, moderates a conversation with Rabbi Julie Schonfeld and Dr. Richard Hodes about what it means to be Jewish. Rabbi Schonfeld leads the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in New York City. She argues that “pursuing a Jewish life is our work” and that “Judaism’s ultimate desire” is “to discern for our lives that which is worthwhile and that which is trivial.” Dr. Richard Hodes is a medical doctor operating a clinic in Ethiopia. He speaks about how he gradually came to incorporate Jewish practices into his life and why he chooses to do so. He contends that the three most important features of Judaism are “honesty, morality, and kindness.” The discussion includes questions from the audience and concludes with a reading of Isaiah 58: 10-14.
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