“Jewish continuity and survival depends upon Jews recognizing that their identities spring from thousands of years of carrying out a divine mission. Neither the Holocaust nor the State of Israel will provide them with a solid identity. If we want to survive, and if we believe that it matters whether or not there are Jews in the world, then we must look back into our traditions, re-evaluate them and come to understand ourselves as essentially Jewish selves” (Crisis, Covenant and Creativity,102, Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo).
This quote comes from one of my favorite Jewish thinkers. Rabbi Cardozo heads a Think Tank focused on finding new Halachic and philosophical approaches to dealing with the crisis of religion and identity amongst Jews and the Jewish State of Israel. Rabbi Cardozo is known for his original and often controversial insights into Judaism. I will be bringing some of his thoughts to you over the year. I hope you find them insightful and I hope they provide you with an opportunity to think about your Judaism in a novel way.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss this quote or anything else with you. Please stop by or email me at mfaudem@gmail.com.
