All the World: Universalism, Particularism and the High Holy Days

by Lawrence A. Hoffman (Editor)

Overview

Why be Jewish?

A fascinating dialogue across denominations of the High Holy Days and their message of Jewish purpose beyond mere survival.

Almost forty contributors from three continents—men and women, scholars and poets, rabbis and theologians, representing all Jewish denominations and perspectives—examine the tension between Israel as a particular People called by God, and that very calling as intended for a universalist end, furthering God's vision for all the world, not just for Jews alone. This balance of views arises naturally out of the prayers in the High Holy Day liturgy, coupled with insights from philosophy, literature, theology and ethics.

This fifth volume in the Prayers of Awe series provides the relevant traditional prayers in the original Hebrew, alongside a new and annotated translation. It explores the question "Why be Jewish?" in a time when universalist commitment to our planet and its people has only grown in importance, even as particularist questions of Jewish continuity have become ever more urgent.

Prayers of Awe: A multi-volume series designed to explore the High Holy Day liturgy and enrich the praying experience for everyone—whether experienced worshipers or guests who encounter Jewish prayer for the very first time.

Contributors

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL

Rabbi Tony Bayfield, CBE, DD

Rabbi Will Berkovitz

Dr. Annette M. Boeckler

Dr. Erica Brown

Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander, CM, DHL, DD

Rabbi Lisa Exler

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Rabbi Laura Geller

Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, DHL

Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, PhD

Dr. Joel M. Hoffman

Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD

Rabbi Walter Homolka, PhD, DHL

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, DHL

Rabbi Reuven Kimelman, PhD

Dr. Mark L. Kligman

Rabbi Noa Kushner

Rabbi Daniel Landes

Rabbi Asher Lopatin

Catherine Madsen

Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, PhD

Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD

Ruth Messinger

Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, PhD

Rabbi Jay Henry Moses

Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum

Rabbi Jack Riemer

Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, DMin

Rabbi Marc Saperstein, PhD

Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso, DMin

Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, DMin

Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMin

Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD

Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DD

Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel

Dr. Wendy Zierler

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681629742
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	08/05/2014
Series:	Prayers of Awe , #5
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, has served for more than three decades as professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He is a world-renowned liturgist and holder of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in Liturgy, Worship and Ritual. His work combines research in Jewish ritual, worship and spirituality with a passion for the spiritual renewal of contemporary Judaism.

His many books, written and edited, include seven volumes in the Prayers of Awe series: Who by Fire, Who by Water—Un'taneh Tokef; All These Vows—Kol Nidre; We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism—Ashamnu and Al Chet; May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism—Yizkor; All the World: Universalism, Particularism and the High Holy Days; Naming God: Avinu Malkeinu—Our Father, Our King; and Encountering God: El Rachum V'chanun—God Merciful and Gracious. Hoffman also edited the ten-volume series My People’s Prayer Book: Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; and coedited My People’s Passover Haggadah: Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award (all Jewish Lights).

Rabbi Hoffman cofounded and developed Synagogue 2/3000, a transdenominational project to envision and implement the ideal synagogue of the spirit for the twenty-first century. In that capacity, he wrote Rethinking Synagogues: A New Vocabulary for Congregational Life (Jewish Lights).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: In General and in Particular, the Moral and
Theological Dilemma of Our Time 1
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD

Part I Universalism and Particularism: Speaking Generally
Why Be Jewish? The Universalist Message of the High Holy Days 11
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
Monotheism, Mission, and Multiculturalism: Universalism Then and Now 30
Dr. Annette M. Boeckler
A Sage among the Gentiles? A Halakhic Lesson on Moral Universalism 40
Rabbi Daniel Landes
Universalism, Transnationalism, and the Challenge of Triumphalism 45
Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD
The Prayer for the State of Israel: Universalism and Particularism 49
Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD
The Music of V'ye'etayu—"All the World" 77
Dr. Mark L. Kligman

Part II Views from Philosophy and Literature
For a Judaism of Human Concerns 85
Rabbi Walter Homolka, PhD, DHL
All Peoples Will Break into Song, but the Song Will Be Hebrew 91
Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL
Is Judaism Too Important to Be Left Just to Jews? The Sh'ma and the Alenu 98
Rabbi Reuven Kimelman, PhD
"We" and "They" in Jewish Liturgy 107
Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, PhD
All Shall Come to Serve (My Version of) Thee 112
Dr. Wendy Zierler

Part III “All the World” Remembered: Its Impact on Generations
Two Kinds of Universalism 123
Rabbi Marc Saperstein, PhD
The Missing Hymn: “All the World Shall Come to Serve Thee” 128
Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, PhD

Part IV The Liturgy
Translation of the Liturgy and Commentary 135
Dr. Joel M. Hoffman
“All the World,” by Israel Zangwill 151
From Union Prayer Book, Newly Revised Version

Part V Interpretations from the Field
Worshiping in Technicolor; Seeing Others in Black and White 155
Rabbi Tony Bayfield, CBE, DD
“I Didn’t Do It!”: A Rosh Hashanah Nightmare 160
Rabbi Will Berkovitz
An Open Door 164
Dr. Erica Brown
Our Jewish Golden Rule 168
Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander, CM, DHL, DD
A “Light unto the Nations” or a “People Who Dwell Alone”? 173
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand
A Snowball That Cannot Melt 178
Rabbi Laura Geller
Laughing Islands, Dancing Prayer Books 183
Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, DHL
“One True Religion” or “Any Number Can Play”? 188
Dr. Joel M. Hoffman
Crowning “the Un-king” King 192
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, DHL
They Are Us: Uv’khen and T’shuvah 197
Rabbi Noa Kushner
Iftar in the Synagogue: Jewish-Muslim Relations, from the Pages of the Machzor 200
Rabbi Asher Lopatin
The Acidic Masters 204
Catherine Madsen
Word and World: From Faith to Action 209
Ruth Messinger and Lisa Exler
“So Loud Your Praise Shall Sing” 213
Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, PhD
A Synthesis of Hope 217
Rabbi Jay Henry Moses
Melekh al Kol Ha’aretz: Just How Jewish Is Rosh Hashanah, Anyway? 221
Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
Let It Be! Let It Be! Let It Be! 226
Rabbi Jack Riemer
What We Can All Believe 230
Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, DMin
The Dance of the One and the Many 235
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, DMin, and Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso, DMin
In God, Even the Infinite Becomes One 240
Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMin
Yoga Poses for the Mind: Wrapping Our Minds around It All 244
Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DD
Universal in Vision, Particular by Necessity 248
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel

Notes 252
Glossary 263

Editorial Reviews

This set of essays begins with the suggestion that the word "all," when used in the high holiday liturgy, is meant to universalize the prayers to be applicable and inclusive of all humanity. From that proposal, a diverse group of scholars proceed to explore many aspects of the High Holiday prayers, as well as some prayers that are recited year-round, such as the Prayer for the State of Israel. Rabbis from Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox streams are all represented among the authors. While the prayers are a jumping off point for the essays, the exploration of universalism vs. particularism in Judaism branches out from there. There are most definitely some gems of thought and interpretation in this volume. Notes. Glossary.

Jewish Book Council - Arnold D. Samlan

Almost forty contributors from three continents—men and women, scholars and poets, rabbis and theologians, representing all Jewish denominations and perspectives—examine the tension between Israel as a particular People called by God, and that very calling as intended for a universalist end, furthering God's vision for all the world, not just for Jews alone. This balance of views arises naturally out of the prayers in the High Holy Day liturgy, coupled with insights from philosophy, literature, theology and ethics. This fifth volume in the Prayers of Awe series provides the relevant traditional prayers in the original Hebrew, alongside a new and annotated translation. It explores the question "Why be Jewish?" in a time when universalist commitment to our planet and its people has only grown in importance, even as particularist questions of Jewish continuity have become ever more urgent. Another superb collection from Jewish Lights to help worshippers be inspired during the High Holy Days. Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, has served for more than three decades as professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He is a world-renowned liturgist and holder of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in Liturgy, Worship and Ritual. His work combines research in Jewish ritual, worship and spirituality with a passion for the spiritual renewal of contemporary Judaism.

Jewish Media Review - Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins