Lecture by Arne Eisen and Shai Held on Abraham Joshua Heschel

Introduction

• Arne Eisen: Chancellor of JTS, welcomes the audience.
• Event: Celebrating Shai Held's book, Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence.
• Book Signing: Shai Held will sign books in the lobby.
• Thank Yous:
  • Rabbi Ali Khan, Executive Director of Mahon Hadar, co-sponsoring the event.
  • Ms. Amy Meckler for interpreting in American Sign Language.
  • UJA Federation of New York for providing interpretation services.

Introduction to Shai Held

• Background:
  • 1999 graduate of JTS’s rabbinical and graduate school.
  • Co-founder and Dean of Machon Hadar.
  • Former scholar-in-residence at Kehillat Hadar, NYC.
  • PhD in Religion from Harvard University.
  • Recipient of Covenant Award for excellence in Jewish education.
• Current Role: Adjunct instructor at JTS teaching on Heschel.
• Dialogue Format: Eisen will be both interviewer and dialogue partner.

Discussion Points

Why Heschel?

• Personal Connection:
  • Shai Held describes Heschel as a lifelong companion.
  • The book serves as a way to work through Held's relationship with Heschel’s thoughts.
• Heschel's Eloquence:
  • Heschel has been both revered and derided for his poetic style.
  • Held seeks to respect Heschel by engaging with his philosophical and theological ideas, not just his eloquence.

Heschel’s Thought

• Self-Transcendence:
  • Key theme in Heschel's work.
  • Opposes the modern focus on self-centeredness.
  • Calls for a shift from self-serving lifestyles to serving others.
• Wonder vs. Expediency:
  • Expediency: Using everything and everyone for personal gain.
  • Wonder: Recognizing the world as a gift and seeking to serve.

Heschel's Theology

• God's Role:
  • Heschel argues against Maimonides' conception of an indifferent God.
  • Sees God as having transitive concern, caring for creation.
  • Heschel’s God values human relationships, challenges indifference.
• Human Responsibility:
  • Humans must reflect God’s concern for others, especially the vulnerable.

Heschel’s Approach to Doubt

• Skeptical Stance:
  • Heschel often seen as sidestepping deep engagement with doubt.
  • Uses prayer as a response to questions of divine existence.
• Theodicy and Suffering:
  • Held notes Heschel’s mixed approach to explaining suffering and divine justice.

Heschel’s Historical Role

• Activism:
  • Heschel’s involvement in civil rights (e.g., Selma) granted him moral authority.
  • Debated whether prophetic rhetoric is always appropriate in political activism.

Shai Held's Reflection on Writing

• Engagement with Heschel:
  • Held’s book as a dialogue with Heschel’s ideas.
  • Exploration of self-transcendence as both Heschel’s and Held's interest.
• Philosophical Inquiry:
  • Questioning the balance between activism and philosophical rigor.
  • The challenge of prophetic rhetoric in contemporary settings.

Audience Interaction

• Q&A: Held and Eisen invite audience questions, encouraging a succinct approach.

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This lecture explored the depth of Abraham Joshua Heschel's philosophical and theological thought, his personal influence on Shai Held, and how his ideas continue to resonate in contemporary discussions on ethics, religion, and social justice. Shai Held's book serves as both an academic inquiry and a personal reflection on a thinker who profoundly impacted his life.