Abraham Joshua Heschel: Prophetic Witness [Hardcover]

Edward K. Kaplan (Author), Samuel H. Dresner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 1998

Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) was one of the outstanding Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. A renowned American theologian and interpreter of tradition, he was author of such books as "Man Is Not Alone", "God in Search of Man", and "The Prophets". This book, the first of two volumes, is a comprehensive biography of Heschel. Based on interviews with Heschel's friends and family, archival documents and Heschel's previously unknown writings in Yiddish, German and Hebrew, the book traces Heschel's life from his birth in Warsaw in 1907 to his emigration to the United States in 1940. Edward Kaplan and Samuel Dresner describe how Heschel came of age in a Hasidic community and reached maturity in secular Jewish Vilna and cosmopolitan Berlin, speaking out as a religious philosopher during the advent of Nazism. They relate how he became a teacher in Berlin, in Martin Buber's education programme in Frankfurt (where his lifelong debate with Buber originated), in Warsaw, and in London, while the several Jewish cultures he had absorbed were being destroyed. They show that he was already intellectually and spiritually mature when he emigrated to the United States, fully prepared for his dual roles as interpreter of Jewish piety and social activist.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1951, Christian theologian Reinhold Niebuhr predicted that Abraham Joshua Heschel would "become a commanding and authoritative voice not only in the Jewish community but in the religious life of America." This first volume of a two-volume biography follows Heschel from his birth in Warsaw in 1907 to his emigration from Europe to America in 1940. From his early childhood, Heschel combined a love of learning with an intense piety. The authors follow Heschel's childhood study and mastery of classic Jewish texts, showing how this learning established the foundation of Heschel's later life and work in America. Greatly affected by his Hasidic upbringing (his father and uncle were Hasidic rebbes, and Heschel was expected to become one as well but he chose a life of scholarship and social activism instead), Heschel wove into his life a sense of God's holiness as well as a sense of the biblical prophets' sense of justice. The cultural richness of European Jewry prior to the Holocaust also greatly influenced Heschel. Kaplan and Dresner contend that their portrait will present Heschel as a "unique blend, that of a university-educated East European Jew inspired by God." This volume narrates Heschel's encounter with Martin Buber, with whom he engaged in lifelong debate about Judaism and ethics, and chronicles Heschel's stints as a teacher of religious philosophy in Berlin, Warsaw and London. While the staid, workmanlike style of this biography often fails to capture Heschel's fire and intensity, the authors nevertheless provide the most complete portrait to date of this remarkable religious figure.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A social activist who marched alongside Martin Luther King in the 1960s, Heschel (1907-72), one of the foremost Jewish philosophers of our century, revitalized religious thought with his unique writings and insights. This first volume details Heschel's life in Europe until his departure to America and freedom just as the Nazi net was closing in. Heschel, born in Warsaw in 1907 and descended from a prominent Hasidic family, was considered a prodigy from an early age. His friendship with Martin Buber?and their significant philosphical differences?forms some of the most fascinating material in this study. Kaplan (French and comparative lit., Brandeis Univ.) and Dresner, a retired philosophy professor, both students of Heschel, make a major contribution to the growing literature on Heschel with this first scholarly biography. Highly recommended for libraries with Judaic or strong religious studies holdings.?Paul M. Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., Round Lake Beach, IL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; First Printing edition (May 25, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300071868
• ISBN-13: 978-0300071863
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,743,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The "Prophet" in training, June 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Abraham Joshua Heschel: Prophetic Witness (Hardcover)

Among the American intellectual community, Abraham Joshua Heschel is probably the best known Jewish spiritual leader. of the 20th century. This resulting from his activist stance on the issue of Civil Rights in the early 1960's and his active and vocal opposition to the Vietnam War a bit later. Yet as time goes by ,few Americans,Jewish and gentiles alike are aware of Heschel, the scholar, Heschel the particularistic Jewish activist, and Heschel, the spiritual seeker. This biography throws light on the youth and education of this prophetic figure. We learn about Heschel's Chasidic background, his "royal" lineage, his sojurn in Vilna among secular Jews, his education and activities in Germany as well as his foray into the world of Yiddish poetry, and his scholarly publications.The book is well researched and finely written, with many illustrations. I only feel that those parts dealing with Heschel the Chasidic Jew and Yiddish poet lack some authenticity. The authors seem to go overboard to stress Heschel's ritual observance in Vilna and Berlin, such as strict adherence to the Kosher code ,to the laws of Shaatnez and the like.Its ironic that at the same time that a number of books and articles have recently appeared about the Lubavitcher rebbe's stay in Berlin, subtly questioning his Jewish committment,this book about a future leader of the Conservative Jewish movement maintains Heschel's strict ritual observance in Berlin.All in all this volume is a fascinating portrayal of the life of an East European Jew seeking new horizons and an education in the West, yet never forgetting his roots. It is an important contribution to the study of European Jewish life and thought in the 20th century.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Multi-Faceted Heschel, June 29, 1999

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"binmoses" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abraham Joshua Heschel: Prophetic Witness (Hardcover)

The power of Heschel's influence on the philosophy of Jewish America cannot possibly be underestimated. Dr. Kaplan's valient attempt to analyze and research the life os this great thinker is to be commended. His descriptions of the piety of the man he calls a Prophet, may be distasteful to some of his more liberal admirers, but remains the unadulterated proud truth. For the great liberal thinker and activist never swayed from his religous beleifs. Though considered a leader in the Conservative movement, he remained an Orthodox Jew. Though Kaplan's descriptions of Heschel's father, who was a Chassidic Grand Rabbi and miracle worker are lacking understanding in Spirituality and therefore rather inacurate, which is troublesome to his more knowledgeble Chassidic readers, I eagerly await Volume II, on Heschel's years in America.