The Relationship of Orthodox Jews with Believing Jews of Other Religious Ideologies and Non-Believing Jews

In this focused and scholarly compendium of articles related to the status of the contemporary orthodox Jew and his or her relationship with those outside the fold, an impressive array of Jewish notables delve into the experiences shaping today's observant Jews. Intellectual powerhouses including Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein and Jonathan D. Sarna offer philosophical, halakhic, and historical background and interpretations for a variety of situations facing the orthodox Jew in an increasingly secular society. Topics range from the impact of the Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, which takes young Jewish men and women to Israel for the first time, to the phenomenon of the Jewish nondenominational Heschel School in New York City, which advocates a thoughtful approach to religious ideas and rituals, to the halakhic status of the secular Jew. Although this outgrowth of the 2009 Orthodox Forum will mostly interest Jewish academics and educators, the relevance of this volume cannot be understated in light of the divergences and tensions facing Judaism today. (Nov.)