Léon Ashkenazi

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Yehuda Léon Askénazi
Born
Rav Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi

(1922-06-21)June 21, 1922
University of Algiers
Sorbonne

Rav Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi (French spelling Léon Askénazi;

French Jewry
.

Life and endeavors

Rav Ashkenazi's life encompassed two different cultures, which resulted in his ability to bridge Western and Jewish frames of mind.

He was born in Algiers to Rav David Ashkenazi, the last

kabbalic scholars – one of its ancestors was Rav Yossef Ibn Touboul, a direct disciple of the Ha'ari, and another was Rabbi Asher ben Jehiel
, 'The Rosh', a prominent Ashkenazi leader of 13th century Spain. However, her education was Western.

Rav Ashkenazi studied simultaneously in

University of Algiers, and later, when he moved to France, philosophy, ethnology and anthropology in the Sorbonne in Paris
.

He was recruited to the

Holocaust
. He met his wife, Mrs. Ester 'Bambi', as well as studied from his teacher and mentor in Orsay, Jacob Gordin.

After teaching for a few years, Rav Ashkenazi became principal of the Orsay school in 1951, with Prof.

EEIF, 1955–6), and established the Center of Academic Jewish Studies (CUEJ
, 1958–67).

As an intellectual figure Rav Ashkenazi influenced the French School of Jewish Thought (

French Jewry from its ashes. Its main goal was to understand and transmit the Jewish thought of the Torah through the use of European, universal, academic, modern thought. Its leading figures were Rav Leon Ashkenazi, Prof. Emmanuel Levinas, Prof. André Neher, Prof. Éliane Amado Levy-Valensi, writer Elie Wiesel, writer Albert Memmi
and many others.

Meeting Rav

Francophone community. He established Ma'ayanot Institute for Jewish Studies and Yair Center for young Jewish leadership after the manner of Orsay. He emphasized that Am Israel's return to Zion had been prophesied by the great prophets of the Bible, that it constitutes part of the cycle of Redemption
in the history of the Jewish nation, and that the ones who do not participate in this movement miss one of the most significant crossroads in the history of the Jewish people.

He contributed to the field of inter-religion discourse, traveling yearly to

Chief Rabbi of Israel
.

Since he taught mainly in

Hebrew, Rav Ashkenazi's thought continues to gain new audiences to this day. His disciples and colleagues, such as Rav Shlomo Aviner, Rav Eliyahu Zini, Rav Uri Sherki
, Rav Yehoshua Tzukerman, Rav Yossef Atoun, Prof. Benjamin Gross, Prof. Moshe Halamish and many more, continue to spread his teachings to Israeli audiences.

Rav Ashkenazi's thought

Rav Ashkenazi's thought can be described as historical and existential query into the meaning of the identity of Israel, by extracting the existential meaning of the Biblical stories, unifying and clarifying the coherence of Jewish commentary tradition and explaining Hebrew concepts and themes through the use of universal terminology, striving to integrate two opposing worlds:

traditional orthodox Jewish heritage and Modern thought and values, while remaining loyal to both. This achievement was what drew wide and diverse audiences to his lectures. Rav Ashkenazi used traditional methods of Drash to introduce new ways of understanding Judaism, while using concepts and ideas taken from Kabbalah, Midrash, Hassidut and Gemara
.

Theory of Engenderment ("Torat Ha'Toladot" תורת התולדות)

Manitou's main effort was focused on understanding

Hebrew 'Toladot' – 'Engenderment', through the Torah, especially through the Book of Genesis, which relates the beginning of human history. The principles of this study were that the Bible
is the centre and source of the faith, inspiration and power of the people of Israel, and that, since the Bible was transmitted by the Creator in a moment of historical epiphany, it constitutes the only valid overview of history and its purpose. In other words, history can be read and understood retrospectively only when reading the Torah, in the notion of the verse "This is the book of the generations of Man" (Genesis 5:1).

Indeed, the first twenty

biblical figures are the origins of nowadays identities and situations and reappear throughout history on an individual, social and national
basis. The same is true when understanding the existential connections between father and son, teacher and pupil, and the conflict between rivals.

Thus, history is not simply a series of historic events, wars and cultural shifts, but of the metamorphosis and stages of the human identity.[1] Each civilization in its turn brings into human history the drama of the progression and development of human identity, until humanity is able at last to produce a 'whole' and moral human consciousness, which is the purpose of history.

Monotheism and morals

Rav Ashkenazi claimed that only when acknowledging himself as created, can man develop a true and firm moral agenda. According to

morals
, and morals are a crucial element of monotheism.

From Jewish to Hebrew Identity

The theory of Engenderment ultimately focuses on Jewish identity. Manitou discusses a 'Hebrew Identity',

Jewish people has the opportunity to bring together the different 'ways of life', or the diverse identities it gathered during its Exile
among the nations, and begin World Peace within itself.

Publications

Hebrew

  • Sod Ha-Ivri (The Secret of the Hebrew Identity). Part I, Part II. ed. Gabrielle Ben Shmuel, Israel Pivko. Chava Bet El, 2005, 2009
  • Misped Lamashiach?! (A Eulogy For the Messiah?!). ed. Israel Pivko, Itai Ashkenazi & Elyakim Simsovic, Chava Bet-El, 2006
  • Sod Leshon Hakodesh (The Secret of the Holy Tongue). ed. Shlomo Ben-Naim & Israel Pivko, Chava Bet-El, 2007
  • Sod Midrash Ha'Toladot (Midrash of the Engenderments). ed. Haim Rotenberg, Chava Beit El, 2009
  • Midrash B'sod Ha'hafachim (Midrash in the Secret of Opposites) ed. Itay Ashkenazi, Yediot Achronot & Bet Morasha Press, 2009
  • ''''"Israel m'eayn ule'an" (Israel from where to where) ed. Chay Shaqday, Elyakim Simsovic, Mendelbaum private publ., 2013'''''

French

References

  1. Hegel
    and his followers.
  2. ^ similar maybe to the one introduced by cultural Zionism

External links

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