Shlomo Riskin
Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin | |
---|---|
Personal | |
Born | Steven Riskin May 28, 1940 20 Iyar 5700 Brooklyn, New York |
Religion | Judaism |
Nationality | Israel, USA |
Spouse | Victoria Pollins Riskin |
Children | 4[1] |
Denomination | Orthodox Judaism |
Occupation | Founding Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Author, Chancellor |
Jewish leader | |
Successor | Rabbi Kenneth Brander |
Position | Founding rabbi |
Synagogue | Lincoln Square Synagogue |
Position | founder and Chancellor |
Organisation | Ohr Torah Stone |
Residence | Efrat, West Bank |
Semikhah | Yeshiva University |
Shlomo Riskin (born May 28, 1940) is an
Early career
Shlomo Riskin was born on May 28, 1940, in
At the age of 23, Riskin became the founding rabbi of
During the 1960s and 1970s, he became a leader of the movement to allow free, unfettered emigration for
Immigration and after
In 1983, Riskin immigrated to the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Israeli-occupied West Bank with his family, where he became the founding Chief Rabbi, a position he held until 2020.[11] Over the years, he was joined by many former members of his New York congregation. In Israel, Riskin has established a network of high schools, colleges, graduate programs, seminaries and rabbinical schools under the name Ohr Torah Stone Institutions with a total student enrollment numbering in the thousands.[citation needed]
Riskin has dedicated himself to training a new generation of leaders for the Orthodox Jewish world. To this end, he established a Rabbinical Seminary and Practical Rabbinics Program to prepare young men with the scholarship and practical skills to become effective spiritual leaders, teachers and spokesmen for Orthodox Judaism. Riskin now has hundreds of former students serving as rabbis and educators in Israel and throughout the world.[citation needed]
He has also pioneered the
In 1991, Riskin issued a challenge in Israel's High Court to the laws which prevented women from serving as
Parallel to these institutions, Riskin also established the first ever programs for young men and women from the Diaspora with severe learning and developmental difficulties to spend a year studying Torah in Israel while also gaining vocational training.[citation needed]
Riskin is a forceful spokesperson for Jews and Israel, and against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. As an advocate of religious and cultural tolerance, he has worked to promote good relations with the leaders of the
In 2008, Riskin established the Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation, or CJCUC, the first Orthodox Jewish institution to dialogue with the Christian world on a religious and theological basis. The center, currently located in Jerusalem, engages in Hebraic Bible Study for Christians, from both the local community and from abroad, has organized numerous interfaith praise initiatives, such as Day to Praise, and has established many fund-raising initiatives such as Blessing Bethlehem which aim to aid the persecuted Christian community of Bethlehem, in part, and the larger persecuted Christian community of the Middle East region and throughout the world. Since Riskin's retirement as president of Ohr Torah Stone in 2018, the overseeing of all CJCUC activities has been turned over to David Nekrutman who has served as the center's chief director since its inception.[16]
In 2018, Riskin was awarded the Bonei Zion (Builders of Zion) Prize for outstanding achievements in Education.[17]
Controversy
Rabbi Riskin's term as Chief Rabbi of Efrat was extended by five years on June 28, 2015, after a month-long controversy in which the Chief Rabbinate was allegedly planning to retire him at age 75 because of his religious views on the advancement of women in Orthodoxy and an inclusive approach towards conversion.[18]
Rabbi Riskin was accused of comparing U.S. President Barack Obama to the antagonist of the
In April 2015, Riskin's launching of the Day to Praise interfaith joint praise initiative caused an uproar within the Haredi and other conservative-Orthodox Jewish circles. In a statement, the once chief Sephardi Rabbi of Israel, and the chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Shlomo Amar, expressed his "stomach churning" in light of the joint Hallel prayer of Jews and Christians in a synagogue in Jerusalem being led by Rabbi Riskin.[20] In a rebuttal, Rabbi Riskin defended his actions, stating that, "We are talking about a thanksgiving prayer to G-d that would include Christians who worship His actions towards the Jewish people and the Land of Israel... What could possibly be more appropriate?"[21]
In 2010, Riskin appeared in a video where he referenced Jesus with a title of Rabbi, and called Jesus a "model Rabbi", referring to the historical origins of Jesus as a Jew, and not of the modern perception of Jesus. Many took Riskin's statements out of context, claiming that Riskin's statements are incompatible with mainstream theologies in other forms of Judaism.[22] Riskin explained in an additional statement that a poor edit to the video left out his explanation elaborating upon the fundamental differences between the religions, and the historical context within which his statements were made.[23]
Bibliography
- Community study, "The binding of Isaac," at the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York. 92nd Street Y. 1981. (with Alan W. Miller and Sheldon Zimmerman)
- Yad L'Isha: A Halakhic Perspective on Women and Divorce (in Hebrew). Maggid Books. 1989.
- Around the family table: A comprehensive "bencher" and companion for Shabbat and festival meals and other family occasions. Urim. 2005. ISBN 965-7108-61-6.
- The Passover Haggadah with a traditional and contemporary commentary. Ktav Publishing. 1984. ISBN 0-88125-014-7.
- Torah Lights: Bereshit: Confronting Life, Love & Family. Maggid Books. 2009. ISBN 978-1-59264-272-4.
- Torah Lights: Exodus defines the birth of a nation. Ohr Torah Stone. 2009. ]
- Torah Lights: Vayikra Sacrifice, Sanctity and Silence. Maggid Books. 2009. ISBN 978-1-59264-274-8.
- Si'ach Shulchan: A Birkon with Insights & Commentary (in Hebrew). Maggid Books. 2009.
- Listening to God: Inspirational stories for my grandchildren. Maggid Books. 2010. ISBN 978-1-59264-292-2.
See also
- Efrat
- Ohr Torah Stone
- Yeshivat Hamivtar
- Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation(CJCUC)
- Day to Praise
References
- ^ a b Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin Archived 2019-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, Rabbinical Council of America. Nov 9, 2007
- ISBN 978-965-524-014-6.
- ^ Sanua, Marianne Rachel. Let Us Prove Strong: The American Jewish Committee, 1945-2006. p. 268.
- ^ Lincoln Square Synagogue – History Archived 2010-07-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Rabbi Shlomo Riskin". ou.org. Orthodox Union. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ Weiss, Stewart (28 May 2015). "Rabbi Riskin – until 120". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ Urim Publications: Shlomo Riskin Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ For a student’s recollection of Riskin’s impact as a teacher in a 1965 Talmud class, see Douglas Wertheimer, "You Are What You Know," Chicago Jewish Star, April 22, 2005, p. 7.
- ^ Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. New York Magazine. 22 Jan 1979.
- ^ Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (SSSJ). Encyclopaedia Judaica. 2009
- ^ Ohr Torah Stone - Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin Archived 2011-09-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hasia R. Diner. The Jews of the United States, 1654 to 2000. 2006. Page 353.
- ^ a b "First Halacha Sefer by Women Makes Waves in Israeli Orthodox World |". Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- ^ a b "Orthodox, Female and Running Their Own Shuls – Just Don't Call Them Rabbis". Haaretz. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
- ^ Jewish religious law: a progressive perspective. John D. Rayner. p. 176
- ^ SHARON, JEREMY; HALON, EYTAN (28 February 2019). "INTERFAITH RELATIONS: EVANGELICAL-JEWISH RELATIONS AFTER ECKSTEIN". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "2018 Bonei Zion Prize recipients announced". Arutz Sheva. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ Rabbi Riskin's Term extended After Rabbinate Had Thrown Doubt on His Continued Tenure' The Jerusalem Post. June 29, 2015.
- ^ American-Israeli Rabbi compares Obama to Haman' The Jerusalem Post. March 30, 2015.
- ^ Cohen, Ishay (22 April 2015). "זעזוע בירושלים: "תפילה" משותפת ליהודים ונוצרים" (in Hebrew). Kikar HaShabbat. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- ^ Wanderman, Matt (22 April 2015). "Rabbi Riskin Defends Jewish-Christian Independence Day Prayer". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- ^ "Efrat Rabbi Retracts Praise for 'Rabbi Jesus' Over Orthodox Ire".
- ^ "Rabbi Riskin's Real views (Unedited/Unspliced) on Jesus and Messianism HD". www.youtube.com. Retrieved April 20, 2017.