Heschel, Abraham Joshua

Heschel, Abraham Joshua (hĕsh`əl), 1907–72, American Jewish philosopher and theologian, b. Warsaw, Poland. He succeeded Martin Buber as director of the Central Organization for Jewish Adult Education in Frankfurt and then taught in Warsaw and London before going to the United States in 1940. He taught philosophy and rabbinics at the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, and in 1945 became professor of Jewish ethics and mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, where he remained until his death. He developed an influential philosophy and theology that sought to renew the ability to grasp the reality of the relationship between God and humans, and of the holiness of life. He played a significant role in the civil-rights movement and in the Christian-Jewish dialogue. Heschel's major works are Man Is Not Alone: A Philosophy of Religion (1951), God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism (1955), The Prophets (1962), Who Is Man? (1965), Israel: An Echo of Eternity (1969), and A Passion for Truth (1973).

Bibliography

See M. Friedman, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Elie Wiesel (1987); D. J. Moore, The Human and the Holy: the Spirituality of Abraham Joshua Heschel (1989).

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Heschel, Abraham Joshua

(born 1907, Warsaw, Pol., Russian Empire—died Dec. 23, 1972, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Polish-born U.S. Jewish philosopher and theologian. He studied at the University of Berlin and taught Jewish studies in Germany until he was deported by the Nazis in 1938. After coming to the U.S., he taught at Hebrew Union College and later at Jewish Theological Seminary. His goal was to devise a modern philosophy of religion based on ancient and medieval Judaic traditions, and he emphasized Judaism's prophetic and mystical aspects. Emphasizing social action as an expression of pious ethical concerns, he worked for black civil rights and against the Vietnam War. His writings include Man Is Not Alone (1951) and God in Search of Man (1956).

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Heschel, Abraham Joshua (1907–72) educator, author; born in Warsaw, Poland. He studied and taught Jewish theology in Germany until 1938, when he was deported to Warsaw. He came to the U.S.A. in 1941. He became professor of Jewish ethics and mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (1946–72). A spokesman on issues of social injustice, he wrote many scholarly and popular books including Unknown Documents on the History of Hasidism (1952) and The Problem of the Individual (1958).