Judaism on Trial
An Unconventional Discussion about Judaism, Jews and the State of Israel
Published: 2000
Arguing that science and anti-religious philosophy are not responsible for the decline of Judaism, Rabbi Cardozo says it is those who teach it that make Judaism appear irrelevant to the needs and problems of modern man. Jewish law and custom are taught as a dogmatic creed and no longer contains the exciting spontaneity of worship, while remaining formalistic, replacing love with habit. Instead, the author believes that Judaism must reflect deep compassion to recapture the flowing fountain of a glorious tradition-if not, all becomes meaningless. The author is dean of the David Cardozo School for Jewish Studies and Human Dignity.
Dotted everywhere are mind-boggling statements, and absolute gems of wisdom, from an extremely courageous Orthodox rabbi. —Doreen Wachmann, Jewish Telegraph
Rabbi Cardozo deals with the most complex issues in a forthright and stimulating fashion. —Rabbi Dr. Marc D. Angel, past President of the Rabbinical Council of America
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo is the Founder and Dean of the David Cardozo Academy and the Bet Midrash of Avraham Avinu in Jerusalem.
A sought-after lecturer on the international stage for both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences, Rabbi Cardozo is the author of 18 books and numerous articles in both English and Hebrew.
He heads a Think Tank focused on finding new Halachic and philosophical approaches to dealing with the crisis of religion and identity amongst Jews and the Jewish State of Israel.
Hailing from the Netherlands, Rabbi Cardozo is known for his original and often fearlessly controversial insights into Judaism. His ideas are widely debated on an international level on social media, blogs, books and other forums.