Jewish Thought and Philosophy

To think Jewishly is to stand at the edge of certainty and still choose to believe, question, and seek. Jewish thought lives in the tension between faith and doubt, law and freedom, eternity and change.

  • The Tent of Avraham

    Gleanings from the David Cardozo Academy

    In Halacha and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    This collection addresses matters of an academic, a personal, and a spiritual nature. The contributors include Jewish professors, rabbis, and thinkers, all of whom have taught at or are affiliated with the David Cardozo Academy in Jerusalem. Offering original insights into the Jewish tradition, many of the articles illustrate a more personal and emotional struggle with elements of Judaism, thus capturing the essence of the Academy.

  • Man, God and the Torah – The Death and Life of the Word

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Rabbi Aha said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: When at Mt. Sinai the Israelites heard the word “I” (the first word of “I am the Lord your God” in the “Ten Words”), their souls left them...It may perhaps be argued that this Midrash, like no other text, summarizes the essence of Judaism and its dialectic nature...

  • No Mashiach Without a Song

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Whether the angels play only Bach praising God, I am not quite sure; I am sure, however, that en famille they play Mozart. (1) When attending synagogue services around the world, one is often confronted with a lack of religious enthusiasm. In many synagogues, services are heavy and often depressing. It is not always the […]

  • The Preciousness of My Children – A Terrifying Story

    In Heschel and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    I have learned to be constantly thankful to God for His incredible gift of children, children-in-law and grandchildren. I learned this on Friday, June 11, 2010, when my wife and I nearly lost a daughter and three grandchildren.

  • Thoughts on Forgiveness – The Man Who Made Me Jewish

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    There is only one time I have ever forgiven an anti-Semite. But it was for a good reason. He had successfully helped me to become Jewish!

  • Solving the Conversion Crisis and Global Judaism

    In Converting to Judaism and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Israel has been confronted with the plight of hundreds of thousands of people who made aliyah, mostly from Russia, who are children of mixed marriages or who have other Jewish ancestry, such as Jewish grandparents. Most of them are not halachically Jewish since their mothers are not Jewish.  Yet many of them would like to become Jewish. The problem, however, is that the majority do not want to commit themselves to a halachic way of life.

  • Is conversion really possible?

    In Converting to Judaism and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Judaism and the Jewish people are intertwined and interact in ways which nobody can fully grasp. Are we a religion, or a nation? If we are a religion, how can it be that somebody who does not believe in God or refuses to observe even one commandment still remains Jewish as long as he or she is born to a Jewish mother? And if we are a nation, how does religion come in, telling us who belongs to the nation and who does not? Any attempt to find a solution to this problem will always fail. This is one of the greatest mysteries of Jewish identity.

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