The Rabbi Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club met last month at Ohef Sholom Temple to discuss To Heal a Fractured World.  This was the fourth book reviewed as part of a yearlong effort to dig deeply into the profound work of Rabbi Lord Jonathon Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and widely acknowledged master teacher, theologian, and communicator. 

To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility provides a passionate plea to return religion to its true purpose – a partnership with G-d in the work of ethical and moral living.  During the wide-ranging discussion, close to two dozen participants examined the roots of “tikkun olam” in the biblical tradition.  Blending universal values with the particularities of Jewish tradition, Sacks makes a forceful case that we exist to make a difference in this world.  The depth of the Torah provides a blueprint between ritual and deeds to take thoughts and turn them into habits that impact the world.  Sacks says, “Each of us has a unique constellation of gifts, an unreplicated radius of influence, and within that radius, be it as small as a family or as large as a state, we can be a transformative presence.”

“’I think I just spent the morning in a room with the smartest group of people I’ve ever been in,’” says Elizabeth Murphy. “That’s what I told my husband after attending a Sacks Community Book Club meeting for the first time. For the past few years, I’ve read or listened to the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ commentary on almost every week’s parsha before attending Torah Study. 

“Especially considering the ongoing events in Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon, as well as Ukraine, the US, and the rest of the world, it’s imperative to discuss ethics and responsibility,” says Murphy. “Rabbi Sacks’ insights are timeless. Listening to and questioning the brilliant, friendly members’ collective wisdom and clarity provided me with answers and observations that help me reframe my judgments or reinforce them. If you’re seeking food for thought, you’ll find a feast with this supportive, reflective group.”

This Community Book Club, a partnership between the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and area synagogues, welcomes newcomers regardless of if or what synagogue they are members of. The next club meeting will discuss Judaism’s Life Changing Ideas.  In this book, Rabbi Sacks offers an essay that corresponds to each of the weekly torah readings over the course of the year.  This book club will be unique because there is no expectation to read the book before the meeting.  Instead, the group will discuss Rabbi Sacks’ approach to Torah commentary and review a representative essay.   

As the annual Torah reading begins with Simchat Torah in late October, this is the perfect time to get a copy of the book and consider committing to reading a three-page essay each week. 

For more information and to register, visit
JewishVA.org/SacksBookClub or contact Craig Schranz at schranzc@yahoo.com.

The Rabbi Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club, a collaboration between the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and local synagogues, gathers every two months with the aim of uniting the community by exploring the works of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, a leading modern Jewish thinker.

The next book in the series is To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility, a compelling work where Rabbi Sacks advocates for restoring reli- gion’s role as a partnership with God for ethical living. The discussion will cover each person’s duties to others, society, and humanity in a time of global uncertainty – a topic that is more relevant now than ever.

All are welcome to attend the upcoming meeting, which will take place at Ohef Sholom Temple, regardless of synagogue affiliation. Prior reading of the book is not required.

Find more information or register by visiting JewishVA.org/SackBookClub or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@ujft.org.

For more information, contact Craig Schranz at schranzc@yahoo.com or Sierra Lautman at SLautman@ujft.org.

The Rabbi Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club continued its journey of Jewish conversation by reviewing The Great Partnership in collaboration with Temple Israel and the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. The second in a planned six-book exploration, The Great Partnership explores the relationship between religion, science, and the search for meaning.

The book begins by explaining why so many view religion and science as incompatible. It then makes a forceful case for why religion matters and directly addresses major challenges to faith.

Contrasting accounts of the world are explored with one narrative describing a universe where random chance overwhelmed massive improbability, resulting in the spontaneous formation of life with ever-increasing complexity. There is no purpose or higher meaning; we simply exist in a brief instant of time along the continuum of infinity. Our actions and thoughts are no more than preprogrammed responses from our genetic code of no moral consequence.

An alternative offers a universe called into being from an entity outside it. Under the laws called nature that are understood as science, Homo sapiens became sentient and endowed with free will to make moral choices that have consequences that endow life with meaning. As Sacks says, “The meaning of the system lies outside the system. Therefore, the meaning of the universe lies outside the universe. That was the revolution of Abrahamic monotheism.”

Science and religion are independent realms that complement each other similarly to both sides of the brain. The left brain supports linear, analytical, and mechanical functions that allow information to be processed. The right brain is more integrative and is a source of empathy and emotion. Sacks argues that Judaism represents a right-brain spirituality transformed by the Greek world through Christianity into a left-brain language that made compatibility with scientific progress difficult to integrate. Sacks makes the case that Judaism in its original form complements scientific advancement without serious theological difficulties. Utilizing classic Jewish sources, he discusses how religious faith is not threatened but may even be strengthened by scientific advances that include the universe’s origins and evolutionary biology. Ultimately, “Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean.”

For some, science alone serves the function of religion. However, science has no space for empathy or to account for human dignity. There is no morality in nature. Moral choice requires understanding the concern of the “other.” Certainly, one does not have to be religious to be ethical. However, Sacks makes a persuasive argument about the risk to morality and relationships needed to sustain a vibrant society when devoid of a noncoercive religious framework. Just as there is bad science, there is bad religion, and Sacks discusses the pitfalls that religion must navigate to remain a force for good.
The search for meaning is made, not discovered, and it is found in the stories told, the prayers said, and the rituals performed. It isn’t necessary to choose between embracing science and pursuing faith.

The next meeting will be in partnership with host Temple Israel at 7255 Granby St in Norfolk. The group will discuss Not in God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence. Participants are encouraged to read the book in advance, but attending without advance reading will still be worth the effort. Is there a better way to start Father’s Day than with some spirited discussion? Join and bring a friend!

For more information or to register, visit JewishVA.org/SacksBookClub or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@ujft.org.

The first book in the six-event series was Future Tense: Jews, Judaism and Israel in the 21st Century. Written in 2009 and referencing past armed conflict in Gaza, it was a particularly appropriate beginning to the series considering the recent violence in Israel. A lively interactive discussion ensued, touching on the main themes of the book and its central premise calling for a Judaism engaged in the world. As Rabbi Sacks states, “We are in danger of forgetting who Jews are and why, why there is such a thing as the Jewish people, and what its place is within the global project of humankind.”

Future Tense challenges the narrative that Jews are destined to be hated and a people that forever shall dwell alone. For Sacks, this isn’t the Jewish story. If one believes they are alone, they will be. This attitude is inconsistent with Jewish self-understanding and turns Jews into victims. Ultimately it demoralizes and leads Jews to leave Judaism.

The book argues that without a positive vision, Jews will split apart. This unity requires a shared religious commitment, “Without the covenant of faith, there is no covenant of fate. Without religion, there is no global nation.” Sacks notes the paradox of Jewish continuity, “when it was hard to stay a Jew, people stayed Jewish, when it became easy to be a Jew, people stopped being Jewish.” Staying Jewish requires a level of connection beyond ethnic or culture identification. Maintaining an identity requires duty, commitment, and loyalty.

Highlighting both the unique and universal aspects of Judaism, Sacks writes “If the God of Israel is the God of all humanity, then you do not have to be a member of the religion of Israel to be in the image of God or blessed by God.” The tolerance of religious diversity is at the center of Judaism that values the “dignity of difference.” It also highlights Judaism’s focus on being the “voice of the other throughout history.” As he remarks, “The whole of Judaism is about making space for the other, about God making space for us, us making space for God, and about human beings making space for one another.”

The global rise of antisemitism makes it seem that there is little space for the Jewish people. Sacks discusses the mutating virus that is antisemitism. It started initially as an antireligious view of Judaism from early Christian leaders who embraced secessionism and considered themselves the new “chosen people.” In the Middle Ages, antisemitism morphed to target specific Jewish practice which was often characterized as demonic. This is best exemplified by the blood libel in which Jews were falsely accused of using the blood of murdered Christian children to make their Passover matzah. Following the enlightenment in the late 1800s, antisemitism assumed an anti-racial approach, culminating in the Holocaust. Today’s antisemitism has mutated once more as anti-Zionism, where Jews don’t deserve their own state, claiming that the existence of Israel is the source of all evil. Thus, every Jew is a legitimate target no matter where in the world they reside.

What is the right response to antisemitism? It is to live a life not of what “you are against, but what you are living for” – to lean into Judaism and not be afraid to be different. While antisemites may be the loudest voice, they are not the most numerous.

Despite the rise in hate, Jews are not alone. There continues to be significant public support for Jews and Israel in America, Arab countries want relations with the Jewish state, and a renaissance in Jewish-Christian relations has taken place over the last few decades. As the book explains, the fear that Jews are destined to dwell alone comes from the failure of three universalist dreams: European emancipation, Russian communism, and Secular Zionism.

Sacks explains why Israel is necessary and what a new vision of Zionism can be. The connection of the Jewish people and the land are inseparable and the foundation of numerous commandments. “Israel has taken a barren land and made it bloom again. It has taken an ancient language, the Hebrew of the Bible, and made it speak again. It has taken the West’s oldest faith and made it young again. It has taken a shattered nation and made it live again.”

The founding fathers of America were well versed in the Bible and looked to it as a source of inspiration to promote a society based on covenant. A contract is an exchange based on mutual benefit. A covenant is more like a marriage. “In a covenant, two or more individuals, each respecting the dignity and integrity of the other, come together in a bond of love and trust to share their interests, sometimes their lives, by pledging their faithfulness to one another, to do together what neither can achieve alone. The relationship between the Jewish people and God is a covenant and Sacks elaborates on this model as the key to an effective Jewish society in the Jewish State.

The book concludes with a call for the Jewish people to engage in the world and unite Torah with chochma (wisdom). It is a call to action, to understand the world and bring the light of Torah out to improve it. As noted in the title, Future Tense, Judaism is a forward-thinking religion. The golden age of the Jewish people is yet to come.

The next book club is Sunday, April 28 at Temple Emanuel with The Great Partnership: Science, Religion and the Search for Meaning.

Craig Schranz is a physician and Norfolk resident with an interest in sharing the teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

The last few months have been a difficult time for the Jewish people. Since the devastating attacks of October 7th, those living in the diaspora have had difficulty formulating an effective response to a changed world.Public displays of antisemitism on college campuses have forced us to reexamine the position of the Jewish people among the most elite academic circles, leaving us questioning how to respond. One trend is a spirit of achdus (unity) that has brought disparate elements of the Jewish people to stand together. This was most visible at the large DC rally. While gratifying to see, it was also noticeable that the only clergy on the stage was John Hagee, the pro-Israel Christian pastor. This was intentional. To unite the Jewish people, the organizers realized the difficulty of having a rabbi speak who would be well received by the diversity in thought and practice currently represented in the modern Jewish world.

It is times like this when the voice of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is missed. Raised in a traditional Jewish home in England, while studying philosophy at the University of Cambridge, Sacks travelled to New York City to discuss questions he had with philosophy and religion with two of the leading rabbis of the time, Rabbi Soloveitchik a scion of the Modern Orthodox movement and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Schneersohn. These conversations led him on the path to rabbinical ordainment while continuing his academic pursuits in philosophy. He was quickly recognized for his outstanding talents and was appointed Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom in 1991, serving until 2013. In addition to connecting with the Jewish community, he extended torah values to the wider world. In recognition of his efforts, he was knighted by the Queen of England in 2005 and made a Life Peer, taking a seat in the House of Lords in 2009. After his retirement as Chief Rabbi, he continued a prolific schedule of teaching, public speaking, and writing until his death in 2020. His published works include more than 40 books of wide-ranging topics from in-depth biblical commentary to writings on morality in the public sphere.

One remarkable characteristic of Rabbi Sacks’ writings is his ability to offer a perspective that is both timely and timeless, keeping even his earliest teachings relevant. Another unique attribute was his ability to connect to Jews across denominations and even non-Jews across the globe. Recognizing that Jews composed roughly 0.5% of the United Kingdom’s population, he knew that to strengthen the moral fabric of British society he would have to communicate ideas to a diverse audience. His success led him to becoming a household name in the United Kingdom, a close confidant of prime ministers, and a frequent guest on the BBC.

There are many ways to respond to the explosion of antisemitism and the unfair global isolation of Israel. In my mind, one of the most productive is to turn inward and double down on our own Jewishness… take a deeper dive at the ideas that have formed the ethical foundation of Western Civilization and take this moment to learn with and from each other.

This was the impetus for the formation of the Rabbi Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club, supported in part by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

Throughout 2024, the club will study six books from Rabbi Sacks involving a broad range of the big Jewish ideas that can unite us. From our relationship to the land of Israel, Jewish peoplehood, the relevance of the biblical narrative to our understanding of the modern world – it will be a year of profound fellowship. A guided discussion on a different book will take place every two months at various synagogues. Choose to read along in advance or simply show up.

The first book club event on Feb. 25 will discuss Future Tense: Jews, Judaism and Israel in the 21st Century, which is available on Amazon. It explores the origins of antisemitism and its many mutations, the need for a Judaism engaged in the world, and the future of the Jewish people.

For more information or to register for this year-long exploration of the big Jewish ideas that form the foundation of 3500 years of Jewish history, visit JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@UJFT.org.

Craig Schranz is a physician and Norfolk resident with a personal interest in sharing the teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.