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My Mission

My mission is to teach. To show what Judaism has to offer and how living its life can be reconciled with modernity and living in two worlds.  And to make this learning enjoyable.

Most people want certainty and prefer not to ask uncomfortable questions. I believe in questioning. I do not believe in brainwashing or in closing minds. I embrace the fuzzy boundaries and inconsistencies of human beings and the process by which Judaism has developed, and continues to develop, to meet challenges.

Reality has many facets and there are “seventy faces to Torah.” I want to show the richness of tradition and its way of helping us cope with the challenges of life in our times. My goal is to help people find their own place in Judaism based on knowledge and experience.

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Most Recent Commentary

  • Why Purim Matters
    Purim matters so much this year. It tells a never ending story. We were threatened with destruction. We responded by finding ways to combat the threat.  We did not capitulate. We called out evil as it was. We celebrated our survival by emphasizing charity, friendship, and gratitude, strengthening our communities, all positive qualities, building not destroying. We did not rejoice in needless pain or seeing others suffer. Purim makes another point. That one reaction to evil is to laugh ...

Most Recent Video Commentary

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Commitment and Controversy: Living in Two Worlds Vol. 3

In this third collection of Rosen’s insightful, wide-ranging thoughts on Jewish life and its relationship with the larger world, he reveals a moderate who is nonetheless deeply committed to his ideals. Rosen deftly jumps from discussions on feminism and current affairs to art, history, politics, and more.

Varieties of Jewish Religious Thought

An exploration of ideas that are the core of Jewish tradition and identity. Using both rational and mystical approaches to the issues of Jewish theology, this book is aimed at the thinking, critical person who is unable to accept dogma without question or inquiry.

Commitment and Controversy: Living in Two Worlds Vol. 2

In this compilation of blogs, Jeremy Rosen draws on his experience as a rabbi, academic and teacher to provide insights on the issues facing life as a Jew in a western, open society, covering Jewish customs, tradition, and theology as well as history, politics and current affairs.