David Hartman (rabbi)
Encyclopedia
David Hartman is an American
and Israeli rabbi
and philosopher of contemporary Judaism
, founder of the Shalom Hartman Institute
in Jerusalem, Israel, and a Jewish author.
section of Brooklyn, New York, Hartman attended Yeshiva Chaim Berlin and the Lubavitch Yeshiva. In 1953, having studied with Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, he received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University
in New York. He continued to study with Rabbi Soloveitchik until 1960, while pursuing a graduate degree in philosophy
with Robert C. Pollock at Fordham University
. From his teacher Rabbi Soloveitchik, David learned that the practice of Judaism can be integrated with a deep respect for knowledge regardless of its source. From Professor Pollock he learned to joyfully celebrate the variety of spiritual rhythms present in the American
experience.
, New York
, from 1955–1960, David Hartman became Rabbi of Congregation Tiferet Beit David Jerusalem in Montreal
, where he had a profound influence on the lives of many of his congregants, some of whom followed him to Israel
when he moved there in 1971. While in Montreal, he also taught and studied at McGill University
and received his Ph.D.
in philosophy.
In 1971, Hartman immigrated to Israel with his wife Barbara and their five children, a move which he viewed as an essential part of his mission to encourage a greater understanding between Jews of diverse affiliations – both in Israel and the Jewish diaspora
– and to help build a more pluralistic and tolerant Israeli society. In 2008, Rabbi Hartman received an honorary doctorate from Weizmann Institute "in recognition of "his life's work to revitalize Judaism and strengthen Jewish identity among Jews the world over; above all, of his gift of vision and action, faith and scholarship, toward building a more pluralistic, tolerant, and enlightened Israeli society." It is with this vision that David Hartman founded the Shalom Hartman Institute
in Jerusalem in 1976, dedicating it to his father. In 2009, David Hartman was named Founding President. His son, Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman
, was named President of the Institute. At the institute, Prof. Hartman has led a team of research
scholars in the study and teaching of classical Jewish sources and contemporary issues of Israeli society and Jewish life. His work emphasizes the centrality of the rebirth of the State of Israel – the challenge as well as the opportunities it offers to contemporary Judaism. His teachings draw upon the tradition of Orthodox Judaism
and emphasize religious pluralism, both among Jews and in interfaith
relations. As his views often align with Conservative Judaism
, some have asked whether he should be considered Orthodox. Elliot Dorff has characterized Hartman as "Orthodox but close to the right border of Conservative Judaism."
In addition to the institute
he has opened the Charles E. Smith High School
for boys that is resident on the Institute campus and, more recently, a girls' high school, Midrashiya, in central Jerusalem.
Professor of Jewish Thought at Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, where he taught for over two decades, Hartman was also visiting Professor of Jewish Thought at the University of California, Berkeley
during 1986/1987 and at the University of California, Los Angeles
during 1997/1998. His involvement goes beyond the academic fields, in which he has published extensively, and his influence has also been felt in Israel’s political and educational arenas: from 1977–1984, he served as an advisor to Zevulun Hammer
, former Israeli Minister of Education, and he has been advisor to a number of Israeli prime ministers
on the subject of religious pluralism in Israel and the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Israeli rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and philosopher of contemporary Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, founder of the Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute is a Jewish research and education institute based in Jerusalem, Israel, that offers pluralistic Jewish thought and education to scholars, rabbis, educators, and Jewish community leaders in Israel and North America...
in Jerusalem, Israel, and a Jewish author.
Early life
Born in the BrownsvilleBrownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
section of Brooklyn, New York, Hartman attended Yeshiva Chaim Berlin and the Lubavitch Yeshiva. In 1953, having studied with Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, he received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
in New York. He continued to study with Rabbi Soloveitchik until 1960, while pursuing a graduate degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
with Robert C. Pollock at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. From his teacher Rabbi Soloveitchik, David learned that the practice of Judaism can be integrated with a deep respect for knowledge regardless of its source. From Professor Pollock he learned to joyfully celebrate the variety of spiritual rhythms present in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
experience.
Career
After serving as a congregational rabbi in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, from 1955–1960, David Hartman became Rabbi of Congregation Tiferet Beit David Jerusalem in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, where he had a profound influence on the lives of many of his congregants, some of whom followed him to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
when he moved there in 1971. While in Montreal, he also taught and studied at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in philosophy.
In 1971, Hartman immigrated to Israel with his wife Barbara and their five children, a move which he viewed as an essential part of his mission to encourage a greater understanding between Jews of diverse affiliations – both in Israel and the Jewish diaspora
Jewish diaspora
The Jewish diaspora is the English term used to describe the Galut גלות , or 'exile', of the Jews from the region of the Kingdom of Judah and Roman Iudaea and later emigration from wider Eretz Israel....
– and to help build a more pluralistic and tolerant Israeli society. In 2008, Rabbi Hartman received an honorary doctorate from Weizmann Institute "in recognition of "his life's work to revitalize Judaism and strengthen Jewish identity among Jews the world over; above all, of his gift of vision and action, faith and scholarship, toward building a more pluralistic, tolerant, and enlightened Israeli society." It is with this vision that David Hartman founded the Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute is a Jewish research and education institute based in Jerusalem, Israel, that offers pluralistic Jewish thought and education to scholars, rabbis, educators, and Jewish community leaders in Israel and North America...
in Jerusalem in 1976, dedicating it to his father. In 2009, David Hartman was named Founding President. His son, Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman
Donniel Hartman
Donniel Hartman is a Jewish Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbi and educator. He is President of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Israel. He has written books and essays on Judaism and modernity and is a frequent speaker at academic conferences and synagogues in the United States and Canada...
, was named President of the Institute. At the institute, Prof. Hartman has led a team of research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
scholars in the study and teaching of classical Jewish sources and contemporary issues of Israeli society and Jewish life. His work emphasizes the centrality of the rebirth of the State of Israel – the challenge as well as the opportunities it offers to contemporary Judaism. His teachings draw upon the tradition of Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
and emphasize religious pluralism, both among Jews and in interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
relations. As his views often align with Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
, some have asked whether he should be considered Orthodox. Elliot Dorff has characterized Hartman as "Orthodox but close to the right border of Conservative Judaism."
In addition to the institute
Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute is a Jewish research and education institute based in Jerusalem, Israel, that offers pluralistic Jewish thought and education to scholars, rabbis, educators, and Jewish community leaders in Israel and North America...
he has opened the Charles E. Smith High School
Hartman High School
Hartman High School is an Orthodox Jewish religious high school in Jerusalem, Israel. The school, affiliated with the Shalom Hartman Institute, is located in Jerusalem's German Colony. It has a student population of 350 in grades 7-12...
for boys that is resident on the Institute campus and, more recently, a girls' high school, Midrashiya, in central Jerusalem.
Professor of Jewish Thought at Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, where he taught for over two decades, Hartman was also visiting Professor of Jewish Thought at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
during 1986/1987 and at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
during 1997/1998. His involvement goes beyond the academic fields, in which he has published extensively, and his influence has also been felt in Israel’s political and educational arenas: from 1977–1984, he served as an advisor to Zevulun Hammer
Zevulun Hammer
Zevulun Hammer was an Israeli politician, minister and Deputy Prime Minister.-Biography:Hammer was born in Haifa during the British Mandate of Palestine. He was an active member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement , and served in the Israeli Armored Corps in a Nahal programme...
, former Israeli Minister of Education, and he has been advisor to a number of Israeli prime ministers
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
on the subject of religious pluralism in Israel and the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora.
Publications
Hartman’s publications in Jewish philosophy have received wide recognition and become standard references in academic scholarship. He was awarded the National Jewish Book Award in 1977 for Maimonides: Torah and Philosophic Quest (Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1976) and in 1986 for the recently reissued A Living Covenant: The Innovative Spirit in Traditional Judaism (Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, Vermont, 1997 www.jewishlights.com). In 1993, the Hebrew translation of A Living Covenant From Sinai to Zion (Am Oved Publishers) was awarded the Leah Goldberg Prize. A Heart of Many Rooms: Celebrating the Many Voices Within Judaism was published by Jewish Lights Publishing in 1999. Israelis and the Jewish Tradition: an Ancient People Debating Its Future was published by Yale University Press, 2000, Love and Terror in the God Encounter: the Theological Legacy of Joseph B. Soloveitchik was published by Jewish Lights 2001. The Hebrew translation of Israelis and the Jewish Tradition (Moreshet b’machloket) was published by Schocken Publishing House, 2002.Awards
Hartman was awarded the Avi Chai Prize in the year 2000 and on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Shalom Hartman Institute he was awarded the Guardian of Jerusalem Prize. He was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Yale University in May 2003. In 2004 David Hartman received an honorary doctorate from Hebrew Union College and was awarded the Samuel Rothberg Prize for Jewish Education by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2008, David Hartman received an honorary degree from Weizmann Institute of Rehovot, Israel.External links
- Hartman Institute Official Website
- Videos of David Hartman lectures
- Articles by David Hartman on Hartman Institute Official Website
Books by Rabbi Hartman
- A Living Covenant: The Innovative Spirit in Traditional Judaism (Jewish Lights, 1998)
- MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
: Torah and Philosophic Quest (Jewish Publication Society, 1976) - A Heart of Many Rooms: Celebrating the Many Voices Within Judaism (Jewish Lights, 1999)
- Israelis and the Jewish Tradition: An Ancient People Debating Its Future (The Terry Lectures Series) (Yale Univ Press, 2000)
- The God Who Hates Lies: Confronting and Rethinking Jewish Tradition (Jewish Lights, 2011)