Yitzchok Adlerstein
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein (b. 1950 in New York) is an Orthodox
rabbi
who has played an important role as spokesman, teacher, and writer on behalf of Orthodox Judaism
as well as for the Baal teshuva movement
in the United States. He is a leading exponent of the moderation of Haredi Judaism
in relation to the outside world.
He writes prolifically for a wide spectrum of Orthodox Jews and his essays have been published in Jewish Action
(the official magazine of the Orthodox Union
); The Jewish Observer
(the official magazine of Agudath Israel of America
); the Torah u-Madda
Journal (of Yeshiva University
); Tradition
journal (of the Rabbinical Council of America
); the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society
, The Jewish Press
(an English-language weekly with the largest circulation); in the publications of the National Council of Young Israel and in many other print and online forums. He is the co-founder and a featured writer on Cross-Currents, an online journal of Orthodox Jewish thought published in blog
format.
's Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
and Dennis Prager
, two popular writers and talk show hosts.
Adlerstein served in an advisory and honorary position as one the founding trusteees of the Association for Jewish Outreach Programs
(AJOP, known at the time as The Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals) delivering lectures and workshops to Orthodox Jewish outreach rabbis entering into this new field of which he was, and still is, considered a leading exponent and pioneer.
Adlerstein studied and received his advanced rabbinical ordination
(Yoreh Yoreh Yadin Yadin) from the Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim (Rabbinical Seminary of America) in New York, an institution that stresses the importance of Jewish outreach
. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Queens College, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
He often writes on complex current events issues in respected journals:
Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center
. He holds the Sydney M. Irmas Adjunct Chair in Jewish Law and Ethics
at Loyola Law School
and teaches senior high school girls at Yeshiva of Los Angeles.
He writes regularly for the Cross-Currents online journal, and writes the "Bytes & PCs" column in the quarterly Jewish Action
magazine. He is frequently quoted by the Los Angeles Times
and many other print and online publications as a voice of Haredi Judaism
.
In 2000, his elucidation of "Be'er Hagolah" (ISBN 1-57819-463-6) the classic defense of Rabbinic Judaism
by Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel
(1525–1609) (known as the Maharal) was published by Mesorah Publications, a subsidiary of ArtScroll
the leading publishers of English language Orthodox Judaica.
He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Reena, known for her exceptional culinary skills and hospitality.
group where it was noted:
He's also been written about by InFocus, "The Largest Muslim Newspaper in California" http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/3215/82/, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=17698, and Korean minister Rev. Yong-Soo Hyun http://www.vanguardnewsnetwork.com/letters/letters173.htm who published several books featuring Rabbi Adlerstein.
In 2009, he wrote an article in Newsweek on What the Pope Should Do To Reassure the World, after the controversy over the lifting of the excommunications on the bishops of Society of Saint Pius X.
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...
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...
who has played an important role as spokesman, teacher, and writer on behalf 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...
as well as for the Baal teshuva movement
Baal teshuva movement
The Baal Teshuva movement is description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term "baal teshuva" is a term from the Talmud literally meaning "master of repentance". The term is used to refer to a worldwide phenomenon among the Jewish people...
in the United States. He is a leading exponent of the moderation of Haredi Judaism
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
in relation to the outside world.
He writes prolifically for a wide spectrum of Orthodox Jews and his essays have been published in Jewish Action
Jewish Action
Jewish Action is an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Orthodox Union.The magazine generally presents a Modern Orthodox viewpoint, and covers "topics of interest to an international Orthodox Jewish audience.....
(the official magazine of the Orthodox Union
Orthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
); The Jewish Observer
The Jewish Observer
The Jewish Observer is an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Agudath Israel of America.The magazine generally presents a Haredi viewpoint. Published since 1963, it is printed nine months a year; the January and February issues are combined, and there are no issues in July or August...
(the official magazine of Agudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America , is a Haredi Jewish communal organization in the United States loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel.-Functions:...
); the Torah u-Madda
Torah Umadda
Torah Umadda is a philosophy of Modern Orthodox Judaism, concerning the interrelationship between the secular world and Judaism, and in particular between secular knowledge and Jewish knowledge...
Journal (of 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...
); Tradition
Tradition (journal)
Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought is a quarterly Orthodox academic journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America in association with Yeshiva University in New York City...
journal (of the Rabbinical Council of America
Rabbinical Council of America
The Rabbinical Council of America is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU...
); the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society
Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society
The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society is a semiannual Orthodox Jewish academic journal published by the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School and edited by Alfred Cohen...
, The Jewish Press
The Jewish Press
The Jewish Press is an American weekly newspaper, geared toward the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. It describes itself as "America's Largest Independent Jewish Weekly." The newspaper has a politically conservative viewpoint and editorial policy....
(an English-language weekly with the largest circulation); in the publications of the National Council of Young Israel and in many other print and online forums. He is the co-founder and a featured writer on Cross-Currents, an online journal of Orthodox Jewish thought published in blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
format.
History
Over the years he has attained a number of key educational and Jewish communal position in the Orthodox establishment that has enabled him to propound his world view, in a style similar to Modern Orthodox JudaismModern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
's Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Joseph Telushkin
Joseph Telushkin is an American rabbi, lecturer, and author.-Biography:Telushkin attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush, was ordained at Yeshiva University, and studied Jewish history at Columbia University....
and Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
, two popular writers and talk show hosts.
Adlerstein served in an advisory and honorary position as one the founding trusteees of the Association for Jewish Outreach Programs
Association for Jewish Outreach Programs
The Association for Jewish Outreach Programs also known by its abbreviation AJOP The Association for Jewish Outreach Programs also known by its abbreviation AJOP The Association for Jewish Outreach Programs also known by its abbreviation AJOP (originally officially called the Association for Jewish...
(AJOP, known at the time as The Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals) delivering lectures and workshops to Orthodox Jewish outreach rabbis entering into this new field of which he was, and still is, considered a leading exponent and pioneer.
Adlerstein studied and received his advanced rabbinical ordination
Semicha
, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...
(Yoreh Yoreh Yadin Yadin) from the Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim (Rabbinical Seminary of America) in New York, an institution that stresses the importance of Jewish outreach
Jewish outreach
Jewish outreach is a term with mixed support sometimes used to translate the Hebrew word kiruv or keruv . Judaism usually does not actively seek converts, although all denominations do accept those with a sincere commitment...
. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Queens College, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Controversies
He has often been quoted or a participant in controversial debates that have relevance to Orthodox Jews and their world outlook:- During the Slifkin controversy over how Orthodoxy views EvolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, Adlerstein was quoted in the New York Times supporting Rabbi Slifkin who faced intense pressures from Haredi rabbis to withdraw his books:
- In the days after the ban, Rabbi Slifkin's publisher and distributor dropped the three books mentioned in the open letter. He himself lost several speaking engagements and saw his own rabbi pressured to expel him from his synagogue. "He was crushed," said a friend, Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, a professor of Jewish law and ethics at Loyola Law SchoolLoyola Law SchoolLoyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920. Like Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law , it...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. "Do you know what it's like to walk through the street and see posters branding you a hereticHeresy in Orthodox JudaismHeresy in Orthodox Judaism is principally defined as departure from the traditional Jewish principles of faith. Mainstream Orthodox Judaism holds that rejection of the simple meaning of Maimonides' 13 principles of Jewish faith involves heresy, although the status of creed in Medieval Jewish...
?"
- Rabbi Adlerstein is an outspoken opponent of the "Bible CodeBible codeThe Bible code , also known as the Torah code, is a purported set of secret messages encoded within the text Hebrew Bible and describing prophesies and other guidance regarding the future. This hidden code has been described as a method by which specific letters from the text can be selected to...
" and has both written articles and given lectures together with Barry SimonBarry SimonBarry Simon is an eminent American mathematical physicist and the IBM Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Caltech, known for his prolific contributions in spectral theory, functional analysis, and nonrelativistic quantum mechanics , including the connections to atomic and...
, another noted "Codes" opponent, on the topic.
- In a public forum Adlerstein criticized the methods and notions behind the workings of the Kabbalah CentreKabbalah CentreThe Kabbalah Centre is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, that provides courses online and through its local centres and study groups. The Kabbalah Centre teaches principles of Kabbalah...
:
- But Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, director of the Simon Wiesenthal CenterSimon Wiesenthal CenterThe Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
’s Project Next Step, warned of the dangers of polytheism within the Jewish faith. "God doesn’t like mistresses," he said. "Not that it matters to Him, but in our relationship with Him, which is what will give us happiness as Jews, putting our focus elsewhere is not going to cement our relationship with Him."... Adlerstein believes that this kind of dual citizenship is bad for the Jews. He placed the blame for it on a lazy approach toward religion resulting in pop spirituality. "Part of what we’re looking at are the same reason people turn to the Kabbalah CentreKabbalah CentreThe Kabbalah Centre is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, that provides courses online and through its local centres and study groups. The Kabbalah Centre teaches principles of Kabbalah...
," Adlerstein said. "It’s like fast food spiritualism — getting it without the work, the counterculture part of it."
He often writes on complex current events issues in respected journals:
- On Bush v. GoreBush v. GoreBush v. Gore, , is the landmark United States Supreme Court decision on December 12, 2000, that effectively resolved the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush. Only eight days earlier, the United States Supreme Court had unanimously decided the closely related case of Bush v...
:
- "Americans voted twice. On Election Day, they went to the polls to choose a president. In the weeks that followed, they voted for the manner in which to resolve painful national differences. The first balloting may have been inconclusive; the second was a resounding victory for Law as the Great Decisor."
- On the make-up of the Supreme Court in Israel:
- " In other words, it's an inside job. There are no open hearings, nor does the public have the opportunity to review the record and legal philosophy of the candidates. A liberal secular elite continues a self-serving tradition of choosing candidates from within its own ranks, to the consternation of much of the country."
- Impeachment of Bill ClintonImpeachment of Bill ClintonBill Clinton, President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on December 19, 1998, but acquitted by the Senate on February 12, 1999. Two other impeachment articles, a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of...
:
- "Prof. Susannah Heschel, daughter of Jewish Theological SeminaryJewish Theological Seminary of AmericaThe Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
luminary Rabbi A.J. HeschelAbraham Joshua HeschelAbraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century.-Biography:...
, brings better news to Bill Clinton than the Senate that acquitted him. Reaching to higher sources, she assures him a Divine pardon...Dr. Heschel contends that Starr’s crime is far more serious than Mr. Clinton’s. Mr. Clinton, she says, transgressed a minor sexual infraction at most. Adultery doesn’t enter the discussion, since Jewish tradition defines it as a sexual act committed with a married woman, while Monica LewinskyMonica LewinskyMonica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
was single. Mr. Starr, she claims, is a murderer, since publicly shaming someone is the equivalent of taking his life. Moreover, worse sinners have been forgiven by history (Jews never threw King David out of the Bible, did they?), while murder "is a sin that can never be forgiven."
- Columbine High School massacreColumbine High School massacreThe Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
:
- "Just in case we might think that the innumerable acts of violence depicted on TV might tend to desensitize some people to the taking of human life, Howard RosenbergHoward RosenbergHoward Rosenberg is a retired TV critic for the Los Angeles Times. He worked there for 25 years and won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. In recent years he has written the book No Time to Think: The Menace of Media Speed and the 24-Hour News Cycle with Charles S. Feldman and compiled an anthology of...
(April 23) offered incontrovertible proof to the contrary. 'There are probably ten depictions of goodness on TV for every one of hatred. Thus, if TV is the icon that some insist, it must be making us nicer, right? Or is hate a more powerful influence than love?' ...We can be pretty sure that Rosenberg was not studying the Talmud during all those station breaks. Pity. He missed a good deal of Jewish insight." ."
- On Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiRudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
:
- "Rudy Giuliani typically elevates confrontation to an art form. The recent ‘Sensation’ exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art can best be described as confrontational art. When the two face off against each other, can Jews not get caught in the middle?"
- On ZionismZionismZionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
:
- "If disbelief characterized your response to the stories about the controversial new history textbooks in IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, pat yourself on the back. You were right to trust your instincts...If Israeli kids are going to continue believing in an inalienable right of the Jews to their land, they are going to have to sink roots in a history that goes back much further than ’48 or the travails of the DiasporaJewish diasporaThe 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....
. For millennia, Jews predicated their tie to the Land upon confidence in the veracity of the Biblical narrative and their Divinely ordained mission to the world. Ironically, it may have to be religion that saves secular Zionism."
- On genetic engineeringGenetic engineeringGenetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
:
- "A Brave New World is coming soon to a medical genetics emporium in your neighborhood. And it will end life as we know it...Leon KassLeon KassLeon Richard Kass is an American physician, scientist, educator, and public intellectual, best known as proponent of liberal education via the "Great Books," as an opponent of human cloning and euthanasia, as a critic of certain areas of technological progress and embryo research, and for his...
always makes us think, but his latest contribution is downright painful. "The Moral Meaning of Genetic Technology" (Commentary, Sept. ’99) is not only enlightening, but humbling to many of us who have danced around the periphery of the problem. We discover that we have all missed the boat of sound thinking. The problems, he shows, are far more serious than we realized..."
- On embracing the thought of Rabbi Samson Raphael HirschSamson Raphael HirschSamson Raphael Hirsch was a German rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism...
:
- "We believe that there are truths to be discovered by exposure to general culture. We reject the notion that beyond the perimeters of our community is a vast cesspool. There is much depravity, to be sure, but there is also much good. We are grateful to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for having given us a Torah that provides us with the tools to make the proper selection. We have discerned in our own lives that the Torah has much to offer the rest of humanity, not just with the advent of Mashiach, but even today."
- On racismRacismRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
:
- "Some people, regrettably, are racist in the true sense of the word. Perhaps they should devote more study to the fullness of Torah concepts like tzelem Elokim - the image of God - and the robust nature of individuality. They should have another look at the Netziv's introduction to Bereishis, where he opines that it is called Sefer Hayashar - the Book of the Upright - because of Avraham's treatment of even the most despicable of his contemporaries. Despite his rejection of their ways, "he dealt with them with love, and was concerned for their well-being." For the true racists, the neshamos they should worry about are their own."
Present
Adlerstein is the director of InterfaithInterfaith
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...
Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
. He holds the Sydney M. Irmas Adjunct Chair in Jewish Law and Ethics
Mussar movement
The Musar movement is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Eastern Europe, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term Musar , is from the book of Proverbs 1:2 meaning instruction, discipline, or conduct...
at Loyola Law School
Loyola Law School
Loyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920. Like Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law , it...
and teaches senior high school girls at Yeshiva of Los Angeles.
He writes regularly for the Cross-Currents online journal, and writes the "Bytes & PCs" column in the quarterly Jewish Action
Jewish Action
Jewish Action is an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Orthodox Union.The magazine generally presents a Modern Orthodox viewpoint, and covers "topics of interest to an international Orthodox Jewish audience.....
magazine. He is frequently quoted by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and many other print and online publications as a voice of Haredi Judaism
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
.
In 2000, his elucidation of "Be'er Hagolah" (ISBN 1-57819-463-6) the classic defense of Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Talmud...
by Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel
Judah Loew ben Bezalel
Judah Loew ben Bezalel, alt. Loewe, Löwe, or Levai, widely known to scholars of Judaism as the Maharal of Prague, or simply The MaHaRaL, the Hebrew acronym of "Moreinu ha-Rav Loew," was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi in the city of...
(1525–1609) (known as the Maharal) was published by Mesorah Publications, a subsidiary of ArtScroll
ArtScroll
ArtScroll is an imprint of translations, books and commentaries from an Orthodox Jewish perspective published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd., a publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York...
the leading publishers of English language Orthodox Judaica.
He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Reena, known for her exceptional culinary skills and hospitality.
Interfaith work
Adlerstein participated in a 2005 "National Media Prayer Breakfast" represented by leaders of an interfaithInterfaith
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...
group where it was noted:
- "Atlanta Jewish Life magazine 'the go-to guy for the media . . . looking for a sane Orthodox voice for comment.' His reasoned approach to issues of faith and life qualify him to be the Director of Interfaith Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and of Project Next Step at Yeshiva of Los Angeles. He holds the Sydney M. Irmas Chair in Jewish Law and Ethics at Loyola Law SchoolLoyola Law SchoolLoyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920. Like Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law , it...
, and serves as a faculty member at Yeshiva of Los Angeles in its secondary education...He lectures and writes on topics as diverse as the application of Jewish law to contemporary ethical dilemma and the use of computers in Jewish life. He is probably the most interviewed and quoted spokesperson for Torah issues in Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and has appeared on ABC's 20/20 and CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
."
He's also been written about by InFocus, "The Largest Muslim Newspaper in California" http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/3215/82/, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=17698, and Korean minister Rev. Yong-Soo Hyun http://www.vanguardnewsnetwork.com/letters/letters173.htm who published several books featuring Rabbi Adlerstein.
In 2009, he wrote an article in Newsweek on What the Pope Should Do To Reassure the World, after the controversy over the lifting of the excommunications on the bishops of Society of Saint Pius X.
Publications
- Theology and the Higher Law, Pepperdine Law Review 36:603
- Lawyers, Faith, and Peacemaking: Jewish Perspectives on Peace, Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal 7:2
- American Muslim Leaders Must Denounce Hamas Hatred, Washington Examiner, Feb. 11, 2009 (with Abraham Cooper)
- On Racism, Its Costs And Its Causes, The Jewish Press, Dec. 10, 2008
- Proud to Be a Hirschian, The Jewish Press, July 9, 2008
- From Liberal Protestants, A Theology of Silence, The Jewish Press, Sept. 29, 2008 (with Abraham Cooper)
- Heksher Tzedek’s Law Problem, The Forward, Sept. 25, 2008 (with Michael Broyde)
- The Torah: With RambanNahmanidesNahmanides, also known as Rabbi Moses ben Naḥman Girondi, Bonastruc ça Porta and by his acronym Ramban, , was a leading medieval Jewish scholar, Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator.-Name:"Nahmanides" is a Greek-influenced formation meaning "son of Naḥman"...
’s Commentary (2005 and ongoing) (editoral staff)) - “Peacemaking and the Religious Practitioner,” PepperdinePepperdine UniversityPepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
Mediation Law Journal (forthcoming) - “Israel’s Next Battle: Labor Unions,” (with Abraham Cooper), Jewish World ReviewJewish World ReviewJewish World Review is a free, online magazine updated Monday through Friday , which seeks to appeal to "people of faith and those interested in learning more about contemporary Judaism from Jews who take their religion seriously."It carries informational articles related to Judaism, dozens of...
, January 4, 2007. - “Do Mainline Protestants Want to “Supersede” Israel?” (with Abraham Cooper and Harold Brackman), Midstream, Nov. 1, 2005.
- Be'er HaGolah: Maharal of PragueJudah Loew ben BezalelJudah Loew ben Bezalel, alt. Loewe, Löwe, or Levai, widely known to scholars of Judaism as the Maharal of Prague, or simply The MaHaRaL, the Hebrew acronym of "Moreinu ha-Rav Loew," was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi in the city of...
's Classic Defense of Rabbinic Judaism (2000) - “Scientific Advance and the Jewish Moral Conscience ,” The Torah u-MaddaTorah UmaddaTorah Umadda is a philosophy of Modern Orthodox Judaism, concerning the interrelationship between the secular world and Judaism, and in particular between secular knowledge and Jewish knowledge...
Journal, Sept. 2000. - “Redemption And The Power of Small Things: Rav Yosef Lipovitz's Ethical Refraction of Megilat RutBook of RuthThe Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, or Old Testament. In the Jewish canon the Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings . In the Christian canon the Book of Ruth is placed between Judges and 1 Samuel...
,” Jewish ActionJewish ActionJewish Action is an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Orthodox Union.The magazine generally presents a Modern Orthodox viewpoint, and covers "topics of interest to an international Orthodox Jewish audience.....
, Summer 1998. - Symposium: The Sea Change in American Orthodox Judaism,” TraditionTradition (journal)Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought is a quarterly Orthodox academic journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America in association with Yeshiva University in New York City...
, 32:4 (1998). - “Holy Alliance: Reflections on Contemporary Science From the Tents of Torah,” Jewish ActionJewish ActionJewish Action is an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Orthodox Union.The magazine generally presents a Modern Orthodox viewpoint, and covers "topics of interest to an international Orthodox Jewish audience.....
, Fall 1991 (Reprinted in The Jewish Action Reader, vol. 1, Orthodox UnionOrthodox UnionThe Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
, 1996). - “Revealer of Hidden Things,” Jewish ActionJewish ActionJewish Action is an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Orthodox Union.The magazine generally presents a Modern Orthodox viewpoint, and covers "topics of interest to an international Orthodox Jewish audience.....
, Summer 1993, pp. 88–91. - “The Power and Elegance of AggadaAggadahAggadah refers to the homiletic and non-legalistic exegetical texts in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash...
According to MaharalJudah Loew ben BezalelJudah Loew ben Bezalel, alt. Loewe, Löwe, or Levai, widely known to scholars of Judaism as the Maharal of Prague, or simply The MaHaRaL, the Hebrew acronym of "Moreinu ha-Rav Loew," was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi in the city of...
,” Jewish Action, Summer 1991. - “Price Controls and Consumer Advocacy,” Journal of Halacha and Contemporary SocietyJournal of Halacha and Contemporary SocietyThe Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society is a semiannual Orthodox Jewish academic journal published by the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School and edited by Alfred Cohen...
13 (1987)