Temple Emanu-El to host Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

This year’s scholar-in-residence at Temple Emanu-El is one of America’s most prolific writers of contemporary Jewish thought, and the dean of two rabbinical schools in Los Angeles and Germany, Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL.

Rabbi Artson (www.bradartson.com) is the dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, vice president of American Jewish University in Los Angeles, and now serves as dean of the new Zacharias Frankel Rabbinical School, a Conservative seminary in Potsdam, Germany.  He is the author of 10 books and over 250 articles. He will focus on his two most recent books, “God of Becoming and Relationship” and “Passing Life’s Tests” during his visit to Providence.

Rabbi Artson’s impending visit fromOct. 31 to Nov. 2, has attracted a diverse and committed constituency. Rabbi Elan Babchuck of Temple Emanu-El has worked to recruit the committee, and said about the work of planning this weekend, which will feature one of the rabbis who ordained him in 2012, “Rabbi Artson has been a mentor and teacher of mine for many years. Long before I ever sat in his classroom as a rabbinical student, I was studying his books. Years later, I’m thrilled to be able to bring his colorful, insightful wisdom to our community. His inspiring talks on modern Jewish thought, special needs, Process Theology and tikkun olam (among many other topics) will undoubtedly have a similar effect on our community as they have had on me.”

Dayna Gladstein, a committee member,  who was introduced to Rabbi Artson’s work by Babchuck, said, “As a newcomer to the concept of Process Theology,  I was interested in learning about it, but was not expecting a personal growth experience, which resulted in a deeper understanding of what it means to be Jewish in today’s world.  After reading, “God of Becoming and Relationship,” I am completely hooked.

“Rabbi Artson has found a way to connect the dots of the present, past, and future, of creation and evolution, and of life and death which honors the rich traditions of the past while reconciling the complexities of our technology savvy, scientifically advanced, demanding world of inequity and imperfection. He is witty, deeply knowledgeable and personally committed. I am overwhelmed by his ability to transcend the conventional and engage our curiosity in the exploration of the essence of Jewish life in a way which offers hope, choice and wonder to all of creation.”

The theme for the weekend is “On Three Things,” which will feature Rabbi Artson’s refreshing take on the “three things” referred to in the following traditional Jewish text (Pirkei Avot, Ethics of Our Fathers):

“Simon the Righteous used to say, on three things the world stands: on Torah, on prayer, and on acts of loving kindness.”

During our weekend, Rabbi Artson will invite his audience to examine how Torah, prayer, and loving kindness weave together in their own lives, and how they might activate these three areas in more meaningful ways.  The titles of his talks throughout the weekend are: “Embracing the God You Actually Love,” “The Torah of Human Dignity and Kindness,” “Self, Identity, and Choice,” “Conversations about Tomorrow,” and “Lessons I’ve Learned from My Autistic Son.”

To register (events are free and open to the community, with the exception of dinner on Oct. 31), go to teprov.org/Artson. For questions, contact Rabbi Elan Babchuck at ebabchuck@teprov.org or 401-331-1616.