Just Commentary

While Orthodox Judaism is synonymous with tradition, and Reform Judaism with modernity, Conservative Judaism attempts to foster traditional practice from a modern perspective, a position that defies quick explanation.  Rabbi Neil Gillman, professor of Philosophy at JTS, helps us to see the movement with a critical eye.

Part two of the interview with Rabbi Wolf is now up.  More podcasts will soon follow -- including a more formal introduction to the program.  I'm also going to re-upload the first podcast at a higher bitrate.  Although this will mean the file will be a bit larger, the benefit is that the interview will no longer sound as if it were recorded underwater.

In our first interview, Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf introduces us to the world of Reform Judaism, and shares some of his reflections on a lifetime as a rabbi.  Apart from being a congregational rabbi, he is a noted social activist, and a prolific writer.  His latest work, Unfinished Rabbi, is a collection of some of his best articles and reflections on his career.  Known for his conversational style of writing, here are two reflections of his on the passings of Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Buber, respectively.

This is part one of the interview -- part two, in which we talk further about the role of mitzvot (commandments) in Reform Judaism, will be up in about a week.

Welcome to the home of Just Commentary, a show devoted to bringing you thoughtful introductions to the major ideas and texts of Judaism, as well as interviews with some of its innovative interpreters.

The show is intended toward anyone interested in learning about traditional Judaism from a modern viewpoint, with an emphasis on exploring different philosophical approaches to texts and theology.  While the show's creator comes from an education in Conservative Judaism, the goal of the show is to explore, not to indoctrinate.  As such, whether you're an accomplished talmid hacham (a learned student of Talmud), or a happy humanist passing through, Just Commentary will hopefully have something to offer you.

For those interested in delving farther, the following two volumes should be of interest: Back to the Sources, by Barry Holtz, is a collection of insightful introductions to the major areas of Jewish texts.  Sacred Fragments, by Neil Gillman, is an excellent meditation on modern approaches to Jewish belief, as well as a considerate guide to examining one's own religious beliefs (or lack thereof). 


*Should Just Commentary ever proceed past a few podcasts (which it probably will), it owes a great debt to Nigel Warburton's Philosophy Bites, the Platonic ideal of podcasts everywhere.