October 31, 2019November 3, 2019 Michael Bettencourt

Rabbi Dr. Yakov Nagen ’89YC, ’89BR, ’94R, is a Rabbi at the Otniel Yeshiva in Israel and a leading figure in encounters between Judaism and Eastern religions.

In two lectures sponsored by the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, The Katz School of Science and Health, the Chinese-Jewish Conversation and The Confucius Institute at SUNY, Dr. Nagen expanded upon the idea that at its core, Judaism is a method of detecting truth through honest (rather than self-aggrandizing) disputation that, when done with sincerity and humility, integrates principles of “doing” (defined as an effort to fix things because the world is constantly under construction) and “being” (which he sees as a focus on the present moment) into a balanced and active life.

In “Introduction to Jewish Thought from Beijing and Shanghai,” delivered on Oct. 24, 2019, he spoke about his family’s connection to the Jews who went to Shanghai for refuge. This family history has made him sensitive to the ways in which the traditions of Israel and China complement each other, especially in their respect for a truth derived from an engagement with ancient wisdom.

In “To Do and To Be: Judaism’s Integration of East and West,” on Oct. 28, 2019, he continued this train of thought by referring to the two stories of creation in the Bible, what Rabbi Dr. Joseph Soloveitchik referred to as Adam I and Adam II in The Lonely Man of Faith. “The world of Adam I,” said Dr. Nagen, “is a story about conquering and about separating and dividing time.” However, the world of Adam II is “timeless,” linked to the imagery of water and cyclical life. For Dr. Nagen, the two stories come together in the word “shalom,” with its knitting together into a dynamic whole the opposites of fire and water.

Much of the material in these lectures can be found in his book, Be, Become, Bless – Jewish Spirituality between East and West, where he converses with both Eastern spirituality and Western thinking in an attempt to create a synthesis that unifies “being” and “doing” in service to a search for truth.

This past summer two PhD candidates at Bernard Revel Graduate School coordinated a lecture in Seoul for Korean educators and graduate students interested in Jewish studies. The lecture was initiated by Jeong Mun Heo, a current doctoral candidate in Jewish Philosophy at Revel and a native of South Korea.  With the diverse background of computer science, mathematics, and Christian theology, one of Jeong’s current interests is Jewish learning methodologies, such as the chavruta system, where partners study together. Since the Korean educational system has a significant focus on rote memory, Jeong wanted to share the more interactive chavruta system with his Korean colleagues. Rabbi Mordechai Becher, a fellow doctoral student at Revel whose dissertation focuses on the historical development of laws of prayer, agreed to deliver the lecture. Rabbi Becher, currently senior lecturer at Gateways Organization and instructor at Yeshiva University, has a rich and varied resume of Jewish education and outreach, and was also passing through South Korea as scholar in residence for a Jewish tour there this summer. On August 13, 2019, seven Korean educators and graduate students attended and enjoyed Rabbi Becher’s lecture about the educational philosophy and history of chavruta learning. Rabbi Becher remarked, “It was a wonderful opportunity for some cultural exchange, and to explain some key aspects of Judaism to an educated group who had very little access to traditional Jewish thought.”

Jackie, Moriah, Rebbetzin Smadar, Avigayil, and Rav Michael Rosensweig (from L – R)

Many institutions pride themselves on being not just a school but a family, a colloquial reference to the camaraderie and mutual support of their students and staff.

But the Bernard Revel Graduate School can profile an actual family of students studying together.

Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, renowned Talmudic scholar and Rosh Kollel of the Beren Kollel Elyon at Yeshiva University, holds the Nathan and Perel Schupf Chair in Talmud at RIETS. Rav Rosensweig, as he is respectfully called, also completed an MA and PhD in Medieval Jewish History at Revel. His doctoral thesis, “Debt collection in absentia : Halakhah in a mobile and commercial age,” was completed under the direction of Dr. Haym Soloveitchik.

Now, many of Rav Rosensweig’s children are pursuing degrees at Revel. Moriah Rosensweig Weiss, 31, completed her MA and is pursuing a PhD in Medieval Jewish History focused on the intellectual history of the Rishonim and the interface between Ashkenaz and Sefarad. She currently teaches as an adjunct Bible instructor at Stern College for Women, where her mother, Mrs. Smadar Rosensweig, serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Bible. For Moriah, Revel was the best place to develop her interest in Jewish intellectual history and “to study the time period of the Rishonim..[and]..analyze their works of biblical and Talmudic exegesis.” Moriah is inspired by her parents’ dedication to teaching Torah and enjoys “discuss[ing] the ideas and sources” from Revel classes with her siblings.

Itamar Rosensweig, 30, also completed his MA in Medieval Jewish History at Revel and is now pursuing his PhD at the graduate school. He serves as scholar in residence at Englewood’s Congregation Ahavath Torah and gives a weekly shiur at RIETS. Avigdor (28) and Avigail (23) Rosensweig each completed their MA in Medieval Jewish Studies this year, and Avigail will be continuing in the Revel PhD program this fall.

Jackie Fast, 33, married to Ariel Rosensweig, is completing her PhD in Modern Jewish History at Revel. Jackie is writing about the social history of the Bais Yaakov movement in the inter-war period. Reflecting on her time at Revel, Jackie highlights “the caliber of its professors as scholars, teachers, and mentors, the religious environment, the impressive cadre of peers.” She also feels that  “being in a family with many current students… is wonderfully supportive.”

The broader Revel family is proud to have so many members of the Rosensweig family in its midst.