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Felice Pazner Malkin

The curator of the traveling exhibit 3,000 Years of Jewish Art, dispels the myth that the second commandment prohibits Jews from making or displaying the human image.

Yaakov Malkin
In the second issue of Contemplate, we are pleased to present Professor Malkin's continuing discussion, which delves into the relationship between Yahweh and Moses, and explores the development of the God Yahweh as a literary protagonist with a unique human personality. Professor Malkin’s writing is critical for Jews to understand the significance of reading the Bible as literature. Future issues of Contemplate will include successive chapters of this important and engaging work.

Rachel Elior

In the Bible, the female prophets are extraordinary women, judges and poets as well as prophets. Why then does the rabbinical tradition diminish their stature and describe them only in images related to their sexual identity?

Rabbi Peter Schweitzer

On the first anniversary of September 11th, Rabbi Schweitzer searched traditional sources — the prophets, Ecclesiastes, Job, the Psalms, and, of course, the Book of Lamentations, in the hope of finding the appropriate passage. As he engaged in the texts, he was often moved and inspired by individual lines and thoughts. The tone, the cadence, and, occasionally, the remarkable application to our own situation, brought poignancy and, ultimately, comfort and inspiration. As he reflected on these lines, he wove them together, with some interpolation of his own, to produce a new composition entitled, A Modern Lamentation. It is dedicated to those who died on September 11th.

Egon Mayer

Changing trends in America's Jewish life have been documented and interpreted; the challenge before us is how to attract the growing proportion of this population that is disenchanted with religion and describes itself as secular.

Egon Friedler

The Jewish future is too important to be left in the hands of rabbis, according to this writer who calls for an open-door policy for any convert who identifies with the Jewish culture and history.

Bernardo Sorj

For Secular Judaism to flourish, a dialogue is necessary between secular and religious Judaism, maintaining links with sources of Jewish tradition without abandoning an open-mindedness to the challenges of modernity.

Yair Tzaban

The former Israeli Minister of Immigrant Absorption and cabinet member under the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, tackles basic definitions facing Jews, for example, Who is a Jew, and Zionism, as he examines the continuum of Secular Jews in history and in Modern Israel.

Anita Novinsky

Scholar Anita Novinsky explores secularization among the Marranos, the precursors of modern secularists.

Felix Posen

Judaism, in keeping with its evolving nature, should embrace and welcome the participation of the secular Jew into its fold.

Rachel Elior

The divine idea has been a source of inspiration and accomplishment for the human spirit for thousands of years. The image of God has created a way of thinking for the human individual and we must strive to preserve this creativity, and the infinite possibilities it offers.

Yaakov Malkin

Contemplate: The Journal of Cultural Jewish Thought is very pleased to publish the premiere of this forthcoming book, God and Other Literary Characters. This important book sets out the author’s belief in the virtues of acknowledging God for what He is — the creation of the authors of our literature. The benefits of liberation from a religious dogma constructed on the existence of a personal Sovereign-Lawmaker-God are too valuable to reject. For all its origin, however, this is a creation that is powerfully alive in readers’ minds and, as such, a dominant force in human history.

Shulamit Aloni

A forrmer Israeli cabinet minister and champion of human rights in Israel, takes issue with the call for tolerance. In a related article, Justice Haim Cohn, at the helm of secular Judaism in Israel, responds.

Justice Haim Cohn

A prominent philosopher and leader in human rights responds to Shulamit Aloni's "Forbear or Fight?" presenting his views on the virtues of tolerance.

Ruth Calderon

The arrival of new, non-halachic study centers in Israel are changing attitudes towards Bible study, challenging previous restrictions and creating a new enthusiasm and love for the texts. The founder of Alma College, an institution set up to advance Hebrew culture, describes these changes and revels in the strides made by the secular public and by women, in particular.

Egon Friedler

To ensure Jewish continuity, all the varied strains of Judaism must be accorded respect and the anti-democratic trends of the Orthodox must be confronted and challenged.

Bennett Muraskin

The writer offers practical exposition on the principles of secular Humanistic Judaism, drawing both on the Biblical and historical factors that gave rise to the movement as well as discussing its vibrant, inclusive nature in modern times.

David Weintraub

For interfaith couples, Jewish secular humanism encourages both partners to enhance the marriage with the richness of their individual cultures.

Sherwin T. Wine

The founder of Humanistic Judaism outlines the historical conditions that encouraged the movement for secular Jews and describes the new home for a "fifth alternative" in Jewish life.

Archeological records reveal that 2700 years ago Israelites and Arabs joined together in a coaliation to defend against Assyrian military threats.

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