Search Results

Morality and the Mind

Oct 31, 1997 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Noah

But ten generations after Adam and Eve, we find God in despair over the unrelieved waywardness of humanity. Human depravity threatens to turn created order into primordial chaos. The Mishna (in Sanhedrin 10:3) declares the behavior of the generation of the flood to have been so reprehensible that it will be excluded for eternity from the world-to-come. Yet the Torah denies us any illustrative details, leaving a gap that begs for reader participation.

The Power of the Tzadik

Oct 16, 1996 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Noah

Last month Columbia University Business School honored Aaron Feuerstein with its 1996 Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics. I attended the ceremony and was profoundly stirred.

Conquering Passions

Oct 28, 1995 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Noah

My favorite Jewish ritual is the recitation of havdalah at the end of Shabbat. It is a love rooted in childhood.

Salvation Through Moderation

Oct 8, 1994 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Noah

Last week was a good week for the Seminary and Judaism: a new generation of incoming students arrived to study at one of its four New York schools. They number nearly 200 full-time students, including the largest entering classes ever in our Cantorial and Rabbinical Schools, 20 new masters students in Jewish education and 34 new undergraduates in List College. Many come with extensive Jewish education and from the finest universities in the U.S. and Canada. Above all, they are highly motivated, eager to fill their lives with Jewish content and purpose. Given half a chance when finished, this generation of students will serve the Jewish community for decades with an inspiring blend of idealism and competence.