| Revision as of 19:04, 30 December 2002 editIZAK (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, File movers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers86,943 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:14, 30 December 2002 edit undoIZAK (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, File movers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers86,943 editsNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
Revision as of 19:14, 30 December 2002
Rabbi Joseph Ber (Yosef Dov) Soloveitchik 1903 - 1993
Prolific Talmudist and modern Jewish philosopher. Inherited his father's, Rabbi Moses (Moshe), position as head of the RIETS Rabbinical school at Yeshiva University in 1940. Scion of the famous Soloveitchik Lithuanian rabbinical dynasty going back some 200 years. Grandson of the renowned rabbinical scholar Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, and grandson as well as name-sake, of his great grand-father Rabbi Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik known for his work as the Bais HaLevi.
Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik was educated by private tutors as his parents realized his great mental powers. Soon after marriage to Tonya, he moved to Berlin in Germany where he remained for almost a decade studying at the University of Berlin where he obtained a Ph.D. on the philosophy of Herman Cohen. This gave him a unique vantage point and insight into modernity.He is still revered as the guiding thinker behind Jewish Modern Orthodoxy in America.
During his tenure at Yeshiva University in addition to his Talmudic lectures, he evolved an intellectual system of "synthesis" whereby the best of religious Torah scholarship would be combined with the best secular scholarship in Western civilization. This has become known as the Torah Umada philosophy unique to Yeshiva University.He authored a book on Jewish thought called "The Lonely Man of Faith".
Known as the "Rav", he became the greatest leader of Modern Orthodoxy, espousing relatively liberal positions on educational, political, and social issues within the Orthodox world. He ordained more Orthodox rabbis, about 2,000 , at Yeshiva University than anyone else. He pioneered one of the first Hebrew Day Schools in Boston where he resided when not teaching in New York.He advocated more intensive textual studies for Jewish women, giving the first class in Talmud inuagurated at Stern College , the women's division of Yeshiva College - University .
With his enlightened outlook, he attracted and inspired many young men to become rabbis and educators, who in turn went out with the education of Yeshiva University to head synagogues, schools and communities, where they influenced many Jews to remain Orthodox. And attracted many others to the cause of Orthdoxy. Among his students are Rabbis Nachman Bulman, Shlomo Riskin, and Ephraim Buchwald and many others who became leaders of the Baal teshuva movement.