Registered UK Charity No 1139099
Events, News & Latest Postings Information
Keep up to date with our latest additions and read general news about the site
Full text of letter published in the Jewish Chronicle 16th March 2012
The JC edited a letter that Ivor Jacobs wrote for publication.
Dear Editor,
Miriam Shaviv in her column (last week's JC) notes the "thirst amongst some orthodox Jews for sophisticated discussion on theological issues". At the same time she commented on how in the UK the "possibility of open discussion about anything to do with biblical theology" has effectively been shut down.
The purpose of the newly established charity - www.louisjacobs.org is to encourage such open discussion by helping to provide the materials and forum for the continuation of this most important debate.
It is, of course, to be regretted, as Miriam points out, that the UK is way behind the "standards of theological discussion" of committed Jews in other countries. But we do believe there is, indeed, a more open environment being established in the UK and it won't be long before the writings of Rabbi Jacobs as well as many other modern scholars -and their theologies/arguments- become "on limits."
Growing interest in this area is evidenced by The Oxford Centre for Hebrew & Jewish Studies arranging a major research fellowship programme, next year, entitled - Orthodoxy, Theological Debate and Contemporary Judaism: Exploring Questions Raised in the Thought of Louis Jacobs. This will be led by Miri Freud-Kandel from Oxford & Adam Ferziger from Bar Ilan. Alongside this scholarly project will be lectures and events in London led by participating academics from across the Jewish world and UK lay leaders.
Details of fellowships for this programme are now available and we do trust that among the applicants there will, indeed, be participation from British Orthodox Jews.
Ivor Jacobs
Trustee, Friends of Louis Jacobs.org
ivor@louisjacobs.org
1st March 2012 - Fellowships news
OXFORD SEMINAR IN ADVANCED JEWISH STUDIES
Orthodoxy, Theological Debate, and Contemporary Judaism: Exploring Questions Raised in the Thought of Louis Jacobs
This Oxford Seminar in Advanced Jewish Studies will examine the state of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Within this framework the Seminar will address the place of rational debate in contemporary Judaism, changing approaches to interpretations of revelation, the impact of gender issues, and the viability of concepts such as inclusivism, pluralism, and openness in Orthodox Judaism.
Read more about this Project
Call for Applications for Fellowships:
The Application Procedure may be found here and the Application Form may be downloaded here.
Closing date: 18 April 2012
March 2012. Several new articles have recently been uploaded. These are
The Jewish Tradition in Today's World
- Prayer in Judaism
- A Study of Four Parallel Sugyot
- The Sugya on Sufferings
- The Doctrine of the 'Divine Spark' in Man in Jewish Sources
- Providence
- The Talmudic Sugya as a Literary Unit—An Analysis of Bava Kama 2a-3b
- Judaic Sources of Human Rights
- God and I
- Further Evidence of Literary Device in the Babylonian Talmud
- Evidence of Literary Device in the Talmud
- Disinterestedness
Our aim is to provide every one of the 500 articles of the LJ bibliography. Rabbi Jacobs' teaching ›
View on-line 30 hours of Rabbi Jacobs teaching. Plus videos of Friends lectures.
