Originally published in Manna, Summer 1984, pp. 9-11. The verse that springs automatically to mind in any reflection on the Jewish attitude to work is: ‘Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the sabbath of, the ... Continue Reading ➨
Great Affirmation of Truth – A Guide to the Machzor
Originally published in The Jewish Chronicle, New Year Section, 9 September 1977. The Machzor for the Days of Awe (all the page references in this article are to the Routledge edition) is not, of course, the product of a single mind, but contains ... Continue Reading ➨
Eye-to-Eye on Vengeance
Originally published in The Times, 11 January 1989. It resurfaces periodically and has done so again after the destruction of the Pan-American airliner by a terrorist bomb: the supposedly clear distinction between Christian love and Jewish ... Continue Reading ➨
The Threat and the Victory
Originally published in The New Londoner: The Magazine of the New London Synagogue, 1:7 (January 1968). “How should religious Jews react to what has happened and how should they interpret it in the light of their faith? It is perhaps too soon to ... Continue Reading ➨
Michael Harris – Traditional Alternatives: Orthodox reservations about the theology of Rabbi Jacobs
Originally published in Jewish Qarterly 53:3 (2006). From an Orthodox perspective, the most controversial aspect of the theology of Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs is his denial of the traditional view of the divine authorship of the whole of the ... Continue Reading ➨
We are as they were
Originally published in Masorti Magazine (1993). Rabbi Jacobs, the first speaker, contrasted the attitude of the United Synagogue at the present day, with that of its past. “If you look into its history”, he said, “the United Synagogue was once ... Continue Reading ➨
The Reading of the Torah
The practice of reading the Torah in the synagogue is at least two thousand years old and is probably much older but there is a good deal of uncertainty regarding the beginnings of the custom of reading the Torah sabbath by sabbath. It is probable ... Continue Reading ➨
What is a Rabbi?
Originally published in Living Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain, 5:3 (Winter 1973). “WHAT IS A RABBI?” ASKS DR. LOUIS JACOBS It is a high honour to welcome into the Rabbinate our four colleagues who are ... Continue Reading ➨
The beginning of wisdom is bibliography
Dear Friends, It has been another exciting month working for the Louis Jacobs project! Compared to February, a relatively small number of new articles were put online. The fallback, however, should enable us to take many more steps forwards. ... Continue Reading ➨
The Beth Din : the Jewish Ecclesiastical Court
Originally published in The Lawyer magazine 5:1 (Hilary 1962). The Beth Din : the Jewish Ecclesiastical Court[1] Louis Jacobs Most orthodox[2] Jewish communities of any size have an ecclesiastical court known as the Beth Din (Beth = “house ... Continue Reading ➨
Louis I. Newman, ‘Maggidim & Hasidim: Their Wisdom’
Words of the Wise by Louis Jacobs Maggidim & Hasidim: Their Wisdom. By Louis I. Newman. New York: Bloch Publishing Company. $5.50. Louis Newman’s “Hasidic Anthology” is justly famed as a good popular insight into the ideas of Hasidism, a ... Continue Reading ➨
Judaism Without God? – Rosh Hashanah
Originally published in the Jewish Chronicle - New Year Section, 12 September 1969. It ought to occasion no surprise that some men have held, and some still hold, that religion is possible without belief in God. In ancient times Theravadin ... Continue Reading ➨
Clouding the Issues
Originally published in the Jewish Chronicle on 27 October 1972. Israel’s new Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Goren is often said to adhere to the school of Hillel in his rabbinical attitudes, RABBI DR. LOUIS JACOBS explains what this means. Hillel and ... Continue Reading ➨
More exciting updates on the content of the website
Hello everyone! Here is a second blog post from the Louis Jacobs Project editor, reviewing some of the exciting news and events which took place in the last month... And what a busy month of February it's been so far! Where should I start? A ... Continue Reading ➨
Introduction to the Editor’s Blog
Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Here's the first post for the new editor's blog on the Louis Jacobs.org website, with some exciting news about the month of December and some announcements. I started working for the Project ... Continue Reading ➨