DISCUSSION QUESTIONS TO OPEN THE CONVERSATION, BEGIN BY ASKING: 1. Why have so many Jewish Americans participated in progressive politics? 2. Why does Abraham Heschel loom so large in contemporary Judaism?
CHAPTER 1: WARSAW 1. How did the vibrant Hasidic world of Warsaw intersect with other strands of Jewish life in shaping Heschel’s childhood? 2. What compelled Heschel to leave Warsaw?
CHAPTER 2: BERLIN 1. Why were contemporary Jewish scholars drawn to Eastern European Hasidic Jews such as Heschel? 2. What did Heschel take away from his studies at the University of Berlin and his time in the city? 3. Who were some of the figures who influenced him in Berlin?
CHAPTER 3: CINCINNATI 1. Which elements of Reform Judaism troubled Heschel at HUC? 2. What were some key moments in his introduction to political activism during these years?
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