Over the hundreds of interviews that I’ve done for Israel from the Inside since we launched it in 2021, I’ve met fascinating people, been inspired by extraordinary stories and have learned an enormous amount. Still, though, until I interviewed Rabbi Hanan Schlessinger, I had never had the experience of interviewing someone, closing the interview, clicking on “Stop Recording” and then … just sitting there in perfect silence, looking at the other person for what seemed an eternity.
When Rabbi Schlessinger finished speaking, neither of us uttered a word. Even now, what he said continues to reverberate in my mind, and I hope that it will do the same for you.
As I mentioned yesterday, one of the questions that has lodged itself in my mind is that of what I would call “Jewish religiosity with moderation at its heart.” By that I don’t mean this movement or that movement, or this way of Jewish life or that way of Jewish life, this mode of practice or that mode of practice. Rather, the question that I've been thinking about quite a bit is “What would it take for the fundamental pulse of traditional Judaism in Israel to be one of acceptance, of embrace, of tolerance, of love?”
That that description does not characterize Israel’s religious establishment is, I think, a proposition that scarcely needs defending. That it also does not characterize wide swathes of “religious” Israelis (it’s true of “non-religious” Israelis as well, of course) is also sadly not really up for debate.
What would it take to transform the pulse of Jewish religious life from what it is to something very different? Is it possible? Buried inside those questions are issues that are relevant not only to Judaism and not only to Israel, and there is a vast, vast literature on religion, moderation, tolerance, the tendency for religious passion to produce extremism, and much more. That’s far beyond the pale of our focus here.
So what we’re doing periodically on Israel from the Inside is to speak with people who do represent a Judaism of tolerance, of embrace, of love. We’re trying to hear from them how they got to where they are, who influenced them religiously, how it feels for them to be part of the wider religious picture in Israel, what they think we might do to create more people like them.
As noted yesterday, we’re doing a “mini-series” on that subject this week, and will continue with more in the future. Yesterday, we heard from Rabbi Na’ama Levitz Applbaum, and today we hear from Rabbi Hanan Schlessinger, an Orthodox rabbi who lives over the Green Line who has views that made me think even more. I hope his words will do the same for many of our listeners.
Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger is an Orthodox rabbi, teacher, and co-founder of Roots/Shorashim/Judur, a movement fostering understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. Originally from New York, he moved to Israel at 20 and has lived in Alon Shvut for four decades. His work in interfaith dialogue, especially during his years in Dallas, transformed his approach to peacebuilding. Today, he advocates for recognizing both Israeli and Palestinian narratives. He and his wife Ayala have four children and eleven grandchildren.
To learn more about Roots (Shorashim), click HERE.
Today, we are making the full recording of our conversation available to everyone. We have provided a transcript for those who prefer to read to paid subscribers to Israel from the Inside.
