Rabbi Sacks Book Prize Podcast: Recent Episodes
Sacks-Herenstein Center
Yeshiva University's Sacks Book Prize, funded by the Rohr Family, recognizes a recently published book deeply sourced in Jewish texts with broad appeal within and beyond the Jewish community, in keeping with the scholarly legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Join us to learn more about the winning and finalist books from conversations with their authors.
Join Dr. Shira Weiss of the Sacks-Herenstein Center of Yeshiva University for a conversation with Dr. Daniel Gordis, author of Sacks Book Prize winner, Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders’ Dreams? (Ecco, 2023). Dr. Gordis discusses the existential condition of the Jewish people, the Israel-Arab conflict and the nature of Israel’s democracy, as measured against its founders’ aspirations.
Join Dr. Shira Weiss of the Sacks-Herenstein Center of Yeshiva University for a conversation with Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum, author of Sacks Book Prize finalist, Questioning Belief: Torah and Tradition in an Age of Doubt (Koren, 2023). Rabbi Dr. Zarum discusses reasoned responses, sourced in Torah and traditional texts, to some of Judaism’s most challenging questions of belief, science, and ethics.
Join Dr. Shira Weiss of the Sacks-Herenstein Center of Yeshiva University for a conversation with Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein, author of Sacks Book Prize finalist, Covenant and World Religions: Irving Greenberg, Jonathan Sacks and the Quest for Orthodox Pluralism (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in association with Liverpool University Press, 2023). Rabbi Dr. Goshen-Gottstein discusses the social and theological ideas of Rabbi Sacks and Rabbi Greenberg, as they advocated to change how Judaism views and approaches world religions.
Join Dr. Shira Weiss of the Sacks-Herenstein Center of Yeshiva University for a conversation with Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner, author of Sacks Book Prize finalist, Care and Covenant: A Jewish Bioethic of Responsibility(Georgetown University Press, 2022) in which he discusses his work as a bioethicist chaplain to explore how Jewish texts address complex contemporary ethical issues ranging from abortion to vaccines.
Join Dr. Shira Weiss of the Sacks-Herenstein Center of Yeshiva University for a conversation with Daniel Matt, author of Sacks Book Prize winner, Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation (Yale, 2022). Professor Matt brings Elijah to life as he traces the prophet's transformation from depictions in the Bible, Rabbinic Judaism, Kabbalah, Jewish ritual and other faith traditions, and uncovers how Elijah continues to inspire.
Join Dr. Shira Weiss of the Sacks-Herenstein Center of Yeshiva University for a conversation with Professor Sam Lebens, author of Sacks Book Prize finalist, A Guide for the Jewish Undecided: A Philosopher Makes the Case for Orthodox Judaism (Koren, 2022) in which he draws upon contemporary philosophy of religion to present a compelling defense of Orthodox Judaism.