Discussing A Life of Radical Amazement

On Sunday, February 20, at 3 p.m., the Unitarian Universalist’s Meetinghouse in Bridgehampton will host a discussion with author Julian Zelizer on his book “Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement” hosted by Rabbi Dan Geffen from Temple Adas Israel. The event will also be offered on Zoom. The event is co-hosted by Temple Adas Israel, the UU Congregation of the South Fork and Canio’s Cultural Cafe.

Polish-born American rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) became a symbol of the marriage between religion and social justice.

“When I marched in Selma, I felt my legs were praying,” said Heschel of his involvement in the 1965 civil rights march alongside Martin Luther King Jr.

In this new biography, published in 2021, Zelizer tracks Heschel’s early years and foundational influences — his childhood in Warsaw and early education in Hasidism, his studies in late 1920s and early 1930s Berlin, and the opportunity which saved him from the Holocaust and brought him to teach at Hebrew Union College and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Heschel, who spoke with a fiery moralistic fervor, dedicated his career to the struggle to improve the human condition through faith.

“This deep and complex portrait places Heschel at the crucial intersection between religion and progressive politics in mid-twentieth-century America,” says a Princeton Department of History website in describing the book. “To this day Heschel remains a symbol of the fight to make progressive Jewish values relevant in the secular world.

Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of numerous books, and has written for CNN.com, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

In person attendees must show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations and wear a mask. The Unitarian Universalist’s Meetinghouse is at 977 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpikein Bridgehampton. Please arrive 10 minutes early. Zoom participants may submit questions in advance to caniosculturalcafe@gmail.com. Julian Zelizer’s book will be available at the event. It can also be ordered from Canio’s Books, 631-725-4926 or at bookshop.org.