- Arthur Lelyveld
Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld (
February 6 1913 -April 15 1996 ) was a rabbi within the movement ofReform Judaism . As well as being a prominent rabbi he also embraced social activism in many forms.After marrying Toby Lelyvald - a scholar of Shakespeare [ [http://www.baltimoresecularjews.org/omaha-blues/ Review of "Omaha Blues: A Memory Loop", Bob Jacobson, 2005.] ] - he moved to live in
Omaha, Nebraska , where he led a congregation, before moving to New York, where he took on organizational rabbinic roles, including heading up the nationalHillel organization. He also served as Rabbi inCincinnati for a time. He also served as president of theZionist Organization of America from 1944.From 1958 until 1986, he served as rabbi of
Fairmount Temple in the Cleveland suburb ofBeachwood, Ohio [ [http://www.fairmounttemple.org/history.htm "Temple History," Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007] ] .Unusually in the Reform movement he voiced his support for the recognition of the
State of Israel [ [http://secure.britannica.com/eb/topic-335630/Arthur-Lelyveld "Britannica Yearbook 1997", obit.] ] in 1946, lobbyingHarry S Truman to that end. [ [http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/media/features/11547/index1.html "The Scoop of His Life", Stephen J. Dubner, New York Magazine, February 2006] ] He was also active in attempts to create harmonious relations betweenJews and blacks in theUnited States . He was active in the registration of black voters in the South during the 1960s. During theFreedom Summer of 1964 he was beaten with a tire iron bysegregationist s inHattiesburg, Mississippi . [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/books/review/03OZICKL.html?ex=1174276800&en=050f5b7259709c03&ei=5070 "Review of "Omaha Blues", Cynthia Ozick, New York Times, April 3, 2005.] ] [ [http://media.www.gcsunade.com/media/storage/paper299/news/2002/12/06/Variety/Exhibit.Captures.Freedom.Summer.Of.64-339213.shtml "Exhibit captures Freedom Summer of '64", Joseph Tkacik, The Colonade, 12/6/02.] ]During the
Second World War Lelyveld was apacifist andconscientious objector , though he did propose sending a Jewish relief force to Europe. [Ibid.] He headed the "Jewish Peace Fellowship" a coalition - formed in 1941 - of a number of groups of Jewish antiwar activists. [ [http://www.jewishpeacefellowship.org/jpfpublications1.htm "L'Chaim to Life" - a history of the Jewish Peace Fellowship, Isador B. Hoffman.] ]Lelyveld retired from the rabbinate in 1986 and died 10 years later.
His son was the executive editor of the
New York Times , andPulitzer Prize winning journalistJoseph Lelyveld .References
Bibliography
* "A study of the Tanya of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Ladi." AJ Lelyveld, Hebrew Union College, 1939.
* "The Virtues of Uncertainty", A Lelyveld, Journal of Higher Education, 1950.
* "Religion in Higher Education", A Lelyveld, Journal of Higher Education, 1952.
* "A Collection of Chapel Sermons", A Lelyveld, Journal of Higher Education, 1956.
* "Punishment: For and against, A Lelyveld, New York: Hart, 1971.
* "The Virtues of Uncertainty: The Role of the University in Training for Social Welfare", A Lelyveld, Journal of Higher Education, 1979.
* "The unity of the contraries: paradox as a characteristic of normative Jewish thought", AJ Lelyveld, Syracuse University, 1984.Further reading
*"Omaha Blues: A Memory Loop", Joseph Lelyveld, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.