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Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner

U.S.
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Expertise

Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history, philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.

Experience in the area

I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)

What do you like about this subject?

I have always enjoyed sharing my enthusiasm for learning about our Jewish heritage with members of the Jewish community and with others who are interested in our tradition. I have always enjoyed asking questions, and I appreciate the opportunity to research answers to answer the questions of others - that's a special opportunity and blessing.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I enjoy most studying the classical texts - the primary text and commentaries - of our Rabbis and Sages carefully and closely, mining them for hints and bits about life as it was lived by Jews thousands of years ago, their questions and their problems as they searched for meaning in the face of challenge. It's like "literary archaeology."

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

I am fascinated by the fact that Jews have always had an enthusiasm about questioning their tradition, especially the texts (now written but have been oral and also in "scraps" of written records). I am impressed by our recovery from various resources - e.g. Cairo Geniza - the consistency of questions over the past several thousand years - generation after generation. People don't really change.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

I am still hoping that as we continue to "dig" in the texts of our tradition and research the origins of early Christianity and Islam, we will discover much more than we know now about the origins of modern Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

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UserDateKCTPComments
penny03/02/1010101010Hello Rabbi Lerner thank you for the .....
Benjamin12/21/0910101010 
Benjamin12/20/0910101010 
Bob12/19/0910101010Rabbi Thanks for the info, it was .....
Benjamin12/18/0910101010 

Recent Answers from Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner

2010-03-10 information:

Dear Mutasquo, Thanks for writing, although my time is limited and I share with many others. I hope you understand. By the time the Bible was canonized and completed, the Rabbis concluded that prophecy

2010-03-09 valid conversion?:

Dear Joan, Thank you for writing, but I am frankly outraged. The first principle is that no one is to even question a Jew by Choice, especially if they are living a Jewish life. Secondly, this

2010-03-06 Talmud's history:

Dear Mutasquo, Thanks for writing. The topic of authorship of the Talmud is somewhat complicated. There were two Talmuds, one Jerusalem and one Babylonian. Generally speaking, it was completed by

2010-03-05 sacrifice:

Dear Nancy, Thanks for writing. When animal sacrifices were used in ancient times, more than 2000 years ago the priests officiated and did the actual slaughter. Check "sacrifice" in "jewishencyclopedia

2010-02-05 Genesis 17 covenant:

Dear Maggie, Thanks for writing and it is an interesting question. As you state, males are circumcised on the 8th day unless medically not permitted. By the way, Yom Kippur is trumped for a brit

 

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