Documentarian Martin Doblemeier’s film which explores Heschel’s activism. The site includes clips and educational materials on themes relating to Heschel’s justice work, his theology, and his interfaith dialogue.

God in Search of Man

The Prophets

Repairing the World

No Religion is an Island

Heschel and the Vietnam War

Heschel and Jewish Tradition

The Sabbath

“In The Sabbath, Heschel attempts to reawaken the spirituality and holiness of the Sabbath, and impart the wisdom and gifts it can bring to those who observe the Sabbath. After reading Heschel’s work, I connected the Sabbath tradition with my community’s dinner, despite the religious disparities. Aspects of the Sabbath tradition are present in many meal rituals.”
—Passing the Salt: How Eating Together Creates Community

How does the legacy of Heschel speak to us today? On the 50th yahrtzeit of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Rabbi Cosgrove calls upon us to honor his values and to do our share to redeem the world.

Heschel’s thoughts on King on the first yahrzeit (anniversary) of his death. Heschel speaks from 12:50 to 15:50.

Martin Luther King’s life is an unfinished symphony. It is our task at this memorial service to remember him, to be committed to his ideas.

Link to JTS Library

Edward K. Kaplan Research Collection on Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, New York, ARC.2021.07.000, (Box 27:105). Digitization and cataloging funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Annotation

Side A. Opening remarks (01:40min.) — Introducing Abraham Joshua Heschel (04:32 min.) — Lecture / Abraham Joshua Heschel (32:29) — Side B. Lecture [continued] / Abraham Joshua Heschel (21:33 min.) — Questions (01:33 min.) — Thanking Professor Heschel / Hugo Leventhal (03:24 min.) — Closing remarks (03:22 min.)

This iconic image was taken at the March on Selma on March 21, 1965.  From far left: John Lewis, an unidentified nun, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Bunche, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth.

After returning from Selma, Heschel wrote the following:

For many of us the march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer. Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying.

The last sentence became a rallying cry for many activists. It is sometimes misquoted as “praying with his feet.”

Additional Text

Jewish Voices from the Selma to Montgomery March

Twenty distinguished participants in Notre Dame’s international conference “The Theological Issues of Vatican II” were awarded honorary doctorates by the university, including Heschel (front row, third from left).

List of Participants

Heschel receiving his honorary degree from Notre Dame.

In his capacity as Harry Emerson Fosdick Visiting Professor at Union Theological Seminary, Heschel gave this speech in 1965 which he discussed the shared values of Judaism and Christianity and the profound need for dialogue.

Horizons are wider, dangers are greater . . . No religion is an island. We are all involved with one another. Spiritual betrayal on the part of one of us affects the faith of all of us. Views adopted in one community have an impact on other communities. Today religious isolationism is a myth.

Additional Text

Transcript of the speech

An excerpt from The Eternal Light, a documentary by Diva Communications.

Journalist Carl Stern discusses the long term impact of this interview.