Dr. Shoshana Ronen

University of Warsaw
Poland

Where did you first encounter Heschel’s work?

It was about 20 years ago when Stanislaw Obirek recommended that I read Heschel.

How did Heschel and his thinking inspire your work, religious life, or civic engagement?

Heschel was not only a philosopher and theologian but also a poet. I love his Yiddish poems almost as much as I love his philosophy. So it is a pleasure to read his works, all of them, because he wrote so beautifully. Because of his work I became, as an atheist, more open to spirituality and faith as such. I also share his powerful criticism of religious institutes and establishment. I was much struck by his book The Prophets. Not only because it is insightful and beautiful but also because it is so much connected to his social engagements. He shows that the morality of the prophets can guide us morally, even today.

The most compelling quote of Heschel is “Perhaps not all of us guilty, but all of us are responsible.” For me it is a guide for my life, not to be indifferent, to be engaged socially, and not to close myself in a ivory tower. It is such a powerful quote, because it treats all human beings as rational and moral adults. It is especially important today when choosing to be a victim is so widespread. Heschel says, “Do not think about yourself as a helpless person who suffers, but form your suffering into an action of helping others who suffer even more than you. You are strong enough to do that. You are a worthy and powerful human being and not a passive object or an egoistical immature child.” If we all followed this message, the world would be much better.

Heschel’s ethics of responsibility is a powerful inspiration. It also makes his Judaism so humble and accepting. I wish it were an inspiration for all the Jews. I’m very much concerned with what is going on with Jewish mutations, or sects, especially in Israel. There is nothing in common with them and Heschel’s caring for all human beings. Heschel’s God of pathos is based on tikkun olam for all humanity, with no exclusion of any group. I appreciate very much his Torah min Hashamayim, because it shows that his interpretation of Judaism is well established on Jewish sources.

What of Heschel lives in you?

His social collaboration with Martin Luther King, Jr., his theology after Auschwitz and his affirmation of life, his benevolence (for example, toward the plagiarist of his PhD), his commitment to dialogue (which I believe was a result of the Holocaust), and his passion for truth.

Additional Text:

I Am What I Do: Abraham Joshua Heschel Seen from Two Perspectives, Secular Jewish and Christian