Albert L. Lewis
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Albert L. Lewis (Hebrew: הרב אברהם אריה בן חיים יוסף ושרה בילא) was a leading American Conservative rabbi
, scholar, and author; President of the Rabbinical Assembly (RA)
, the international organization of Conservative rabbi
s; and Vice-President of The World Council of Synagogues
. In 2009, the award-winning author, Mitch Albom
, wrote about Lewis, his childhood rabbi, as the main character in the non-fiction book, Have a Little Faith
. The book, hailed as a story of faith that inspires faith in others, concludes with the eulogy that Albom delivered at Lewis's funeral, on February 12, 2008.
Lewis received a bachelor's degree (A.B.) in education from Yeshiva College (Yeshiva University); a masters degree (M.S.) in education from City College of New York
; and a masters degree (M.H.L.) in Hebrew literature
, a doctorate (D.H.L., honoris causa
) in Rabbinic Studies, and rabbinic ordination, from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS)
. He continued his studies at Dropsie College, now the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
, in Philadelphia, and, well known for the power of his sermons and his skills as an orator, taught homiletics
in the JTS rabbinical school for ten years.
, first working as a teacher in New York City
, and then as principal at a yeshiva
in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
. In 1948, while still in rabbinical school, Lewis became the student rabbi and spiritual leader of a 50-family congregation
, Temple Beth Sholom
, in Haddon Heights, New Jersey
, an area that did not allow Jews until after World War II. He never left that synagogue, and when he retired in 1992, four years after the synagogue had relocated to Cherry Hill
, the congregation had grown under his leadership by a factor of twenty, to include approximately one thousand families. In addition to Albom, the long list of other students Lewis taught during his almost six decades with the synagogue includes Steven Spielberg
and Eugene Maurice Orowitz, better known by his screen name, Michael Landon
.
In New Jersey, Lewis served on the board of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Camden, New Jersey, and as president of the Tri-County Board of Rabbis (TCBOR), a regional group representing Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties, composed of rabbis from all movements within Judaism. Together with Rabbi Max Weine, he founded two educational programs that brought together children and young adults from many of the local synagogues: the Inter-Congregation Hebrew High School (ICHHS), and Midrashah, continuing religious education classes for graduates of the ICHHS. Both of these programs continue as collaborative efforts involving a number of rabbis, cantors, and teachers throughout the region, with classes meeting at participating synagogues and other Jewish institutions, helping to strengthen and foster cooperation and closer ties within the larger Jewish community. He was also a strong voice in interfaith affairs, maintaining close ties with the Catholic Archdiocese of Camden, and pioneering outreach efforts to local church and religious groups, welcoming visiting classes into the synagogue, to learn more about Judaism. For fifteen years, he also served as an auxiliary chaplain at the Camden County Mental Hospital.
During his tenure at Temple Beth Sholom, he served in a number of positions for major organizations of Conservative Judaism, including service on the Rabbinic Placement Commission of the Rabbinical Assembly
, on the Education Commission of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ)
, and five years as chairman of the National Youth Commission for the USCJ. In 1956, he led the first United Synagogue Youth (USY)
pilgrimage to Europe and Israel -- a group of eleven students that launched a program that now counts thousands of students among its past participants -- continuing to lead pilgrimages for students and for adults to Israel, Europe, and Russia for many years thereafter. In 1967, shortly following the Six-Day War
, he took a year-long sabbatical in Israel, visiting Egypt to retrace the route of the Biblical Exodus
, writing a series of articles for Christian readers, in addition to the synagogue bulletins he wrote for his congregation, and teaching at Oranim Academic College.
In 1963, Lewis accepted the invitation of JTS Chancellor Louis Finkelstein
to serve in the newly-created post of Rabbinic Tutor to participants in The Institute for Religious and Social Studies (IRSS). Established in 1938, the IRSS was an early, ground-breaking interfaith effort that brought together scholars and leaders in areas that spanned religion, economics, government, business, and science—across faith lines—for weekly sessions of discussion and study. Because of the importance of this program, Finkelstein had decided that rabbis who could best explain "the philosophy and beliefs" of Judaism should be hand-pick to participate. Lewis's responsibilities, as outlined in the letters he received from JTS and the RA, would include "making pertinent comments...asking helpful questions...[and]serving as a resource person," both during the sessions and during the meals, where he would be seated "at a strategic place," so that all could "take full advantage of...[his] presence."
Throughout his career, he remained a strong supporter of JTS, voting against the admission of the first female applicant to the Rabbinical Assembly
in 1984—despite his strong support for the ordination and equal rights of women in Judaism—because he ultimately decided to side with the rabbis who felt that the first woman rabbi to be admitted to the RA should be one who was ordained by JTS.
from 1988 to 1990, Lewis oversaw a major expansion of RA efforts to train Conservative rabbis to support religious ritual needs, such as the preparation of gittin
, religious divorce decrees. Additionally, classes were begun for religiously committed doctors within the movement, training them to perform Brit milah
, ritual circumcision, and efforts were initiated to support synagogues considering the addition of a mikva, a ritual bath. These moves were seen as important steps to strengthen the Conservative movement on a national scale, diminishing the community's reliance on Orthodox rabbis, especially at a time, according to Lewis, when the gap between movements was growing, and Orthodox rabbis were becoming more reluctant to support the needs of non-Orthodox Jews. Lewis referred to these initiatives as part of the "maturing" of the Conservative movement, and said that, while there were some communities where Modern Orthodox rabbis still offered their "full cooperation" in matters of life-cycle rituals, the situation had been exacerbated by the Who is a Jew?
controversy in Israel, where Orthodox rabbis were refusing to accept anyone converted under non-Orthodox auspices as Jewish.
Another major change in the RA Lewis oversaw as President was the inclusion of Hungarian
and Czechoslovakia
n rabbis in the organization. Lewis hailed this expansion as a move "in the spirit of glasnost
," saying it presaged a new resurgency of Eastern Europe
an Jewry decimated at the hands of Nazism
. The inclusion of these Eastern European rabbis, which included an exchange of educational materials and teachers, would lead to a dramatic transformation of the group into a truly international organization, which today includes rabbis from Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America, Israel, Australia, and Asia.
Additionally, on the national level, the RA became one of the few religious organizations of that time to take strong positions on government ethics, passing a resolution in 1989 to support a "significant pay increase" for members of the Senate and House of Representatives, contingent on the passage of a prohibition of speaking fees or other honoraria for congressional members.
Lewis wrote a comprehensive history and explanation of the Shofar
, the ram's horn used as a part of traditional Jewish worship before and during the High Holy Days
, for the Encyclopedia Judaica. This article, attributed to Lewis as the author, was listed as a reference in a corresponding article in the Encyclopedia Islamica
.
Many of Lewis's sermons were quoted by Jewish and Christian colleagues in their talks and synagogue or church bulletins and newsletters, and a number of his articles were published or reprinted in Jewish newspapers and periodicals, including the Jewish Magazine. He was the author of two books, So It Isn't Perfect (1967), and What's Your Glory? (1984).
The Hebrew prayerbook, Vaani T'Fillati, Siddur Yisraeli, published in Israel in 2009 for the Masorti
(Conservative) movement, is dedicated in his memory.
's SS Maasdam,
he would write synagogue bulletin articles so that congregants could learn from his time away from them.
Lewis and his wife, Sarah, and their children, Shalom, Orah, and Gilah, were constant role models for Jewishly-committed families, with Sarah's contributions to synagogue and larger Jewish community life notable in their own right. Over the years, Lewis helped inspire eight members of the congregation, six men and two women, to become Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform rabbis. In addition, his son, Shalom, went on to serve as a rabbi of a Conservative synagogue. Shortly after Lewis's death, an annual memorial lecture was established at Temple Beth Sholom in his memory, with Mitch Albom as the first guest lecturer, in 2009, returning for the 2010 lecture in dialogue with Rabbi David Wolpe
, "to memorialize their teacher and friend."
Albom describes Lewis as "the singing rabbi," using song in a literal sense, in sermons and even in conversation, and in a larger sense, as part of a life "sung" with joy and imbued with faith. Albom quotes Lewis's stated "secret to happiness" as the ability to feel satisfaction and gratitude: to face life with thanksgiving. Observers reported that Lewis continued to offer pastoral care and comfort—and even a word of song -- during the last days of his life, in conversations with hospital workers who would come to him to hear his stories or ask for his blessing. At his funeral, those in attendance were surprised to hear a final taped message from Lewis, teaching and comforting his congregants even after his death. The message touched on his beliefs in God's existence and human immortality, included an expression of gratitude for the "great experience" of having been with his friends, family, and congregants during his lifetime—and then the singing rabbi ended with words from a song: Shalom, Haverim: Farewell, friends.
and The Five People You Meet in Heaven
, author Mitch Albom
(Mitchel David "Mitch" Albom) explains that this book began with the request by Lewis, his childhood rabbi, to write and deliver the eulogy when the time came for the rabbi's funeral. Albom agreed, contingent on an agreement that he could begin a series of interviews and conversations, in order to get to know Lewis as a man, not just as a rabbi.
His conversations with Lewis eventually led to an increased interest in Albom's part in the power and meaning of faith in a larger sense. In his hometown of Detroit, he forged a link with Pastor Henry Covington, an African-American Protestant minister at the I Am My Brother's Keeper Church. Covington, a past drug-addict, dealer, and ex-convict, was ministering to the needs of his down-and-out parishioners, in an urban church serving a largely homeless congregation. The book draws upon Albom's awakened interest in faith, and in men like Lewis and Covington, who taught others its value, not only through their words, but also through their lives.
Albom has told interviewers that he believes that the reason Lewis asked him to deliver the eulogy may actually have been a way to draw him back to the roots of his own faith, and "back to God a little bit."
has been cast in the role of Albert Lewis, and Laurence Fishburne
has been cast as Henry Covington. The film will be produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame
and directed by Jon Avnet
with a screenplay by Mitch Albom. The film, which will also star Bradley Whitford
as Albom, began filming in Detroit in June 2011.
The film had a "world premiere charity screening" November 16, 2011, in Royal Oak, Michigan
, near Detroit
. All ten theaters within the Emogine multiplex theater showed the film, with proceeds benefiting the "A Hole in the Roof Foundation" and the "Rabbi Albert Lewis Fund." The television movie had its television premiere on ABC Sunday November 27, 2011, the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
, scholar, and author; President of the Rabbinical Assembly (RA)
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
, the international organization of Conservative rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s; and Vice-President of The World Council of Synagogues
Masorti Olami
Masorti Olami builds, renews and strengthens Jewish life throughout the world, with efforts that focus on existing and developing communities in Europe, Latin America, the Former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Australia...
. In 2009, the award-winning author, Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom
Mitchell David "Mitch" Albom is an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide...
, wrote about Lewis, his childhood rabbi, as the main character in the non-fiction book, Have a Little Faith
Have a Little Faith (Mitch Albom book)
Have a Little Faith is a 2009 non-fiction book by Mitch Albom, author of previous works that include Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven...
. The book, hailed as a story of faith that inspires faith in others, concludes with the eulogy that Albom delivered at Lewis's funeral, on February 12, 2008.
Lewis received a bachelor's degree (A.B.) in education from Yeshiva College (Yeshiva University); a masters degree (M.S.) in education from City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
; and a masters degree (M.H.L.) in Hebrew literature
Hebrew literature
Hebrew literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings in the Hebrew language. It is one of the primary forms of Jewish literature, though there have been cases of literature written in Hebrew by non-Jews...
, a doctorate (D.H.L., honoris causa
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
) in Rabbinic Studies, and rabbinic ordination, from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS)
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
. He continued his studies at Dropsie College, now the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
The Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania is the world's only institution exclusively dedicated to post-doctoral research on Jewish Civilization. It is located at 420 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The center is directed by Professor David B...
, in Philadelphia, and, well known for the power of his sermons and his skills as an orator, taught homiletics
Homiletics
Homiletics , in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who practices or studies homiletics is called a homilist....
in the JTS rabbinical school for ten years.
Synagogue and outreach
A descendant of a number of European rabbis, Lewis grew up in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, first working as a teacher in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and then as principal at a yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. As of 2000, it has a population of 75,692 with a total of 31,228 households.-Location:...
. In 1948, while still in rabbinical school, Lewis became the student rabbi and spiritual leader of a 50-family congregation
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, Temple Beth Sholom
Temple Beth Sholom (Cherry Hill, New Jersey)
Temple Beth Sholom is a Conservative synagogue located at 1901 Kresson Road in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.-History:A member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, TBS was founded in 1940 at its former location at 19 White Horse Pike in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, about six miles west of...
, in Haddon Heights, New Jersey
Haddon Heights, New Jersey
Haddon Heights is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population is 7,473....
, an area that did not allow Jews until after World War II. He never left that synagogue, and when he retired in 1992, four years after the synagogue had relocated to Cherry Hill
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
, the congregation had grown under his leadership by a factor of twenty, to include approximately one thousand families. In addition to Albom, the long list of other students Lewis taught during his almost six decades with the synagogue includes Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
and Eugene Maurice Orowitz, better known by his screen name, Michael Landon
Michael Landon
Michael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is widely known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza , Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie , and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven...
.
In New Jersey, Lewis served on the board of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Camden, New Jersey, and as president of the Tri-County Board of Rabbis (TCBOR), a regional group representing Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties, composed of rabbis from all movements within Judaism. Together with Rabbi Max Weine, he founded two educational programs that brought together children and young adults from many of the local synagogues: the Inter-Congregation Hebrew High School (ICHHS), and Midrashah, continuing religious education classes for graduates of the ICHHS. Both of these programs continue as collaborative efforts involving a number of rabbis, cantors, and teachers throughout the region, with classes meeting at participating synagogues and other Jewish institutions, helping to strengthen and foster cooperation and closer ties within the larger Jewish community. He was also a strong voice in interfaith affairs, maintaining close ties with the Catholic Archdiocese of Camden, and pioneering outreach efforts to local church and religious groups, welcoming visiting classes into the synagogue, to learn more about Judaism. For fifteen years, he also served as an auxiliary chaplain at the Camden County Mental Hospital.
During his tenure at Temple Beth Sholom, he served in a number of positions for major organizations of Conservative Judaism, including service on the Rabbinic Placement Commission of the Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
, on the Education Commission of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ)
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America...
, and five years as chairman of the National Youth Commission for the USCJ. In 1956, he led the first United Synagogue Youth (USY)
United Synagogue Youth
United Synagogue Youth is the youth movement of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. USY operates in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The goal of the movement is to bring Jewish teenagers closer to Judaism and Israel through learning and social interaction...
pilgrimage to Europe and Israel -- a group of eleven students that launched a program that now counts thousands of students among its past participants -- continuing to lead pilgrimages for students and for adults to Israel, Europe, and Russia for many years thereafter. In 1967, shortly following the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, he took a year-long sabbatical in Israel, visiting Egypt to retrace the route of the Biblical Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
, writing a series of articles for Christian readers, in addition to the synagogue bulletins he wrote for his congregation, and teaching at Oranim Academic College.
In 1963, Lewis accepted the invitation of JTS Chancellor Louis Finkelstein
Louis Finkelstein
Rabbi Louis Finkelstein was a Talmud scholar, an expert in Jewish law, and a leader of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and Conservative Judaism.-Brief Biography:...
to serve in the newly-created post of Rabbinic Tutor to participants in The Institute for Religious and Social Studies (IRSS). Established in 1938, the IRSS was an early, ground-breaking interfaith effort that brought together scholars and leaders in areas that spanned religion, economics, government, business, and science—across faith lines—for weekly sessions of discussion and study. Because of the importance of this program, Finkelstein had decided that rabbis who could best explain "the philosophy and beliefs" of Judaism should be hand-pick to participate. Lewis's responsibilities, as outlined in the letters he received from JTS and the RA, would include "making pertinent comments...asking helpful questions...[and]serving as a resource person," both during the sessions and during the meals, where he would be seated "at a strategic place," so that all could "take full advantage of...[his] presence."
Throughout his career, he remained a strong supporter of JTS, voting against the admission of the first female applicant to the Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
in 1984—despite his strong support for the ordination and equal rights of women in Judaism—because he ultimately decided to side with the rabbis who felt that the first woman rabbi to be admitted to the RA should be one who was ordained by JTS.
Rabbinical Assembly
While serving as President of the Rabbinical AssemblyRabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
from 1988 to 1990, Lewis oversaw a major expansion of RA efforts to train Conservative rabbis to support religious ritual needs, such as the preparation of gittin
Get (divorce document)
A is a divorce document, which according to Jewish Law, must be presented by a husband to his wife to effect their divorce. The essential text of the is quite short: "You are hereby permitted to all men," i.e., the wife is no longer a married woman, and the laws of adultery no longer apply...
, religious divorce decrees. Additionally, classes were begun for religiously committed doctors within the movement, training them to perform Brit milah
Brit milah
The brit milah is a Jewish religious circumcision ceremony performed on 8-day old male infants by a mohel. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal .-Biblical references:...
, ritual circumcision, and efforts were initiated to support synagogues considering the addition of a mikva, a ritual bath. These moves were seen as important steps to strengthen the Conservative movement on a national scale, diminishing the community's reliance on Orthodox rabbis, especially at a time, according to Lewis, when the gap between movements was growing, and Orthodox rabbis were becoming more reluctant to support the needs of non-Orthodox Jews. Lewis referred to these initiatives as part of the "maturing" of the Conservative movement, and said that, while there were some communities where Modern Orthodox rabbis still offered their "full cooperation" in matters of life-cycle rituals, the situation had been exacerbated by the Who is a Jew?
Who is a Jew?
"Who is a Jew?" is a basic question about Jewish identity and considerations of Jewish self-identification. The question is based in ideas about Jewish personhood which themselves have cultural, religious, genealogical, and personal dimensions...
controversy in Israel, where Orthodox rabbis were refusing to accept anyone converted under non-Orthodox auspices as Jewish.
Another major change in the RA Lewis oversaw as President was the inclusion of Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n rabbis in the organization. Lewis hailed this expansion as a move "in the spirit of glasnost
Glasnost
Glasnost was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s...
," saying it presaged a new resurgency of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an Jewry decimated at the hands of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. The inclusion of these Eastern European rabbis, which included an exchange of educational materials and teachers, would lead to a dramatic transformation of the group into a truly international organization, which today includes rabbis from Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America, Israel, Australia, and Asia.
Additionally, on the national level, the RA became one of the few religious organizations of that time to take strong positions on government ethics, passing a resolution in 1989 to support a "significant pay increase" for members of the Senate and House of Representatives, contingent on the passage of a prohibition of speaking fees or other honoraria for congressional members.
Journalism and writing
Lewis served as correspondent for The Catholic Star Herald, writing a series of articles for that paper during his sabbatical year in Israel. His articles, often accompanied by photographs he took during his travels, were introduced to readers on Oct 20, 1967, with Lewis's promise of "honest and objective reporting, and not propaganda," stating that he would "try to present the feel or mood of Israel as accurately as possible.” During his time in Egypt he traveled on press credentials for the Catholic paper, as Dr. Albert Lewis, in areas where it would likely have been problematic, and possibly even dangerous, to travel as an American Jew or rabbi, so soon after the end of the Six-Day War.Lewis wrote a comprehensive history and explanation of the Shofar
Shofar
A shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Shofar come in a variety of sizes.- Bible and rabbinic literature :...
, the ram's horn used as a part of traditional Jewish worship before and during the High Holy Days
High Holy Days
The High Holidays or High Holy Days, in Judaism, more properly known as the Yamim Noraim , may mean:#strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur ;...
, for the Encyclopedia Judaica. This article, attributed to Lewis as the author, was listed as a reference in a corresponding article in the Encyclopedia Islamica
Encyclopaedia Islamica
The Encyclopedia Islamica is a new encyclopedia on Islamic/Sh'i and Iranian studies. This is a projected 16-volume publication and a translation of a carefully selected set of articles from the new Persian The Great Islamic Encyclopaedia a projected 35 volume publication.As of 2009 two volume of...
.
Many of Lewis's sermons were quoted by Jewish and Christian colleagues in their talks and synagogue or church bulletins and newsletters, and a number of his articles were published or reprinted in Jewish newspapers and periodicals, including the Jewish Magazine. He was the author of two books, So It Isn't Perfect (1967), and What's Your Glory? (1984).
The Hebrew prayerbook, Vaani T'Fillati, Siddur Yisraeli, published in Israel in 2009 for the Masorti
Masorti
The Masorti Movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism in Israel and other countries outside Canada and U.S. Masorti means "traditional" in Hebrew...
(Conservative) movement, is dedicated in his memory.
The Singing Rabbi
With all of his outside achievements, it was his work with the men, women, and children of his synagogue that seemed to fuel his life, as recounted in Albom's book. Referred to as "the Reb," a term of affection and endearment for rabbi, he in turn referred to his congregation as a Kehillah Kedoshah, a sacred community. His synagogue was well-known as a model of what was called a "heimish" (homey) synagogue, welcoming in congregants as valued members of a close synagogue family. Early on during his career, he had been described as a "rare blend of modern prophet and humorist," teaching through stories filled with humor and moral truth. Even when he was on vacation, including once when he used that vacation time to serve as a cruise chaplain on board the Holland America LineHolland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
's SS Maasdam,
TSS Stefan Batory
The TS/S Stefan Batory was an ocean liner built in Holland in 1952 under the name of SS Maasdam, initially used to service the Dutch East Indies by the Holland America Line....
he would write synagogue bulletin articles so that congregants could learn from his time away from them.
Lewis and his wife, Sarah, and their children, Shalom, Orah, and Gilah, were constant role models for Jewishly-committed families, with Sarah's contributions to synagogue and larger Jewish community life notable in their own right. Over the years, Lewis helped inspire eight members of the congregation, six men and two women, to become Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform rabbis. In addition, his son, Shalom, went on to serve as a rabbi of a Conservative synagogue. Shortly after Lewis's death, an annual memorial lecture was established at Temple Beth Sholom in his memory, with Mitch Albom as the first guest lecturer, in 2009, returning for the 2010 lecture in dialogue with Rabbi David Wolpe
David Wolpe
David J. Wolpe is an author, public speaker and rabbi of Sinai Temple . Named the "#1 Pulpit Rabbi in America" by Newsweek magazine , he is considered a leader of the Conservative Jewish movement. Wolpe was named one of The Forward's Forward 50, and one of the hundred most influential people in...
, "to memorialize their teacher and friend."
Albom describes Lewis as "the singing rabbi," using song in a literal sense, in sermons and even in conversation, and in a larger sense, as part of a life "sung" with joy and imbued with faith. Albom quotes Lewis's stated "secret to happiness" as the ability to feel satisfaction and gratitude: to face life with thanksgiving. Observers reported that Lewis continued to offer pastoral care and comfort—and even a word of song -- during the last days of his life, in conversations with hospital workers who would come to him to hear his stories or ask for his blessing. At his funeral, those in attendance were surprised to hear a final taped message from Lewis, teaching and comforting his congregants even after his death. The message touched on his beliefs in God's existence and human immortality, included an expression of gratitude for the "great experience" of having been with his friends, family, and congregants during his lifetime—and then the singing rabbi ended with words from a song: Shalom, Haverim: Farewell, friends.
Have a Little Faith (book)
Already famous for such works as Tuesdays with MorrieTuesdays With Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria...
and The Five People You Meet in Heaven
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by Mitch Albom. It recounts the life and death of an old maintenance man named Eddie. After dying in an accident, Eddie finds himself in heaven where he encounters five people who have significantly affected his life, whether he realized at the time or...
, author Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom
Mitchell David "Mitch" Albom is an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide...
(Mitchel David "Mitch" Albom) explains that this book began with the request by Lewis, his childhood rabbi, to write and deliver the eulogy when the time came for the rabbi's funeral. Albom agreed, contingent on an agreement that he could begin a series of interviews and conversations, in order to get to know Lewis as a man, not just as a rabbi.
His conversations with Lewis eventually led to an increased interest in Albom's part in the power and meaning of faith in a larger sense. In his hometown of Detroit, he forged a link with Pastor Henry Covington, an African-American Protestant minister at the I Am My Brother's Keeper Church. Covington, a past drug-addict, dealer, and ex-convict, was ministering to the needs of his down-and-out parishioners, in an urban church serving a largely homeless congregation. The book draws upon Albom's awakened interest in faith, and in men like Lewis and Covington, who taught others its value, not only through their words, but also through their lives.
Albom has told interviewers that he believes that the reason Lewis asked him to deliver the eulogy may actually have been a way to draw him back to the roots of his own faith, and "back to God a little bit."
Have a Little Faith (movie)
In June 2011, an announcement was made that the book would be filmed as a made-for-television movie, scheduled for release during the 2011 Christmas season. Martin LandauMartin Landau
Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
has been cast in the role of Albert Lewis, and Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
has been cast as Henry Covington. The film will be produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
and directed by Jon Avnet
Jon Avnet
Jonathan Michael "Jon" Avnet is an American director, writer and producer.-Early life:Avnet was born in Brooklyn, the son of Joan Bertha and Lester Francis Avnet, a corporate executive and electronics distributor. He attended Great Neck North High School in Great Neck, New York...
with a screenplay by Mitch Albom. The film, which will also star Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
as Albom, began filming in Detroit in June 2011.
The film had a "world premiere charity screening" November 16, 2011, in Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
, near Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. All ten theaters within the Emogine multiplex theater showed the film, with proceeds benefiting the "A Hole in the Roof Foundation" and the "Rabbi Albert Lewis Fund." The television movie had its television premiere on ABC Sunday November 27, 2011, the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.
Books
- So It Isn't Perfect, Huntzinger Press, Camden, New Jersey:1967
- What's Your Glory?, publisher unknown, 1984
External links
- He Sleeps in a Storm, sermonette, Rabbi Albert Lewis, 1975.
- Sample Christian sermon based on Rabbi Lewis's inspiration as recounted in the book, Have a Little Faith; the Rev. Timothy C. Ahrens, senior minister, First Congregational Church, UCC, Columbus, Ohio, Jan 3, 2010.
- Book Review, Have a Little Faith, Attribute Magazine, Katrina Williams, Feb 9, 2010.
- One-on-One with Author Mitch Albom, Saturday Evening Post, Oct 20, 2009, discussing the book, Have a Little Faith.
- Video: Mitch Albom and Rabbi Lewis, Conversations at KCTS9, Nov 9, 2009. Mitch Albom describes his relationship with Rabbi Al Lewis.
- Video: When Albert's Time Came, Conversations at KCTS9, Nov 9, 2009, Mitch Albom describes Lewis's last days.
- Katie Couric interviews Mitch Albom on a wide range of topics, with a strong focus on the book, Have a Little Faith, Nov 10, 2009.
- Text version of Lewis's final message to his congregation, played at his funeral.
- Audio version of Lewis's final message, played at his funeral.