Byron Sherwin
Encyclopedia
Byron Sherwin is a Jewish scholar and author with expertise in theology, inter-religious dialogue, mysticism and Jewish ethics
. A rabbi in the Conservative Judaism
movement, he trained at the Jewish Theological Seminary
with Abraham Joshua Heschel
. A graduate of Columbia University
, he has a Ph.D. in the History of Culture from the University of Chicago
. Sherwin has served as a senior administrator at the Spertus Institute
and as Distinguished Service Professor. He also directed the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Center for the Study of Eastern European Jewry. Sherwin is reportedly "The first rabbi in 400 years to lecture at the Catholic seminary in Bialystok, and the first Jew ever to lecture on Judaism at the University of Warsaw." He is the author of dozens of books and articles in Jewish studies.
"In 1995, he was awarded the "Officer's Order of Merit" by President Lech Wałęsa
of The Republic of Poland and in 1996 received an honorary Doctor of Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary." He also received the 1992 "Man of Reconciliation Award" from the Polish Council of Christians and Jews.
Jewish ethics
Jewish ethics stands at the intersection of Judaism and the Western philosophical tradition of ethics. Like other types of religious ethics, the diverse literature of Jewish ethics primarily aims to answer a broad range of moral questions and, hence, may be classified as a normative ethics...
. A rabbi in the Conservative Judaism
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,...
movement, he trained at the Jewish Theological Seminary
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...
with Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century.-Biography:...
. A graduate of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, he has a Ph.D. in the History of Culture from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. Sherwin has served as a senior administrator at the Spertus Institute
Spertus Institute
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies is a leading center for Jewish learning and culture in Chicago, Illinois. Not affiliated with any single branch of Judaism, Spertus offers opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn about and explore the Jewish experience. Its main campus is located at...
and as Distinguished Service Professor. He also directed the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Center for the Study of Eastern European Jewry. Sherwin is reportedly "The first rabbi in 400 years to lecture at the Catholic seminary in Bialystok, and the first Jew ever to lecture on Judaism at the University of Warsaw." He is the author of dozens of books and articles in Jewish studies.
"In 1995, he was awarded the "Officer's Order of Merit" by President Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
of The Republic of Poland and in 1996 received an honorary Doctor of Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary." He also received the 1992 "Man of Reconciliation Award" from the Polish Council of Christians and Jews.
Selected works
- Golems Among Us: How a Jewish Legend Can Help Us Navigate the Biotech Century, 2004
- The Golem Legend: Origins and Implications, 1985
- Jewish Ethics for the Twenty-First Century: Living in the Image of God, 1999
- Kabbalah: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, Rowman & Littlefield:
- The Cubs and the Kabbalist: How A Kabbalah-Master Helped the Chicago Cubs Win Their First World Series Since 1908 (novel)
- Mystical Theology and Social Dissent: The Life and Works of Judah Loew of Prague, 1982
- Sparks Amidst the Ashes: The Spiritual Legacy of Polish Jewry
- Toward a Jewish Theology
Sources
- Spertus Institute http://spertus.edu/degreeprograms/jewishstudies/faculty/sherwin.php
- David Scott, "At Auschwitz, looking for ‘a lost Atlantis’" Our Sunday Visitor (September 19, 1993)
- Loyola brief bio http://www.luc.edu/calendar/2005/RABBI%20SHERWIN.pdf.