Emanuel Feldman
Encyclopedia
Emanuel Feldman is an Orthodox Jewish
rabbi
and rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, Georgia
. During his nearly 40 years as a congregational rabbi, he nurtured the growth of the Orthodox community in Atlanta from a community small enough to support two small synagogues to a community large enough to support Jewish day school
s, yeshiva
s, girls schools and a kollel
. He is a past vice-president of the Rabbinical Council of America
and former editor of Tradition: The Journal of Orthodox Jewish thought
published by the RCA. He is the older brother of Rabbi Aharon Feldman
, rosh yeshiva
of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore
, Maryland
.
and scion of a rabbinical family. Joseph Feldman served as a rabbi in Manchester, New Hampshire
in the 1930s, but left that post to assume the helm of Baltimore
's Franklin Street Synagogue so his sons could attend a Hebrew day school.
Emanuel entered the day school in 1938. After eighth-grade graduation, he attended public school and studied Hebrew subjects with his father and principal in the afternoons. At the age of 15 he entered Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
for a year of high school, and from age 16 to 24 he studied at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, where he received his rabbinical ordination in 1952. That same year, he earned his Masters of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University
, having earlier completed a Bachelor of Science degree at that university.
In 1971 Feldman earned his doctorate in religion from Emory University
.
. While other Orthodox synagogues in Atlanta were moving away from Orthodoxy, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Feldman tried to nurture Torah observance among their constituents.
Working in their favor were Feldman's eloquent speaking talents, Torah knowledge, and secular education. The fact that this young Jewish couple — he an expert tennis
player and she a well-dressed, former fashion design
er — still observed what people thought of as outdated mitzvot
intrigued and attracted new congregants. Still, change was gradual. It was only in the 1960s that a small group of congregants bought houses near the synagogue so they could walk to it on Shabbat
and Yom Tov
, and began sending their children to the Hebrew Academy of Atlanta, a day school which Feldman helped establish in 1954.
Feldman's first major test of his authority occurred in 1955, when the congregation moved into a church building. Feldman had a mechitza
installed for the first night of Selichos. When they saw the tall divider separating the men's and women's sections, most of the board members' wives stormed out of the shul. The next morning, the mechitza was missing. When board members dragged their feet about reinstalling it, Feldman put his young rabbinate on the line and threatened to quit if it they didn't bring it back. On the morning before Rosh Hashana, the mechitza reappeared without comment. From that point on, the congregation acceded to its rabbi on all halakhic
matters.
In 1962 the congregation moved into its own building in northeast Atlanta, near Emory University
. The new facility included a Hebrew school and a mikvah
. As the Orthodox Jewish community became more established, Feldman helped open the Torah Day School of Atlanta in 1985; his wife was the school's first principal. In 1996 Feldman's daughter-in-law, Miriam (wife of Rabbi Ilan D. Feldman
), opened the first girls-only high school in the South, the Temima High School for Girls, a Bais Yaakov
-type school.
During his nearly 40 years as a congregational rabbi, Feldman spoke out on controversial issues facing the community, including the opening of the Atlanta Jewish Community Center on Shabbat
, kashrut
, adoption, divorce, autopsy
, and circumcision
. His work as a congregational rabbi was so successful that he wrote a "love letter
" to his congregation, an unusual document in the American Jewish rabbinate.
In 1980 Ilan D. Feldman, joined his father as assistant rabbi of the congregation. With Feldman's retirement in 1991, his son became the senior rabbi of the synagogue.
Feldman and his wife moved to Jerusalem in 1991, having guided more than 70 other families to make aliyah
as well. In 1999 he published a humorous memoir of his experiences as a pulpit rabbi entitled Tales Out of Shul: The unorthodox journal of an Orthodox rabbi (Feldheim Publishers). In 2001 he published a book of essays on rabbinic and synagogue life entitled The Shul Without a Clock: Second thoughts from a rabbi's notebook (Mesorah Publications Ltd.).
, Targum Onkelos
and other commentaries in 1997. From 1988-2001, he was the editor-in-chief of Tradition: The Journal of Orthodox Jewish thought, published by the Rabbinical Council of America.
Feldman is a regular contributor to cross-currents.com, a blog
that presents the perspectives of Orthodox Jewish writers on current events, and has been a regular op-ed contributor to The Jerusalem Post
since 2006. He has also written hundreds of articles for magazines such as the Saturday Review and The New Republic
.
, former rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Ner Yisroel. They have eight children.
)
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
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...
and rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. During his nearly 40 years as a congregational rabbi, he nurtured the growth of the Orthodox community in Atlanta from a community small enough to support two small synagogues to a community large enough to support Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
s, 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...
s, girls schools and a kollel
Kollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
. He is a past vice-president of the Rabbinical Council of America
Rabbinical Council of America
The Rabbinical Council of America is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU...
and former editor of Tradition: The Journal of Orthodox Jewish thought
Tradition (journal)
Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought is a quarterly Orthodox academic journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America in association with Yeshiva University in New York City...
published by the RCA. He is the older brother of Rabbi Aharon Feldman
Aharon Feldman
Aharon Feldman is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, Maryland. He has held this position since 2001....
, rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Early life and education
Emanuel was the eldest of three sons born to Rabbi Joseph H. Feldman, a native of WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and scion of a rabbinical family. Joseph Feldman served as a rabbi in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
in the 1930s, but left that post to assume the helm of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
's Franklin Street Synagogue so his sons could attend a Hebrew day school.
Emanuel entered the day school in 1938. After eighth-grade graduation, he attended public school and studied Hebrew subjects with his father and principal in the afternoons. At the age of 15 he entered Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin or Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, is a Haredi Lithuanian-type yeshiva located in Brooklyn, New York. Established in 1904 as Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim, it is the oldest yeshiva in Kings County...
for a year of high school, and from age 16 to 24 he studied at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, where he received his rabbinical ordination in 1952. That same year, he earned his Masters of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, having earlier completed a Bachelor of Science degree at that university.
In 1971 Feldman earned his doctorate in religion from Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
.
Congregational rabbi
In 1952, Feldman assumed his first and only pulpit, that of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta. That same year, he married his wife, Estelle, and brought his bride to Atlanta. At the time, the synagogue had 40 families, only two of whom were Shomer ShabbatShomer Shabbat
A shomer Shabbat or shomer Shabbos is a person who observes the mitzvot associated with Judaism's Shabbat...
. While other Orthodox synagogues in Atlanta were moving away from Orthodoxy, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Feldman tried to nurture Torah observance among their constituents.
Working in their favor were Feldman's eloquent speaking talents, Torah knowledge, and secular education. The fact that this young Jewish couple — he an expert tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player and she a well-dressed, former fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
er — still observed what people thought of as outdated mitzvot
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
intrigued and attracted new congregants. Still, change was gradual. It was only in the 1960s that a small group of congregants bought houses near the synagogue so they could walk to it on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and Yom Tov
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
, and began sending their children to the Hebrew Academy of Atlanta, a day school which Feldman helped establish in 1954.
Feldman's first major test of his authority occurred in 1955, when the congregation moved into a church building. Feldman had a mechitza
Mechitza
A mechitza in Jewish Halakha is a partition, particularly one that is used to separate men and women....
installed for the first night of Selichos. When they saw the tall divider separating the men's and women's sections, most of the board members' wives stormed out of the shul. The next morning, the mechitza was missing. When board members dragged their feet about reinstalling it, Feldman put his young rabbinate on the line and threatened to quit if it they didn't bring it back. On the morning before Rosh Hashana, the mechitza reappeared without comment. From that point on, the congregation acceded to its rabbi on all halakhic
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
matters.
In 1962 the congregation moved into its own building in northeast Atlanta, near Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
. The new facility included a Hebrew school and a mikvah
Mikvah
Mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
. As the Orthodox Jewish community became more established, Feldman helped open the Torah Day School of Atlanta in 1985; his wife was the school's first principal. In 1996 Feldman's daughter-in-law, Miriam (wife of Rabbi Ilan D. Feldman
Ilan D. Feldman
Ilan Daniel Feldman is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, public speaker and author. Since 1991 he has been the senior rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, Georgia, succeeding his father, Rabbi Dr. Emanuel Feldman, who led the congregation for 39 years...
), opened the first girls-only high school in the South, the Temima High School for Girls, a Bais Yaakov
Bais Yaakov
Bais Yaakov is a common name for Orthodox full-time Jewish elementary and secondary schools throughout the world for Jewish girls from religious families...
-type school.
During his nearly 40 years as a congregational rabbi, Feldman spoke out on controversial issues facing the community, including the opening of the Atlanta Jewish Community Center on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
, kashrut
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
, adoption, divorce, autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
, and circumcision
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:...
. His work as a congregational rabbi was so successful that he wrote a "love letter
Love letter
A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Delivered by hand, by mail or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings...
" to his congregation, an unusual document in the American Jewish rabbinate.
In 1980 Ilan D. Feldman, joined his father as assistant rabbi of the congregation. With Feldman's retirement in 1991, his son became the senior rabbi of the synagogue.
Feldman and his wife moved to Jerusalem in 1991, having guided more than 70 other families to make aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
as well. In 1999 he published a humorous memoir of his experiences as a pulpit rabbi entitled Tales Out of Shul: The unorthodox journal of an Orthodox rabbi (Feldheim Publishers). In 2001 he published a book of essays on rabbinic and synagogue life entitled The Shul Without a Clock: Second thoughts from a rabbi's notebook (Mesorah Publications Ltd.).
Active retirement
Since his retirement, Rabbi Feldman has been an active editor, writer and spokesman for Orthodox Jewry. He serves as editor-in-chief of the landmark Ariel Chumash project, which began publishing its new English translation of RashiRashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
, Targum Onkelos
Targum Onkelos
right|thumb|Interlinear text of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 6.3–10 with [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] Targum Onkelos from the [[British Library]]....
and other commentaries in 1997. From 1988-2001, he was the editor-in-chief of Tradition: The Journal of Orthodox Jewish thought, published by the Rabbinical Council of America.
Feldman is a regular contributor to cross-currents.com, a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
that presents the perspectives of Orthodox Jewish writers on current events, and has been a regular op-ed contributor to The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
since 2006. He has also written hundreds of articles for magazines such as the Saturday Review and The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
.
Family
Feldman's son, Rabbi Ilan D. Feldman, is married to Miriam, the daughter of Rabbi Yaakov WeinbergYaakov Weinberg
Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, known as Yaakov Weinberg was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, Talmudist, and rosh yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland one of the major American non-Hasidic yeshivas...
, former rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Ner Yisroel. They have eight children.
Selected bibliography
(co-authored with Aharon Lichtenstein and Joel B. Wolowelsky) (co-edited with Joel B. WolowelskyJoel B. Wolowelsky
Dr. Joel B. Wolowelsky is on the Faculty at the Yeshiva of Flatbush, and an author on topics pertaining to the role of women in Judaism and Jewish medical ethics. He is the Associate Editor of Tradition, the Journal of Jewish Thought and of the Toras HoRav Foundation, which is bringing to print the...
)