Haskel Lookstein
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein is an American
Modern Orthodox
Rabbi
who serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun
on the Upper East Side
of Manhattan
and principal of the Ramaz School
.
in 1937, which was established by his father and named in honor of Rabbi Joseph Lookstein
's grandfather-in-law and predecessor in the pulpit, Rabbi Moses Zevulun Margolies.
As a child in the 1940s and 1950s, Lookstein would maintain a "shul
scorecard", tracking the weather, the subject of his father's sermon, the details of any special occasions and the number of congregants in attendance, which hovered in the 200s, depending on the subject of the sermon.
and took a master's degree program at Yeshiva University
. After receiving his rabbinic ordination
from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
in 1958, he was offered pulpits in Detroit and at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst, New York
. He had also been offered a position as assistant rabbi serving under his father, a choice that he was warned against taking. He was installed as assistant rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, serving under his father, Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein, on June 14, 1958.
on their wedding trip.
quoted extensive portions of a May 14, 1966 sermon on the weekly Torah
portion of Behar
/ Bechukotai
, in which Rabbi Lookstein cited the Talmud
as a model for a modern civil rights
manual. Rabbi Lookstein quoted the 25th chapter of the Book of Leviticus
, which is read at the beginning of Parashat Behar, as being "one of the most profound sources" for the social consciousness of religion during the Civil Rights era and that it is the Talmud that prescribes that no man is free if he does not have economic opportunity or the right to live where he chooses.
Rabbi Lookstein's political activism began with numerous visits to the former Soviet Union
, numerous rallies on behalf of Natan Sharansky
and Soviet Jewry and continues today with activism on behalf of the Jews of Israel and worldwide.
Rabbi Lookstein assumed the position of Senior Rabbi, following the death of his father in July 1979. Filled with concern at the responsibility of filling the role served by his father as the congregation's leader, he was reassured after his father's funeral by his mother, who said "Haskel, you'll sit there; that was dad's seat", followed shortly thereafter by "Well, you'll finally have a nice office", successfully assuaging his worries in assuming his father's position.
He was selected by Newsweek
magazine as the most influential Orthodox pulpit rabbi in the United States in 2008, ranked second nationwide behind Conservative
Rabbi David Wolpe
of Los Angeles
. Newsweeks rankings were based on success in congregational growth and inspiration, leadership in the community and within his denominational movement and the ability to serve the spiritual needs of his congregation.
, the primary American modern-orthodox rabbinic association, initially took exception to his presence, stating that "participation in a prayer service held in the sanctuary of a church is prohibited", and adding "Any member of the RCA who attends such a service does so in contravention of this policy and should not be perceived as representing the organization in any capacity."
Once their early position was publicized, they backtracked and simply stated that Rabbi Lookstein didn't represent the RCA.
“Rabbi Lookstein did not represent the Rabbinical Council of America in attending that service and therefore we have no comment on the matter,” said Rabbi Basil Herring, executive director of the RCA, on Monday.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Modern Orthodox
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
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...
who serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun
Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun
Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun is a Modern Orthodox synagogue, located on East 85th Street on the Upper East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. The synagogue was founded in 1872...
on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and principal of the Ramaz School
Ramaz School
The Ramaz School is a coeducational, private Modern Orthodox Jewish prep school located on the Upper East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It consists of a lower school , a middle school , and an upper school .The Ramaz Upper School is a college preparatory school...
.
Early years
Lookstein started first grade at the Ramaz SchoolRamaz School
The Ramaz School is a coeducational, private Modern Orthodox Jewish prep school located on the Upper East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It consists of a lower school , a middle school , and an upper school .The Ramaz Upper School is a college preparatory school...
in 1937, which was established by his father and named in honor of Rabbi Joseph Lookstein
Joseph Lookstein
Joseph Hyman Lookstein was a Russian-born, American rabbi who served as spiritual leader of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and was a leader in Orthodox Judaism, including his service as president of the Rabbinical Council of America and of the...
's grandfather-in-law and predecessor in the pulpit, Rabbi Moses Zevulun Margolies.
As a child in the 1940s and 1950s, Lookstein would maintain a "shul
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...
scorecard", tracking the weather, the subject of his father's sermon, the details of any special occasions and the number of congregants in attendance, which hovered in the 200s, depending on the subject of the sermon.
Education
Lookstein received his undergraduate degree from Columbia UniversityColumbia 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...
and took a master's degree program at Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
. After receiving his rabbinic ordination
Semicha
, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...
from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary , or Yeshivat Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University, located in Washington Heights, New York. It is named after Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, who died the year it was founded, 1896...
in 1958, he was offered pulpits in Detroit and at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst, New York
Cedarhurst, New York
Cedarhurst is a village in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, New York, in the USA. The population was 6,592 at the 2010 United States Census. The village is named after a grove of trees that once stood at the post office....
. He had also been offered a position as assistant rabbi serving under his father, a choice that he was warned against taking. He was installed as assistant rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, serving under his father, Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein, on June 14, 1958.
Marriage
He married the former Audrey Katz on June 21, 1959 in a ceremony held at Congregation Kehillath Jeshurun and conducted by his father, assisted by Rabbis Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Joseph M. Baumol. The couple planned to visit IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
on their wedding trip.
Work
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
quoted extensive portions of a May 14, 1966 sermon on the weekly Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
portion of Behar
Behar
Behar, BeHar, Be-har, or B’har is the 32nd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the ninth in the book of Leviticus...
/ Bechukotai
Bechukotai
Bechukotai, Bechukosai, or B'hukkothai is the 33rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the 10th and last in the book of Leviticus...
, in which Rabbi Lookstein cited the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
as a model for a modern civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
manual. Rabbi Lookstein quoted the 25th chapter of the Book of Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
, which is read at the beginning of Parashat Behar, as being "one of the most profound sources" for the social consciousness of religion during the Civil Rights era and that it is the Talmud that prescribes that no man is free if he does not have economic opportunity or the right to live where he chooses.
Rabbi Lookstein's political activism began with numerous visits to the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, numerous rallies on behalf of Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky was born in Stalino, Soviet Union on 20 January 1948 to a Jewish family. He graduated with a degree in applied mathematics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. As a child, he was a chess prodigy. He performed in simultaneous and blindfold displays, usually against...
and Soviet Jewry and continues today with activism on behalf of the Jews of Israel and worldwide.
Rabbi Lookstein assumed the position of Senior Rabbi, following the death of his father in July 1979. Filled with concern at the responsibility of filling the role served by his father as the congregation's leader, he was reassured after his father's funeral by his mother, who said "Haskel, you'll sit there; that was dad's seat", followed shortly thereafter by "Well, you'll finally have a nice office", successfully assuaging his worries in assuming his father's position.
He was selected by Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine as the most influential Orthodox pulpit rabbi in the United States in 2008, ranked second nationwide behind Conservative
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,...
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...
of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Newsweeks rankings were based on success in congregational growth and inspiration, leadership in the community and within his denominational movement and the ability to serve the spiritual needs of his congregation.
Controversy over President Obama's National Prayer Service
Rabbi Lookstein was one of the rabbinical participants in the National Prayer Service at the National Cathedral representing, loosely speaking, the orthodox Jewish contingent. The Rabbinical Council of AmericaRabbinical 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...
, the primary American modern-orthodox rabbinic association, initially took exception to his presence, stating that "participation in a prayer service held in the sanctuary of a church is prohibited", and adding "Any member of the RCA who attends such a service does so in contravention of this policy and should not be perceived as representing the organization in any capacity."
Once their early position was publicized, they backtracked and simply stated that Rabbi Lookstein didn't represent the RCA.
“Rabbi Lookstein did not represent the Rabbinical Council of America in attending that service and therefore we have no comment on the matter,” said Rabbi Basil Herring, executive director of the RCA, on Monday.