Menachem Kellner
Encyclopedia
Menachem Kellner is a contemporary Jewish scholar of medieval Jewish philosophy
with a particular focus on the philosophy of Maimonides
. He is Professor of Jewish Thought at the University of Haifa
and has taught courses in philosophy, religious studies and medieval and modern Jewish philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis
, the College of William and Mary
, the University of Virginia
and the University of Haifa
.
He is probably best known for his book Must A Jew Believe Anything? which was a Koret Jewish Book Award
finalist.
in 1946, and studied at the Hebrew Theological College
in Skokie, Illinois
and Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav
in Jerusalem, Israel.
He studied philosophy and Jewish philosophy
at Washington University receiving a BA, Masters and a PhD. His PhD. dissertation was directed by Steven Schwarzschild
. In 1980 he made aliyah
to Israel.
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...
with a particular focus on the philosophy of Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
. He is Professor of Jewish Thought at the University of Haifa
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
and has taught courses in philosophy, religious studies and medieval and modern Jewish philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
, the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
, the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and the University of Haifa
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
.
He is probably best known for his book Must A Jew Believe Anything? which was a Koret Jewish Book Award
Koret Jewish Book Award
The Koret Jewish Book Award is an annual award that recognizes "recently published books on any aspect of Jewish life in the categories of biography/autobiography and literary studies, fiction, history and philosophy/thought published in, or translated into, English." The award was established in...
finalist.
Biography
He was born in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
in 1946, and studied at the Hebrew Theological College
Hebrew Theological College
The Hebrew Theological College, known as "Skokie Yeshiva," is a Yeshiva in Skokie, Illinois which also functions as a private university on campus. The primary focus of the Yeshiva is to teach Torah and Jewish traditions...
in Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
and Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav
Mercaz haRav
Mercaz HaRav , more properly, Mercaz HaRav Kook ), is a national-religious yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1924 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. It has become synonymous with his teachings....
in Jerusalem, Israel.
He studied philosophy and Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...
at Washington University receiving a BA, Masters and a PhD. His PhD. dissertation was directed by Steven Schwarzschild
Steven Schwarzschild
Steven S. Schwarzschild was a rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and editor.-Biography:Schwarzschild was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and grew up in Berlin. He escaped to the United States with his family in 1939....
. In 1980 he made 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...
to Israel.
Books
- Dogma in Medieval Jewish Thought: From Maimonides to Abravanel (1986)
- Maimonides on Human Perfection (1990)
- Maimonides on Judaism and the Jewish People (1991)
- Maimonides on the "Decline of the Generations" and the Nature of Rabbinic Authority (1996)
- Must A Jew Believe Anything? (1999)
- Maimonides Confrontation with Mysticism (2006)
Translations
- He is the translator of Isaac Abravanel’s Principles of Faith, Gersonides’ Commentary on Song of Songs, and Maimonides’ Book of Love.
External links
- 'Who is the Person Whom Rambam Says Can be "Consecrated as the Holy of Holies,"' Seforim Blog http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/Menachem%20Kellner