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Ammiel Hirsch

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Rabbi
Ammiel Hirsch
Personal life
Born
Ammiel Hirsch

1958 or 1959 (age 65–66)
NationalityAmerican
Parent(s)Rabbi Richard G. and Bella Hirsch
Alma materLondon School of Economics and Political Science
Religious life
ReligionJudaism
DenominationReform Judaism

Ammiel Hirsch (Hebrew: עמיאל הירש, also spelled Amiel Hirsch) (born 1958 or 1959)[1] is an American Reform rabbi and attorney. He is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and former executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America/World Union for Progressive Judaism, North America. In 2024, The Jerusalem Post[1] named him among “The 50 Most Influential Jews of the Year.” In 2016, City & State New York magazine praised him as “the borough's most influential voice” for Manhattan's more than 300,000 Jews, and, in 2015, the New York Observer named him among “New York’s Most Influential Religious Leaders.” He has written two books: "The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi's Reflections on Love, Courage, and History" (2023) and "One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them" (2003), which he co-authored with Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman.

Early life and education

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Hirsch was born in the United States[2] to Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch (born 1926),[3] a Reform rabbi who founded the movement's Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C.,[3] and Executive Director Emeritus of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.[4][5] His mother is Bella Hirsch; he has two brothers and a sister, Ora Pescovitz.[3][6]

Hirsch spent his high school years in Israel and served in the IDF as a tank commander.[2] [5] He speaks fluent Hebrew.[7] He went on to earn an LL.B. Honors from the London School of Economics and Political Science and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1985.[8] He received rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, in 1989.[5][9]

Reform leadership

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From 1992–2004, Hirsch served as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), the Israeli arm of the North American Reform movement.[9] An ardent Zionist,[10] he guided ARZA to accept a new platform embracing Zionism in 1997.[7] He was also a leader in the struggle against Israel's Orthodox religious establishment—which he called "the monopoly"—to recognize the Reform movement in Israel,[7] and was influential in the successful lobbying effort to change Israel's Law of Return to recognize conversions performed by non-Orthodox rabbis in Israel.[2][11][12]

In 2004, he joined Stephen Wise Free Synagogue as Senior Rabbi.[9]

Hirsch is also an officer of the New York Board of Rabbis and a member of Partnership of Faith, an interfaith body of New York religious leaders. He lives in New York City.[9]

Book collaboration

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In 2000,[13] a literary agent introduced Hirsch to Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman, an Orthodox rabbi and Talmudic scholar, with the idea of collaborating on a book airing the Reform and Orthodox viewpoints on various issues. Their email correspondence over the next 18 months resulted in the book One People, Two Worlds: A Reform rabbi and an Orthodox rabbi explore the issues that divide them.[1] The book was hailed by the religious left as a breakthrough in Orthodox recognition of religious pluralism, but generated criticism in Orthodox circles regarding Rabbi Reinman's willingness to conduct official rabbinic dialogue with a Reform clergyman.[14] The book was denounced by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of America[15] and the heads of Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, New Jersey, where Reinman received his rabbinic ordination.[16] Reinman subsequently pulled out of a 14-city promotional tour after two appearances, leaving Hirsch to continue the tour on his own.[17][18]

Bibliography

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  • Hirsch, Ammiel (1989). From Moses to Marx: Russian Zionism as portrayed through the Hebrew press of 1917. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
  • Hirsch, Ammiel; Reinman, Yaakov Yosef (2003). One People, Two Worlds: A Reform rabbi and an Orthodox rabbi explore the issues that divide them. Schocken Books. ISBN 0-8052-1140-3.
  • Hirsch, Ammiel (2023). The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi's Reflections on Love, Courage, and History. Wicked Son. ISBN 978-1-6375-8746-1.

References

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  1. ^ a b Brawarsky, Sandee (11 October 2002). "Agreeing to Disagree". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Shamir, Shlomo (22 August 2002). "Dialogue of the not so deaf". Haaretz. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Biographical Sketch of Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch". Jewish Agency for Israel. 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  4. ^ Hyman, Meryl (1998). Who is a Jew?: Conversations, not conclusions. Jewish Lights. p. 181. ISBN 1-879045-76-1.
  5. ^ a b c Rosensaft, Jean Bloch (2004). "A Vital Partnership: HUC-JIR alumni leading the Union for Reform Judaism" (PDF). The Chronicle. 63: 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  6. ^ Cohen, Haley (2024-01-17). "Meet the college president unafraid of speaking out against terrorism". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  7. ^ a b c Nahshon, Gad. "Interview with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsh: A New Zionist Revolution". Jewish Post. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  8. ^ "Ammiel Hirsch". justia.com. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d "Our Clergy: Ammiel Hirsch, Senior Rabbi". Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. Archived from the original on 15 April 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  10. ^ Kampeas, Ron (30 November 1999). "Tourism Push for High Holidays". JTA. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  11. ^ Curtius, Mary (21 February 2002). "Israeli High Court Oks Non-orthodox Jewish Conversions". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  12. ^ "Israel's conversion ruling: What it does and doesn't do". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  13. ^ "Author Spotlight: Ammiel Hirsch". Random House. 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  14. ^ Adlerstein, Yitzchok (Spring 2003). "Book: 'One People, Two Worlds' By Ammiel Hirsch and Yosef Reinman" (PDF). Jewish Action. Orthodox Union.
  15. ^ "A Proposed Addition to the Agudah Convention Agenda". The Jewish Press. 6 December 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  16. ^ Brownfeld, Allan C. (March–April 2003). "Orthodox Pressure Causes Rabbi to Pull Out of Book Tour; British Chief Rabbi Changes Book Called "Heresy"". American Council for Judaism. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  17. ^ Reinman, Yosef (2003). "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover". Jewish Law. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  18. ^ Pine, Dan (21 February 2003). "Reform-Haredi Collaboration Ends in Bitter Brouhaha". J. jweekly.com. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
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