Reverence, Righteousness, and Rahamanut

Rabbi Leo Jung (1892-1987) was one of the most prominent rabbis of the 20th century. He was the author of over three dozen highly regarded books, he served in leadership positions in many national and international organizations, he was the spiritual leader of his congregation for sixty-five years, and he won the affection and respect of Jews from all corners of the diverse Jewish community. Perhaps Rabbi Jung's most significant achievement was the pivotal role he played in the Americanization of Orthodox Jewry. For many Jews in America during the first half of the 20th century, Orthodoxy was considered "European" and "other worldly." Rabbi Jung, through his gifts as a scholar and teacher and as a man of great vision, was able to present Orthodoxy as a viable option for the American Jew. Rabbi Jung was a brilliant teacher with a rare ability to explain Orthodox Judaism through idioms and experiential references that were familiar to American Jews. In his view, reverence, righteousness, and rahamanut (interpreted as "mother love") were the three major foci of Judaism. Hence the title of this tribute to the memory of this outstanding American Jewish leader. In this volume, published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, leading scholars have contributed essays on themes that were of special interest to Rabbi Jung. These essays, along with the major study, by Marc Lee Raphael, of Rabbi Jung and his influence, have been brought together in one volume by Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, outstanding scholar and spiritual leader of the congregation to which Rabbi Jung devoted his life. The result is a fitting memorial to a man whose visionary abilities helped to form and establishthe thriving Jewish community in America.