The Ineffable Name of God: Human

Weekly on Wednesdays

In the late 1920’s, as a young graduate student in philosophy in Berlin, Heschel was writing poetry in his native Yiddish and, in 1933 in Warsaw, published his collection of poems with the title, “The Ineffable Name of God: Human – Der Shem Ham’forash: Mentsh”. 

In this 4 session class, we will dive into his amazing lyrical poems, enjoy their beauty, discuss their meanings for each of us, and search for early roots of his emerging philosophy, theology, concept of holiness, the mutual quest, yearning and partnership between humankind and God, the awe and wonder of nature, unwavering social activism, and devotion to tikkun olam. Basya Schechter, the cantor for the Romemu congregation in New York and leader of Pharaoh’s Daughter, has set a number of his poems to music. We’ll not only enjoy reading, but singing a few of the poems!

About Ami Goodman

I began reading and falling in love with Abraham Joshua Heschel’s poetic prose after reading The Sabbath in high school. In college, I became attuned to his view of the world, God’s presence and absence, the melding of the Prophets’ exhortations with civil rights and anti- Vietnam war activism, and discovering the relevance and urgent messages of Jewish liturgy. Imagine my surprise discovering his poetry which encapsulates so much of his intimate thoughts and reflections in so few beautifully placed words. I look forward to seeing what we can glean and learn together in our journey. Two recommended translations to own are available by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Morton Leifman. I am a retired physician and live in San Francisco with my wife Abby, a poet and physician. My passion is Jewish music, especially the rich Yiddish songbook, and continually rediscovering the treasures of the liturgy, and hopefully, as a Shaliach Tzibur, helping others to do so.

Texts and recordings provided to all registrants!