Judaism's Great Debates

Argumentation and debate are the lifeblood of Judaism; in fact, our ancestors never shied from arguing with God or other sources of authority when they felt justice and truth demanded it. Judaism's Great Debates aims to reawaken that spirit in the lives of young Jews today. At the heart of the book are ten classic debates from Jewish history, such as Nathan courageously confronting King David over the king's immorality, and Spinoza challenging Jewish communal leaders in Amsterdam about the boundaries of Jewish belief. This book teaches students to analyze the value conflict at the core of each historic debate, and more importantly, it prepares them to apply Jewish values to similar conflicts in our society. Contents: Abraham & God Moses & Korach The Five Daughters & the Twelve Tribes David & Nathan Ben Zakkai & the Zealots Hillel & Shammai The Vilna Gaon & the Ba'al Shem Tov Spinoza & the Amsterdam Rabbis Geiger, Hirsch & Frankel Herzl & Wise Download a free companion PDF - Debating Guide Includes questions for reflection, discussion, and formal argumentation plus a brief outline explaining how to run a formal debate in the classroom.