Rabbi Richard J. Israel

Rabbi Richard J. Israel (1929 – 2000) was an American rabbi, educator, civil rights activist, and author. Known for his contributions to Jewish education and campus ministry, he was also a noted participant in the American civil rights movement and a prominent voice in modern Jewish thought.

Early life and education

Richard James Israel was born in 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1950.[1] He then studied in Israel at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh before being ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1957.[2] During that time he served as rabbi of the Bene Israel Congregation in Bombay, India.[2]

Career

Israel began his professional career as associate director of the Hillel Foundation at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 1957 to 1959. He then served as the director of the Yale University Hillel Foundation for twelve years. In 1971, he became executive director of the Hillel Council of Greater Boston, a position he held for 14 years.[1]

He was later affiliated with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where he served as director of the Rabbinic Program for the College Campus. He also contributed to the Jewish Campus Activities Committee and worked with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston.[3]

Civil rights activism

Rabbi Israel was a committed civil rights advocate. In 1962, he participated in a clergy-led protest against segregation in Albany, Georgia, where he was arrested. Upon release, he spoke publicly about the religious and moral imperatives behind his activism.[4][5]

Writings and thought

Israel was a prolific writer and thinker, often addressing complex issues in modern Jewish life with clarity and wit. His best-known work, The Kosher Pig and Other Curiosities of Modern Jewish Life (1994), examines contemporary Jewish questions with a mix of humor and scholarship.[6]

Other works include:

  • Jewish Identity Games: A How-To-Do-It Book (1978)
  • The Jewish Mission to the Jews: The Context and Practice of Outreach (1985)
  • The Promised Land of Milk and Date and Jam: The Problems of Bee-ing in the Bible and Talmud (1972)

His scholarly work was published in journals such as *Religion* and *Kerem*.[7][8]

A lighter work is his compilation of puns based on a Jewish new year ritual.[9]

Personal life

Israel married Sherry Israel, a professor and social psychologist who taught in the Hornstein Program at Brandeis University.[10] An avid beekeeper, he provided honey for Rosh Hashanah celebrations for decades. He was also a marathon runner.[11][12]

He died in July 2000 while hiking on The Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire with his son.[12][13]

Legacy

Israel's work in Jewish education, outreach, and social justice continues to influence students, educators, and activists. His memory is honored through initiatives such as the New Israel Fund's Social Justice Fellowship, which cites him as an exemplar of Jewish commitment to justice.[14]

His papers are housed at the American Jewish Archives and the Jewish Heritage Center in Boston.[1][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Richard Israel Papers".
  2. ^ a b "ISRAEL, RICHARD J." encyclopedia.com.
  3. ^ a b "Collection: Rabbi Richard J. Israel Papers | Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center".
  4. ^ "WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Rabbi Richard Israel interviewed after being released from police custody in Albany, Georgia, 28 August 1962". Civil Rights Digital Library. Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
  5. ^ "Israel, Richard J. - Civil Rights Digital Library". crdl.usg.edu. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
  6. ^ Israel, Richard J.; Israel, Richard (1993). The Kosher Pig and Other Curiosities of Modern Jewish Life. Torah Aura Productions. ISBN 1881283151.
  7. ^ Israel, Richard J. (1981-01-01). "Make Your Own Golem". Religious Education. 76 (1): 64–69. doi:10.1080/0034408810760107. ISSN 0034-4087.
  8. ^ https://kerem.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Israel-vol-7-RSU.pdf
  9. ^ "Richard Israel's Crumb List".
  10. ^ "Lessons from a Marriage". June 2013.
  11. ^ Israel, Richard J. (18 April 1976). "The Boston Marathon: The Back of the Pack". The New York Times.
  12. ^ a b "Paid Notice: Deaths ISRAEL, RABBI RICHARD J". The New York Times. 14 July 2000.
  13. ^ "Dick Israel".
  14. ^ "Social Justice Fellowship Legacies • New Israel Fund".
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