PORTRAIT OF A REFORM RABBI: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

by Rabbi Lance J. Sussman Ph.D.

2024 · Xlibris Corporation

I am a Jew because I believe that Judaism understands that between mercy and justice there is a path of righteousness. I am a Jew because I believe the “saving of a life” is an urgent mitzvah. I am a Jew because I believe Judaism believes that education is an urgent mitzvah. I am a Jew because Judaism rejects the belief that it is superior to other traditions and makes its claim on me only because it is already mine. I am a Jew because in Judaism all of God’s children are equally God’s children and every life is sacred. I am a Jew because Judaism believes that existence is not an accident and has meaning. I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes holiness in everything beautiful, kind, and just in this world. I am a Jew because Judaism is my spiritual home, and from my home, I can share in the beauty and delights of all creation. I am a Jew because Judaism believes in personal responsibility, forgiveness, and hope. I am a Jew because Judaism values my humanity above my ethnicity and enables me to become a better person by becoming a better Jew. I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes that the world is not complete and that all of us have deep responsibilities in completing it and thereby complete ourselves as human beings and as Jews. — Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.

PORTRAIT OF A RABBI-HISTORIAN: How Did We Get Here?

by Rabbi Lance J. Sussman Ph.D.

2025 · Xlibris Corporation

There is no information about the book as of this time.

Portrait of an American Rabbi: In His Own Words

by Rabbi Lance J. Sussman Ph.D.

2023 · Xlibris Corporation

It is important to bear in mind that Sussman has also been a true credit to the Reform rabbinate. He has taught thousands of congregants over the decades. He imparted his love for the Jewish people and its past from the pulpit, under the marriage canopy, and even at the funeral bier. These attainments must never be minimized or overlooked. One of Isaac Mayer Wise’s students memorialized a noteworthy incident that occurred during a class that Wise was teaching. Wise suddenly began to feel ill and decided to end the class early. As Wise began to step down from his teaching platform, a well-meaning rabbinical student jumped up from his seat, grabbed his teacher’s arm and said, “May I help you down, Doctor?” The famous rabbi shifted his glance and said in a voice loud enough for the rest of the class to hear: “Never help a person down, my boy, a rabbi must always help people up!” This is how Rabbi Dr. Sussman has led in the various communities he served over the past four decades. He has been a learned rabbi who never lost sight of his obligation to help people up. Rabbi Dr. Gary P. Zola Executive Director Emeritus, American Jewish Archives Ackerman Family Distinguished Professor, HUC-JIR From “To The Readers,” written for the AJA Festschrift in honor of Rabbi Dr. Lance J. Sussman, 2024