Encounters in Modern Jewish Thought: the Works of Eva Jospe

The third of a three-volume series, this book contains Eva Jospe’s Reason and Hope: Selections from the Jewish Writings of Hermann Cohen, together with two essays examining Cohen’s continuing importance and relevance. As Dov Schwartz suggests in his introduction to the volume, Jospe believed that Cohen’s Jewish Writings had the potential for influence and impact on the American Jewish intellectual, and would enrich the ethical and religious life of the Jewish community in America. Her selection of passages to translate, as well as her decisions regarding what to omit, served these purposes. Volume One of this series contains Jospe’s study of the “Concept of Encounter in the Philosophy of Martin Buber,” and Volume Two her translations of Moses Mendelssohn. Together, these volumes offer a multidimensional view of Jospe’s work and thoughts.

Raphael Jospe teaches Jewish philosophy at Ariel and Bar Ilan Universities, and served as editor of the Jewish Philosophy division of the Encylopaedia Judaica (2nd edition), and currently is editor of the Jewish philosophy division of the planned new edition of the Encyclopaedia Hebraica. Among his books, Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages was published by Academic Studies Press.

Dov Schwartz, a former Dean of Humanities at Bar Ilan University and head of the departments of Philosophy and of Music, currently heads its interdisciplinary unit, and holds the Natalie and Isidore Friedman Chair for Teaching Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s Thought. Among his various books, Religious Zionism: History and Ideology was published by Academic Studies Press.

Eva Jospe (1913–2011) was born and educated in Germany. She studied philosophy, including a course with Martin Buber. She was expelled from the university with the other Jewish students before finishing her degree, and was only able to complete her graduate education decades later in America. Following her immigration to America at the age of 26, she developed an extraordinary mastery of English, which enabled her in later years to translate works by Buber, Moses Mendelssohn, Hermann Cohen, and Franz Rosenzweig. She taught modern Jewish thought at Georgetown and George Washington Universities in Washington, D.C. for many years. After the death of her husband, Rabbi Alfred Jospe, she returned to the university as a student, and shortly before she turned 90 moved to Jerusalem to be near her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She died several days before her 98th birthday and is buried in Jerusalem.