A Guide to Jewish Practice: Tzedaka

Given how difficult many of us find it to introduce discussions about money directly, A Guide to Jewish Practice:Tzedaka, should work as a study guide. It does an effective job of stimulating ssubstantial and Jewishly based discussion of the whole issue of charitable giving.

Dr. David Teutsch is The Louis and Myra Wiener Professor of Contemporary Jewish Civilization and the Chair, Department of Contemporary Jewish Civilization at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, PA.

A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Teutsch received his M.A. in Hebrew Letters and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and earned his Ph.D. at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where his doctoral work focused on Organizational Ethics. He served as President of RRC from 1993-2002 following appointments as Executive Vice President (1990-93) and Dean of Admissions (1986-1990). Dr. Teutsch is the editor-in-chief of the groundbreaking seven-volume Kol Haneshamah prayer book series (Reconstructionist Press, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2001); and Imagining the Jewish Future (SUNY Press, 1992), and the author of articles and reviews in various Jewish publications. From 1982 to 1986, he served as the Executive Director of the Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot. Dr. Teutsch has served as a member of the Professional Advisory Council of the United Jewish Communities Renaissance Pillar, and as a Board Member of the National Havurah Committee and of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Dr. Teutsch was previously Rabbi at Ramat Shalom in Spring Valley, NY; Director of Program Administration for the National Jewish Resource Center (now CLAL); and Director of Special Projects and Vice President of the Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation, 1980-82. He is a well-known organizational consultant and trainer.