Living the Letters: An Alphabet of Emerging Jewish Thought

In this work, Michael Marmur employs the structure of the Hebrew alphabet to set out elements of an emerging Jewish theology, presenting a case for the urgent relevance of Jewish life at a time of deepening rupture and accelerating change. He presents core components of a theory and practice of contemporary Judaism.

The Hebrew alphabet has long beguiled and preoccupied Biblical authors and liturgical poets, rationalists and mystics, conservatives and radicals. It has served as a locus of theological speculation, an engine of creativity and a recurrent motif throughout the cycle of life, from childhood instruction to graveside recitation. For each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Marmur proposes a concept, gleaned from theology, philosophy, ritual, politics, community and other fields. Readers are invited to combine and deploy them in imagining a Judaism of tomorrow.

This is an open access book.

Michael Marmur is a Reform rabbi based in Jerusalem, where he is Associate Professor of Jewish Theology at the Hebrew Union College. He was previously Dean of the Jerusalem School and Provost of the College. He served as Chair of the Israeli organization Rabbis for Human Rights.