Life and work Philip R. Alstat

alstat (center) witnessing ketubah, jewish marriage document, 1974

he involved in spread , strengthening of conservative movement in many ways, speaking @ many dedication ceremonies , other special events conservative congregations, did on september 17, 1927, ohev shalom synagogue center, in suburb of philadelphia, pennsylvania. important force in conversion studies prospective converts judaism, individuals later come called, jews choice. taught courses himself, supervised network of rabbinical students meet one-on-one conversion students. @ 1 point, virtually requests conversions under auspices of conservative movement in new york city referred him conservative colleagues. among rabbinical students helped him final stages of conversion, including mikveh(ritual immersion) , beit din(rabbinical court), alstat known way that, no matter new name chosen convert, link name, , conversion itself, biblical story of ruth, famous convert in bible.

alstat lived in jts dormitory forty-three years, serving counselor , mentor generations of rabbinical students. share both knowledge of jewish subjects, , practical techniques had developed on years filing bits , pieces of information later helped him columns, , rabbis articles , sermons. known speaking rabbinic students upon return student pulpit positions during jewish high holy days, greeting them question, how success? question lead serious discussions difference between success during short visit , successful rabbinic career span years. when rabbinical students having hard time putting eulogy funeral, advise them ask relatives, kind of report card think person have received god? in talks , in eulogies delivered, teach way appraise , evaluate life achievements of rabbi come talmudic verse, taught asked 2 questions: second, whether engaged in studies jewishly cultural , creative? ; first, whether dealt others faithfully—with integrity. in alstat s own eulogy, called friend, confidant , adviser several generations of rabbinical students. on years became rabbi s rabbi colleagues sought counsel , advice.

sermons , articles

alstat small in physical stature, 5 2 tall, fiery , towering orator, sermons created quite stir among congregants, , attracted attention of media. in 1928, bronx jewish herald included article entitled, bronx rabbi takes fling @ lekovod christmas jews. (the hebrew word indicates targets of sermon jews showed more respect , honor christmas own holidays , faith.) article began referencing alstat s sermon, delivered pulpit of adath israel, new , attractive synagogue gracing corner of grand concourse , 169th street, , went on that, rabbi philip r. alstat took task jews act no different judeo-christians of eighteen centuries ago. quoted sermon in entirety, described ways jews celebrating christmas exchanging gifts , singing carols, , concluded follows:

it not our wish stir religious rancor, or engage in theological disputations or draw odious comparisons beteween 2 faiths. nothing further our intentions. in fact have highest respect christian follower of christianity. eternal vigilance price minority must pay existence, , cannot on indifference when weak members of minority falter in loyalty , succumb seductive charms of majority....there no convenient compromise between mogen dovid , cross, between adonai echod [note: these words, 1 god, verse begins shema yisrael] , trinitarian conception of deity. there elijah confront judeo-christians of 1928 , hurl @ them challenge of old: how long halt ye between 2 opinions? ....either jews or christians – there no room judeo-christians in our midst!

but, use words admonish, use them build hope. in 1939, in article, passover s message modern jewry, counseled hope, , gratitude, part of jewish strength withstand pain of events in europe:

perhaps in our generation counsel of our talmudic sages may seem superfluous, today story of our enslavement in egypt kept alive not ritualistic symbolism, more tragic realism. contemporaries , witnesses of daily re-enactment. not our hapless brethren in german reich eating bread of affliction ? not lives embittered complete disenfranchisement , forced labor? not lashed mercilessly brutal taskmasters behind walls of concentration camps? not many of men-folk being murdered in cold blood? not ruthlessness of egyptian pharaoh surpassed sadism of nazi dictators?

and yet, in hour of disaster , degradation, still helpful visualize oneself among had gone forth out of egypt. gives stability , equilibrium spirit. our estranged kinsmen, assimilated, , de-judaized, go pieces under impact of blow....but visualize among groups have gone forth successive egypts in our history never lose sense of perspective, nor overwhelmed confusion , despair.... faith, born of racial experience , wisdom, gives oppressed strength outlive oppressors , endure until day of ultimate triumph when shall brought forth bondage unto freedom, sorrow unto joy, mourning unto festivity, darkness unto great light, , servitude unto redemption.

this theme of remembering pain in past in way helped build hope future focus of 1938 sermon quoted in new york times, undaunted, confidently expect day, somehow, present low ebb of liberty , democracy followed rising tide onrush irresistibly wash away ramparts of tyranny. sermons , articles targeted jewish community, united states, family of nations, jewish homeland in palestine, , described importance of jewish state – nation yet not created, supported both words , actions. shared vision of state proclaiming that, whether jewish state large or small, importance in family of nations determined, not limited area, creative genius , cultural contributions mankind. judaea , athens of old, may small vessel, exceedingly rich in precious content.

in addition numerous articles of own, translated articles yiddish papers publication english-language press.

strange relate


the photo of alstat accompanied hundreds of newspaper articles.

for 40 years, 1938 through 1976, year of death—in 1500 weekly columns – alstat wrote strange relate, column revealed little-known information judaism, people, history, , faith, , intersection american , world events. columns appeared in both english , yiddish papers, including american examiner, , new york jewish week. quoting poetry, literature, , latest news stories, ranging scientific discoveries international events, wrote articles surprising , unanticipated jewish connections in news. fact story of jewish festival of hanukkah recorded in catholic bible s book of maccabees, not in hebrew bible; way ancient jewish prayer new moon had changed after first lunar moon landing—taking out phrase, have never touched ; fact that, after world war ii, german money helped print 17-volume edition of talmud – when survivors talmud (also known u.s. army talmud, because dedicated u.s. army) published, based on realization many jews in displaced persons camps hungry jewish books food; scientific theories offered russian way unusual alignment of planets caused splitting of red sea; way talmudic rabbis, not benjamin franklin, invented lightning rod, articles read lay people , jewish leaders alike.

these few examples of titles of columns reveal wide range of topics:

jewish aspects of moon exploration
jewish aspects of benjamin franklin
president lyndon johnson, through jewish eyes
golda meir recalls rosh hashanah in moscow

his columns quoted rabbis throughout country in sermons , columns. additionally, in letters editor , personal correspondence, readers write indebtedness him revived interest in torah , people of israel. . columns reprinted in works of others during lifetime, , long after death. example, story of 13th century jewish philosopher, abraham abulafia, included in 1995 collection, treasury of jewish anecdotes:

in summer of 1280, abraham abulafia went rome convert pope judaism. wanted meet pope nicklaus iii on eve of jewish new year , persuade leader of world s roman catholics become jew. pope, @ summer house, heard of plan, , ordered abulafia burned @ stake. abulafia arrived @ gate of papal residence, not arrested. pope had died result of apoplectic stroke during preceding night. abulafia jailed 28 days , released.

in addition column, wrote frequent book reviews, including 1 of first earth lord s, abraham joshua heschel. additionally, worked behind-the-scenes support work of many colleagues, acknowledged in book s preface, after death, in 1992 study, economic analysis in talmudic literature: rabbinic thought in light of modern economics.