Illuminates important issues faced by Orthodox Judaism in the modern era by relating the life and times of Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg (1859-1935). In presenting Yudel Rosenberg's rabbinic activities, this book shows that Jewish Orthodoxy could serve as an agent of modernity no less than its opponents.
This biography of Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg highlights Orthodoxy as an agent of Jewish modernity. Examining his literary output nuances the line between Jewish ¿secular¿ and ¿traditional¿ literature. His kabbalistic works shed light on the revival of kabbala in the twentieth century.
"Part biography, part oeuvre survey, A Kabbalist in
Montreal limns the mystical and practical aspects of a fascinating Hasidic sage
physically transplanted from eastern Europe into the New World while
spiritually aspiring after supernal planes. Robinson's accessible account
depicts the formidable Yehudah Yudel Rosenberg as an ambitious but embattled
communal leader keen to establish himself as a rabbinical authority and hopeful
for opportunities to secure a more stable professional and financial situation.
? Readers interested in kabbalah or in the popularization of notions and
narratives will welcome [this] informative and insightful new [work]."
-Brandon Marlon, The Jerusalem Report
