The Harold M. Schulweis Institute
The Harold M. Schulweis Institute (HMSI) encourages you to explore the many paths to the writings, audio and video materials of our great teacher, Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis z"l.
The mission of HMSI is to share with generations to come Rabbi Schulweis’ humanitarian and spiritual vision of Jewish life and learning that influenced the direction of all synagogue activities and the creation of innovative programs at Valley Beth Shalom during his tenure. To enhance Jewish life and influence the broader community, the Institute will continue to collect and introduce Rabbi Schulweis’ teachings and moral vision by promoting public access to his sermons, lectures, and scholarly writing, and by creating and supporting legacy programs affecting Jewish scholarship, the arts, and social action. that you will find here. Our goal is to help you to discover his teachings, his moral vision, and the depth of his community activism that continue to inspire us and enrich our lives today.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SCHULWEIS INSTITUTE WEBSITE AND ARCHIVES
To make a donation to the Harold M. Schulweis Institute, click here >
Moral Courage: From the Study of Harold M. Schulweis
A Podcast devoted to finding moral courage and inspiration for today's world, based on the collected works of Rabbi Harold Schulweis, z"l.
This series shares Jewish ideas and conversations --inspired by the works of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis—that make Jewish wisdom more accessible, inclusive and relevant to today’s complicated world. Rabbi Schulweis made Judaism approachable and accessible. He believed that humanity could do divine work in the world, trying to make it a better place. He was a co-founder of the anti-genocide program Jewish World Watch, and said that Jews have a moral responsibility to help those who are suffering, wherever they are. He was also the founding Chair of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, recognizing Christians who saved Jews from the Holocaust. His is a voice that we need now, as the world is fraught, in constant conflict, with suffering and irresponsibility both in abundance.
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Carrying Rabbi Schulweis’ Legacy into the Future
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Current Display
KERUV: Bringing Closer, Inviting In
“‘We Jews need each other’s trope and dialect for they enrich and refine our own,”
wrote Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis z”l. “Was Judaism enriched by the
excommunication of Maimonides, Spinoza, Israel Baal Shem Tov, Mordecai M.
Kaplan?”
“KERUV And More,” on display in the VBS Ellie and Mark Lainer Beit Midrash, explores
the various pathways to Judaism, Orthodox to Reconstructionist, presented by
prominent local rabbis. These instructional audios, part of the newest in the Teachings
of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis series from the Harold M. Schulweis Institute, can
also be found online HERE.
“There is much joy in sharing the teachings of Judaism on a common platform.
God did not create denominationalism!” – Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis
Previous Displays
MOED: To Everything There is a Season
“The Jewish calendar structures our awareness of time and self. There is a syncopation of collective wisdom with which our individual and family lives are synchronized. The Jewish calendar is the record of experienced values inscribed in time, celebrations and commemorations repeated annually, each year adding another layer of meaning. We grow older, along with the calendar of our people…
Blessed is Elohut, which enables us to celebrate seasons and times.”
Take a spiritual journey through the Jewish calendar, guided by texts of Rabbi Schulweis and music of Ami Aloni z”l, with a visit to MOED: To Everything There is a Season, now on display in the VBS Ellie and Mark Lainer Bet Midrash -- or virtually at www.hmsi.info. MOED I, covering Rosh Hashanah through Hanukkah, ends in early 2024 to make way for MOED II which celebrates Purim, Pesach, Shavuot and Yom HaAtzma’ut. This is the second in the Schulweis Library Collection series, “Teachings of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis,” brought to you by the Harold M. Schulweis Institute.
Hakarat Hatov Exhibit – The Recognition of Goodness
The Premiere of the First in an Ongoing Series of Presentations of the Signature Teachings of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis z”l
Currently on exhibit in the Schulweis Chapel is HAKARAT HATOV, a robust display curated by Marcy Rainey, detailing the Rabbi’s multi-decade mission to honor the courage and bravery of thousands of Righteous Christians in saving Jews during the Holocaust, the exhibit recounts the deeds of many “agents of Godliness”. You will learn their names, and see their faces, the faces of those who chose not to comply with evil. Click here to learn more >
Wed, April 30 2025
2 Iyyar 5785
