Rabbi Benjamin Edidin Scolnic (born October 28, 1953), is an American

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

who has been the spiritual leader at Temple Beth Sholom in

Hamden, Connecticut Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant". The population was 61,169 at the 2020 census. History The peaceful tribe of Quinnipiacs were the first residents of the ...

since 1983. He was educated at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and the

Jewish Theological Seminary of America The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...

(JTS). He also received his Ph.D. from JTS. Scolnic is the model for one of the rabbinical detectives in Jacob Appel's popular murder mystery ''Wedding Wipeout''. Scolnic was the editor of the journal

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generati ...

from 1993–2000. He has taught at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

, the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

, and JTS. He served as the host for a series of

The Eternal Light ''The Eternal Light'' was an American radio and television program on the NBC Radio Network, produced in conjunction with the Jewish Theological Seminary, that was broadcast between 1944 and 1989. Featuring interviews, commentary, and award-winn ...

radio shows, which were produced by JTS. Scolnic is the author of several books and many articles and essays on the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

, feminism, liturgy, Jewish education, the relationship between religion and the media, and the future of

Published books

*Theme and Context in Biblical Lists (1995), *Chronology and Papponymy : A List of the Judean High Priests of the Persian Period, (1999), *Are You Talking to Me? (2001), *Shoes for the Road: Thoughts for Living in a Troubled Time (2003), *Alcimus, Enemy of the Maccabees (2004), , *If the Egyptians Died in the Red Sea, Where are Pharaoh's Chariots? Exploring the Historical Dimension of the Bible (2005), , *Unfinished Business (2006), *Conservative Judaism and the Faces of God's Words (2006), *Thy Brother's Blood: The Maccabees and the Morality of Kinship (2007),

References

External links

WorldCat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scolnic, Benjamin People from Hamden, Connecticut 1953 births Living people Jewish American writers American Conservative rabbis Jewish Theological Seminary of America semikhah recipients 21st-century American Jews