Rabbi Mayer Schiller (born June 1951) is an American chasid based in

Monsey, New York Monsey (, ) is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States, north of Airmont, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of Spring Valley. The village of Kaser is surrounded by ...

, who identifies himself as a member of Skver and Rachmastrivka groups, and is a spokesperson for the Skver community in

New Square New Square () is an all-Hasidic village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Hillcrest, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of New City. As of the 2020 United States census, i ...

. Schiller also maintains active ties to the

Modern Orthodox Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...

community. He taught at

Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (MTA), also known as Yeshiva University High School for Boys (YUHSB), is a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school and yeshiva of Yeshiva University. It is located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan ...

of Yeshiva University, He is a

baal teshuva In Judaism, a ''ba'al teshuvah'' (; for a woman, , or ; plural, , , 'owner of return God or his way]') is a Jew who adopts some form of traditional religious observance after having previously followed a Jewish secularism, secular lifestyle or ...

, having begun practicing Orthodoxy in the spring of 1964 at age 12. He is a nationalism, nationalist who criticizes liberal notions of race and the bias against traditional religion in today's media and popular culture. He has been associated with various groups, including the Third Way (UK) and the

Ulster Third Way The Ulster Third Way was the Northern Ireland branch of the Third Way and was organised by David Kerr, who had previously campaigned as an 'independent Unionist' (chairing the small North Belfast Independent Unionist Association) as well as fo ...

. However, Schiller has also advocated a universalist morality and embrace of the Other, provided that is pursued without loss to group identity.Mayer Schiller
"We Are Not Alone in the World"
''Tikkun'', Vol. 11, No. 2 He is involved with the group Toward Tradition, which seeks to advance co-operation between Orthodox Jews and conservative Christians, for example, on issues like abortion, marriage, family, religious schools, and religious freedom. Schiller is also the author of two books - ''The Road Back: A Discovery of Judaism Without Embellishments'', ''The (Guilty) Conscience of a Conservative'' (under the name Craig Schiller) -and a monograph in defense of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's Torah ''Im Derech Eretz'' philosophy, titled "And They Shall Judge the People With True Righteousness". He is an English teacher at Mesivta Beth Shraga.

References

Works

* Rabbi Mayer Schiller, "Piety, Banality, Scholarship, and Superficiality" ''Jewish Action'' (Fall 1982) p. 16-17. Vol. 43, No. 1 * — "Symposium: The Future of American Orthodoxy" ''Jewish Action'' (Fall 5759/1998) p. 56-59. Vol. 59, No. 1 * — "The New Judaism" ''

American Council for Judaism The American Council for Judaism (ACJ) is a religious organization of American Jews committed to the proposition that Jews are not a national but a religious group, adhering to the original stated principles of Reform Judaism, as articulated in t ...

Issues'' (Summer 1998) p. 5-12. * — "A Symposium in Divided and Distinguished Worlds" ''Tradition'' Vol. 26 No. 2, (Winter 1992) pp. 5, 58-6

* — "Reflections on the Sixth Day War After Half a Century " ''Tradition'' Vol. 26 No. 4, (Summer 1992) p. 6, 15-1

* — "The Sea Change in Orthodox Judaism: A Symposium" ''Tradition'' Vol. 32 No. 4 (Summer 1998) p. 19, 101-10

* — "Hirschians and Kookians in America: Report on an Endangered Species"'' Jewish Action'' (Winter 5747/1986-1987) p. 9-15. Vol. 47, No. 1 * — "The Forgotten Humanism of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch" ''Jewish Action'' (Summer 5759/1981) pp. 21–26. Vol.49, No. 3 * — "The Academic and/or Man of Faith" ''Jewish Action'' (Spring 1990) p. 28-32. Vol. 50, No. 2 * — "Fun and Relaxation Reexamined"'' Jewish Action'' (Spring 5751/1991) Vol. 51, No. 2 * — "Realities, Possibilities, and Dreams: Reaching Modern Orthodox Youth" ''Ten Da'at'' (Adar 5749) p. 23-26. Vol. 111, No. 2 * — "Torah Ummada and The Jewish Observer Critique: Towards a Clarification of the Issues" ''The Torah u-Madda Journal'' 6 (1995–1996) p. 58-90 * — "Exchange with Rabbi Shlomo Danziger" ''Jewish Action'' (Winter 5760/1999) pp. 30,32,81, Vol. 60, No. 2 * — "Are We Still a Holy Nation? An All-Embracing Kedushah" ''Jewish Action'' (Fall 5762/2001) pp. 32–34 Vol. 62, No.

* — "Can the Death of Ideology Spell the Rebirth of Hasidism?" ''Jewish Action'' (Summer/Fall 1986) p. 48-51. Vol. 45, No. 3 * — "The Unique Village of New Square" ''Jewish Action'' (Spring 5752/1992) pp. 35–39. Vol. 52, No. 2 * — "A Portrait of Moshe 'Gabbai'" ''Jewish Action'' (Fall 5760/1999) p. 39-43. Vol. 60, No.

* — "A Personal God and the Rebbe Who Taught Him: Rabbi Aharon Roth (Reb Arele)" Great Minds of the Twentieth Century in '' Jewish Action'' (Fall 5757/1996) p. 38-41. Vol. 57, No. 1 * — "Separation: Is There an Alternative?" '' American Renaissance (magazine), American Renaissance'' (February 1995) Vol. 6, No. 2 * — "First Toward Tradition Conference : The Arduous Calling of Religious Conservatives". October 6, 1994 * — "Second Toward Tradition Conference : Conservatism's Death and the West's Hope". September 11, 2000 * — "Third Toward Tradition Conference : The Politics of Kiddush Hashem" September 11, 2000

External links

*
Article on Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch

Article on Judaism and Nationalism
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schiller, Mayer Living people American Hasidic rabbis Baalei teshuva 1951 births People from Monsey, New York Rachmastrivka (Hasidic dynasty) Skver (Hasidic dynasty)