Mordecai Waxman,

KCSG KCSG (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Cedar City, Utah, United States, airing programming from the classic television network MeTV. Owned and operated by network parent Weigel Broadcasting, the station maintains studios on West 1 ...

(February 25, 1917, in Albany – August 10, 2002, in Great Neck, New York), was a

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

in the Conservative Jewish movement for nearly 60 years. He served as rabbi of Temple Israel in

Great Neck, New York Great Neck is a region contained within Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, on Long Island, which covers a peninsula on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore and includes nine incorporated villages, among th ...

for 55 years from 1947 through his death in 2002. He is most notable for his interactions with Pope John Paul II in the 1980s as chairman of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations. Waxman was the author of ''Tradition and Change: The Development of Conservative Judaism'', published in 1958. He also served as editor of the journal, ''Conservative Judaism'' for five years, from 1969 to 1974. Waxman received his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

and was ordained at 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 as well as a hub for academic scholarship in Jewish studies ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He was an Army

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, serving in

Fort Dix, New Jersey Fort Dix, the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, is a United States Army post. It is located south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air For ...

and served from 1941 to 1942 as rabbi of Temple Beth Israel (Niagara Falls, New York), and also in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

1987 Papal Address

The following is an excerpt from Waxman's speech delivered in September 1987 to

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

: :''Catholics and Jews have begun the long overdue process of reconciliation. We still have some way to go because Catholic-Jewish relations is one of this century's most positive developments.'' :''We remain concerned with the persistence of anti-Semitism - the hatred of Jews and Judaism, which is on the rise in some parts of the world. We are encouraged by your vigorous leadership in denouncing all forms of anti-Semitism, and by the church's recent teachings. The church's repudiation of anti-Semitism is of critical importance in the struggle to eradicate this virulent plague from the entire human family.'' :''Anti-Semitism may affect the body of the Jew, but history has tragically shown that it assaults the soul of the Christian world and all others who succumb to this ancient, but persistent pathology.'' :''We hope that your strong condemnations of anti-Semitism will continue to be implemented in the schools, the parishes, teaching materials and the liturgy, and reflected in the attitudes and behavior of Catholics throughout the world. Greater attention needs to be paid to the Christian roots of anti-Semitism. The ''teaching of contempt'' reaped a demonic harvest during the Shoah in which one-third of the Jewish people were murdered as a central component of a nation's policy. The Nazi Holocaust-

Shoah The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

brought together two very different forms of evil: On the one hand it represented the triumph of an ideology of nationalism and racism, the suppression of human conscience and the deification of the state - concepts that are profoundly anti-Christian as well as anti-Jewish. On the other hand the Shoah was the culmination of centuries of anti-Semitism in European culture for which Christian teachings bear a heavy responsibility.''

Personal

* Waxman's wife, Ruth, died in 1996. She taught literature at the

Adelphi University Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York, United States. Adelphi also has centers in Downtown Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County in addition to a virtual, online campus for remote students. As of 2019, it had ...

, Long Island University C.W. Post Campus,

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...

and

Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an campus primarily located in Flushing. Queens College was established in 1937 and offe ...

. She was editor of ''Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought'', published by the American Jewish Congress. * In 1998, Waxman was named a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by

. He was the first rabbi and the fifth Jew to receive the honor.JEWISH RABBI RECEIVES VATICAN HONOUR
, Rome Watch International. * Waxman died just weeks before he was scheduled to retire on September 1, 2002. * In the 1960s, Rabbi Harold Kushner, the best-selling author of '' When Bad Things Happen to Good People,'' worked as an assistant under Rabbi Waxman at Temple Israel in

. * Waxman is survived by three children, Rabbi Jonathan Waxman, David Waxman, and Hillel Waxman, and 5 grandchildren, Ariya Waxman, Amir-Kia Waxman, Lailee Waxman, Jessye Waxman, and Avir Waxman

References

* GOLDMAN ARI L.
Mordecai Waxman, Rabbi Who Chided Pope, Dies at 85
"

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, August 15, 2002 * Ain, Stewart.
'Rabbi Of Rabbis' Dies: Mordecai Waxman served the same Long Island pulpit for 55 years, but his influence was felt by the world
" The Jewish Week, August 16, 2002. *Frank, Carol.
A Great Man Has Passed
" Great Neck Record, August 23, 2002
Those Who Attended Talks
"

, September 2, 1987
Temple Israel of Great Neck HistoryRabbi Mordecai Waxman - An Appreciation
An essay by Arthur Rosenbloom.
Passing of Interfaith Pioneer, Rabbi Mordecai Waxman
(Center For Christian-Jewish Understanding)

External links

Temple Israel of Great Neck
(official website)
Waxman High School at Temple Israel of Great Neck
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waxman, Mordecai American Conservative rabbis 20th-century American rabbis University of Chicago alumni Jewish Theological Seminary of America semikhah recipients People from Great Neck, New York Knights of St. Gregory the Great United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army officers 1917 births 2002 deaths United States Army chaplains World War II chaplains Rabbis in the military